80 mm Refractor on a CGEM?

[Tim99]

While I am waiting for my new Edge scope to get here, I wondered whether I could put my little Explore Scientific 80mm Refractor on the mount?  The dovetail on the refractor is much smaller than the one on the CGEM.  I assume there is an adaptor that I add to my Refractor to be able to mount it on the CGEM.  Can you tell me how to do this? Is that a dumb question?

[MarsG76]

Not a dumb question at all. The CGEM has a Losmandy D type of saddle where as your 80mm frac has vixen type. I use a ADM Losmandy to vixen adapter for both my frac and the nexstar OTA... Works great and is solid aluminum design.

[ollypenrice]

Not a dumb question at all. The CGEM has a Losmandy D type of saddle where as your 80mm frac has vixen type. I use a ADM Losmandy to vixen adapter for both my frac and the nexstar OTA... Works great and is solid aluminum design.

I have adapters to go both ways, too (Losmandy to Vixen and Vixen to Losmandy.) One's an ADM and the other an Altair Astro. I've had a scare with the ADM regarding tightness and slippage and rather prefer the Altair but you never know whether it's a rogue dovetail or a rogue adapter.

Olly

[Tim99]

Okay.  Thanks guys. Gotta get an adapter then.  I will look this up.

[MarsG76]

I have adapters to go both ways, too (Losmandy to Vixen and Vixen to Losmandy.) One's an ADM and the other an Altair Astro. I've had a scare with the ADM regarding tightness and slippage and rather prefer the Altair but you never know whether it's a rogue dovetail or a rogue adapter.

Olly

I haven't had any slippage issues.. it has two tightening bolts and hopefully I wasn't just fluking it.... I also have a counter weight hanging of it at the front to counter the combined weight of the DSLR, filter-wheel, OAG and FR weight at the back... maybe that's whats stopping any slippage.

[Dave In Vermont]

I had a major slippage issue with an Orion alt/az mount for my 80mm F/5. I disassembled the mount and glued a strip of coarse sandpaper on the steel drum that was supposed to engage bolt holding the thing from slipping. Then the bolt was engaging the sandpaper instead of the smooth steel surface of the drum. Problem solved.

Have fun,

Dave