Celestron - CGE Pro Mount

CGE Pro Mount General Features

* CGE PRO computerized Equatorial mount
* Heavy duty stainless steel tripod adjustable from 38 - 55"
* One 22 lbs counterweight
* Weighs 154 lbs

CGE Pro Mount Computerized Mount Features

* Proven NexStar computer control technology
* 40,000 object database with 400 user-definable objects and expanded information on over 200 objects
* New All-Star Polar Alignment routine for both Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
* Software Features include: Database Filter Limits, Hibernate, five alignment methods and user-defined slew limits.
* Flash upgradeable hand control software and motor control units for downloading product updates over the Internet
* Custom database lists of all the most famous deep-sky objects by name and catalog number; the most beautiful double, triple and quadruple stars; variable star; solar systems; objects and asterisms
* Double line, 16-character Liquid Crystal Display Hand Control with backlit LED buttons for easy operation of goto features
* 12VDC Servo Motors with integrated optical encoders
* Permanent programmable periodic error correction (PEC) - corrects for periodic tracking errors inherent to all worm drives
* Drive Motors - High quality motors with seven slot skewed armature to minimize magnetic cogging for quiet operation and long life. Precision made cut-steel gears in gearbox for Improve tracking precision.
* Bearing and Shaft - Main shafts are made from 1.57" diameter steel tubing with .40" wall thickness with two preloaded 2.68" O.D. tapered roller bearings on each axes
* Precision worm drive system - .75" pitch dia. precision made steel worm preloaded with two .87" OD ball bearings to minimize run-out (a source of periodic error). 255 tooth 6" pitch dia. precision made worm wheel with enveloping brass teeth
* Spring loaded DEC worm to minimize backlash and for easy guiding.
* 4 point RA and DEC clutch system for no-slip pointing precision
* Autoguide port, PC port and auxiliary ports located on the electronic pier for long exposure astrophotography
* Rugged 9-pin thread on motor cables
* Latitude range: 10º to 65º northern or southern hemispheres
* RS-232 communication port on hand control to control the telescope via a personal computer
* Includes NexRemote telescope control software, for advanced control of your telescope via computer
* GPS-compatible with optional CN16 GPS Accessory (93967)

In addition to being fully computerized with a database of over 40,000 celestial objects, the New CGE Pro German Equatorial mount has been completely redesign to offer numerous design advantages for the Astrophotographer:

Increased Payload Capacity
Able to hold our 14" SCT telescope more securely as well as larger optical tubes up to a maximum payload of 90lbs.

All-Star Polar Alignment
Choose any bright alignment star for a software assisted alignment of the mounts polar axis that will have you ready for imaging even if you can't see the North Star.

No-Tool polar alignment
Larger hand knobs for both Altitude and Azimuth adjustments.

Meridian Tracking
Extended tracking pass the Meridian of up to 20 degrees of uninterrupted imaging through the best part of the sky.

Faster slew speed
Improved gearing and motors provide faster slew speeds than ever before with a maximum slew rate of over 5°/per second.

Power Management
Redesigned electronics deliver constant regulated power to the motor capable of driving the telescope even when not perfectly balanced. This allows the CGE Pro to have the payload capacity of that of much larger (and expensive) mounts without sacrificing smooth tracking motion and pointing accuracy across the entire sky.

Accuracy
The hallmark of any telescope mount is its ability to find, center and track celestial objects with the highest degree of accuracy.

Pointing
With just a standard hand control alignment, CGE Pro has the ability to center a star in your eyepiece or ccd chip to within 5 arc minutes. Using NexStar's advanced pointing features such as Calibration Stars, Sync and Precise GoTo, further improves the pointing accuracy to as low as 1 arc minute in the desired region of the sky.

Tracking
With larger .75" pitch diameter worm, precision made cut-steel gears in gearboxes, and seven slot skewed armature motors the CGE Pro delivers typical tracking performance of +-9 arc seconds, which can be further reduced with the mounts permanent periodic error correction (PPEC).

In addition to these improvements, the Celestron line of German Equatorial mounts has long been recognized for features preferred by visual observers and astrophotographer alike. Among them include:

Portability â€" Set up and transportation of the CGE Pro telescopes is made easy by separating the mount into smaller, easy-to-carry components. Unlike fork arm mounted telescopes, the CGE’s optical tubes can be quickly removed from their mounts making even the CGE Pro1400 easily assembled in minutes.

Stability â€" Recognized for superior stability, German Equatorial mounts place the center of gravity directly over the tripod legs and can be easily polar aligned without the use of an optional equatorial wedge. This proven design reduces the “tuning fork” vibration that can be associated with undersized fork mounts. An improved Super HD Tripod supports the CGE Pro mount. This fully extendable tripod is made from the finest 2.75" stainless steel and can be raised to a height of 55". The tripod uses a dual leg support for maximum rigidity with an upper leg brace to provide an outward preload and a lower leg brace providing inward tension.

