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On Mon, Dec 9, 2024 at 11:31 AM, <avishekaiyar@...> wrote:

Hello All,

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My backup option is the Orion Skyview Pro which is a whole lot cheaper, but also has a lower payload capacity.?

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Would really appreciate any/all advice.?

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Sincerely,

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Avi

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I forgot not mention that the SVP has a very low payload and unless you have a small lightweight imaging optic and camera you will not be able to safely carry it on and SVP.? Think small refractor for visual use.??

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Hi Avi, welcome to these forums. I’m not an expert on the subject but here’s my take on your queries.

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The CG11 is indeed a “normal” G11 built by Losmandy for Celestron back in the day. These mounts are super reliable and easy to maintain and, the mechanics of the newest mounts are basically the same as the one you’re looking at. Only a few tweaks have been applied over the years, like spring loading the worms and such but, overall, it’s the same mount. This, to me, speaks volumes about the quality of these mounts and the original design. The beauty of all this is that, should you need help from the factory, the mount is fully serviceable by them and, to help things even more, there’s a healthy community of users that can also help. There are a few “official” repairers around the world (by official I mean people known to work on this mounts but not employed by Losmandy).

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On to some of your questions. The CG11 has the 492 digital drive. The mount itself is a push-to. You just set it up, turn it on, disengage the clutches a bit and push your scope to where you want to look and then re-engage the clutches. Simple as that. Having said this, this particular drive system is geared more for visual use. It could be used for AP but it won’t be as easy as with a more modern mount with computerized goto and guiding.

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If the package you’re looking at comes with the heavy duty tripod, that’s a nice bonus. That tripod is a tank and nothing short of an earthquake will move it. The polar scope will likely have the old reticle unless it was updated by the previous owner. However, the scope is not all that useful imo. It can give a good enough alignment for visual if that’s all you want and have a clear view of polaris, but for imaging other methods are quicker and more accurate.

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I’d suggest heading over to Cloudynights’ classifieds and looking up G11s with the 492 drive. That should give you an idea how much to expect for a mount like this one.?

As for the tests you can do, I may not be qualified to say. But there aren’t many tests for the simple mechanics involved. Just make sure everything turns freely that should turn freely. That there’s not much play in the axes. That the grease is not dried and caked and, more importantly, that the drive system turns on and works properly

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Finally, losmandy has a store website you can visit to check their prices for spare parts and upgrade kits. Just a bit of a warning, don’t dig too deeply on that site or you’ll empty your bank account trying to get as many goodies as you can. I speak from experience, the temptation can be overwhelming :)

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good luck

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jonathan

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Hi and welcome.? The CG11 is a rebranded G11 but missing a few upgrades Losmandy made to the original CG11 mount. Parts are readily available and Losmandy can and does still offer updates for these mounts.?

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That said there are some differences though almost everything can be retro fitted.? There are nice used G11 mounts that will have the later updates that are likely less mony and easier to update due to these small differences.? The CG11 can be updated with Losmandy Gemini 2 controller for GOTO and modern imaging tools.? So unless they are giving you the mount very cheap a Losmandy G11 or GM8 will likely be a better investment.??

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As far as the Sky View Pro mounts go they are great manual mounts for small visual scopes.? I'm a huge fan and have owned and used several of these little gems.? I like the so much I have improved one over time adding nicer controls and CADing and CNCing an adapter to use the SVP on a tall wooden Oberwerk tripod.? This is a great setup I have used for visual work and as my traveling solar event mount.? I have a 2-axis drive, don't bother with the GOTO kit it is not quite smooth enough for imaging having a jerky stepper motor drive without fine enough steps to avoid this problem.?

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Thank you all for your advice and words of encouragement.

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Thankfully I didn’t leave the HC connected, it was safely stored indoors whewww!. As for the electronics inside the G2 box, it was 99% dry, just a hint of water on the lip holding the top lid and some moisture on the bottom of the stand offs so, either it dried after getting wet or it didn’t really get that wet. The connectors did have some moisture and I blew on them and shook the whole thing to try to remove the water. It’s on a desk air drying as we speak, just to make ultra sure. Also, the coin cell is about 6 months old, I replaced it recently when the original that came with the mount started showing signs of old age after 4 years of light use.

