The Celestron CGX GoTo mechanic is recommended for those looking for a mechanic with a heavier duty design that can be used for serious astrophotography.
The 5 cm thick steel feet and the considerable size of the mechanics head create excellent stability. The redesigned eyepiece holder tray has space for three 1.25" and two 2" eyepieces, plus a standard smartphone or other accessory. Well-designed handles on the Celestron CGX GoTo head help ensure secure, non-slip portability. Thanks to ball-bearing shafts, periodic error is very low and can be almost completely eliminated by guiding through the built-in autoguide port. Astrophotographers will appreciate the very fine corrections (up to 0.25x stellar speed) that can be made, as well as the possibility of a teachable periodic error correction (PEC). The built-in ribbed belt drive also helps to minimise periodic error.
The NexStar handheld controller allows a maximum motion speed of 5 degrees/second. Its database stores data on more than 45 000 objects, any of which can be accessed with the push of a button. It also supports communication with a computer, so it can be controlled from a PC, and last but not least, it can be connected to a GPS receiver, which makes it as easy as possible to train the mechanics.
Accurate pole positioning is almost essential for astrophotography. The All-Star algorithm of the NexStar handheld controller ensures more accurate pole alignment than even pole telescopes, even when the Polaris is not visible. The CGX GoTo, unlike other mechanisms, takes care to ensure that the tube of its telescope does not get stuck in the mechanism during tracking. Its load capacity is 28 kg, which makes it recommended for use with Newton telescopes up to 25 cm, SC/MC systems up to 28 cm and 18 cm lens telescopes!
In addition to Vixen standard prism rails, the mechanics head is also capable of accepting Losmandy prism rail mounted tubes.