Is the iOptron CEM70 mount worth it? Find out in this comprehensive astrophotography review!

[@midwest_astro]

Thank you for taking the time to check this video out. If you just want the final thoughts, be sure to jump to 28:12 but if you want a truly honest review, check out the whole video when you have a chance! Clear skies!

[@calimark7448]

Thanks for the vid. Just got the CEM 70 for my Edge 9.25. I was pulling my hair out though trying to get the mount to talk to NINA. My fault for installing iGuider when the mount didn't have it... (I thought it was part of iPolar) took a week to sort it out. smh. All good now, and very happy with the mount. iOptron customer service was good help too. oh, my kit weigh in at 18kg.

[@TheAstrocast]

OH. M. GEE. Putting the allen key in the altitude adjustment knob was not something i even KNEW you could do!! I've ALWAYS struggled with PA on this axes because of it!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!

[@midwest_astro]

Isn’t it crazy just little things like that? Feel like this hobby has lots of things that make you say OMG to haha. Happy to help!

[@TheAstrocast]

@@midwest_astro truly!! its the smallest little things that make the biggest difference. Now if only i could find some better fine tunin' knobs for the azimuth screws on my CEM26.... LOL

[@midwest_astro]

@@TheAstrocast I won’t be able to help you there unfortunately. I’m not even sure I know anyone personally running the 26 but I’ll ask around.

[@astrollain]

Nice non-bias review. I am setting up my 1st observatory and just purchased this mount. It has not yet been delivered, and I am looking at videos to help me through the initial setup process once delivered. Thank you!

[@Pollix780]

starting in astrophotography and ordered a used CEM70G, barely used, and curious how much more different it is from the base model. I know it's USB port is 3.0 capable for faster relay on info. But still learning a lot more and this video helped give me a better understanding how mounts work in general

[@joedenisco6033]

GREAT VIDEO! Your video is the reason I will buy one for my RC10. Thank you!

[@midwest_astro]

Glad I could help! RC10 would be a great scope on this mount! I'd love to have a 10" as well but I'd have to sell something to buy that and I love my current setups too much to part ways just yet :-) Best of luck to you and clear skies!

[@AstroOnbudget]

Love this comprehensive review! Thank you

[@midwest_astro]

I was worried about the duration but man... to give an honest review or something so complex... there's really no way to shave corners if you're being totally honest. Happy you found the info helpful!

[@davidwillis5396]

Love the review Looking forward to more vids from you

[@midwest_astro]

Awesome, thank you! I should have one up by tomorrow on latest project.

[@Lasastard]

Thanks for the video! I have owned ther CEM70g for 10 months now; absolutely love this mount. Stuff like the iPolar, GPS and even the built-in guide scope are surprisingly helpful additions to my imaging workflow. Granted, the guide-scope only comes into play when I run my Esprit 100 on it (and for that it performs very well), but still... I do agree that set-up and tear-down are a pain. However, I actually keep the mount head on the TriPier and the whole unit is actually quite portable (from the shed to the garden and back). Otherwise, yes, pita... about as bad as with the EQ8 (which you absolutely could not carry as a unit...).

[@midwest_astro]

Awesome! Yeah I never break it down but if you had to, it's an option. I refuse to just because I don't want to mess with the two bolts on the sides and the million turns you have to make at only a quarter turn at a time. The only reason I didn't get the G version was because I think the guider focal length was really short, under 200mm I believe? I knew I was going to be 1500+ mm focal length when I purchased it and 200mm or less wouldn't be enough. At first I really disliked the OAG but now I'm not sure I'd have it any other way. The tri-pier is just awkward to carry in my opinion; the tripod would be much easier to grab but I also have a bunch of items strapped on the bottom of the pier base where the legs cannot fully collapse down so they're partially open and getting through door frames is tricky. Great mount though. Clear skies to you!

[@AshA-ww8hc]

I'm a little bit disappointed in your quoted guiding numbers. The AM5 routinely gets me between 0.3" and 0.6" with a C11 non there less on a TC40 tripod. The only problem is it had trouble dampening breeze when I have the aluminum dew shield on and was looking for something more capable.

[@highspeedboom]

I’m thinking this might be able to hold a 33lbs sct tube Meade LX850 10inch , so I’m wondering with counter weights and cameras asiair ect.. would it be enough mount capacity??

[@stevenschiendelman6891]

It will handle it easily.

[@midwest_astro]

Yeah it won't be a problem. I had a Celestron SCT 11" mounted on it and it handled it without issue. Remember, counterweight -weight is not included in that 70lbs capacity. Counterweights just merely offset the instability of loading one side heavier than the other. So you can have 70lbs of telescope, and 70lbs of counterweights and still be operational for this mount.

[@AstroSoundscape]

Thanks for the review, eventually I want to move on from the AZEQ6 and this is one of the contenders. BTW have you tried Sharpcap for Polar alignment, my favorite. Thanks again for the review. 👍

[@midwest_astro]

Hey Ollie! Yes, I used sharpcap for a couple of years but having everything inside NINA is a nice feature; its truly a one-stop-shop :-) Best to ya and clear skies!

