CGX mount in the cold

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I Am Marsha
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CGX mount in the cold

#1

Post by I Am Marsha »


I just got a CGX mount to set up in my POD observatory. I live in Maine where winter temperatures can get down to -30, -40 f. Will it do any damage to the mount to be in that cold? Will it be usable at below freezing temperatures?
Marsha
Coronado SolarMax II 60mm BF10, DoubleStacked, Cemax EP, Lunt Zoom EP
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Celestron NexStar 6 se, 8" orange tube on CGX EQ mount, solar filters, EPs
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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#2

Post by Graeme1858 »


Hello Marsha

Mine has been out in below 0°C but never down to anything approaching -30°C!

It would be nice to think that Celestron have tested the CGX at design stage to operate at very low temperatures!

Good luck with your CGX, it is an accurate, robust mount.

Regards

Graeme
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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#3

Post by Lady Fraktor »


I have had my ASGT mount out at -35°C (-31°F) and it worked well though I had to do a tear down to replace the factory Synta goo they call grease.
If the factory grease is still the same will get quite hard in the cold and can help wear down motors quickly.
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#4

Post by yobbo89 »


yeah i would be looking at grease properties and or even maybe some heating, just might improve some tracking , i don't realy see any other problems other then the grease or mesh adjustment .
scopes :gso/bintel f4 12"truss tube, bresser messier ar127s /skywatcher 10'' dob,meade 12'' f10 lx200 sct
cameras : asi 1600mm-c/asi1600mm-c,asi120mc,prostar lp guidecam, nikkon d60, sony a7,asi 290 mm
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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#5

Post by SkyHiker »


Besides the mount you may want to check if your hand controller operates at those temperatures, if you use one. I recall discussions on the AF where this appeared to be a problem with Nexstar.
... Henk. :D Telescopes: GSO 12" Astrograph, "Comet Hunter" MN152, ES ED127CF, ES ED80, WO Redcat51, Z12, AT6RC, Celestron Skymaster 20x80, Mounts and tripod: Losmandy G11S with OnStep, AVX, Tiltall, Cameras: ASI2600MC, ASI2600MM, ASI120 mini, Fuji X-a1, Canon XSi, T6, ELPH 100HS, DIY: OnStep controller, Pi4b/power rig, Afocal adapter, Foldable Dob base, Az/Alt Dob setting circles, Accessories: ZWO 36 mm filter wheel, TV Paracorr 2, Baader MPCC Mk III, ES FF, SSAG, QHY OAG-M, EAF electronic focuser, Plossls, Barlows, Telrad, Laser collimators (Seben LK1, Z12, Howie Glatter), Cheshire, 2 Orion RACIs 8x50, Software: KStars-Ekos, DSS, PHD2, Nebulosity, Photo Gallery, Gimp, CHDK, Computers:Pi4b, 2x running KStars/Ekos, Toshiba Satellite 17", Website:Henk's astro images
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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#6

Post by Lady Fraktor »


If using the hand controller it will be fairly useless at temperatures approaching -18°C (0°F) without heat of some kind.
Celestron LCD screens desperately needs a upgrade.

Kendrick Astro (Canada) makes a excellent heater designed for keeping these warm.
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#7

Post by Thefatkitty »


What Gabrielle said. I have an older CG4 (mid 90's) which I use for about 7 scopes. Here it can easily drop to -40C (that's the temperature where Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same) or more, and Gabby is right; you might want to put some other kind of grease in that. If you don't, it's OK but gets a little stiff. I don't have electronics on mine; all manual, but the RA/Dec axis are noticeably harder to turn. It starts getting stiffer at about -20C (-4F).
Henk is right if you have electronics on it; I took some pics of a lunar eclipse January 20th, 2019 when it was -42C, not including the wind chill. The shutter on my then Canon T3 sounded so slow; I'm amazed it worked :lol:

Yeah, these northern latitudes....

All the best,
Mark

"The Hankmeister" Celestron 8SE, orange tube Vixen made C80, CG4 & AZ-EQ5 mounts.
Too much Towa glass/mirrors.

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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#8

Post by JimMinCT »


A more acute problem is the plastic on the wires and cords. It can get pretty brittle down at those temps. It will snap, rather than bend.
Be very careful with cable routing and don't mess with it too much after getting it straightened out
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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#9

Post by JayTee »


A small remedy for temp that works is to keep an incandescent bulb (100W) burning all the time you are not in your obsy. It can keep the inside significantly warmer than -40°F assuming there is not a lot of airflow through your obsy. I know it sounds like a waste of energy, but it is a fairly cheap heater that consumes a lot less electricity than your standard metal element heater.

Cheers,
JT
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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#10

Post by I Am Marsha »


I will be using starsense and skyportal wifi which I will keep in the house and just take it with me into the pod. Has anyone ever used a heat pad to keep the mount warm?
Marsha
Coronado SolarMax II 60mm BF10, DoubleStacked, Cemax EP, Lunt Zoom EP
Zhumell 12" Dobsonian, 'Alien' EQ platform
Celestron NexStar 6 se, 8" orange tube on CGX EQ mount, solar filters, EPs
ZWO ASI120mm, ZWO ASI120mc, ZWO ASI130mm
Skyshed Pod observatory
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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#11

Post by Lady Fraktor »


I did not use a heat pad but did use two extra heating strips, one on each axis to keep some heat going into the mount/ grease.
It seemed to help.
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss
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Re: CGX mount in the cold

#12

Post by speedster »


The newer celestron mounts that i've seen have descent grease instead of the old cosmolene feeling stuff. Mount will be fine but hand control display will be gone way before -30. It survives just fine but scrambles when it's extremely cold. Some use hand warmers to keep it warm enough to display correctly.
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