Manufacturing defect in Celestron EQ CG2/3 mount? Need advice.

[ju1234]

I just received a new Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ which includes an equatorial mount (not sure if it is CG2 or 3). Before putting it all together, I was checking all the parts. The EQ mount has two circles marked with degrees on it. The RA setting circle (the chrome color part with numbers on it only) moves by itself without moving the gear or the RA (The declination setting circle does not). I am thinking that the numbered circle is not supposed to move by itself, because if it does then there is no fixed zero as reference. Am I right? Is this defective?

 

Another question: The installing of the motor drive is supposed to be different for CG2 vs 3. However the mount is not labelled as 2 or 3. How do I identify it? Thanks.

[RT65CB-SWL]

Hi @ju1234 and welcome to SGL. 

From your description, it sounds like it is a 'CG2' or 'EQ2'. Your RA setting circle clutch may not be tightened up. Have you checked this? - If "Yes!" than get in touch with the seller you purchased it from asap if still under the guarantee/warranty period. Sorry, but cannot comment any futher as I have very little experience of the mount, other that, it put me off using equatorial mounts for many years until I got a secondhand Vixen GP. (image below). I am sure other SGL'ers that use or have used the 'CG2' or 'EQ2' mount will offer more advice. 

Edited July 22, 2019 by Philip R

[Cosmic Geoff]

I would not worry about whether the setting circles work properly or not, as they are of little practical use in any case. They are simply too small to be of use for finding anything with the main telescope. GoTo has made these things obsolete, and the circles that were of practical use were from 6" up to 2 feet in diameter.

[RT65CB-SWL]

This YouTube video may explain/help...  

...other on-line video tutorials are available elsewhere on the internet too. 

Edited July 23, 2019 by Philip R

[Alfian]

In terms of CG2 or CG3, it gets confusing with Celestron as a CG3 is as near as matters the equivalent to Skywatcher EQ2. There is no comparison between a CG3 and an EQ3-2.

[Cornelius Varley]

15 hours ago, ju1234 said:

I just received a new Celestron Powerseeker 127EQ which includes an equatorial mount (not sure if it is CG2 or 3). Before putting it all together, I was checking all the parts. The EQ mount has two circles marked with degrees on it. The RA setting circle (the chrome color part with numbers on it only) moves by itself without moving the gear or the RA (The declination setting circle does not). I am thinking that the numbered circle is not supposed to move by itself, because if it does then there is no fixed zero as reference. Am I right? Is this defective?

 

Another question: The installing of the motor drive is supposed to be different for CG2 vs 3. However the mount is not labelled as 2 or 3. How do I identify it? Thanks.

I think you are describing the correct operation of the setting circles on an eq mount. With the clutches engaged the RA circle will rotate together with the mount when tracking an object, the pointer will always point to the same number on the circle. With the clutches released the RA setting circle should rotate freely, allowing the selection of a specific RA number. The DEC axis setting circle, on the other hand, should not rotate. 

The CG3 (EQ2) mount should have a gear wheel on the left side of the mount. The photos of the PS127 appear to show the lighter CG2 (EQ1) mount.

EQ2 mount

 

EQ1 mount