More iOptron CEM questions

[Astrobdlbug]

I am still flip flopping about pressing the buy button for a CEM26

 

Can anyone help me answer a few more questions about these mounts

 

I have heard that CEM mounts are extremely sensitive to balance - so if I am planning to use as a travelling / star camp option would it be a mount that requires too much fine tuning to balance and dial it in for a remote site imaging session ?
Would it be better to get the GEM28 instead as that  would possibly be less sensitive to load balance issues ?

 

Second - I use Raspberry Pi  running Astroberry  with INDI/EKOS/KSTARS  - at the moment I use a FTDI EQDIR USB  cable for my Sky-Watcher AZ,-ALT EQ6 GT mount that goes directly into the mount from a Pi USB socket and I do not need to connect via the handset.
I am reading that this setup does not work with iOptron mounts and any USB conneection needs to go via the handset controller - I only infer that as I cant find anyone explicitly stating thats the way to connect this mount to a computer.
Could anyone who is using this mount with ASIAir or Stellarmate or Pi running Astroberry let me know how they connect the mount to the Pi please ?

 

thanks for anyone help/advice on this ,

 

Bryan

 

 

 

[paul]

I have a skywatcher HEQ5 and an ioptron mount. I also heard the same concern but what I realised was that the CEM was scarily friction free when the clutch was disengaged - with the heq5 there is so much friction that it never really moves that freely. With low friction even a gram or two makes a well designed system move. With the skywatcher I always had to encourage movement when it was near good balance. (I'm not saying the HEQ5 is poor, the experience is different)

 

My experience (admittedly limited and with a bigger mount) has been the CEM is very forgiving, as long as you are not pushing the capacity.

Edited April 27, 2021 by paul

[Astrobdlbug]

23 minutes ago, paul said:

My experience (admittedly limited and with a bigger mount) has been the CEM is very forgiving, as long as you are not pushing the capacity.

Thanks Paul - you have accurately described my expreince with my Skywatcher mount - balance has to be encouraged - its doesn't move freely - CEM ,ok thats very encouraging for me as I will not be pushing capacity with a Samyang lens and a OSC camera setup  - perhaps in future a small  <100mm  APO

 

Bryan

[Jkulin]

With all my iOptrons I use one these and they work  perfectly: -

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ioptron-Telescope-Control-Equatorial-Ieq30pro-Length-3-2feet/dp/B07MF9H9KP/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1D6EJ9MRYJ79O&dchild=1&keywords=ioptron&qid=1619568842&rnid=1642204031&s=computers&sprefix=Ioptron%2Caps%2C159&sr=1-3

[Astrobdlbug]

7 hours ago, Jkulin said:

With all my iOptrons I use one these and they work  perfectly

thank John, yes I’ve seen these cables so can you definitively confirm how it plugs together - do I need to connect into the handset or direct into the mount 

Is the connection 

1 : Laptop or Pi USB - cable - handset - mount 

2 : Laptop or Pi USB - cable - mount

Bryan

[Jkulin]

Hi Bryan,

 

I don't know the connections for the CEM26, I can only tell you how it works for me.

 

I don't use the hand controller or a URS232 cable, the new cable plugs into my mount and then into my Pegasus UPB

 

This was the cable that iOptron in the US told me to obtain

[Astroarg]

I just have a cable going into the HC, velcro'ed to the tripod..  I prefer having the HC there in case I need it!

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