iOptron CEM40 Field Experience
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- A mini review of the CEM 40 after having it in my backyard and from the field for a total of 8 nights.
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Astrobin page:
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Website:
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Canon EOS Ra amzn.to/3bmNCDu
Canon EOS RP amzn.to/2WFYuYO
Canon 35mm f1.2 for Canon EOS R amzn.to/2WCZbCd
Canon 50mm f1.8 for Canon EF amzn.to/2UslDv8
Canon EF to R lens adapter amzn.to/2xWHljc
Rokinon 14mm f2.8 for Canon EOS R amzn.to/2JmQ6pv
Rokinon 24mm f1.4 for Canon EOS EF amzn.to/2xYOTC4
iOptron SkyGuider Pro amzn.to/2WBNNqg
ZWO ASI294MC Pro amzn.to/3dp4ETi
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Insta360 One R amzn.to/39kq293
William Optics Redcat 51
Astro-Physics 130EDF
Astro-Physics 92mm Stowaway
Astro-Physics Mach1GTO
Thanks for the review Jeff. I'm thinking of upgrading at some point. I love the idea of using the hot hands as a dew zapper, great idea :-)
Thank you so much for watching! I stole the warmer idea from Brent Maynard. Take care.
Love your videos! Please update us with your experience and thoughts on the mount. I'm planning to get one too
So far, so good. It would be nice to have an app that would work with ipolar. Finding thumbscrews for the base locking bolts would be nice. Other than that, it has been impressive for my payload.
Superb 🇮🇳💖💖
Thank you so much.
@@jeffballphoto welcome 🙏💗💗
I recently purchased a CEM 70 and have the same complaint about the tripod mounting bolts. If you get a better method, I would like to know. Thanks, keep em coming! I'm in Charleston,WV!!!
Thanks so much Jared for watching and your update. Will update if I find something. I didn’t see anything on Anthony Davoli’s site. Clear skies.
Looks great. What percentage of pictures do you toss because of mount issues if any?
Thanks for the kind words and the question. To be honest, zero. The only time I have to toss images is when clouds interrupt the autoguiding. The mount has performed flawlessly. The ability for that mount to give me usable images from Spruce Knob with over 20mph gusts is a testament to it's performance. Knock on wood...hope it continues. Clear skies!
Hi Jeff. Nice video, thank you. Can you please shed some light on the "zero position" routine for this mount. Do you zero the mount each time after polar alignment?
Hello Stefan. Thank you so much! Good question. My flow now is this. 1. I use a visual polar scope to achieve rough polar alignment. 2. I then power up the mount and set the zero position. Basically pointing the RA at the North Pole. 3. Then I use the polar alignment routine in the ASI Air pro app. This works beautifully. I hope that helps. Clear skies.
Thanks for posting! What dovetail plate is that? I have a CEM40 on order and I'm excited to try it out. It'll be my first goto mount...
Thanks Spencer for watching! You will really love the CEM40. The dovetail is an Astro-Physics 12" plate. I will try to post the link here. Clear skies. www.astro-physics.com/sbd12
Did you receive your mount? How is your experience if so
Hi Jeff. This is a very helpful video. I’m thinking of buying on of these mounts but I do have reservations about having to fiddle an Allen key and bolts in the field, especially in the dark (and cold here in the UK). Have you found any replacement twist bolts that’ll do the job? Also, does having to lock down the Alt and Dec adjustment axis with an Allen key after polar alignment knock the alignment out again? Thanks. Loving the content on your channel so I’ve just subscribed 👍
Thank you so much Mark!!! I have been looking with no luck on replacement bolts. I have been looking for a small ratchet wrench just to help speed up the process. I need to at least get replacement bolts just in case I loose one. I did evaluate the lock down effect on the polar alignment and found it to be non-material. I do tighten pretty close to the final lock down position while I make my final adjustments. I am now using the ASI AIR polar alignment routine. The mount has been impressive in performance. 10 minute subs at approximately 500mm focal length with Canon Ra and stars are perfect. Thanks so much for subscribing. So much content to come. Just really behind. Thanks again and clear skies!!
