Great review of the GEM45. I've had mine since July and really pleased with it too! My shipped version was a a GEM45(G) without the ipolar camera. There's one integrated saddle, and the connections are a bit different. I would also recommend the GEM45. Clear Skies!
Excellent review! Do you think the iOptron GEM45 mount would work well for astrophotography when used with a long moment arm telescope like my Astro-Physics 6-inch f/7 EDF refractor (23 pounds refractor alone)? What about a Celestron 9.25 inch EdgeHD SCT with guide scope? You said that the clutches on the GEM45 were better as they had a simple on off position. Are they the same as for the new iOptron CEM40 or is the CEM40 clutch system more like the older CEM60?
Hi Michael and thanks for watching. I would not suspect any issues as long as you are well balanced and not exceed 80% of payload (IMHO). That being said, I would also say though that you 'might' stretch it a bit with the 9.25 SCT as far as performance goes. Though it only weighs 21 pounds, you will add a lot more with additional guide scope plus cameras and accessories. Factor in cable drag or onboard computers and you might be close to max. Even if your weight technically is right at or even a little under the mount capacity, understand that other factors come into play, such as breakaway momentum. Balance can also become trickier in both axis, as more weight will need to shift to the outside of the balance bar or you will need to use multiple smaller weights to move them back up the shaft in towards the axis. This applies in X and Y. Celestron does sell the 9.25 and 8" EDGE HD's on both AVX and CGEM mounts which are rated for 40#s. Technically speaking, YES, the mount can handle the weight. Could there be some performance issues as far as guiding? Possibly. Old timers would say never to exceed 70 to 80% of mount capacity to allow for max mount performance. i.e. guiding error, balance, etc. I have ran up to 90% capacity on my other iOptron mounts. I have not tested the limit yet on this one. For what it is worth and is only my opinion....I would highly suggest to go with a OAG on the 9.25 SCT based on my past experiences. Your guide scale will be far off using even a 80mm guide scope, not to mention the extra weight.
@@GeorgiaAstronomy Thanks for your advice. I actually was more concerned with the long moment arm of my 155 mm f/7 Astro-Physics EDF refractor than the 9.25 SCT. But think the SCT might also be troublesome. I have run both the refractor and a C-11 on my old non-GOTO Astro-Physics 900 mount without problems. However, it is a larger mount than the iOptron GEM45 and had a massive 70 pound tripod for support, which I am now too old to carry.
Very good review. I also have a GEM45. In one way it is not really a GEM -- the declination axis is not the counterweight shaft. The counterweight shaft does not rotate with movement in declination. You could say it is a CEM that is shaped like a GEM externally.
@@GeorgiaAstronomy There hasn't been enough clear weather to try it out thoroughly, but it seems solid. A very different experience than a Celestron mount -- it seems more delicate but also more precise.
Please excuse my ignorance, I’m very new to the game. I live in a super high humidity location (savannah.) How do you tackle the humidity and the instant fog over when you walk out the door? Do you just bring the scope out several hours before you plan to image? I just got a Celestron 8se as my first scope and still trying to find a good mount (that isn’t sold out.) I also went ahead and got a zwo294asi to image with whenever I get said mount.
HI Larry and thanks for watching. Great question! Yes, you are correct in that you'll need to bring the scope outside to acclimate to the ambient temp. In some cases, scopes will have tec cooling built in to help equalize and cool the scope. To further combat dew issues, you'd also utilize dew heaters on the primary (and possibly camera and/or secondary mirror). The 8SE is a great SCT and your choice of the 294 is a great decision!
enjoyed the video. I bought a GEM45 head only, didn't come with the counter weight. Who would have thought it was going to take months to get a counter weight - so unfortunately I haven't used it yet. I am curious to your set up - cabling, power supply, etc. Thanks again
Hi Mike and thanks for watching! It is ridiculous how we cannot get hardly ANYTHING. Thankfully, I bought mine from iOptron's used inhouse Amazon store. Might be able to find one on CN but that even seems to have limited supplies. Will definitely be interested in getting your take on the GEM as well!
@@GeorgiaAstronomy yes sir....that's where I purchased he GEM45 mount only as well. Hopefully the counterweight will arrive soon. Thank you again. Please continue to post up info on your setup.
