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Celestron Advanced VX mount

Rudeviewer

By Rudeviewer
in Discussions - Mounts

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Adrian23

Adrian23

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- did you polar align using the ASPA routine or a polar scope?

- I guess its unguided too???

Sorry for all the questions - it's just I'm seriously considering the vx mount and want to know what it can do "straight out if the box" :-)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Rudeviewer

Rudeviewer

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I did the aspa, and yes it is unguided.  Its been snowy so I haven't been able to test my guide system yet..My starts are a bit bloated and oblong but have seen "ok 2 minute subs".  I say ok but that's because it is wonders over my old Alt Az mount.  I am happy with my purchase when I focus it is very stable.  I am still getting the art of focus down too.  Ordering a mask for that.  And if I could keep this snow away.... lol.

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  • 1 month later...
Rudeviewer

Rudeviewer

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I haven't seen anything posted on this mount about a larger OTA being attached, so I will be posting a review of this mount with an orion 203mm f4.9 scope.  Weight is 16.5 lbs so well see if this mount does ok just above its AP threshold.  Comes in today but we all know clouds will follow. 

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Rudeviewer

Rudeviewer

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Well I shortly tested the new scope out 8" orion reflector.  Balance is a must when using this heavy of a setup.  And the little bit of wind like 10 or 15 mph didn't do great but not bad ill say.  I was able to get easy guided shots at much shorter exposures getting much of the same looking images I did with  5 to 7 minutes.  I forgot to polar align before I started taking pics as I got too excited.  I believe in great conditions this scope will be just fine on the AVX mount.   

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PeterCPC

PeterCPC

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The drift due to polar align error can be calculated.  I haven't done any serious imaging with the AVX unguided but with my CG5-GT and the same process - Align - ASPA - Image was managing 30 secs unguided with an 80mm F/6.25 refractor and a DSLR.  It might have gone longer, I didn't try.  I'd rather have lots of shorter exposures, the majority of which are usable, than take longer exposures, the majority which have to be discarded.  How this relates to other people's experience depends on their equipment, especially the image scale they are working at. 

Chris

Hi Chris

I have a thread about VX mounts. Can you tell me how easy they are to set up. It's the second part of the alignment process I am interested in where you do the centering of the stars by adjusting the tripod as I understand it. How easy is that?

Peter

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Rudeviewer

Rudeviewer

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Very easy.  It takes a matter of a few seconds as long as you can set your tripod up with the peg pretty much facing at Polaris.  The DEC axis is on a screw so it moves easily.  Careful movements though as it has a little slop in it.  Same with the next adjustment, screw in one side until you get the star in view and lock the other side, hit the align button and you should be set.

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Chris Rowland

Chris Rowland

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As Rudeviewer says, pretty easy.  You choose a star, preferably to the South and not too high, and start the polar align process.  You centre the star using the HC buttons and press enter.  The mount slews to where the star should be if the mount is polar aligned.  You adjust using the mount adjusting screws until the star is in the centre of the EP, press Enter and that's it. essentially much the same as doing a couple of extra alignments.

If I'm in the usual place I put the tripod on the marks on the patio and this get me to within a degree or so.  If I'm not I guess where North is, then when the mount slews to the first alignment star, I move the tripod so the scope is pointing more or less towards the star before doing the coarse and fine alignment.  That seems to get the polar alignment to within a few degrees, close enough to use the mount adjustments.

Chris

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Kirscovitch

Kirscovitch

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Love my VX so far but had some issues with it tonight. After alignment and hooking up my camera I slewed to Regulus to focus in BYEOS. Then when trying to slew to M66 the mount swung around and stopped in the general vicinity of Polaris? I discovered that the dec lock was loose so the motors were going but not moving anything. 

I powered down and aligned again. Over to Regulus to get focus. Slewed to M66 and again the same thing. Scope went nuts and ended near polaris. Again the dec lock was a bit loose even though I tightened it down after setting the mount to home after the first snafu. I am thinking that since my targets are so close to the meridian that when going from Regulus to M66 it had to do a flip and the clutch slipped and there it sat. At least I hope that's the case. I tried tightening as much as I dared as I didn't want to break anything but it still slipped. Hoping that the cold had something to do with it. 

The first 2 times I had it out I didn't have these problems but it was probably 20 degrees warmer too.

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Rudeviewer

Rudeviewer

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So last night was nice right at sun fall, then once it got dark the wind picked up.  I had already had my equipment setup so I was imaging a least a bit...my niece showed up for a photography lesson as she is taking a class, and I managed 2 to 3 minute unguided subs in 15mph winds.  Interesting to see what the mount would do in this wind with a Large OTA , 50mm finder scope, T3I camera w/wireless remote adapter, and a 40mm eyepiece for the finder scope installed.  I use two 11lb weights, and had my setup perfectly balanced before starting.  I am super impressed with this mount.   I am absolutely over the AP weight but it seems to like that weight and make it more stable.  Here is the pic that I posted, 8 minutes of data a 2 and a 3 minute shot in there and some shorter ones.  Pic at the end of the link.

