CEM26 EC Mount Update: Finally Got My Mount Back! This Was My Experience With Ioptron

Here's the latest on my Ioptron CEM26 EC as I just recently got it back from repairs from Ioptron

[@Sweatsox8]

That sucks man, it’s no over reaction on your part. Your frustration is totally justified. For the amount of money we pay for items from these companies the customers satisfaction should be their #1 priority. Especially for something new. You got dogged. I’m in the market for a new mount and was seriously considering a CEM 120, and I would hate to have to go thru what you did. It gives me some more thinking to do. I’m glad your mount is working well and I hope you have great success with it for a very long time.

[@keystothecosmos7527]

Thanks! It's still working well fortunately🤞

[@bobwilson8838]

Good information. Thank you for sharing your experience and feelings. It is an expensive hobby and if you can just accept that it is the way it happens sometimes and get on with the fun of the Astrophotography that is great. Don't need to put more stress on life getting upset. Great to hear you received it back and that it seems to be working now. You could use another brand, but iOptron has its special design features I like, especially the low weight. I wish I had the money to spend on it.

[@keystothecosmos7527]

Thanks. Yeah the light weight mounts are what sold me. So easy to pick up and move

[@castronomy]

That's sad :/ I have personally blacklisted a few astronomy related manufacturers / shops after some bad experiences and a bit of money lost. Blows my mind how some big brands behaves.

[@keystothecosmos7527]

So true

[@nikaxstrophotography]

If that happened here in Australia for a warranty issue they would be hauled over the coals.

[@Scrottobaggns]

I believe it should state on the warranty if you are required to pay shipping or not. but I'm glad you made this video, because it will remind me to check myself. I'm looking for a new mount right now.

[@jasonwinter8716]

Stay away from iOptron.

[@SKYST0RY]

I have heard so many nightmare stories about iOptron that I proactively blacklisted them ages ago. BTW, you don't need a polar scope anymore, and honestly you should be able to get 6 minute unguided subs easy with any decent modern mount.

[@davidletz9123]

I have a sky watcher star adventurer and hate it for polar alignment because I am old with a bad neck, knees, back, whine, whine. What would you advise for not using a polar scope? ASI Air? what mount would you recommend that would not break the bank? Thanks!

[@SKYST0RY]

@@davidletz9123 You can use NINA's Three Point Polar alignment feature. It's very fast and easy and no bending over to look through the scope. A couple minutes and you're perfectly aligned.

[@davidletz9123]

Awesome image od Andromeda. 😁

[@ronrotunno2901]

Wow Dave, glad to hear it’s working but good grief!! That’s bad customer relations.

[@keystothecosmos7527]

Thanks Ron! Yeah definitely left something to be desired. Oh well!

[@astrophotonics9470]

Exactly why i won't bother with Chinese mounts, switched to Losmandy 2 years ago and never looked back.

[@AstroJeff717]

Sorry to hear your experience. That's very poor customer service. It's a warranty issue. I was about to purchase a GEM28. I think I'll keep looking elsewhere. Probably get a Skywatcher EQM35Pro or other.

[@keystothecosmos7527]

Thanks. Yeah I'm happy it's fixed but they definitely didn't go out of their way.

[@anata5127]

Skywatcher is by far the best Chinese mount manufacturing astro company. Mounts last 3-4 years, sometimes more.

[@ssadams]

I will go out of my way to keep a customer happy even if it costs me more than the original job. Thanks for the video. grrrrr to bad customer service

[@keystothecosmos7527]

Thanks. I agree!

[@MountainFisher]

I'm flabbergasted that they did that, little to no effort to please the customer. I do not take kindly paying to being screwed and I'm retired. What does that mean? I would have told them I'll come pick it up I've got time and my car gets 35 mpg. See if I ever buy anything from you again. I remember when they were pushing NAFTA that those brokerage fees were supposed to end. Yeah right. Why I don't ship to Canada.

[@keystothecosmos7527]

Haha! Thanks for your comments

[@bnkohrn]

Brutal. I sent my CEM40 to them two weeks ago for warranty repairs. I paid $250 USD to ship it there because I wanted the insurance on the package. I then had to pay another $39 USD for return shipping. I wasn’t happy about it, but it would have been much worse if something happened to it in transit and I didn’t have it insured. Sorry to learn about your frustration, Dave.

[@keystothecosmos7527]

Really eh Nick? Did they fix it at least?

[@bnkohrn]

@@keystothecosmos7527 They made some adjustments and replaced a couple of gears. I haven’t been able to test it due to poor weather conditions, so I’m hopeful it’s back in good shape. Here’s to better weather and mounts which work well. 🍻

[@jasonwinter8716]

They would go out of business if they had to cover the shipping costs of their warranty issues. What a joke.

[@astroneil78]

Sell it and get eq-6r. 😂

[@lwizzit]

One of the big advantages of the CEM series is that the have the best weight to load ratio of any EQ mount short of harmonic mounts. I love my CEM40 just for that. I have it on a good carbon fiber tripod and 60+ year old me can toss the rig on one shoulder and carry it up from the basement.

[@anata5127]

It is common practice. Celestron also asks for shipping. Be happy that they repaired it. You will have happy guiding for 6-12 months. And then ….

[@Loopy01]

Not necessarily common. My experience with Sky-Watcher was much more positive, and they covered shipping of the mount as well.

[@anata5127]

@@Loopy01 Did someone told you that “exception confirms rules”? SkyWatcher is an exception.