Is the GEM45 belt drive or gear drive? How do you feel about a comparison of the GEM45 to the iOptron EQ6 R Pro? (I know the EQ6 is a little more than twice the weight) but I'm curious about accuracy
I just got one of these and am still trying to figure out the latitude adjustment while polar aligning. Is it ok to loosen the latitude locking screws and use the latitude adjustment knob while the mount is fully loaded? The manual is less than helpful on this point, and I'm scared to death of breaking this thing compared to the other mounts I've used.
Hi Dirk and thanks for watching. Yes, you can loosen the side bolts and use the black radial knob. The tricky part is tightening back down the bolts without throwing your alignment back off.
Hi Luca and thank you for watching! Depends on weight. It is recommended not to exceed 60% of a mount's capacity with your total weight of your rig. However, it has been my experience that most modern mounts have no problem up to 80%-90%. The biggest issue is breakaway inertia and 'bobbing'. That being said, really good balance can help eliminate that and will also give longevity to your gears. Lighter weight can benefit the inertia issue as well as positions of your weights on the bar. The closer to the center the better.
How does this compare to a celestron cgem? I wanted a cgem but I’ll be waiting till late next year. Thinking of just building a ground up rig since I can get these and optical tubes right away. What are your thoughts?
Never owned a CGEM. I’ve heard two different sides many times though. The fans think it’s bullet proof, albeit has backlash. The others say too much backlash and not worth the trouble. While all mounts have some sort of backlash, except high end mounts, I’ve found in comparison with the Celestron AVX and CGX along with the Losmamdy G11, that the iOptron is superior. This includes the CEM60, CEM28 and now the GEM45.
Where did you find a 2" tripod that the GEM45 fit on? I like the 45 head but don't like the 1.75 LiteRoc tripod. My Celestron AVX 2" tripod in my opinion is sturdier. What was iOptron thinking? You put a cadillac mount on a VW tripod! :(
Hi Steve. I actually need to make a video on that. For quick reference though, I went to Amazon and used SkyViewerUSA. They have the iOptron certified equipment.They have mounts, tripods, and other iOptron products used.
thanx for the review - have the same problem - unsure between cem40 and gem45 to carry my e8hd with a total ota weight of 9kg . if you can decide between the two - CEM or GEM?
I am wondering whether to get this vs the gem28, haven’t purchased a telescope yet. Do you think the 45 would be more accurate along with increased capacity?
Hi Rachel! Thanks for watching! Either are great mounts. In fact, anything from iOptron is excellent in my book. I would always lean towards higher capacity. This will allow you to expand at a later date and have room to upgrade in telescopes. Otherwise, you will wind up buying a larger capacity mount.
@@GeorgiaAstronomy That’s what I was thinking!!! So glad you said that. You never know when a bigger scope will catch your eye. Thanks for the advice!! Can’t wait to begin this learning curve
Hi Elsa and thanks for watching. Could be a couple of things. Be sure your hemisphere, location, most recent update loaded and time zone is set correctly. If it still moves in wrong direction, possible the controller needs to be replaced.
Hi Chunter and thanks for watching! I would always start with balance first. Check for snags or cable drag. Run calibration in PHD2. Run the guiding assistant in PHD2. Center on object and let it guide for a period to spot any anomaly. Be sure to let the guiding assistant run a minimum of 10 minutes.
G’day CJ
Great review mate, I’ve been looking at possibly buying new mount, so your review was very timely
Cheers mate
Always proud to be of service mte!
Thanks been waiting for one of these
Thanks Mark! Hope you like it!
Great review of the GEM45. I've had mine since July and really pleased with it too! My shipped version was a a GEM45(G) without the ipolar camera. There's one integrated saddle, and the connections are a bit different. I would also recommend the GEM45. Clear Skies!
THanks David! Hope you are enjoying it as much as I am!
Great video buddy. Good to see your videos
Thanks N2WFK and thanks for watching!
Great review, thanks for doing this 👍🏻😀
Appreciate it Olly! More to come.
Good review. If you can, I'd like to see some before and after PPEC training in the unguided demonstration. Thanks.
Hi South and thanks for watching. Will do!