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/206877-small-m45/page-2

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SkyGibbon

SkyGibbon

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Love my VX so far but had some issues with it tonight. After alignment and hooking up my camera I slewed to Regulus to focus in BYEOS. Then when trying to slew to M66 the mount swung around and stopped in the general vicinity of Polaris? I discovered that the dec lock was loose so the motors were going but not moving anything. 

I powered down and aligned again. Over to Regulus to get focus. Slewed to M66 and again the same thing. Scope went nuts and ended near polaris. Again the dec lock was a bit loose even though I tightened it down after setting the mount to home after the first snafu. I am thinking that since my targets are so close to the meridian that when going from Regulus to M66 it had to do a flip and the clutch slipped and there it sat. At least I hope that's the case. I tried tightening as much as I dared as I didn't want to break anything but it still slipped. Hoping that the cold had something to do with it. 

The first 2 times I had it out I didn't have these problems but it was probably 20 degrees warmer too.

Love my VX so far but had some issues with it tonight. After alignment and hooking up my camera I slewed to Regulus to focus in BYEOS. Then when trying to slew to M66 the mount swung around and stopped in the general vicinity of Polaris? I discovered that the dec lock was loose so the motors were going but not moving anything. 

I powered down and aligned again. Over to Regulus to get focus. Slewed to M66 and again the same thing. Scope went nuts and ended near polaris. Again the dec lock was a bit loose even though I tightened it down after setting the mount to home after the first snafu. I am thinking that since my targets are so close to the meridian that when going from Regulus to M66 it had to do a flip and the clutch slipped and there it sat. At least I hope that's the case. I tried tightening as much as I dared as I didn't want to break anything but it still slipped. Hoping that the cold had something to do with it. 

The first 2 times I had it out I didn't have these problems but it was probably 20 degrees warmer too.

Had this issue. Turned out the dec lock lever was hitting the motor cover,as it rotated around. Unscrewed lever, then reinstalled at a better angle. The lever is notched for different positions.

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Kirscovitch

Kirscovitch

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Had this issue. Turned out the dec lock lever was hitting the motor cover,as it rotated around. Unscrewed lever, then reinstalled at a better angle. The lever is notched for different positions.

Thanks for the tip! Will check that out later tonight. Supposed to be a nice night for viewing.

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Kirscovitch

Kirscovitch

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Had this issue. Turned out the dec lock lever was hitting the motor cover,as it rotated around. Unscrewed lever, then reinstalled at a better angle. The lever is notched for different positions.

A very big thanks for the tip. Went out tonight and alignment was a breeze and went to slew around and the scope stopped but motors were still running. Clutch came loose and sure enough, the lever hit the mount. Got a screwdriver out and turned it a bit. Powered down, realigned and didn't have an issue the rest of the night.

I'm really starting to like this mount. Tonight I worked on getting used to polar alignment more than imaging but I got this 90 sec unguided sub of M51. 

M51_LIGHT_90s_1600iso_63f_00729stdev_201

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PeterCPC

PeterCPC

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Well done that man. Coming on nicely. I have just ordered a 9.25 VX so I am looking forward to using it and I will watch out for that lever issue but it makes you wonder why Celestron have not spotted it and made amendments to their design.

Peter

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Kirscovitch

Kirscovitch

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Well done that man. Coming on nicely. I have just ordered a 9.25 VX so I am looking forward to using it and I will watch out for that lever issue but it makes you wonder why Celestron have not spotted it and made amendments to their design.

Peter

I love the VX so far. I don't know why they didn't spot it but it was a very simple fix. After the 2 star align with only 1 calibration star and then on to ASPA, I was pleased with 90 sec subs. I know that I can do better with the polar alignment but was nice to see that for what I gave it, I had good results.

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idigitize

idigitize

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Interesting read though this post... Would you say getting a polarscope is essential/recommended or not really needed?

Do you think it will comfortably hold an 80ed with st80/synguider and dslr as a portable 'ish' imaging setup?

This mount still seems to edge the heq5 pro just, and the £70 ish cheaper is a bonus.

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Kirscovitch

Kirscovitch

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I don't think you would need a polar scope. I thought about it when I ordered the mount but after using it I am going to save the money and put it towards something else. A new EP maybe. Getting Polaris as close to the center of the "hole" works good enough as you can really tweak it using ASPA.

As far as handling a 80ED and the other odds and ends I think It will be just fine. I've seen a video on youtube with this guy has the VX with a big newt mounted on it. I think it was a 8"

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