iOptron CEM120 Declination Gear Adjustment
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- This is a summary of how to adjust the declination gear on the CEM120. The process is identical for the RA axis, with the two adjusting screws in the same location around the RA gear engagement switch. You need to be careful when adjusting and make sure you make very small adjustments and then check there is no binding when driving the axis both slow (3) and fast (9).
Thanks for the video, I think mine is binding slightly as I get a squeak when moving either axis, I thought it was wrong, hearing your CEM 120 confirms it.
you need to push yourself more. more videos. you have a great method of explaining. very easy to understand. i would love to see more videos.
Noted Dominic. Unfortunately some serious health issues have prevented me updating videos for a while but we are at the point now where I can get back to producing and uploading them.
Thanks for the comments and support, and I promise you the videos will commence very soon.
Beautiful mount (and landscape)! great video
Thanks Ray, another informative video, great tips, keep it coming. Since subscribing to your channel your video workshops have given me enough confidence to invest in the very same mount. I look forward to more. Well done!
Just do it. I was leaning towards the Orion HDX110, but Ray swayed me to the cem120. And I'm glad he did because this thing is machined to perfection. But his is a 120ec and mine the 120. Can't go wrong with either.
@@joep1551 Thanks Joseph, I already have, its sat on my desk awaiting the custom pier/mount adaptor to be manufactured. I',m looking forward to seeing what can be achieved.
Thanks, Peter. It is a really nice mount, I don't think you will be disappointed. The 'through the mount' cabling is something I always thought was a kind of nice to have, but it is far more useful than I ever imagined.
Hi Joseph. Unless you intend to do unguided imaging I'm not convinced you really need the EC version anyway to be honest. It does reduce the PE significantly, but if you are guiding this is largely irrelevant, Guiding at a reasonable image scale is far more accurate than any encoders, so unless you really want to avoid guiding for whatever reason, then the EC models are pretty much a nice to have.
Wish they had this adjustment on the cem60.I am in love with your mount!
Hi Anthony, thanks for your comment; It certainly is a lovely looking mount, and each time I use it I smile.
Yes I think they made a number of changes from the CEM60 in this mount, this being one of them. The CEM60 uses magnetic clutches which are sort of adjustable but in a crude way in that you lock them off and then back the screw off 1/4 of a turn. I think it is a bit of trial and error and needs to be done each time you lock the clutch.
Hi Ray , I love your videos.
I want to mount the same Ioptron cem120 and pegasus astro system. Could you tell me in which connections and what type of cables are necessary. The input panel is a 10 amp dc, perfect!!. but at the output in the dovetail saddle there are two 5 amp dc... opss. And that confuses me to connect it to the pegasus.
Thank you very much
Nice upload ☺ love that mount 👍:)
LOVE your videos!! Will you PLEASE do one on PHD2???
I'm thinking about purchasing one of these mounts. Now that you've used it for a while what are the pros/cons with it? Are you experiencing any of the guiding errors I've read about?
Got a few questions here mate. Apart from the sound bothering you, what are the implications of this dec axis saddle movement in terms of imaging and PHD2 graph?
Also a slightly off topic observation, I see you’ve put some washers on the dec plate, is this to compensate the third axis balance by any chance?
Hi Ahmed. Because the mount is 700m up a mountain and fairly exposed, and my balance is absolutely spot on, the slightest breeze was causing spikes as it was catching my flip flat like a paddle which took a while to settle. I could have balanced S heavy and guided N only, but that kind of negated the point of having such a good mount for me. Tuning the dec axis like this has pretty much eliminated the issue, but I am now going to modify things so the flip flat opens downwards so less of an impact in the wind.
Ahhhhh yes, very well spotted with the washers my eagle eyed friend. The first part of the video was done in the day time and was the original temporary solution to the dec 3rd axis balance (credit to you for noting this as an issue worth addressing with your filter wheel). In the part where I have the OTA fitted you will see I had the ADM dovetail weight which replaced these washers. Both work great, but the washers were temporary and the ADM weight is a much neater solution.
I love your videos. Thank you! Have you been able to use the CEM120EC over the past year. What is your long term impression? Is it reliable and accurate? Do you recommend the EC versions?
I couldnt get the 3mm wrench to engage the set screw to turn counter clockwise no matter how i tried, any thoughts as to why that might be? When its cold i have horrendous noise coming from the dec area though guiding seems ok number wise.
Make sure that you have the clutch disengaged. There is a small hole in the shaft which the Allen key fits through, so it needs to be aligned for this to be possible. If this isn't the issue, perhaps try using a different Allen key in case the head is rounded over or something?
