Celestron Advanced VX (AVX) Mount Review
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- Опубліковано 2 сер 2024
- In this video. I'm reviewing my celestron advanced vx (AVX) mount that has been my trusted companion for over four years. I'm getting into the specifications of this Equatorial (EQ) telescope mount as well as the advantages and disadvantages that I've experienced over the past years. And I also look at the specs of some competing mounts: the Ioptron CEM25P, the mysterious Meade LX85 and the Sky-Watcher HEQ5 pro.
You can find all my videos about the Celestron Advanced VX mount in this playlist:
• Celestron Advanced VX ...
Affiliate links to the mounts mentioned:
Celestron Advanced VX mount: amzn.to/2NkqrjQ
Meade LX 85 mount: tinyurl.com/y2o6m4sv
Ioptron CEM25p mount: tiny.cc/fisrfz
SkyWatcher HEQ5 pro mount: tinyurl.com/y54aewum
Website:
www.astroforumspace.com/
Instagram:
/ astroforum - Навчання та стиль
Excellent review!
thanks Ray!
Excellent, no-nonsense equipment review by an experienced, thoughtful, objective (with no hidden agenda) long-time owner of the equipment.
Thanks Donald!
A few weeks ago, I decided to get into astrophotography. For a mount and tripod I decided to go with the celestron cgx. I ordered one, but it is on backorder, possibly for a year, so I found a celestron avx available and ordered that one. It arrived and I will use it until the cgx comes in.
I am completely new to all of this, so I am really enjoying your channel and the amount of tutorials and reviews that you create. It is really helping me learn! I hope celestron makes a tough mount, because I dropped mine off the tripod and broke it on the first day! Some minor damage , chipped metal and cracked plastic housing, but everything else looks fine. When I powered it up, I did a manual slewing with the handcontroller and it all seemed ok. I learned the hard way to remember to remove the counterweight when disassembling the mount from the tripod :-)
loving your channel, thank you for creating it!
Thanks, and sorry to hear about your accident, these things happen. Hope your AVX is fine!
Thanks so much for your review. this pretty much confirms my search comparisons as well. I have found a shop that has one in stock. I should receive by Feb 2. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Extremely helpful video! very well structure and informative. Thank you!
Thank you for your kind words Lisiane. Clear skies!
I've used an AVX for two years now. I bought a used one on cloudynights. It's the early model with only the vixon saddle. I have hypertuned it. New heavy duty bearings in both axis. I just upgraded the saddle to the adm. A must imo. It's a great starter mount or a portable second. Great review. Thanks
Yes, thanks for your feedback! After switching to the eq6r, I really miss the portability of the avx.
i use avx also. 1st gem and only gem so far lol.. i use a 80edapo orion workhorse gray tuber... for the folks who see this video down road and maybe this post.. guiding is stupid simple now. PHD has it to auto guiding once installed. its really really easy .. good mount i get 5 mins easy with guiding . ive tested 10 mins and even then spot on .. very happy with it.
Nice review! Do you think this thing could handle a c8 + hyper star (f2 at 400mm) well? It weights a bit less than 15 pounds. I would not use auto guiding because of the fast scope. Thanks!
Hi, I bought the celestron 6 inch SCT starsense system. I can use the Telescope on this mount to do deep space imaging? It has a weight of 6.5kg. Thank you.
Excellent review! :)
Thanks AstroPhotos!
Watching a lot of these videos from different sources. This is very informative. I am considering an "intermediate" OTA and mount that can do a little of everything, but the mount should be able to handle moderately larger loads if I upgrade at some point. Right now thinking about maybe an 8" SCT like the Celestron EdgeHD on a CGEM-II - but the AVX is much more cost effective and I may not upgrade for a while - so wondering if the larger mount would be worthwhile.
Hi Jim, that's up to you. If you're going with the 8" SCT - which has a 2000mm focal length - I would get the CGEMII (or similar mounts) as it will have a more accurate tracking as compared to the avx. If you have a shorter focal length scope (e.g. up to 500mm) the AVX or similar types of equatorial mounts are usually good enough for long exposure pictures. For lunar/planetary astrophotography, the AVX is also fine. Good luck!
