[anthony2302749]

Originally Posted by g__day

Thanks Anthony, I thought my understanding was correct.

Originally Posted by g__day

The C11 OTA is rated by Celestron to weight 13Kg, the exact stated maximum carrying capacity of the Celestron CG5 mount.

Sorry misunderstood the question. What I was saying in my last disscussion is that counter weight are not included when talking about carrying capacity of a mount and I was not suggesting that the carrying capacity was based on the weight of an OTA. If that was the case then the CG5 can carry a scope as large as a 16" SCT but this would make the whole thing unusable for use.

When rating a mount it should not be based on how large a scope you can put on it but more about what is the realistic carrying capacity the mount can handle and still perform will within a certain limit. The upper limit of the EQ5/CG5 is 7kg. That means putting any thing heavier then 7kg would make it impratical, but not impossible for astrophotography. I say not impossible because through pereverance one can achive some very good results but why put yourself through such hassles.

If any one has any intention of using a EQ5/CG5 for astrophotography I would suggest that they keep the weight of their telescope and camera gear near the 7kg mark. I say this through experence you will get better tracking, hence longer exposure times and if you keep the focal ratio of your scope at around f7 or less you will get better star images (there is nothing like long f/ratio to show you the limitation of your mount).

Now to keep the record straight, the weight of the OTA on top of a mount does not indicate the carrying capacity of that mount. Stability is the true measure when it comes to carrying capacity.