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Celestron CGE PRO Enhancements

FLO

By FLO
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FLO

FLO

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The Celestron CGE PRO mount has not received a lot of press here on SGL. Clearly at around £5k it is never going to be a mass-market product and it's size and weight means it best-suited to a permanent setup in a dome or roll-off shed. You are not likely to find one setup at a Star Party. Nevertheless it does sell and customers are pleased, we have no complaints and zero returns :icon_salut:

Celestron have been listening to end-users and recently incorporated a number of enhancements. Improvements like these usually happen quietly in the background, often even dealers are not aware, but we received a communication from Celestron today that I would like to share because it shows their commitment to this flagship product:

_________________________________________________________________

We have recently implemented 8 design and process improvements; 2 electronic, 2 mechanical, 2 manufacturing improvements and 2 firmware updates.

Electrical

  • A new electronics design adds additional layer of protection from static electricity.
  • We have increased maximum power to the motors allowing for smoother yet more powerful operation.

Mechanical

  • Modified motor design to the high quality USA made Pittman DC servo motors for added reliability.
  • Spring loaded RA worm block minimizing backlash and optimizing gear teeth engagement producing better astroimaging results.

Manufacturing process enhancement

  • Worm gears and worm were lapped together (creating a custom set) to further reduce periodic error and provide smooth tracking performance, out of the box.
  • Each worm gear is hand matched with the main axis shaft to obtain best fit possible.

Firmware update

  • New custom speed rate 9 feature allows adjustable maximum speed of both motors.
  • The new NexStar+ HC with multi-language capability is now shipping with the CGE Pro.

We are pleased to share these improvements with you.

_________________________________________________________________

celestron_cge_pro.jpg

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FLO

FLO

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Just read it and a very good review it is.

And I just read your thread :smiley:

The CGE Pro 'is' transportable but you wouldn't want to lift it when fully assembled. We set one up at one of the South West Astronomy Fairs. Once assembled it required three of us, one on each leg, to move it to our stall!

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FLO

FLO

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Are they open to people who bought the product elsewhere (ie 2nd Hand)?

No problem, please do :smiley:

If you are already a customer simply sign in then submit the review, otherwise you'll need to first create an account.

Please don't be concerned if it doesn't appear immediately, I have to tick a box to make it visible.

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DirkSteele

DirkSteele

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As a final question for now, would the purchase of a CGE Pro in the near future see the delivery of one of the mounts with the above mentioned enhancements? Obviously updating firmware we can all do, but the mechanical and electrical enhancements sound like real advances.

Thanks

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FLO

FLO

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We first heard about it back in October but it is difficult to say when the enhancements took affect. Here in the UK we only carry the latest enhanced model. I don't know what it is like over there in Sweden.

I am guessing your supplier won't have one in stock so needs to order it in for you or have it delivered direct to you from the importer's warehouse. Are they aware of the enhancements? If not then make them aware and ask them to check that the model they are ordering is new and up-to-date stock.

HTH :smiley:

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Explorer 190 MN

Explorer 190 MN

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I checked and it is the updated one....

Here in Sweden..... Old Stock high prices and misinformation on products just to clear the shelf cost me a fortune to find that out. I bought my mount else where... But not to worry as I have just made my second order at FLO I was happy with the service and delivery time believe it or not its much cheaper and quicker to order from back home also with the good British customer care. Took 6 weeks to get a Atik 314L+ mono and cost the same as a 383L from Flo D´ho..

Now its just to win the SX AO FL battle I got a "new" unit with small scratches and dust on the optics and new I am getting "as new" back for new prices but I sent it back 8 weeks ago and now the guy is avoiding me...

Bring on the courts! here we go!

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FLO

FLO

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Here in Sweden..... Old Stock high prices and misinformation on products just to clear the shelf cost me a fortune to find that out. I bought my mount else where... But not to worry as I have just made my second order at FLO I was happy with the service and delivery time believe it or not its much cheaper and quicker to order from back home also with the good British customer care. Took 6 weeks to get a Atik 314L+ mono and cost the same as a 383L from Flo D´ho..