Thank you for your review. I am new to astronomy and your review was very helpful as I consider astrophotography and the equipment I will need (particularly mounts). I currently have the NexStar 6SE which has an alt-azimuth mount and was wondering (because of the disadvantages you mentioned) whether using an available wedge with my current mount might be nearly equivalent to this? I would appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks! A wedge may be useful, but will not be as accurate as an equatorial mount as the alt-az mount is not produced with (automated) equatorial guiding in mind. See my blog on this, perhaps useful: astroforumspace.com/best-mount-to-start-astrophotography/
Hello from Germany. Just got my AVX and both axis are very stiff. Can I do anything about it without sending it back for maintenance? (But fortunately no axis play or backlash at all). Many thanks in advance
Nice review. I have never owned a Celestron mount, currently I own a EQ6 pro mount connected via an EQMOD cable, which is perfect for my situation. One thing that does stand out on the Celestron is the very good Alt/Az adjustment knobs for polar aligning. I wish my EQ6 were as good, but they are terrible to use, and polar aligning can be a pain sometimes.
Thanks Brian. I heard that EQ mod has some nice features that nexremote is missing. The EQ 6-R Pro is on my wishlist :-).
HEQ6 Pro and HEQ5 Pro and very very great mounts
@@AstroForumSpace The main advantage of the EQMOD is full control of the mount without the need of the handset. The EQ6-R looks a great mount, it's not on my wishlist yet, my wishlist is long enough as it is. 😁
@@ryanhogg6556 My EQ6 is 12 years old, but still performs very well.
Hello! HELP! I updated the firmware on my ASIAIR Pro and now it won’t connect to my AVX. Worked fine before. Nothing has changed except the firmware? What should I do?
I just traded a go-to dob for an 8" newt on an AVX. I figured I'd use it as a second string astrophotography set up along with my Ioptron GEM45, and as just a visual use mount. I hope it works well! I may modify it with better tapered bearings
did the 8" newt on an AVX work out?
I must have Dutch in my 🧬 because price is the first thing I notice LOL!…awesome video and thanks for the knowledge Sir!
Clear Skies from North Carolina!!!
lol, thanks!
I have a Takahashi EM200 mount for my FSQ-106 that I haven't learned to use well yet. But I wanted a dedicated solar scope so I have a 80mm Lunt that I am trying to find an AVX for. I am also looking at the HEQ5 (though a dealer has been trying to get me to buy their remaining EQM-35... which I don't think is beefy enough).
Hi William, I have a separate video on telescope 'beginner level' mounts if you're interested: ua-cam.com/video/HbdS3ouwwNs/v-deo.html. Actually, I come to the same conclusion that the AVX and HEQ5 are preferred above the EQM-35 because they have a higher payload capacity. Cheers!
I plan to use my high end telephoto and supertelephoto lenses to see how it goes with astrophotography. The biggest of which is a 500mm f/4 lens, that weights around 3.5 kg and can be used with a 2x teleconverter.
Would need a robotic mount and, from what I heard, a small guiding scope/camera and a stick PC, to start with AP.
Later on, would go with an 8” Edge HD with OAG, to be used standalone or with a barlow, reducer or a hyperstar. Probably with Celestron own Neximage 10 cameras.
If I go with the Celestron AVX be good enough later for the Edge HD?
Another options are to buy a Losmandy GM-8G, an EQ6-R Pro, to start.
I would install the setup on the roof of a small building (4 floors, but there are no huge obstructions on the sky) and control the mount from my apartment at the second floor trough WiFi with a camera too to see what’s going on. After finishing, would bring everything home, before magic happens and “disappears”.
What would you recommend?
Hi there, if you're confident you'll stay on the hobby and you are willing to spend a bit more, I'd recommend the Eq6r-pro for the future combi with the edge HD. Keep in mind though that the Eq6r-pro is not really that portable, the AVX is much easier to carry around. I have several blogs on mounts, telescopes and other equipment here: www.astroforumspace.com
I'm getting into astrophotography right now, what would be your advice on the best entry level mount? I'm looking at the complete AVX C8 package, but seems like on the biggest Forum cloudy nights, they're not liking the AVX, what's your thoughts? Thanks
I owned an Atlas EQ-G and downgraded to an AVX. The EQ-G was nice, but it was also 50lbs just for the head! I found gotos were not all that great. The AVX has better gotos and is smaller, lighter, and for me, works just as well as the EQ-G. My back thanks me. If I had a perm setup, I'd keep the EQ-G, but for a portable setup the AVX is excellent.
Yes, the AVX is quite portable. Thanks for watching!