@@simplifiedastro2092 By that you mean both dec knobs horizontal right? Pretty sure all that was correct, i tried multiple keys, peered in at the set screw and i could see it basically hadnt moved no matter what i tried. Ioptron support hasnt been very helpful in figuring it out, as I tried to explain it to them before. Was hoping maybe it was something dumb i was doing :)
@@markm75 No it doesn't sound like anything dumb. If the 3mm Allen key isn't engaging in the socket head then it sounds like an issue with that. The noise you're hearing is probably the motor stalling. Horrible sound like a loud creak. Definitely sounds like it's a little tight in mesh. May be worth just trying some other keys, perhaps even a 1/8 imperial one, just to see if it is something with the screw head.
Hi, thanks for the video, how are you liking the mount after 2 years of use ?
I appreciate all of your CEM120 videos - very clear. Also impressed by what seems to be a lot of thought on the part of iOptron on usability. Two questions: in an earlier video, it appears you are using a hub to connect peripherals and connect that to the ports on the mount instead of connecting focuser, CCD etc directly into the mount? Is this correct and if so, the reason?
And second, I have one 11" SCT on a Skywatcher EQ8 (mount 25 kg, pier-style tripod 31kg). My other is a good 11" OTA I'm considering deforking and placing on a CEM120. I can just manage the EQ8 @ 25kg. In theory, this one is only 1 kg heavier, but it looks huge in comparison and appears not to have grips to assist lifting it onto the pier-tripod. How difficult is it to move this one around?
Hi Lynn, thanks for your comments, much appreciated.
Yes, you are correct with the hub. It is a Pegasus UPB and I use this as I control the mount remotely, so the hub allows me to switch everything off after my imaging session, and to control the dew heaters etc. The hub on the mount works great, and is a superb idea, but it is hardware pass through only, with no actual control of the ports etc.
The mount is a bit of a lump to lug about, but is definitely possible to use as a movable mount. The balance weight bar is quite heavy and easily removable, so that helps a lot with that off. It is physically pretty large, but I think the engineering is such that there is weight saving is areas where mass isn't needed, and with the 'through the mount' cabling, the centre is effectively a large hollow tube. As you rightly point out there are no handles as there are on the EQ8, but there are plenty of positions to lift comfortably.
@@simplifiedastro2092 Thanks for the quick reply. The more I read - and thanks to your videos - the more I am leaning toward this mount. I guess I'll just have to start lifting weights. ;-)
@@simplifiedastro2092 Slowly getting my CEM120EC set up - very pleased so far and the videos are very useful. Question: with my Celestron 11" OTA and imaging equipment on the back - even with the dew shield - the rail must be pushed forward in the saddle so that the back end is between the 2nd and 3rd tightening screws on the saddle - so the third screw/clamp is not doing anything and the front two are carrying the load. It seems stable but do you have any experience with this? Are two enough or should I perhaps add some weight to the front so I can slide it down and engage all three clamps? Since you have that counterweight and the USB hub forward, you don't seem to have the same problem.
@@lynnvr11 It shouldn't be a problem as it is a very long saddle plate and really intended to cater for very long fl refractors. If you find imaging at the native fl of our SCT is giving you issues, you can try using a longer dovetail as I have on my Tak, which gives me the overhang as well for the front end weight.
@@simplifiedastro2092 Thanks again. Good idea. As you point out, this mount has some differences from the "average" so I'm still getting used to it! And it seems I also need some 3rd axis correction (my Telrad is the only thing I can see off-axis - but apparently that is enough!) so that will add some front weight and maybe mitigate the problem. Firmware and hand controller updated, now working on the connections via cable control.
Hi, can I do this in my cem 70 with the ota mounted?
Hi. I personally wouldn't adjust mesh with the OTA on, but I guess technically there is not reason why you can't. You just need to make sure you can really feel any movement.
@@simplifiedastro2092 thanks. I tried both ways . Without weight too much work putting in amd out the OtA till find the sweet spot. I didn’t feel was damaging the mount doing it with Ota. Anyway, I still have bad calibration issues . I’m trying to send my mount to ioptron to tune it.
@@enriquebechet1 That's a shame. Hopefully they can resolve it as they are great when working well. Best of luck.
Hi Ray
Very informative and explanatory videos. You haven’t posted any updates on the CEM120 for almost 6 months? Hope everything is Ok?
Hi Osama. I have some updates on the CEM120 but had to take some time off from the channel. Keep watching as updates are coming (it is still a very good mount).
Are you close to home? Because you have so much unobstructed sky to point at. Beautiful.
Hi Joseph. This is in Spain (700m up a mountain in a National Park). The skies are absolutely wonderful, I am very fortunate, but it can get a little windy. I do have walls which move around the kit to enclose it if needed.
why downgrading from the mesu to the ioptron?
Hi Sebastien. I still have and use the mesu in the UK, this is what I use in Spain. It isn't really a downgrade as such unless you intend to carry enormous loads, which the Mesu does with ease, they are just different mounts with good and bad points for each. As this mount is operated mostly remotely, the through the mount cabling was a big decision maker.
On balance I do prefer the Mesu, but am not keen on the mounting configuration of the new (e) version.