Excellent review! Do you think the iOptron GEM45 mount would work well for astrophotography when used with a long moment arm telescope like my Astro-Physics 6-inch f/7 EDF refractor (23 pounds refractor alone)? What about a Celestron 9.25 inch EdgeHD SCT with guide scope? You said that the clutches on the GEM45 were better as they had a simple on off position. Are they the same as for the new iOptron CEM40 or is the CEM40 clutch system more like the older CEM60?
Hi Michael and thanks for watching. I would not suspect any issues as long as you are well balanced and not exceed 80% of payload (IMHO). That being said, I would also say though that you 'might' stretch it a bit with the 9.25 SCT as far as performance goes. Though it only weighs 21 pounds, you will add a lot more with additional guide scope plus cameras and accessories. Factor in cable drag or onboard computers and you might be close to max. Even if your weight technically is right at or even a little under the mount capacity, understand that other factors come into play, such as breakaway momentum. Balance can also become trickier in both axis, as more weight will need to shift to the outside of the balance bar or you will need to use multiple smaller weights to move them back up the shaft in towards the axis. This applies in X and Y. Celestron does sell the 9.25 and 8" EDGE HD's on both AVX and CGEM mounts which are rated for 40#s. Technically speaking, YES, the mount can handle the weight. Could there be some performance issues as far as guiding? Possibly. Old timers would say never to exceed 70 to 80% of mount capacity to allow for max mount performance. i.e. guiding error, balance, etc. I have ran up to 90% capacity on my other iOptron mounts. I have not tested the limit yet on this one.
For what it is worth and is only my opinion....I would highly suggest to go with a OAG on the 9.25 SCT based on my past experiences. Your guide scale will be far off using even a 80mm guide scope, not to mention the extra weight.
@@GeorgiaAstronomy Thanks for your advice. I actually was more concerned with the long moment arm of my 155 mm f/7 Astro-Physics EDF refractor than the 9.25 SCT. But think the SCT might also be troublesome. I have run both the refractor and a C-11 on my old non-GOTO Astro-Physics 900 mount without problems. However, it is a larger mount than the iOptron GEM45 and had a massive 70 pound tripod for support, which I am now too old to carry.
Very good review. I also have a GEM45. In one way it is not really a GEM -- the declination axis is not the counterweight shaft. The counterweight shaft does not rotate with movement in declination. You could say it is a CEM that is shaped like a GEM externally.
How have you liked yours?
@@GeorgiaAstronomy There hasn't been enough clear weather to try it out thoroughly, but it seems solid. A very different experience than a Celestron mount -- it seems more delicate but also more precise.
@@michael.a.covington Completely agree. Hopefully these storms will start to clear out.
Please excuse my ignorance, I’m very new to the game. I live in a super high humidity location (savannah.) How do you tackle the humidity and the instant fog over when you walk out the door? Do you just bring the scope out several hours before you plan to image? I just got a Celestron 8se as my first scope and still trying to find a good mount (that isn’t sold out.) I also went ahead and got a zwo294asi to image with whenever I get said mount.
HI Larry and thanks for watching. Great question! Yes, you are correct in that you'll need to bring the scope outside to acclimate to the ambient temp. In some cases, scopes will have tec cooling built in to help equalize and cool the scope. To further combat dew issues, you'd also utilize dew heaters on the primary (and possibly camera and/or secondary mirror).
The 8SE is a great SCT and your choice of the 294 is a great decision!
enjoyed the video. I bought a GEM45 head only, didn't come with the counter weight. Who would have thought it was going to take months to get a counter weight - so unfortunately I haven't used it yet.
I am curious to your set up - cabling, power supply, etc.
Thanks again
Hi Mike and thanks for watching! It is ridiculous how we cannot get hardly ANYTHING. Thankfully, I bought mine from iOptron's used inhouse Amazon store. Might be able to find one on CN but that even seems to have limited supplies. Will definitely be interested in getting your take on the GEM as well!
@@GeorgiaAstronomy yes sir....that's where I purchased he GEM45 mount only as well. Hopefully the counterweight will arrive soon. Thank you again. Please continue to post up info on your setup.
@@mikelockwood2104 will do! I also need to promote Peter's site. I've bought all three of my iOptrons from them.
