THE SHIRT IS BACK!!!! Woop! Woop! Another great video and super informative. Even though I don’t have this mount but the way your explain things is super impressive. Keep up the awesome work mate.
Thanks, Ahmed, really appreciate your comments as always. Unfortunately the sound is really poor on this video as the batteries ran out on my radio mic without me knowing, but there is some information which I thought was very useful, so recovered all I could from the GoPro. I was hoping to get this released before the Polemaster one, but I honestly didn't think I would be able to get anything useable for this one until yesterday, so already had the Polemaster one done. Hopefully people will find the content of this video useful, but if there are any parts which need more information or better and clearer audio/visual, then naturally I'm happy to redo it.
Nicely explained. Hell of a lot better than reading the manual and forever wondering if you've missed something important out. I've just taken the plunge and upgraded from a Celestron CGE to CEM120EC - -wow! Glad i did.
Great stuff, glad it helped. I absolutely love it and the performance is superb. Short of payload, there is little to choose from between this and my Mesu200. Hope you have many happy hours with yours.
It is performing excellently at the moment and I would highly recommend it to anyone considering one. Unfortunately I've not found technical support to be particularly helpful, but hopefully this shouldn't be needed too often.
Great videos! I'm living vicariously through you at the moment haha Once our acreage is completed I will start on the Observatory and pull the trigger on the CEM120EC. I will be looking back at your videos to help me set it up and get everything going. Thank you for your videos! ~Rob
Hi Rob. Thanks very much, that's much appreciated. It is a very nice mount, and at this moment I rate it very highly. I'm sure you would be more than happy with it.
Great video! I wish you would do some more videos regarding tips and tricks. I’ve just received my CEM120EC. Coming from a SW AZ-EQ6 pro, I’m a bit lost as to where to start. Wish you can do a tutorial on the workflow of Ioptrons commander software, precautions I need to follow with regards to the RA encoders, and what to look out for in the capture software. I’m trying to learn NINA currently, having left APT behind. Lastly, I hope you’re ok, and Victoria has recovered well! We miss your videos! Best regards Ossi
I can not get my Ioptron 120 EC2 too connect with WIFI? my iPad pro and laptop can connect and shows that it is on the 120 ec2 network but the hand box is not showing its connected?? any thoughts? thanks
I have the ioptron cem120ec2..and it needs the firmware upgrade, as even though it has 180,000 for its hand controller firmware, it's only got 170,000 or so for the MainBoard. My question is: i see that there is an ioptron utility program that has smart install in it. Is it really necessary to upgrade both my hand controller plus my MainBoard, or can I do the MainBoard only? And if I do that first, and only then will it still allow the high precision encoder calibration? Do you know?
PS: my first real eq mount was an ioptron cem60, so this is a real upgrade for me...it's just I see that it will not perform as i'd like outside the box....as it kept-on saying stars and stuff that are truly above the horizon were below and it wouldn't allow tracking then. or say pointing un-known or it would show the time wrong like 10 hours off. Even though I set it right. it would forget after I turned it off. even though it has the gps hooked-up. I thought at first I'd need to connect it to my laptop and then it would 'believe' the laptop's time and stuff. Like once I get the new firmware...I'll be able to connect it to Sky X, probably, right? I got this cem120ec2 in my neat 10X12 roll off roof observatory. Thanks for your help! davewilliamstar@live.com
Hi David. Yes you can update whichever element you want. All you do is manually select which one rather than auto-update. If you are updating just the main board then you will need to calibrate the encoders again.
But apparently it needs the firmware first. Should I do both Main Board and Hand Controller @ the same time, of course Main Board first? Because my Hand Controller is up to date, do I need to do that one too? So then I just do it second? Then for sure it will allow me to do the high prec encoder calibration?
I want to be sure because I know a person can mess the mount's firmware up where it would say main board failure or something...as that happened with my older cem60 mount...and had to send it in to ioptron for help...yep tried using an older Meade serial adapter instead of the FTDI one it needed...but I see you've specified a certain adapter, I feel I will try to use that one for sure!
@@dwilliams1128 If you choose intelligent select it will only update the ones which need updating, and will skip the ones which are already up to date. I can't imaging why it would brick a board unless you have corrupt firmware, it wouldn't be to do with the order in which things are updated.
@@simplifiedastro2092 Thank you for the response. That's really good to hear. I've been happy with my CEM60, but I need more payload and was hoping the CEM120 would perform the same. Thanks again, cheers!
Hi Shastarocks. That's a good question and I have to admit to not knowing for sure and not trying. However, I would be pretty certain that's a no as it is an input data port so almost certainly won't have charging facility.
Hi Lanchezar. The CEM120 doesn't use a clutch so I'm not sure what you mean. You either have the gears engaged or desengeged, and they use the motors to provide the "clutch" if there is a snag. Personally I think the ability to disengage the gears completely rather than having a "clutch" is very good
I will be following your Instructions to the letter. Thanks for taking the time making this video and explaining in great detail.
THE SHIRT IS BACK!!!! Woop! Woop!
Another great video and super informative. Even though I don’t have this mount but the way your explain things is super impressive.
Keep up the awesome work mate.
Thanks, Ahmed, really appreciate your comments as always. Unfortunately the sound is really poor on this video as the batteries ran out on my radio mic without me knowing, but there is some information which I thought was very useful, so recovered all I could from the GoPro.
I was hoping to get this released before the Polemaster one, but I honestly didn't think I would be able to get anything useable for this one until yesterday, so already had the Polemaster one done.
