Celestron Advanced VX Overview | High Point Scientific

[@joecooksey4331]

I own this mount and it sits on top of a permanent concrete pier in my roll off roof observatory in central Texas. I use a laptop and SharpCap Pro to polar align and Astrophotography Tool to star align with plate solving. Dollar for dollar I recommend this mount without hesitation.

[@highpointscientific]

Thank you for the feedback Joe! We're glad you enjoy the mount. SharpCap Pro's polar alignment tool is amazing.

[@technocore1591]

Great starter EQ guiding mount. Had mine for like 4 or 5 years now. I've had some issues but mostly it's me being clueless, and always resolved by resetting the mount. Only serious issue is the power connecter on the mount. Very weak. But took it to one of those small computer fix it shops and they opened it right up and fixed it for like 25 bucks. ADM saddle and alt/az knobs upgrade recommended. And I glued three 1cm bubble levels around the Acc Tray/Spreader because no built-in level.

[@highpointscientific]

We're glad you figured out the best upgrades for your AVX!

[@erinbriggs7220]

Bought one of these for my 8 inch Newtonian and have been very pleased. Love the starsense addon and wifi module. Upgrade paths are definitely nice without having to replace everything.

[@highpointscientific]

We're glad you're enjoying the mount!

[@anthonygraham6449]

Would be great if y’all would update us on the supply chain delay status

[@highpointscientific]

Thanks for reaching out! As you likely have heard, the increase in demand for astronomy products far outweighs what the manufacturers are capable of keeping up with, resulting in increased delays for many products. Unfortunately, this is still an ongoing issue. If you have any questions regarding the status of a specific product, please reach out to our team by completing the form found at www.highpointscientific.com/email-us

[@tosvus]

Curious about Celestron's decision to bundle this with the 9.25" EdgeHD. I would imagine it leaves very little room for adding cameras, guidescopes, filterwheels etc? It's a hell of a bargain though compared to buying both separately.

[@hishama.h2178]

Is it possible to use it manually as well? with the handles?A part from being having a GOTO.

[@Youtuber-ku4nk]

Is the Celestron Advanced VX 8” Newtonian telescope still a good choice?

[@Jimmy_Cavallo]

Really great content and definitely gave it a "like". I am just starting out. Would you please be able to tell me if this will handle the Celestron 9-1/4 and a DSLR camera?

[@highpointscientific]

Hi James, thanks for the support! The AVX can support the weight of a 9.25" and a dslr but that is the maximum weight cap that we would recommend. The 9.25" does have a long focal length so it is important to be aware that the weight of this setup combined with the long focal length of the telescope may provide inconsistent guiding results. A mount with a bit more payload capacity may provide better guiding while being able to completely support the specs of the 9.25". Inversely, an 8" SCT is lighter with a slightly shorter FL and would be a better fit for the AVX. That being said, if you already own the 9.25" The AVX could work, but a mount within the 40-45lb cap would be recommended.

[@goatsuukerhill]

Thanks, good info. I run 28# of gear with this AVX that includes a 910 mm FL SV 130. I am allstar polar aligned to 2 arcseconds. It is the NexStar+ version. My rig is balanced. Even with PHD2, I can’t get good exposures over 60”. Am I over the weight/FL limits for the AVX? If not, how can I get 120 or 240” exposures? Thanks Warren

[@highpointscientific]

Hello, You're probably pushing it with what the AVX can reasonably handle for astrophotography. While it's rated for 30 lbs, for astrophotography generally speaking you want to aim for half the payload capacity for good guiding (~15 lbs).

[@goatsuukerhill]

@@highpointscientific thank you, I’ll have to consider a bigger mount then. My SV 130 hits the tripod 45-90 minutes before I can flip to the west side of the meridian, thereby loosing lots of imaging time. What mount would you recommend for my long 910MM SV refractor?

[@Luftbubblan]

I was happy with my Avx even tho i didn't use it much before i upgraded to Cgx. Would loved to keep it around but it was just collecting dust so i sold it to expand on my new setup :D The Avx was used with an 8" newt during my progress in the hobby. At most it had a 8" newt / dslr / guidescope / guidecam / rpi mounted to it. Both mobile and permanent setup at home. Easy mount to move around and fast to setup. Downside id say would be the rough moving DEC. No bearings there if i remember correct. I think the Avx can be pretty capable with some tuning, would like to explore that some day. Where i live the Celestron products are more expensive than the Skywatcher ones, if i had the choice id probably buy Skywatcher over Celestron even tho the Celestron mounts have some nice features. The Cgx feels like its built on a whole other level but mine have been pretty tempremental, i would say i'm a bit more sketched out by the Cgx than the Avx even tho it feels better built overall. I think the Celestron products looks pretty good but i would probably not buy a new one again. If i find something cheap second hand i would pick it up tho.

[@highpointscientific]

Thank you for the feedback! We're glad you enjoyed the AVX while you had it.

[@MyLastRites]

Can you add a extra 12lb counter weight for balance?

[@highpointscientific]

You can absolutely add more counter weights!

[@veeretsy7528]

@@highpointscientific but that would pressure the motor.

[@spaceandsky1829]

what is the cheapest option to put a dslr a camera straight on to the mount? what dovetail etc? link? thanks

[@highpointscientific]

Any dovetail should work. You'll need a 1/4-20" thread to be able to thread through the dovetail and into the DSLR. This should work for your needs: www.highpointscientific.com/telescope-accessories/mounts/telescope-mount-accessories/mounting-plates-tube-rings-accessories/apertura-essentials-vixen-v-style-4-inch-universal-dovetail-plate-vup4

[@spaceandsky1829]

@@highpointscientific Thank you

[@kevinhall1340]

I sort of feel like a beginner all over again. But I love this set up though.

[@edgarvanbuuren2032]

you guys miss ports for the AVX

[@highpointscientific]

Hello Edgar, could you clarify which ports we did not include?

[@mertus4395]

Is it possible to mount a 8 inch scope from a Apertura AD8? What would I need?

[@highpointscientific]

Hello! Yes, it's possible to mount an Apertura AD8 OTA to the AVX. The OTA weighs 24.5 lbs and the mount can handle 30 lbs. We'd recommend possibly adding another counterweight, buying a long (>11") dovetail or Celestron CGE dovetail, and appropriate tube rings to mount the OTA. Just be careful what you mount on the OTA to avoid going over the payload capacity. We wouldn't recommend this setup for astrophotography, as you generally want to aim for half the payload capacity for accurate guiding. Clear skies!

[@Humble452]

@@highpointscientific What setup do you recommend for mounting an AD8? thanks in advance for your help, we dont want to go too big but a lil bigger than AVX to mount our AD8 and other gear for astrophotography (which we dont own yet :)

[@astrospeedcuber]

Actually I don't want a polar scope; it's not much use here in the Southern Hemisphere.

[@highpointscientific]

A polar scope would still be of some use in the southern hemisphere, just not as easy as having Polaris. Don't forget you always have the option to use platesolving to polar align too.