Celestron CGEM: Seen in action yet?

[slitherjef]

Heard the CGEM has been released in small quantities along with scope/mount combos. Now, I have seen a few people getting the mount in, but had some problems already, and one I know from another forum has been sent back. There were also a few others that had some other minor problems. Now, I understand this is a new mount and its bound to have a few problems. What I am wondering though is, anyone seen this mount in action? Or photos taken with this mount (I have seen two images from beta testers) but nothing else really.

[PM01]

Haven't seen the new mount but I've had nothing but problems all over the place with celestron equipment, especially their CI700 mount. That's why I went with Tak and AP mounts...expensive, but to me, worth it in the lack of frustration.

[slitherjef]

Haven't seen the new mount but I've had nothing but problems all over the place with celestron equipment, especially their CI700 mount. That's why I went with Tak and AP mounts...expensive, but to me, worth it in the lack of frustration.

If I had the money, I would not be looking at these types of mounts... I would have put my order in already for a AP900GTO

But I got bills and food to take care of first. Im seriously thinking about a used LXD75 because I really don't get out as much as I would like to because of weather and work. That and my hours getting cut at work

[PM01]

How much weight is your equipment loadout? Vixen makes some good stuff, at least their older mounts are quite respectable. Vixen SPDX and GPDX with a wood tripod can be found on astromart for reasonable prices.

And with much less hassle than any celestron.

The CI700 was a knockoff of the Losmandy G11. CG5 was a knockoff of the Vixen. In both cases, the celestron proved to be of questionable quality.

I prefer that mounts work "out of the box" with no need to take them apart, regrease, remove all the shrapnel, remachining, etc.

But, that's just me.

[slitherjef]

I prefer that mounts work "out of the box" with no need to take them apart, regrease, remove all the shrapnel, remachining, etc.

But, that's just me.

Oh, I totally understand that. It just sucks when getting something that works right out of the box when you have to pay over 5 grand, which I would if I could.

The set up I had in mind, at least for now is
Autoguider (orion star shoot autoguider)
20D

Celestron C80ed (refractor). The idea is to guide through the refractor and piggyback the 20D. Longest lens I have right now is the 70-200mm f/4L non IS. When I do get things hammered out, I may guide through a meade 6" newt or either that, defork my ETX90 and guide through that. Maybe eventualy get a 8" SCT or 6" and guide through the refractor to shoot smaller targets like galaxies and planetary nebulae.

I heard yet another problem with the CGEM and now I am thinking of just getting an atlas goto for now, even used and save up for something really nice, like an AP mount.

Right now I have no mount and have been getting away with widefields by piggybacking onto my ETX90.

Right now galaxy season is coming up and with my skies garbage, I got a while to save

[PM01]

With the loadout that you have in mind the Vixen SPDX or GPDX would work out fine. And they're definitely below 5000!

You should be able to pick up a used Vixen GPDX for about or less than a grand. Make sure to get a wood tripod though. The aluminum ones are a joke. A bit too wiggly.