I agree totally on getting replacement bolts. I’m pretty clumsy so I reckon I’d lose them in the dark pretty quickly. I’m still tempted by the mount though, it looks awesome. Keep up the great work on the videos. 👍👍
Hi mark I’m looking for the cem70 and had same concern of you I will buy a T-wrench ball end for ex-nut to be able to wear gloves not to freeze my fingers in cold Canadian winter look like a great mount to me and don’t let that small detail stop you
@@bruce12000 thanks. I actually went down a different route in the end, picking up a Rainbow Astro RST-135. It’s very portable but can carry up to 13kg without counterweights. No fiddly bolts when connecting it to the tripod 😃 Very happy with it. 👍
@@mark-h911 look like a great mount for DSLR Mark clear sky
Hi Jeff, I have had the CEM 40 since last year, been using the Ipolar feature which is sometimes a bit wonky in Polar Alignment but i make do was that reason you switched over to a visual polar scope?
Good to hear. No, I don’t use a laptop. iPad based only. I now do polar alignment with ASI AIR Pro. Works great. Enjoy and clear skies. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the review. Do you think I can do astrophotography with this mount and either my 5-inch f/6 or 6-inch f/7 Astro-Physics EDF refractors? What do you think will be the limit for a SCT? Would it handle a Celestron 9.25 inch EdgeHD SCT.
Thank you so much for watching. I hope you saw my reply on another video. I have not put my Ap130EDF f6 on it. I don’t think it will handle the moment arm. I have used my RASA 8” with good results. The 9.25 would be close, but I am conservative and would recommend a larger mount d’or an SCT above 8” for imaging. I hope that helps. Take care.
Hi Michael the Celestron 9.25 edge HD weight is 21lbs the mount can take 40lbs with 2/3 recommended it put the mount up to 26lbs capacity and that’s exactly what I was looking for and recommend buy my local astronomy store for observation but if you are looking for astrophotography I would highly recommend the cem70 70lbs capacity for all the extra gear you will add over the years
My first choice was the Celestron CGX but just had a bad back accident and I now need to be looking for a lighter mount that can handle the weight and I will go for the cem70
Jeff thank you! do you recommend the iOptron GEM45 for a beginner with the canon 5DS with canon L series lenses? taking my time before i invest in a telescope... 🙏🏼
Thanks so much for watching. Well I haven’t used the GEM45, but if it is anything like the CEM40, I whole-heartedly recommend. Great value for the dollar. Looks like you have wonderful gear to start doing astrophotography. The learning curve with the mount might have some bumps since it sounds like using a tracking mount is new for you. Just be patient and practice in the house and backyard a lot. You will love it. Good luck and clear skies. Thanks for watching.
Not sure i understand the polar scope and the wires issue to be honest? After you remove the iPolar, there are wires left in the polar scope duct?
Yes. There are wires for the USB power.
@@jeffballphoto Wow. Why would they design something like that? Thanks for the reply.
Did you see the GEM45?
Looks like a fine option.
Do you feel this is a better mount over the skywatcher eq6r pro?
Thanks for watching and for the question. I wish I had a chance to use the Skywatcher. I think the belt drive is intriguing and would love to see it in action. While the mounts are competing in the close to the same carrying capacity space, they are different enough that each has its own merits. I like the belt drive, retracting counterweight shaft and 2 x 11lb counterweights with the Skywatcher. I like the 15lb mount weight and the carrying case with the ioptron. Either mount looks fantastic and I can’t pick one over the other. I was attracted to the center weight design and the mount weight of the ioptron. I would love to test the belt drive system of the skywatcher. Let me know if you have any experience with that belt drive. Hope that helps and clear skies.
Why did you take out the iPolar? It works beautifully. Far more accurate and quicker than a reticle or finder. ???
I don’t want to use a laptop in the field. I have an extra ASI Air that I will use for polar alignment going forward.
@@jeffballphoto I am curious how this shakes with asiair, not liking the lack of polar scope and apparently bolts? Thinking more like a cem60 for the air for myself, just can't get any of these.
@@dylanlikeavillan5165 just used the ASI AIR and polar alignment routine with the CEM40 and it worked beautifully. 10 minute autoguidés exposures with Baader Variofinder and ZWO120mini with AP 92mm and Canon RA imaging. I love the CEM40 for small refractors.
@@jeffballphoto nice, did you use usb or st4 to control?
@@dylanlikeavillan5165 USB
Really Really Neat even though most of what you are speaking too is Greek to Me...
Thank so much ECP.