I agree about the AVX. It's the only one I have had. The backlash is all I don't like about it though. I used your video on moving the gears in the Dec, but I don't think it helped or I was unable to get them close enough. I just moved them and put superlube on them. I didn't grind them down or anything. It's still stiff so I can't balance very well. I use PHD2 for guiding and APT for capturing images (I use a Canon DSLR). I dither and when I do the graph in PHD2 goes nuts, but the subs seem ok on the main camera. I have guided on the AVX with a main imaging scope of an Nexstar 6se and got 4 minute subs on the AVX at 945mm focal length. I mostly use an Evostar 72mm now for imaging, but if I want something small, I don't have a problem using my SCT for it. Most people don't like the AVX but for me it was either that or nothing, and so far there's not much of a problem, while guiding. Without guiding it's a different story.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with the AVX Seti. And good to know the AVX also works for DSO with a nexstar 6se, cheers! Some people tend to compare it with mounts that are in a higher price range, but i don't think that's fair. It's indeed like you say, an entry level mount that can get you started.
Thanks for posting some good info. I have been on the fence for a while on the AVX vs a beefier mount like the HEQ5 that people keeping telling me I need. I plan to get an 80mm scope and don’t see that changing for a while. I don’t see needing to go past 5-10 min subs due to my backyard light pollution as well. Sure a beefy mount will hold more weight. But do I really need it? I feel as if I can get a few years out of it and then sell if I decide to move up later. But I do understand the buy the best mount you can concept too.
Hi Martin. Thanks for your positive feedback. I do own another SW EQ6R-Pro mount, but I only bought it because I bought a heavier telescope. The AVX always served me well. It can carry up to about 10kg, and if you can keep your payload down to about 3 kg, you'll probably be fine taking multi-minute exposures. I've been doing narrowband imaging with exposures up to 5 minutes with my AVX. The guiding error was about 1 arc second, but when you have a focal length of about 500mm, you will still get nice round stars. Hope this helps! Clear skies.
@@AstroForumSpace Thanks for replying. I ended up getting a good deal on a well cared for NEQ6R and decided to buy once and cry once. Then picked up a gorgeous WO 90mm Megrez FL from a local connection. I'm off to the races.... Will keep following your great videos.
@@mbonadio Sounds great, have fun!
Excellent review thankyou. Was wondering if its possible for Stellerium to connect to the AVX mount as away of finding deep sky objects more quickly?
Yes, stellarium has a celestron telescope driver.
@@AstroForumSpace Thankyou
Hi, I have owned the AVX for about half a year and am very satisfied so far. My equipment consists of a 600 Da and a TSAPO 80/480. I was able to reach two minutes subs on M31 without guiding. Recently I have been using the MGEN and continue to work my way forward. Unfortunately the weather in the last months was mostly bad. How would I notice the backlash? Thanks and CS! Mathias
Hi Mathias, thanks! you can detect backlash issues with guiding software such as PHD2. When your mount takes a long time - e.g. more than 10/20 seconds - to respond to a directional change in guiding (e.g., it's first correcting north and then it switches to correcting south), you're probably dealing with backlash. Weather has been terrible in NL also. We had 2 clear nights since september, and I'm in the process of making a video on the california nebula. However, those nights we still had clouds and i notice this now in my subs. So, let's both pray for CS :-).
Right now I have a dilemma, which mount to choose.
Eq6 r Pro; CEM 40 or the new GEM45.
Thanks for another great video.
Hi Tiago, thanks! Hard choice indeed...I have none of these mounts so I can't inform you. Good luck.
Eq6r pro if the weight of the mount isn’t a problem for you. if you want 40lbs of capacity in an ultra portable mount, go for the cem40 and make sure to get the larger tripods for stability.
I once owned the AVX and thought it was pretty decent for the money :) No bendy bolt issues like the SW HEQ5 (although there are a ton of mods out there for the SW mounts as you probably know). As you say, all the knobs are very large which is great for cold and gloved hands. I thought it was a good upgrade from the GT mount before it. Still no proper bearing on Dec though, and pc control via the hand controller is definitely something Celestron need to sort out for future iterations. Thanks for the review :) Meade aren't looking good right now sadly :( Shame, I have fond memories of Meade ETX's and LX's from many Moon's ago :(
Thanks! What mount are you working with today? Cheers!
