Advice on iOPTRON CEM120, CEM120EC, CEM120EC2 mounts?

[bluesilver]

Hi,  I am starting to look at upgrading my current mount, Skywatcher AZ/EQ6

What i have mounted on it is a Skywatcher Esprit 150, Orion 60mm guide scope, ASI guide camera, ASI imaging camera.

So the weight is getting up there and also the issue of a long focal length.

I am not in a permanent dome setup,  So i cart all my gear out to the back year every time and should be an issue with these IOPTRON 120 mounts.

I operate everything via a laptop outside, so i don't use the included hand controller at all.

The programs that i use are: APT, PHD2, Stallerium

 

So after all that,  I think i have narrowed my options down to the IOPTRON CEM120 mounts,  I was looking at the Skywatcher EQ8 line of mounts,  but so far not much information on them and a lot of people seam to be using iOPTRON CEM120 mounts in this class rather than the EQ8 line up

 

Would i be correct in saying that the IOPTRON would be a better choice that the EQ8?

I am not sure if the IOPTRON has spring loaded backlash or not?

So If iOPTRON is the way to go,  which one CEM120, CEM120EC, CEM120EC2 ?

A very broad question i know,  But if looking at this class of mount,  is it best just to go all the way to the CEM120EC2 ?

I see that the base on has no encoders, the middle one with one encoder and the top one with dual encoders,  will all three work with PHD2, APT, Stallerium ?

I plan to mount either one on the iOPTRON Tri-Pier 360

Any advice ould be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

 

 

[newbie alert]

Not too sure if you're interested in second-hand.. someone I know of is unfortunately selling his.. I know it's a EC version and uses it with his c14 in a obsey...let me know if and I put you in touch

[fifeskies]

12 hours ago, newbie alert said:

Not too sure if you're interested in second-hand.. someone I know of is unfortunately selling his.. I know it's a EC version and uses it with his c14 in a obsey...let me know if and I put you in touch

The OP profile puts him in Australia , so unless your friend is also in Australia its probably impractical to freight from UK

(I know that location cant be seen when viewing forum on smartphones)

Edited December 6, 2021 by fifeskies

[newbie alert]

3 hours ago, fifeskies said:

The OP profile puts him in Australia , so unless your friend is also in Australia its probably impractical to freight from UK

(I know that location cant be seen when viewing forum on smartphones)

Ok thanks,  I never thought to look, assumed it be the UK but as I've never been to OZ I'm willing to hand deliver it if he pays the airfare, 2 weeks accommodation to acclimatise, willing to sacrifice a couple of weeks pay as I'm a nice sort of guy..

[AbsolutelyN]

I bought a CEM120 and Tri-Pier 360 earlier this year. I could not justify the large additional expense of an EC version. Impression so far is that it is an excellent high quality mount that will take a massive payload. It will easily guide my 10" Newtonian at 0.35 as long as the sky is good enough. All the integrated power and USB cable management just works. Can't really fault it so far and the one query I sent to iOptron support was answered within hours. I'm using it with SGP and PHD2. The only issue so far was meridian flips ... you need to set Commander to flip later than SGP otherwise they fight for control of the mount and it the meridian flip fails. Very easy to fix once you know this.  

Edited December 6, 2021 by AbsolutelyN

[newbie alert]

On 06/12/2021 at 14:23, AbsolutelyN said:

I bought a CEM120 and Tri-Pier 360 earlier this year. I could not justify the large additional expense of an EC version. Impression so far is that it is an excellent high quality mount that will take a massive payload. It will easily guide my 10" Newtonian at 0.35 as long as the sky is good enough. All the integrated power and USB cable management just works. Can't really fault it so far and the one query I sent to iOptron support was answered within hours. I'm using it with SGP and PHD2. The only issue so far was meridian flips ... you need to set Commander to flip later than SGP otherwise they fight for control of the mount and it the meridian flip fails. Very easy to fix once you know this.  

Interesting that, I'm having issues with the flip on my 60 within APT,  thanks for the heads up,  I have a look within the ioptron  commander 

[Stefek]

If you really want avoid guiding by all means , then  EC version is the way to go , Especially EC2 . If you plan to guide anyway , than I am not sure that an investment in EC will be justified, especially because iOptron EC mounts and PHD2 is not the happiest marriage . Of course it can work together (there is an option to "filter" PHD2 guiding commands ) , but  at the end , you either guide or let encoders control the mount.

I have small GEM 28EC , and can manage in ideal conditions few mmites frames at 2m FL, without guiding, so CEM120 EC2 will probably do far better. 

I would personally buy another scope or camera for the price difference between "plain" and EC version, because my CEM70 with Esprit120 , guides very nicely (seeing and wind are the limits).

 

[bluesilver]

Appreciate all the replies and advice,

Been doing quiet a lot of research on this,  and i think that the final answer works out to be just to go with the standard CEM120 version,  the ne without the encoders.

It will work well with PHD2,  the others, while they may work with PHD2 the encoders are not the best.

I have found out that if you were to be looking at encoder versions, you are far better of going for the more expensive mounts like 10 micron and the like.