That would explain why we receive so many orders from Sweden. Only Southern Ireland and Spain order more (there are a lot of ex-pats in Spain).

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Explorer 190 MN

Explorer 190 MN

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On a more positive thought

First thoughts:

Set up wasn´t as heavy as I expected, carrying the EQ head box on my own up 50 yards of snow filled wooden stairs was as expected.

Set up took about 10 mins and was easy I am not sure how fun it will be to tear down after a long session in sub temperatures. The heaviest part to install was the RA/DEC housing I didn’t find it too bad but I work with chainsaws and tree climbing for a living and have done for 12 years.

Portability within 50 ft of the car unless you own a few donkeys or have a Himalayan support crew handy. Carrying the box up my long snow filled stairs became a challenge half way

The build quality of the mount feels good the material and fit of the parts good and in comparison to anything else I have had excellent.

I like the design ideas which has gone into the mount structure and the way you can really lock it down solidly if like me you have solid method for placing your tripod out so that it is in exactly the same position every time then Polar alignment should never be that far off. This is because you can lock down all the adjustment knobs and there is no flex in the system.

Before I was always very careful not to bump in to the mount so as to preserve the polar alignment now I think I will avoid the mount for self-preservation!

I did read an article where the author bumped his head hard on the end of the DEC shaft cut his forehead but to his surprise M13 was still in the middle of the eye piece his words were. “Most other mounts would have been out light years and needed realignment but M13 was still centre in the eye piece”

There is no detectable backlash in either DEC or RA I guess this is due to spring loaded worm blocks. The gear sets have also been lapped which is a new manufacturing process introduced by Celestron recently, they also, added a spring loaded RA worm block, changed out the Chinese motors for quality Pitman motors, Each worm gear is hand matched with the main axis shaft to obtain best fit possible, they have also made motor control board adjustments allowing more current to the motors.

After improving the gearbox component manufacturing processes the advertised Periodic Error +/-9 has been reduced to +/-3 un-corrected un-guided it will be very interesting to see how much more I can reduce this with Pempro

Apparently the PEC records 4 cycles of the worm gear indicating to me they have increase MC memory as before they only had 88 cells 3 revolutions which was thought inadequate for proper PPEC training. I need to look further into this.

On both RA and DEC there is a physical mechanical switch so the mount will always return exactly back to the same index marks. The mount will always have the same staring position and in doing so then this mount has true PPEC (Permanent Periodic Error Correction) the PEC fit will always fit the worm cycle.

I guess they forgot about the hand control cable… again..

The new Nexstar + hand control has a new key lay out which is very similar to the old one so if should be a smooth transition. The screen has better resolution and is meant to deal with the cold better. I also read somewhere the new hand control has more memory for future “enhancements” and also a faster processor.

I´ll be back with first light if the sky ever clears again.

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FLO

FLO

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There is no detectable backlash in either DEC or RA I guess this is due to spring loaded worm blocks. The gear sets have also been lapped which is a new manufacturing process introduced by Celestron recently, they also, added a spring loaded RA worm block, changed out the Chinese motors for quality Pitman motors, Each worm gear is hand matched with the main axis shaft to obtain best fit possible, they have also made motor control board adjustments allowing more current to the motors.

After improving the gearbox component manufacturing processes the advertised Periodic Error +/-9 has been reduced to +/-3 un-corrected un-guided it will be very interesting to see how much more I can reduce this with Pempro

.... The mount will always have the same staring position and in doing so then this mount has true PPEC (Permanent Periodic Error Correction) the PEC fit will always fit the worm cycle.

Worm & wheel is dead, long live worm & wheel! :grin:

Seriously, thank-you for the report. Celestron have clearly put a lot of thought into their CGE PRO mount :icon_salut:

Steve

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