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As for the mount, the suggestions are more than welcome, and helpful. I will let it dry fully for a couple of days and will open and remove the covers and motors to help the process. I think I will try it out after drying and see if it keeps performing as it was, if not I’ll fully clean and regrease. It’s been about 1-1.5 years from the last clean and tune up so maybe it’s time for another one lol.

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thanks for your help

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jonathan

Hello All,

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I am brand new to both AP as well as this forum. Really looking forward to getting to know both intimately.

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Although I am new to AP, I have been shooting with long lenses for a while and I have good collection of them that I would like to put to good use.

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I have a iOptron SGP which has so far served me well for WF imaging, but I am looking for something a bit more heavy duty. I am not at all interested in fully computerized goto mounts as I want to grow into the hobby organically and upgrade only when I am ready for it...I feel quite strongly about this.?

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I have been offered a CG11 (or G11) locally, but not knowing a whole lot about these, I wanted to solicit opinions here. What I know so far:

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My questions:

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My backup option is the Orion Skyview Pro which is a whole lot cheaper, but also has a lower payload capacity.?

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Would really appreciate any/all advice.?

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Sincerely,

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Avi

On Mon, Dec 9, 2024 at 08:05 AM, gabe wrote:

Thanks to all of you for the replies!

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The scope is very well balanced and has been checked again. ?It has not needed an adjustment since I balanced it years ago actually. ?It is BIG...a 6" f7 from Stellarvue, but the mount historically handled it smoothly and without complaint. That said, I will check again.

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I will try and remove the motor completely tongiht. ?As noted, I had loosened the (manual) worm gear to relieve all contact with the RA drive without success.

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As for the reboot...I have restarted (power cycled) multiple times. ?Is there a different way to 'reboot'? ?I will search that now, as well as the HGM reset. ?I am unfamiliar with both. ?New problem for me!

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I hope to get a reply from Losmandy today as well...I am sure this can be resolved. ?Thanks again for the help everyone!

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Ah, in that case I really think you should double check the battery and do the restore the HGM defaults option.? From the top diamond screen > menu > system > reset HGM defaults.? ?Then wait until the Gemini 2 comes up and the set the Gemini 2 to your normal settings.? This has helped others with the just updated to L6.x beeping.?

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I've gotten mine soaking wet several times with noone to blame but myself. As the others sail clean and dry Gemini and handset and you should be fine. Also replace the button battery.?

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On Mon, Dec 9, 2024 at 04:44 AM, Jonathan wrote:

I was out last night on a fairly nice, clear night watching and imaging the planets and around 1am decided to hit the sack for a few hours so I could look at the sun come morning. Since it was clear and not a single cloud out I thought I’d save time and effort by leaving the mount out, already setup for the morning session.

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Well, you can guess what happened during those few hours. The mount was drenched when I went out. At some point a rain shower must have sprung from nowhere to spoil my plans. I was relieved I didn’t leave the scope on as well. I’m not sure where I’d be if the scope got wet like that lol

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Now to my issues. I took the G2 control box off the mount and brought it inside for cleaning and drying. Thankfully there was no water inside the box but, should I be worried about the connectors? I’m particularly worried about the DIN connectors as those seem to be more finicky and delicate? I sadly do not have immediate access to deoxit or something similar, any alternatives I could use if needed?

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As for the mount’s mechanics, should I clean and relube everything? Just dry it all as best as I can and let it be? Something in between? My main concerns would be the motors, gearboxes and worm mechanisms.

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I wish I could say lesson learned but, I know myself lol. And to show Murphy does really exist, this all happened a few weeks before I get my telegizmos cover that I purchased a few weeks ago. Dangit

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Thanks for your help

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Jonathan

Just disconnect all cables and wipe everything down including connectors with a soft lint free cloth turning regularly.? Don't use any canned gas on the mount itself, this just forces dust and moisture into the drivetrain.? The less you mess with the mount itself in this case the better.? ?Let it dry indoors for a few days.?

