EQ3 - CG4, spot the difference !

[Blackheart]

HI guys

Just wondering if anyone could tell me... Is the Celestron CG4 the same as an EQ3. They look darned similar to me. I'm looking for a basic equatorial mount to take a 6" sct, a 6" newt, or a 120mm refractor.

Just been reading Nick Howes' review in August's AN and the EQ3 sounds like a cracking lightweight mount. Just wondering if the CG4 is the same mount by another name...

Cheers

BH

[bigal1]

I believe the mount head is more or less identical but the Cg-4 comes with a lot better tripod (1.75" steel legs opposed to the aluminum ones of the Eq-3) .

[Blackheart]

Cheers Bigal1

[southernman]

Hi. I have one of the older cg-4 mounts with an alumium tripod. Mounted on this I have a celestron 4" F/10 achro with an ra drive. The mount seems ok for visual use with this setup. Easily portable and rigid enough. From what I have read the newer cg-4 are identical to the eq3-2 mounts except for having a tubular steel tripod. This would aid stability and enhance astrophotography choices.

[NickH]

It is a cracking mount, but since the review and on the back of some findings made by Peter with his, I've since confirmed a problem with dec axis guides (and even just manual corrections)..noticed it first at SSP, where my polar alignment was out and I was hammering the dec button to correct the drift..after about 15 sequential presses, the mount "jumped"...

Skywatcher are aware of it and I heard a firmware update could be planned

[NickH]

Firmware is coming... to fix this I hope, also a possible eprom update

[northernlad]

I've a new(ish) CG-4, with the tubular steel tripod - very sturdy and a nice smooth action. It's quite heavy so it's much better than my last mount when I'm using it in breezy conditions.

I borrowed a friends EQ3-2 mount to make sure a set of Duel Axis Motor Drives would fit my mount. (They do) and visually I can see no difference other than mine is white and his is black in colour.

I got the Dual Axis drives, and as long as I polar align correctly it tracks very well.