Balance â€" CGE Pro equatorial mounts can easily be balanced in both axes. Simply sliding the counterweight for Right Ascension and moving the optical tube along its dovetail mounting for Declination accomplish balancing the weight of camera equipment and other visual accessories. This means that no additional weight needs to be added to balance the telescope when additional accessories are added.

Clearance â€" CGE Pro mounts support their tubes at a single contact point allowing the tube to move freely around its polar axis without making contact with the telescope’s mount. Software features allow the user to set the mounts slew limits to guaranty safe motion. This is particularly useful when adding photographic and CCD instruments that extend from the rear of the telescopes.

All CGE mounted telescopes are compatible with Celestron’s CN-16 GPS accessory. Combine the GPS and built-in real time clock and these telescopes will keep track and remember their exact location and time without having to enter the information into the hand control.

Tech Specs

Motor Drive : DC Servo motors with encoders, both axes
Computer Hand Control Learn More : Double line, 16 character Liquid Crystal Display; 19 backlit LED buttons
Slew Speeds : Nine slew speeds 5.5 deg/s, 2 deg/s, 0.5 deg/s, 64x, 16x, 8x, 4x, 1x, 0.5x
Tracking Rates : Sidereal, Solar and Lunar
Tracking Modes : EQ North and EQ South
Alignment Procedures : 2-Star Align, Solar System Align, Last Alignment, Quick Align, 1-Star Align,
Database : 40,000+ objects, 400 user defined programmable objects. Enhanced information on over 200 objects
Power Requirements : 12 VDC 2A
Internal Clock : Yes
GPS : Optional CN-16 GPS Accessory
Tripod and Pier Weight : 52 lb (23.59 kg)
EQ Mount Weight : 75 lb (34.02 kg)
Counterweight Bar : 5 lb (2.27 kg)
Counterweights : 1 x 22 lb

CGE PRO EdgeHD Series Computerized Telescopes

SEE THE UNIVERSE IN HD

Introducing Celestron's New Aplanatic Schmidt Telescope Design!

• Visibly Sharper Images
• Superior Performance
• Enhanced Mechanical 
• FeaturesFastar® Compatible

EdgeHD is an aplanatic Schmidt telescope designed to produce aberration-free images across a wide visual and photographic field of view.  The optical system was designed to reduce more than just off-axis star coma, but also to give an astrograph quality flat focal plane all the way to the edge of the field of view.

True Astrograph Quality

Many optical designs that advertise themselves as "astrograph" quality actually only produce pinpoint stars across a curved focal plane.  While this may be acceptable for visual observing, stars will appear out of focus at the edge when used with a flat chip sensor of a digital camera.  EdgeHD optics produce a focal plane more than three-times flatter than a standard Schmidt Cassegrain telescope and dramatically flatter than other competing coma-free designs.  This guarantees you visibly sharp stars across some of the largest CCD chips available today.



Improved Performance
Superior edge performance not only creates rounder, more pleasing stars but actually improves the resolution and limiting magnitude when compared to telescopes of equal aperture. Starbright XLT® Coatings coupled with Celestron's StarBright XLT coating group on every surface, EdgeHD optics gives you maximum light throughput across the widest visual and photographic spectrum.

Mechanical Features
In addition to Celestron’s new optimized optical design, the EdgeHD tube has been redesigned to make sure you get the most from your optics each and every night.

Mirror Clutches - Flexible tension clutches hold the mirror in place and reduce image shift when rotating the tube around the mount.  The flexible rods allow the mirror to be held in place without putting any force or pressure on the mirror assembly, keeping the image centered in the eyepiece (or chip).

Tube Vents - Cooling vents located on the rear cell allow hot air to be released from behind the primary mirror.  Each vent has an integrated 60 micron micro-mesh filter guaranteed to let warm air out without letting dust in.

Fastar Versatility - The EdgeHD is the most versatile imaging scope available today. At its native f/10, you can achieve the image scale necessary to capture the smallest of deep sky objects. With the optional reducer lens (coming soon), you can increase your field of view without sacrificing optical performance.  A barlow gives you the added power for high resolution planetary, lunar and solar imaging.  And of course, all EdgeHD optical tubes are Fastar® compatible for ultra fast f/2 wide field imaging.  Each tube has been fitted with a removable secondary mirror and are opto-mechanically aligned on a laser bench to ensure they are axially symmetric in any configuration.

Celestron's newest line of observatory class German equatorial telescopes The CGE Pro computerized series is Celestron's newest line of observatory class German equatorial telescopes. Offered with 9.25", 11" and 14" aperture Schmidt Cassegrain optical tubes, they all come mounted on the new state of the art CGE Pro GoTo mount.

The German Equatorial mount has long been the favored choice of astronomy buffs and astrophotographers because of its stability and portability. More stable because the center of gravity is directly over the center of its base, more portable because it can be broken down into smaller component parts for easy storage and transportation. For astrophotography, the German Equatorial mount offers easier balancing, unlimited space at the rear of the telescope tube to mount a camera, and whole sky access. Now you can enjoy all of the NexStar software and database features with the extra stability and portability of a German Equatorial mount.