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It sounds like you already opened the Gemini 2 case and for that I do recommend blowing it out paying attention to the connectors. Leave it open and let it air dry in a warm room and close it back up in a couple days.? The other thing I would do is remove the servo motors and open the electronics cover and also use canned air to get out any moisture that may have been trapped inside the servo case.? Rain tends to get inside these as well as spiders for some reason.? Blow them out and let them air dry in a warm room with the Gemini.?

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Wait a couple days, a fan blowing lightly.over the electronics helps the process.? Reassemble and enjoy.

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On Mon, Dec 9, 2024 at 07:29 AM, Jonathan wrote:

I do recall L6 being more finicky with balance than L5 was, but I think that was resolved? Sorry, not entirely sure about that last statement :)

Hi Jonathan,

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If your mount grease is fairly new, I wouldn't bother relubing. I've had my mounts dripping with water at the end of the night plenty a time with no ill effect, just let it dry up the next day. Older grease can start to absorb some moisture, which can cause problems especially once the temperature fall near freezing.

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Motors are not water-proof, so might get some moisture on the inside. I'd recommend that you dry them well before trying to use if you suspect that water could've gotten in. I wouldn't worry about gearboxes, again, just dry them as best as you can.

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Regards,

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? ?-Paul

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On Mon, Dec 9, 2024 at 07:44 AM, Jonathan wrote:

Buy a circuit board cleaner or CO contact cleaner. ?Take out PCB spray ?till its washes PCB let dry. ?Put PCB back in and it should be ok. ? Do this on bench try not to generate static Aka on a carpet environment?

Alternate use IPA the best purest you can buy (99%+) and make a solution20% distilled water 80% IPA and use a “fitch” type brush to clean PCB with this. You can also get IPA sprays. ?But 100% tends to cool the parts and attract moisture a Little. ?

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A fitch brush is a cheap brush wood handle doesn’t generate ESD. ?
https://www.paintequip.com.au/shop/monarch-touch-up-brush-6mm-30mm/

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Cheers. It’ll be fine.?

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Brendan

I was out last night on a fairly nice, clear night watching and imaging the planets and around 1am decided to hit the sack for a few hours so I could look at the sun come morning. Since it was clear and not a single cloud out I thought I’d save time and effort by leaving the mount out, already setup for the morning session.

?

Well, you can guess what happened during those few hours. The mount was drenched when I went out. At some point a rain shower must have sprung from nowhere to spoil my plans. I was relieved I didn’t leave the scope on as well. I’m not sure where I’d be if the scope got wet like that lol

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Now to my issues. I took the G2 control box off the mount and brought it inside for cleaning and drying. Thankfully there was no water inside the box but, should I be worried about the connectors? I’m particularly worried about the DIN connectors as those seem to be more finicky and delicate? I sadly do not have immediate access to deoxit or something similar, any alternatives I could use if needed?

?

As for the mount’s mechanics, should I clean and relube everything? Just dry it all as best as I can and let it be? Something in between? My main concerns would be the motors, gearboxes and worm mechanisms.

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I wish I could say lesson learned but, I know myself lol. And to show Murphy does really exist, this all happened a few weeks before I get my telegizmos cover that I purchased a few weeks ago. Dangit

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Thanks for your help

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Jonathan

Hi Gabe,

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my first suggestion would be to remove the motor from the mount and test it with no load. If it’s still stalling then there definitely is something wrong. Could be the motor or, more likely, a faulty software update. If it doesn’t stall when unloaded then it could be a balance issue. I do recall L6 being more finicky with balance than L5 was, but I think that was resolved? Sorry, not entirely sure about that last statement :)

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good luck

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jonathan

On Sun, Dec 8, 2024 at 09:13 PM, gabe wrote:

Hello community,

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I recently took my Gemini Units to Losmandy for a hardware/software upgrades.

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On returning them to the mounts and turning on the power, I get an immediate and repeating RA Stall on the HC. ?I tried a number of things to get it working...releasing the worm completely, reducing Slew speed to 400, 2 different AC adapters @ 12V and 15V, tried a 12V LiPo (which is what it always ran on previously), swapped RA & Dec cables....nothing seems to work.

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I have an email out to Losmandy, and they are wonderful to work with so I expect to hear from them soon. ?I thought to ask the group here in the mean time.

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Thank you!?