@@AstroForumSpace I sold everything I owned to move house last year, but thankfully a retailor (FLO) kindly loaned me an iOptron Skyguider Pro to play with and review for a while. Now that's gone back and I've recovered financially I need to buy a mount and scope! :) I'm researching that now which is when I stumbled across your great content :)
@@AstroLaVista Thanks! Ask me anything, I will do you my best to help you. Clear skies and take care in these challenging times.
@@AstroForumSpace Thanks man, you too!
Love my AVX... mounts my refractor and my SCT, not sure I'd ever want or need for anything else (I do have an 8" Dob, but that particular tube is sitting in its particle board house ;)
Sounds like a good match Mike, clear skies!
I'm thinking of getting the SKY-WATCHER AZ EQ5 SYN SCAN GO TO MOUNT WITH STEEL TRIPOD or the CELESTRON ADVANCED VX MOUNT AND TRIPOD or HEQ5 PRO GO-TO MOUNT. Witch one would you get if you were a beginner wanting to get into Astrophotography?
Hi there, I have made an overview of mounts in this price range in this blog: astroforumspace.com/best-beginner-telescope-mounts-for-astrophotography-in-2022/
Do you think I should buy this?
I have a orion XT8 PLUS Dobsonian Reflector
But I don't know what type of attachment I should buy with it for my telescope to attach to it
Please help
Hi there, thanks for watching my video. At first glance, I don't think that it would be an ideal combination. You could try...but you would need tube rings and a dovetail mounting plate to connect your telescope on this mount. It would be easier to buy a newtonian reflector or refractor that already has a dovetail plate..Hope this is useful! Good luck.
I own an Orion xt8 as well. Leave that 1200mm tube on dobsonian mount and get an 8in sct for this avx mount.
I'm currently looking for a goto mount. Torn between the avx and the lx85.
Hy Astroforum. Thx for this review. I already seen, that Celestron sell the EDGE HD 9.25 together wit AXV Mount. What do you think, could be handle this mount this telescop right and precise?
Honestly, I think the 9.25 is too heavy for Astrophotography on an AVX mount. Tomorrow I will have a video on advanced EQ mounts around $1500 which I would prefer. Clear skies!
I agree with AstroForum. I have a 8in on an AVX an fully equiped for imaging be it via reducer or hyperstar I am pushing the max payload on the mount for a 9.25 I would go for a CGX or Losmandy GM811G. For a heavier payload capacity. However if you just plan on visual use then the AVX would be fine on the 9.25 Hope that helps
@@tmrdarkstar85 Thanks for your input Steve!
@@AstroForumSpace not a problem. Just a fellow Astrophotographer trying to help where I can since so many people I have come across speak negatively about the AVX. For the playload an price its an excellent mount. I have had mine for almost a year now
Would this be a good 1st mount to use a Camera/Lens (Canon 300mm f4 lens) combo for astrophotography?
Definitely! If your aim is to get a telescope at a certain point in time... If You're only interested in widefield with a DSLR/lens you could also buy a sky-watcher star adventurer or similar trackers.
@@AstroForumSpace I'm also looking at the Sky-Watcher EQM-35 which can be converted into a beefy star tracker with a couple parts from the star adventurer. And if I decided to pickup a scope I could just change it back to the EQ mount.. Thank you
The "computer" that does the position calculations is in the hand paddle, not the mount. You'd need a dongle or something to convert the movement signal to the right pulses for the stepper motors.
How would this mount compare to the less expensive Orion SkyView Pro mount?
Hi Michael. You first need to polar align the equatorial mount, like this: ua-cam.com/video/XqcbDC3pdG0/v-deo.html After that, the mount should be reasonably accurate in tracking deep sky objects, at least for visual use. If you're going to do astrophotography, you'll probably need a guide scope and extra camera as well that can be used to send corrections to your mount. I don't have any experience with the SkyView Pro so unfortunately I can't help you there. Clear skies!
Really useful information 👍, one question though can I mount the celestron advanced vx on a celestron cg4 tripod?
Thanks! To my best knowledge, the cg4 is NOT compatible with the avx mount head.
@@AstroForumSpace oh ok, thanks for your answer 👍
Another great video. I have recently bought a AVX, not had a chance to use it yet. But I have adjusted the backlash on the spur gears as per your video. If I get any backlash issues I will go in further and adjust the worm gears, and amybe even strip it and clean out the standard grease and replace with something more 'silky'. I will be running my rig under ASIAir. Hopefully I will have as much success as you have. You mention you have had the AVX for about 4 years, have you any plans to upgrade or further improve the AVX?
