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Old 06-06-2019, 05:46 PM
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lazjen (Chris)
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lazjen is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Flaxton, Qld
Posts: 2,064
iOptron CEM120EC2

My new mount arrived this afternoon.

The delivery was in 2 boxes. One was 26.6kg for 2 counterweights (10kg each) and the counterweight shaft (I guess about 5-6kgs itself). The other was 32.1kg for the mount itself and the "bits" (power supply, handcontroller, knobs, cables, etc).

The packing as you can see is very well done. The mount box is also "double-boxed" for extra protection.

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The only problem with the contents I have found so far was the power cord is a US one, not AU, but it's a minor issue as the adapter brick accepts the "standard" computer power supply style cord.

Getting the mount out of the foam was a little tricky. There's no specific handle points for lifting. With a bit of examination and testing, I found a way to lift it out without too much trouble. This mount is not a portable mount, which is fine as it's going into my observatory, not to travel around.

I had some help with the unpacking:

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This mount will be replacing my G11 (2013? model) so as I get to use it, I'll compare to it. The first thing to note is it's a monster compared to the G11. I suspect I will need to get assistance when putting it on a pier - not that it's too heavy but logistically it will be easier and safer to place and attach with help.

I'll get some unfair comparisons out of the road now: there's no exposed motors (I really disliked that on the G11), the knobs are much easier to use (and they're red! :p ) and ports available are well beyond the G11.

I have to get a pier built and this should be getting started next week. Until it's installed, I will do some testing inside the house. I should be able to see how it goes with the software and try a few connectivity options.

If you've got questions or to check/try something, ask away.
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