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Hmm, this has happened a few times.? Have you rebooted a couple times?? Double check the battery with a DMM, and if that's good do an HGM reset and retest.? ?

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Keep us.posted!?

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Hello community,

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I recently took my Gemini Units to Losmandy for a hardware/software upgrades.

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On returning them to the mounts and turning on the power, I get an immediate and repeating RA Stall on the HC. ?I tried a number of things to get it working...releasing the worm completely, reducing Slew speed to 400, 2 different AC adapters @ 12V and 15V, tried a 12V LiPo (which is what it always ran on previously), swapped RA & Dec cables....nothing seems to work.

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I have an email out to Losmandy, and they are wonderful to work with so I expect to hear from them soon. ?I thought to ask the group here in the mean time.

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Thank you!?

On Sat, Nov 30, 2024 at 01:41 PM, <rickdarden0899@...> wrote:

I just purchased a used but like new AZ8. I owned a G11 from the Celestron days so I am familiar with Losmandy products.

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I have the typical stiction in the movement of the axes and the stuttering of the slo-mo controls.

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I have read just about every online discussion on this mount and have dialed in the worm pretty good where there is little backlash and the stuttering is fairly minimal.

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But for the stiction in the axes, what I am referring to is the "pop" when an axis starts to move. It happens even with the clutches fully loosened but, of course, more so when the clutches are tightened up a bit.

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Everything I read about the clutch pads is that they need to be dry. This makes sense for the G8 and G11, but for the AZ8, we want the clutches to only be engaged enough to prevent any minor off-balance issues from moving the mount.

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So what I did was apply a very, very thin layer of a low viscosity telfon grease to the clutch pads. I mean a very thin layer. Now the axes move without any popping even with the clutches fairly tight. It is very, very smooth.

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With grease on the clutch pads, the axes will easily move with a little bit of force even with the clutches fairly tight. So beware of any major balance issues in Altitude before you let go of the scope. But there is still plenty of clamping force to deal with minor balance issues. This is not an issue with the AZ axis since it is vertical.

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For all you AZ8 owners, give it a try. You can always remove the grease.??

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Preaching to the choir.? And this is not just for AZ8 owners, I have always done this with just the faintest suggestion of grease on Losmandy mount clutch discs I use for PUSH-TO visual observation.? There was and is still nothing else on the market for PUSH-TO visual observation with a balanced mount like a Losmandy GM8s or G11s digital drive mount with a NEXUS DSC, they are the best at this.?

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I just purchased a used but like new AZ8. I owned a G11 from the Celestron days so I am familiar with Losmandy products.

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I have the typical stiction in the movement of the axes and the stuttering of the slo-mo controls.

?

I have read just about every online discussion on this mount and have dialed in the worm pretty good where there is little backlash and the stuttering is fairly minimal.

?

But for the stiction in the axes, what I am referring to is the "pop" when an axis starts to move. It happens even with the clutches fully loosened but, of course, more so when the clutches are tightened up a bit.

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Everything I read about the clutch pads is that they need to be dry. This makes sense for the G8 and G11, but for the AZ8, we want the clutches to only be engaged enough to prevent any minor off-balance issues from moving the mount.

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So what I did was apply a very, very thin layer of a low viscosity telfon grease to the clutch pads. I mean a very thin layer. Now the axes move without any popping even with the clutches fairly tight. It is very, very smooth.

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With grease on the clutch pads, the axes will easily move with a little bit of force even with the clutches fairly tight. So beware of any major balance issues in Altitude before you let go of the scope. But there is still plenty of clamping force to deal with minor balance issues. This is not an issue with the AZ axis since it is vertical.

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For all you AZ8 owners, give it a try. You can always remove the grease.??

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We don't do shame here, it's just complicated.? All these years later the latest Gemini firmware still offerers very sophisticated internal operations and user features.?

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I don't know if anyone has looked at how many options and their permutations the Gemini 2 L6.x code set offers but between the web interface, the HC UI and gemini.net UI there are probably more ways to setup a Gemini 2 wrong than right.??

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It's easy to get it mostly right but much harder to get it just right- you can quote me on that.?

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Thank you Chip Louie! That was it. Jeez! I'm just going to hang my head in shame! Thank you again.