[@stevenschiendelman6891]

I actually have two of these mounts. The original CEM70g and the newest version with the guide camera and Ipolar built in. I have a 12" Meade LX850 (41 lbs) mounted on one, and a William Optics GT102 on the older one. With all the scopes and cameras I have on the Meade, I am probably around 48 to 50 lbs. I normally track (with a separate 240mm guide scope) in the .55 to .65 total tracking error with PHD2 guiding. That 48 lbs puts me slightly over the maximum 2/3 of 70 pounds (which is really 46 lbs) for astro photography. I still have to get around to running the PPEC again so I would think that I could improve those numbers slightly. Other KZbin videos show that even with 60lbs you can get the tracking down to .3 to .4. I have to note that even with 2-20lbs weights, I still had to get an extension for the counter weight bar to get it to balance. I have both mounts set up in an observatory that I built on a 20' trailer (building codes got in that way of building it on the ground.) While I do not use that hand controller unless I am just doing visual, I find it to be very intuitive , comprehensive and easy to use.

[@midwest_astro]

End of the day, balance and polar-alignment are the critical factors I think when weight comes into play. Even at 60pounds, you could guide amazingly IF you have great balance and PA but since my rig is always subject to slight variations since it's not in an observatory, I need it's full ability to correct a lot, should it be needed. But I think this mount does better with more weight. I seem to have better guiding with my 45lbs newtonian than even my 30lbs RC8 (with everything attached). Best to you and clear skies.

[@SKYST0RY]

Do you have any issues with this mount wobbling in wind?

[@lavers_1]

Excellent content and very well explained, nice mount! subbed! I'm new to these types of mounts as I just received the HEM 27 and I can't get my head around the zero/ home position. Do I rough polar alignment first and not turn on the mount and then do zero position and then park the mount for ipolar setup? Sorry if this doesn't make sense. newb here.

[@mauriciomorenorivera]

Nice video, thank you for all the thoughts; however, I have my CEM70 standard edition running all my setups just with one power supply, why do you need two? ;)

[@midwest_astro]

Hi Mauricio! Great question; made me go back and I tested and you're right. But when you look at the manual, it states that the DC in next to the iPolar is to power the units in the head of the mount. I was able to turn on my mini PC and camera fan 12v power supplies with JUST the DC IN on the base main panel but again, according to their manual the power should be coming from the DC 5525 IN. Manual: www.ioptron.com/v/Manuals/C70_CEM70_Manual.pdf DC input (2.5mmX5.5mm) to power 5521 (2.1mmX5.5mm) DC output sockets located next to iPort on the dovetail saddle DC 5521: 2.1mmX5.5mm DC output sockets for your accessories. The maximum specified current output is 5A. They are connected to the DC IN on the rear end of RA axis (Figure 6). The voltage is determined by the input voltage, such as 5V or 12V.

[@mauriciomorenorivera]

@@midwest_astro cem70 is a beauty

[@anata5127]

Nice and realistic review. You probably have 3-5+ years experience. Talking a lot of sense. What is your location bortle? What is average seeing? Yes, sometimes it is terrific, sometimes total sheeit. It should be bought from reputable store, and returned immediately, if something wrong. No tinkering, no attempt to fix. There is only one month to return. For example, I realized that it is sheeit after sending my PHD2 logs to PHD2 support. Then return was problematic.

[@MrChausner]

Great video

[@midwest_astro]

Glad you enjoyed it! Hope it helps with any decision making; I'd do it again in a heart beat.

[@frankskeen1310]

At 14:22 when you move the altitude adjustment knob, and then you lock it down it throws off your mount by a small bit. I do not like that and I have to figure out ahead how much movement locking the altitude is going to do before hand and I have to adjust for that error the lock down is going to cause. And have you figured out will the power into the mount let you also plug in cameras,an ASIAIR, And maybe other items you may use?

[@midwest_astro]

Yeah it's true of many mounts but with how large the teeth are for this mount, it does seem to be a bit more movement than say the EQ6R Pro was. Granted, larger teeth allows for heavier payloads a bit easier than fine and smaller teeth and that's my assumption as to why it's that way. I usually have my payload on, set and ready before I do PA that way once I move one way then lock it back in the other direction, it's set for the night. Doing this step I've gone months without having to re-do PA. You can use the 3 12V plugins in the head of the mount. How I personally do it is one of those 3 I plug my PC directly into (ASIAIR for your example), and then another one of those goes to my powerbox which powers dew heaters, camera, flip flats, etc... I do it this way because my PC should have dedicated power in the event the wire comes undone or something in the powerbox setup. I once had the entire rig shut off on me because the power to the powerbox came loose and shut everything off on me. It is way easier to turn the accessories back on while the mount and computer still have power as opposed to nothing having power. Hope this helps. Let me know what other questions, if any, you have.

[@scidav87]

Nice. I thought you still didn't like it

[@midwest_astro]

They fixed their software a handful of months ago that fixed my connectivity issues. Haven't had any issues since.

[@AZ4Runner]

Great honest review on the CEM70.. Mount is like a donkey.. does all the hard work and never mentioned.. CS

[@midwest_astro]

Appreciate it Jason. No doubt the work horse is always overlooked.

[@UruPTer]

Strange ST4 faster? Camera-> computer(...calculate ... )computer->camera->mount ! No ST4 Camera->computer(...calculate...)Computer->mount.

[@MrSummitville]

Your video is way too shaky. You have fix this.