Hi Gary, thanks! Apart from using PHD2 and PEC tool I did not really moderate the AVX. Only after I experienced that backlash was getting a bit worse I opened up the AVX to readjust the positioning of the gears and I put some new lube on it. Still didn't buy the ASIair...perhaps I should though. I'm happy using SGpro at the moment, but can imagine that in some cases the ASIair can be useful.
I forgot to ask: How was the starparty :-)? And I'm processing my california nebula data based on the two relatively clear nights we had since september, cheers.
Gary, I'm considering an AVX... Have you been able to run it OK with the ASIair? Thanks!
Hi, great reveiw,
Im looking at buying one of these mounts as i only have an Alt Az (astroseeker) goto mount and want something better for astro photography
Thanks for the positive feedback Andy! I also have a comparison video on beginner level mounts like the AVX here: ua-cam.com/video/HbdS3ouwwNs/v-deo.html and a blogpost here: astroforumspace.com/best-affordable-telescope-to-start-astrophotography-in-2020/. Hope this is useful, let me know if you have any questions.
Hi, I didn't waste any time.. I bought one and i love it.... Should do what i want for a long time.. Very nice piece of gear
@@andymc8355 have fun Andy!
Hi, currently I have an AVX mount with a 9.25inch mount. Great for visual and Planetary AP. However I want to go deep sky AP and would like to take pictures of Galaxies.. how do I do it when limited with load capacity... three options I see .. 1. buy 5kg refractor.. 2..buy a smaller lighter SCT or 3. upgrade my mount.
Which direction do I go.. any suggestions?
If you don't want to buy a new mount, i'd buy an ED or APO refractor with a focal length of about 500mm. The 9.25 is a regular SCT? If so, it will suffer from coma when engaging in deep sky astrophotography. Hope this is helpful. The shorter focal length is also easier as the tracking doesn't have to be super accurate to take long exposure pictures. You probably need an autoguider with your AVX though. You can check out my channel, I have various videos on how deep sky astrophotography setups. You can check out my gear here: astroforumspace.com/my-astrophotography-gear/
@@AstroForumSpace Thanks, great advice. I do use your channel for guidance. Great channel. Definitely getting a ED or APO refractor. One day, when my AVX gets older I'll upgrade the mount. Your right I need to walk slowly into deep space AP before I running. I still have alot to learn.
@@AstroForumSpace Wido, how do you cope with weather using a mono camera.. Is it possible to record a different filters data on seperate nights and still stack them the frames together.. do you just carefully keep the camera fixed in place so its orientation has not moved. Or do you have to throw out the old data and start again?
I love some of your photos btw on your web page, beautiful. Some of the Nebula I did not recognise though. It would be nice if there was some details along side them. Then I would research them a bit for myself. The blue and brown reflection nebula with 'finger' reminds me of the Eagle Nebula.. fantastic image.
Is they some type of belt mod you can get for this mount to stop the backlash
Never looked into it. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out.
@@AstroForumSpace it's makes a big difference I have the belt mod on my HEQ5 pro
I'm just about to start my astrophotography journey and I'm seriously considering the Celestron Advanced VX Mount. I'm just waiting on a very nice William Optics GT102 I found on Astromart to arrive in the mail. It's two days late and I'm getting very impatient. I'm trying to decide if I would rather just get the Celestron Wireless dongle or the ASIair Pro. I"m leaning towards the ASIair Pro just because it does so much more than just wireless connectivity. But it's also 4 times the price. Will the ASIair Pro work with the Advanced VX Mount? Keep up the good work.
Hi there. I personally do not own the asiair, but heard from other folks you can use it with your AVX by connecting it to (1) the hand controller via mini USB or (2) connect it directly to the st4 output of your guide camera. Usually the first option is preferred. I'm not working with the asiair because I like to work with a laptop/mini pc with my own preferred software installed. See: ua-cam.com/video/tDQJ2zJdgIs/v-deo.html However, if you prefer just one system which can do it all from polar alignment to platesolving to capturing, the asiair is definitely worth considering. Clear skies!
Yes, the ASIAIR absolutely works with the AVX. I’ve been using that combo since January and it’s wonderful. Check it out on Instagram @spaceornothing
Hello, I am italian, this mount is good or not for astroimaging whit ccd cameras (h-alfa filter) and small refractor?
