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Probablynot

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Probablynot

Probablynot

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My Celestron CG-5 GT Goto mount came 3pm today. Thanks, Steve and all at FLO!

I spent a while assembling it in the sitting room. Gawd, it's massive compared with the manual (and simple, but wobbly) EQ3-2 I bought ten weeks ago, now re-packed in preparation for selling. I think I'm all set up and ready to go now.

Except ...

I didn't buy a power tank yet. So the only way it'll work is if I back the car up as close to my viewing site as possible, and plug into the cigarette lighter ...

And I have to do a serious bit of polar aligning.

And then I have to get to grips with three/two/one-star alignment.

And then I have to try and learn what that TV-remote-thingie does!

The Moon? Planets? Messiers? I'm looking forward to seeing you! But when? I do hope the learning curve isn't quite as long as it looks from here!

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sologuitarist61

sologuitarist61

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Get the 5 in one car jump starter from Maplins £50ish. Save you pounds over the named variety and has to cigarette lighter ports, so you can run the telescope and a powered accessory as well. Seems to do the job well enough.

Which ever one you get make sure you charge it for the time stated and keep it charged even if you haven't used it as they lose charge regardless (and that goes for all of them regardless of the name or cost).

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Probablynot

Probablynot

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Thanks Paul. I did look, and that 5-in-1 jobbie from Maplin seemed good for a tad under £40, but it was getting some horrendous reviews on the Maplin site. Do I need that much power?

The one at Compact Battery Jumpstarter with 260 PSI Air Compressor : Jump Starters : Maplin Electronics is cheaper by ten quid, and gets better reviews. Would it be enough for the CG-5, bearing in mind my skywatching sessions would be unlikely to exceed 6 hours?

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sologuitarist61

sologuitarist61

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All I can say is that when I was looking for one, I got a lot of good reports from members here about the 5 in 1 Maplins jobbie and that was why I bought it. I too saw the cheaper one but have been caught out in the past by buying small and cheap and then finding later that I needed more. So far mine has behaved very well indeed and does what I want of it.

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Probablynot

Probablynot

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Have the CG5-GT also ... don't try and lift it when on the triipod (hernia time). The only trouble with it is that it has an ST4 port, so you just have to get a guiding camera, dont you?

Yes, serious lifting there! And even if I take off the 'scope and the weight, the legs are spread so wide open they won't go through my patio doors!

ST4 port? Is that the one marked 'auto guide' on the mount, for which I don't seem to have any connecting wires?

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sologuitarist61

sologuitarist61

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That's good enough Richard. I've just now ordered one. Now all I have to worry about is the aligning!

If you read the manual for the CG5-GT it gives a very easy way of polar alignment but whether it works or not is another matter. It seems to me that what it is saying is that you align the mount as near to north as possible.

Then you go through to 2 star align process. When that is done you ask the GOTO to take you to Polaris.

Then stop using the handset and centre the star in the field of view using the latitude control to get it as new centre as possible.

Then using the two knobs on the north side of the mount base (by releasing and tightening the knobs) you will see that this will move the star horizontally, so again do this until it is centred. When you have Polaris centred both vertically and horizontally using these manual controls you are polar aligned. Then it suggest doing the two star alignment again.

That's it until you move the mount again. It certainly sounds sensible but I have yet to try it as I did it the hard way first and am loathe to move it again. Why is it that men rarely read the instructions first?

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sologuitarist61

sologuitarist61

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Yes, serious lifting there! And even if I take off the 'scope and the weight, the legs are spread so wide open they won't go through my patio doors!

ST4 port? Is that the one marked 'auto guide' on the mount, for which I don't seem to have any connecting wires?

That's the one!

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Probablynot

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All good info! Thanks everyone! Blimey, am I glad I found SGL!

AstroImp, I'll try to come back i.d.c. with comments on how much better the CG-5 is than the EQ3-2!

However, for potential purchasers of my EQ3-2 when I get round to selling it, it's really an excellent mount! I just happened to have a bit of spare cash for going up a point or two on the equipment scale!

Richard, I promise not to sue you if the 5-in-1 thingie doesn't come up to scratch!

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sologuitarist61

sologuitarist61

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All good info! Thanks everyone! Blimey, am I glad I found SGL!

AstroImp, I'll try to come back i.d.c. with comments on how much better the CG-5 is than the EQ3-2!

However, for potential purchasers of my EQ3-2 when I get round to selling it, it's really an excellent mount! I just happened to have a bit of spare cash for going up a point or two on the equipment scale!

Richard, I promise not to sue you if the 5-in-1 thingie doesn't come up to scratch!

Be handy if SGL had a buy, sell and barter section - or is that against the rules (sorry have to admit to not having read them all) because the site is sponsored by FLO?

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