Hopefully people will find the content of this video useful, but if there are any parts which need more information or better and clearer audio/visual, then naturally I'm happy to redo it.
Nicely explained. Hell of a lot better than reading the manual and forever wondering if you've missed something important out. I've just taken the plunge and upgraded from a Celestron CGE to CEM120EC - -wow! Glad i did.
Great stuff, glad it helped. I absolutely love it and the performance is superb. Short of payload, there is little to choose from between this and my Mesu200. Hope you have many happy hours with yours.
These videos are invaluable for anyone like me considering an I optron mount CEM120 EC. The slewing sound itself oozes quality.
It is performing excellently at the moment and I would highly recommend it to anyone considering one. Unfortunately I've not found technical support to be particularly helpful, but hopefully this shouldn't be needed too often.
Great videos! I'm living vicariously through you at the moment haha Once our acreage is completed I will start on the Observatory and pull the trigger on the CEM120EC. I will be looking back at your videos to help me set it up and get everything going. Thank you for your videos!
~Rob
Hi Rob. Thanks very much, that's much appreciated. It is a very nice mount, and at this moment I rate it very highly. I'm sure you would be more than happy with it.
Clear skies my friends ☺
Great video! I wish you would do some more videos regarding tips and tricks. I’ve just received my CEM120EC. Coming from a SW AZ-EQ6 pro, I’m a bit lost as to where to start. Wish you can do a tutorial on the workflow of Ioptrons commander software, precautions I need to follow with regards to the RA encoders, and what to look out for in the capture software. I’m trying to learn NINA currently, having left APT behind.
Lastly, I hope you’re ok, and Victoria has recovered well!
We miss your videos!
Best regards
Ossi
Wait! This is a 2019 video. Did I hear right? Serial connector?! Is ioptron living in the same decade?!
At least the saddle has a USB 3 hub and through the mount cabling. Celestron has nothing like that.
@@axnyslie The CEM 40 uses USB, but the CEM 60 and 120 uses serial. I don't understand why.
I can not get my Ioptron 120 EC2 too connect with WIFI? my iPad pro and laptop can connect and shows that it is on the 120 ec2 network but the hand box is not showing its connected??
any thoughts? thanks
also noticed that the mount is loud in one direction and quieter in the other! Is this normal?
How effective precision encoders in CEM120EC2 compared to CEM120, worth the price ?
would this work with a celestron EDGE HD 11' with a guide scope camera mount /spectragraph
I don't see any reason why not. Payload wise it is more than capable.
I have the ioptron cem120ec2..and it needs the firmware upgrade, as even though it has 180,000 for its hand controller firmware, it's only got 170,000 or so for the MainBoard. My question is: i see that there is an ioptron utility program that has smart install in it. Is it really necessary to upgrade both my hand controller plus my MainBoard, or can I do the MainBoard only? And if I do that first, and only then will it still allow the high precision encoder calibration? Do you know?
PS: my first real eq mount was an ioptron cem60, so this is a real upgrade for me...it's just I see that it will not perform as i'd like outside the box....as it kept-on saying stars and stuff that are truly above the horizon were below and it wouldn't allow tracking then. or say pointing un-known or it would show the time wrong like 10 hours off. Even though I set it right. it would forget after I turned it off. even though it has the gps hooked-up. I thought at first I'd need to connect it to my laptop and then it would 'believe' the laptop's time and stuff. Like once I get the new firmware...I'll be able to connect it to Sky X, probably, right? I got this cem120ec2 in my neat 10X12 roll off roof observatory. Thanks for your help! davewilliamstar@live.com
Hi David. Yes you can update whichever element you want. All you do is manually select which one rather than auto-update. If you are updating just the main board then you will need to calibrate the encoders again.
But apparently it needs the firmware first. Should I do both Main Board and Hand Controller @ the same time, of course Main Board first? Because my Hand Controller is up to date, do I need to do that one too? So then I just do it second? Then for sure it will allow me to do the high prec encoder calibration?
I want to be sure because I know a person can mess the mount's firmware up where it would say main board failure or something...as that happened with my older cem60 mount...and had to send it in to ioptron for help...yep tried using an older Meade serial adapter instead of the FTDI one it needed...but I see you've specified a certain adapter, I feel I will try to use that one for sure!
@@dwilliams1128 If you choose intelligent select it will only update the ones which need updating, and will skip the ones which are already up to date. I can't imaging why it would brick a board unless you have corrupt firmware, it wouldn't be to do with the order in which things are updated.
Do you still have this mount? if so, are you still enjoying it, or is it rubbish? Thanks for the video (although I'm late to the party) 😂
Hi. I do still have this mount and absolutely love it. The performance is superb.
@@simplifiedastro2092 Thank you for the response. That's really good to hear. I've been happy with my CEM60, but I need more payload and was hoping the CEM120 would perform the same. Thanks again, cheers!
Can you charge your phone through the USB?😉
Hi Shastarocks. That's a good question and I have to admit to not knowing for sure and not trying. However, I would be pretty certain that's a no as it is an input data port so almost certainly won't have charging facility.
@@simplifiedastro2092 probably.
Have you used mount head to power the Atik
The iOptron clutch system is very stupid.
Hi Lanchezar. The CEM120 doesn't use a clutch so I'm not sure what you mean. You either have the gears engaged or desengeged, and they use the motors to provide the "clutch" if there is a snag.
Personally I think the ability to disengage the gears completely rather than having a "clutch" is very good