Ciao Fiorenzo, thanks for watching. This mount is very capable for small refractors + ccd or CMOS cameras. You can find my astro pictures on my website here: astroforumspace.com/my-astrophotos/ all of them are taken with the Celestron AVX mount. If you're interested in a comparison video on beginner level mounts, this link may be useful: astroforumspace.com/best-beginner-telescope-mount-for-astrophotography-in-2020/ . buona giornata!
@@AstroForumSpace I ask you beacause I had Losmandy G11 whit Vixen R200SS but for work I sell all. I have now only William Optics 80 megrez II semi-apo
@@fiorenzomanganiello2853 ah ok. Enjoy your hobby with your new setup. I think either the AVX or a heq5 Pro is enough for these small refractors.
Can i do 30> sec exposers with a 7kg tube ?
Yes, but I would recommend a focal length of about 500mm top. If your FL is longer I would get a mount with a higher payload capacity.
How can you run it via Ipad app?
Hi Skye, I never connected this mount remotely to an ipad. However, celestron does offer an additional WiFi dongle that should connect your avx to skyportal, an app developed to remote contril the mount for both ios (ipad) and android.
Would you consider using this with a 9.25" EdgeHD and camera etc? It's sold as a "cheap" bundle in the US (saving about $500 vs buying each separately), but seems a little borderline on the capacity? Even sold separately the VX seems to have retained it's price better than competitors here, which seem to increase A LOT in price. (I realize you kind of touch upon the weight in the review..)
Hi there, I would consider a mount with a somewhat higher payload capacity for the 9.25" HD, such as the SkyWatcher EQ6R Pro or similar mounts.
@@AstroForumSpace Thank you!! :)
So can you do everything manually? As in like does everything require the go to or can you move the telescope itself and can you track the sky yourself?
I would not buy this mount if your goal is to manually track. You could buy a manual eq mount at a much cheaper price.
@@AstroForumSpace Ahh ok thanks. So this is mainly just automatic and computerised?
This may be a question that has already been answered, but I will ask anyway. The payload capacity should be divided by 2 or 3 for photography. Do you have any problems form the mount with a heavier scope for observation? I am gearing up start in this hobby and am leaning towards purchasing the Celestron AVX mount. I don’t want to have any issues if I get close to the payload capacity for observation. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks
Hi Jeff, to the best of my knowledge, you can get close to the max. Payload capacity for visual astronomy, without running into trouble. However, tracking usually becomes less accurate which is fine for visual but it becomes a problem for astrophotography, also because most heavier telescopes have a longer focal length which makes any tracking error more noticeable in your pictures.
Do you use this mount on your EdgeHD8?
No, I switched to the EQ6r Pro, see: ua-cam.com/video/16K8BwW9BAA/v-deo.html
Enjoy your reviews 👍. Just wondering if you use it with the ASIAIR Pro and if so how do you connect?
I'm using sequence generator Pro and PhD2 guiding on my PC.
If you don’t mind me asking but how do you connect the mount to your PC? It’s the lack of USB points on the mount that is confusing me. Also I would like to do everything remotely - is this something you do and if so how do you do this? Many thanks 👍
Hi Ian, the hand controller has a mini USB with which you can connect the mount to a PC or related device.
@@AstroForumSpace I did think of that but just wanted to be sure that was the best way. So you connect your laptop to the mount through the USB and then control the mount using Sequence Generator Pro? Really appreciate you answering - I have just bought a lot kit and am now wondering the best way to setup since I have a number of options.
@@ianmcbride6955 hi Ian, yes, for the AVX. The Eq6r-pro has a direct usb connection on the mount. It differs depending on your gear. Good to try out different options, let me know which one you like best. Clear skies!
My AVX mount is easily the best $200 i've ever spent on astro gear. It's not the best mount in the world, but it's served me well these last 6 months.
How do you get one for $200?
@@maxdemian6312 lucky facebook ad
For $200?!? Nice deal.
Thinking of getting one of these AVX mounts for astrophotography but hearing mixed reviews around poor bearings. Planning on using a ED80 and a Mak150, has Celestron managed to fix all the issues people are complaining about with these mounts or would i be better getting the HEQ5?