Is the GEM45 belt drive or gear drive? How do you feel about a comparison of the GEM45 to the iOptron EQ6 R Pro? (I know the EQ6 is a little more than twice the weight) but I'm curious about accuracy
Hi Geo and thanks for watching. The GEM and the CEM's are all gear driven. I am not 100% sure on the EQ6 as I've never owned one.
I just got one of these and am still trying to figure out the latitude adjustment while polar aligning. Is it ok to loosen the latitude locking screws and use the latitude adjustment knob while the mount is fully loaded? The manual is less than helpful on this point, and I'm scared to death of breaking this thing compared to the other mounts I've used.
Hi Dirk and thanks for watching. Yes, you can loosen the side bolts and use the black radial knob. The tricky part is tightening back down the bolts without throwing your alignment back off.
Extremely usefull review!!
Would you reccomend this mount also for heavier set-up, like newton 200/800?
Hi Luca and thank you for watching! Depends on weight. It is recommended not to exceed 60% of a mount's capacity with your total weight of your rig. However, it has been my experience that most modern mounts have no problem up to 80%-90%. The biggest issue is breakaway inertia and 'bobbing'. That being said, really good balance can help eliminate that and will also give longevity to your gears. Lighter weight can benefit the inertia issue as well as positions of your weights on the bar. The closer to the center the better.
How does this compare to a celestron cgem? I wanted a cgem but I’ll be waiting till late next year. Thinking of just building a ground up rig since I can get these and optical tubes right away. What are your thoughts?
Never owned a CGEM. I’ve heard two different sides many times though. The fans think it’s bullet proof, albeit has backlash. The others say too much backlash and not worth the trouble. While all mounts have some sort of backlash, except high end mounts, I’ve found in comparison with the Celestron AVX and CGX along with the Losmamdy G11, that the iOptron is superior. This includes the CEM60, CEM28 and now the GEM45.
Where did you find a 2" tripod that the GEM45 fit on? I like the 45 head but don't like the 1.75 LiteRoc tripod. My Celestron AVX 2" tripod in my opinion is sturdier. What was iOptron thinking? You put a cadillac mount on a VW tripod! :(
Hi Steve. I actually need to make a video on that. For quick reference though, I went to Amazon and used SkyViewerUSA. They have the iOptron certified equipment.They have mounts, tripods, and other iOptron products used.
thanx for the review - have the same problem - unsure between cem40 and gem45 to carry my e8hd with a total ota weight of 9kg . if you can decide between the two - CEM or GEM?
I've had great luck with the GEM45 so far and like the little extra payload capability now with a C8 SCT plus all the extras and still have nice room.
I am wondering whether to get this vs the gem28, haven’t purchased a telescope yet. Do you think the 45 would be more accurate along with increased capacity?
Hi Rachel! Thanks for watching! Either are great mounts. In fact, anything from iOptron is excellent in my book. I would always lean towards higher capacity. This will allow you to expand at a later date and have room to upgrade in telescopes. Otherwise, you will wind up buying a larger capacity mount.
@@GeorgiaAstronomy That’s what I was thinking!!! So glad you said that. You never know when a bigger scope will catch your eye. Thanks for the advice!! Can’t wait to begin this learning curve
You're welcome Rachel. Can't wait to see your set up! Keep us posted!
@@GeorgiaAstronomy Thank you definently will do I appreciate it!!!🙏🏽
Are you going to use multi star guidance in PHd
Been using and LOVE it! Changed the whole game with that feature.
Mine is moving in the wrong direction. Any suggestions on how to solve the problem?
Hi Elsa and thanks for watching. Could be a couple of things. Be sure your hemisphere, location, most recent update loaded and time zone is set correctly. If it still moves in wrong direction, possible the controller needs to be replaced.
I'm only getting like 60 unguided subs at 700mm... And my guiding isn't great.. no bad but not great. What could I do?
Hi Chunter and thanks for watching! I would always start with balance first. Check for snags or cable drag. Run calibration in PHD2. Run the guiding assistant in PHD2. Center on object and let it guide for a period to spot any anomaly. Be sure to let the guiding assistant run a minimum of 10 minutes.