Hi Tim, I never experienced any such issues with my AVX. I did buy a SkyWatcher Eq6r-pro and its working fine, although I don't like the altitude adjustment bolts. The AVX is favourably priced:
bit.ly/380Y01D . I also have a blog on beginner mounts, you can read it here: astroforumspace.com/best-beginner-telescope-mount-for-astrophotography-in-2020:
is the C8 telescope(12.3 pounds) light enough for astrophotography on this mount?
Hi James, I did not test the AVX with a C8 myself, but I think it would be good for planetary. For Deep Space Objects it may be more challenging because together with a camera and tracking gear you'll push the mount a bit in terms of payload capacity. Don't get me wrong, it will be able to carry your C8 and gear but tracking and autoguiding may be a bit less accurate. What you could do is use a focal reducer on your C8 which would give you a wider field of view. This way, minor tracking inaccuracies do not necessarily impact your images. Good luck!
@@AstroForumSpace thanks for the feedback
@@AstroForumSpace The payload is fine, I run my AVX fully loaded with a 8SE scope. Unless its super windy, its rock solid and worth it for the weight.
@@venomman sounds good, thanks for the info and clear skies!
I am considering buying this mount but I am concerned if it will hold a 10 inch Celestron Newtonian. The idea is to convert a 10" Celestron Dobsonian over to an equitorial. Fiber board Dobsonian mounts wear out.
If the dob is below 18 kg (36 pounds) the am5 will be able to carry it. But with such a huge telescope you may be better off with an equatorial mount like the eq6r pro.
@@AstroForumSpace The tube 10 inch Dob is 29 pounds.
Does this work well with Celestron 8" RASA scope? Please advise.
Hi there, I think the RASA would be pushing it a little in terms of weight. It's about 8kg's and you would also add a camera, guidescope so you probably end up with 10kg's. Although the AVX can carry up to 13.5kg's, you may be pushing it in terms of accurate guiding. This being said, the RASA is F/2 so you would not need a long exposure time...
I bought this mount as a kit that included the 8' newtonian. With this scope, (1600mm) I am able to get 45 second exposures unguided. With that same 45 seconds your RASA should get some great shots, but since it is also a shorter focal length you should be able to expose for even longer. When I use this mount with just a camera and telephoto lens (320mm) I can expose for more than 5 minutes unguided. But of course there is more to it than just focal length, because if I use that same camera /lens combination mounted piggyback on a small SCT my exposure time drops to about 21/2 minutes. While I think you could get the job done with this mount I would consider it the low end choice.
Would a 900 mm scope work?
What kind and what do you want to do with it?
AstroForum Celestron skyseeker reflector. I’d like to take deep space photography.
I Have the game mount and I'm happy. My astrophotography is with a Skywatcher 150/750
Thanks for sharing Matteo, clear skies!
This year I received this mount... It was a big deception ! Impossible to align some stars ! The mount moved in all directions as soon as I asked it to align a star! since June I can't do anything with it! So I'll change it to Eq6-r pro
I'm sorry to hear that. I also have the eq6r Pro, that's a fine mount. Never experienced such issues with the AVX, did you contact celestron or your astroshop?
@@AstroForumSpace Hi ! I communicated with my astroshop and yes he did it ! Probably the mount will be returned to repair it... the problem may be with the encoder disk that is lousse and does not attach to the shaft of the AD !
@@AstroForumSpace I asked my astroshop if there is another mount that works ans will be better ! The eq6-r pro is very expensive but it will be best ! I expected that it will be a good choice ! I thought to make the reparation by myself but cause the warranty i very much hesitated !
13 lbs?? that means I can't use it with the 8SE? as it weights 25lbs I think?
Depends...if your goal is planetary imaging or visual observation you're fine. If you want long exposure deep-sky astrophotography, you need another mount.
@@AstroForumSpace I've done Horsehead neb and Orion with it.. BUt I have a Hyperstar on it.
I like your Dutch-English 😁 greetings from Germany
Should be similar to German English, lol.
@@AstroForumSpace haha you're right 👍 I love your channel!
wow u 20 degrees north ? iam in the 42 degree mark. i see your mount is darn near str8 up on pole star hhhahhah
No, I'm at 52 latitude
Mate your in Europe why you looking at US prices ?
The stats show that 75% of my traffic comes from the USA/Canada
Isit didn't know that thanks for looking out mate
questa montatura e solo costosa rispetto alle sue prestazioni allo stesso prezzo ci sono montature prodotti dai cinesi di granlunga superiore la sconsiglio mai più celestron