There comes a point when a smaller mount starts telling you what telescope you can own instead of the other way around. Maybe the new refractor takes too long to settle after you touch the focuser. Maybe you've added a camera and guider and there just isn't much capacity left. Or maybe you've decided that the five-minute exposure you couldn't take last year is exactly what you want to try this year.
The C401A1 is a straightforward way into the CEM40. You get the same 40-pound-capacity CEM40 head used in the other standard packages, with iPolar built in, a 1.5" stainless-steel tripod, and a 5 kg counterweight. What you don't get is the hard case or the heavier LiteRoc tripod.
For a lot of people, that's exactly enough.
The head weighs only 17.4 pounds (7.9 kg), so it is still easy to carry outside, but iOptron rates it for up to 40 pounds (18 kg) of telescope and equipment, excluding the counterweight. That gives you room to start with a modest visual or imaging system without buying another mount the moment the telescope grows.
A Mount You Can Grow Into
Payload numbers never tell the entire story, but 40 pounds gives the CEM40 a lot more breathing room than a small introductory mount.
A 4" refractor with a camera, filter wheel, guider, and focuser is not asking much of it. Neither is a compact SCT or one of the smaller astrographs. Owners also use the CEM40 with larger systems. What begins to matter as the telescope grows is not simply its weight, but its length, center of gravity, wind exposure, and how demanding the focal length is.
That distinction matters with this particular package because it uses iOptron's 1.5" stainless-steel tripod. The tripod weighs about 11 pounds (5 kg), making it the lighter support offered with the CEM40. It is a legitimate CEM40 tripod, not something intended only for camera lenses and tiny refractors.
The heavier 1.75" LiteRoc simply puts more mass underneath the same mount. If your telescope becomes long, the imaging train becomes heavy, or you routinely set up in the wind, the LiteRoc or a Tri-Pier may be worthwhile. If you carry the mount in and out every clear night, there is something to be said for keeping the tripod lighter.
From Visual Observing to Long-Exposure Imaging
The CEM40 works perfectly well as a visual mount. The Go2Nova 8410 hand controller gives you a database of more than 212,000 objects, the 6" saddle accepts both Losmandy D and Vixen-style dovetails, and built-in GPS supplies the mount with time and location information.
But one of the nice things about buying a mount with some room to grow is that you don't have to replace it when curiosity turns toward astrophotography.
Both axes use 110mm, 216-tooth worm wheels driven by 17mm brass worms through synchronous belts. iOptron specifies the standard CEM40's periodic error at less than ±7.5 arcseconds over its 400-second worm cycle, and Permanent Periodic Error Correction can store a trained correction for the repeating part of that error.
Add an autoguider and the same mount that spent last night showing you Saturn can spend tonight collecting long exposures of a nebula or galaxy.
This is the standard CEM40 rather than the encoder-equipped CEM40EC, so I would plan to guide for demanding long-exposure imaging rather than buy it with the expectation of running unguided. That is not really a shortcoming. It is how a great many successful imaging systems are built.
iPolar Takes Some of the Mystery Out of Polar Alignment
Polar alignment can sound more intimidating than it really is, especially when you're moving up to your first serious equatorial mount.
The CEM40 has iOptron's iPolar camera built into the RA axis. Instead of crouching behind an optical polar scope and trying to put Polaris in exactly the right place on a reticle, you connect a computer and let iPolar photograph and plate-solve the surrounding polar sky. The software then shows you which way to adjust the mount.
Polaris itself does not have to be visible. The camera still needs enough surrounding polar sky to identify the field, but you are not dependent on seeing the pole star itself.
Once you're aligned, the mount's automatic zero-position search gives it a known mechanical reference, while GPS supplies the location and time it needs for accurate operation.
Features
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40 lb (18 kg) payload capacity. Payload rating excludes the counterweight; telescope size and length also matter.
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17.4 lb (7.9 kg) mount head. A useful amount of carrying capacity without a heavy head.
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1.5" stainless-steel tripod. Approximately 11 lb (5 kg), making this the lighter complete CEM40 package.
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Internal iPolar electronic polar scope. Camera-based polar alignment is built into the RA axis.
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Permanent Periodic Error Correction. Stores a trained correction for the repeating component of RA worm error.
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Periodic error below ±7.5 arcseconds. iOptron's specification over the 400-second worm period.
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Belt-driven worm system. 110mm, 216-tooth worm wheels on both axes with 17mm brass worms.
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6" dual saddle. Accepts both Losmandy D and Vixen-style dovetails.
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32-channel GPS. Supplies time and location information automatically.
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Automatic zero-position search. Gives the mount a repeatable mechanical reference.
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Go2Nova 8410 hand controller. More than 212,000 objects and a built-in heater for cold nights.
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USB and ST-4 guiding connections. Ready to work with common imaging and guiding software.
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Through-mount cable management. USB, ST-4, and a 12V output rated to 3A are routed through the mount.
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Optional Wi-Fi. iOptron's iStarFi adapter can add wireless mount control.
- Two-year limited warranty.
What Owners Say on Cloudy Nights
One of the more useful things about reading owner discussions of the CEM40 is seeing how different the real-world systems can be.
"I am quite happy with my CEM40 with my 102/714 APO."
That owner was running a 102mm apo with camera, filter wheel, and the rest of the imaging equipment at around 9 kg, or about 20 pounds.
Other CEM40 owners have pushed the 1.5" tripod considerably farther. One reported using a Takahashi TSA-120 with guider, filter wheel, cooled camera, electronic focuser, ASIAIR, and power equipment. He felt he was approaching the tripod's practical limit and planned to move to a Tri-Pier, but the system was producing images.
That is a more useful way to think about this package than drawing an arbitrary line at a certain telescope aperture. Start with the equipment you actually intend to use. As the telescope gets longer and heavier, the support underneath it becomes increasingly important.
Under the Night Sky
For visual observing, a CEM40 gives a medium-size telescope the kind of steady tracking that lets you spend time looking instead of continually nudging the scope.
Put an SCT on it and Jupiter can stay centered while you wait for the atmosphere to settle enough to show another little curl in a belt. A globular cluster like M13 can sit in the middle of a high-power eyepiece while you begin resolving stars across its face. Double stars, lunar detail, and planetary observing all benefit from having the object simply stay where you put it.
Then, when you decide to attach a camera, the mount doesn't suddenly become obsolete. Add a guider, learn the imaging workflow a piece at a time, and the same CEM40 becomes the foundation for long-exposure astrophotography.
That ability to grow with the observer is probably the best reason to move into a mount of this class in the first place.
What's Included
- 1x iOptron CEM40 Center-Balanced Equatorial mount head
- 1x Internal iPolar electronic polar scope
- 1x 6" Losmandy D / Vixen dual saddle
- 1x Go2Nova 8410 hand controller with built-in heater
- 1x iOptron 1.5" stainless-steel tripod, approximately 5 kg (11 lb)
- 1x 5 kg (11 lb) counterweight
- 1x 28mm × 280mm stainless-steel counterweight shaft
- 1x 100–240V AC adapter for indoor use
- Mount connection accessories
Hard case not included. A fitted CEM40 hard case is available separately and is included with the C402A1 package.
FAQ
- Why choose the C401A1?
- It is the straightforward CEM40 package: the standard 40 lb-capacity CEM40 with internal iPolar, the lighter 1.5" stainless tripod, and a 5 kg counterweight. You are not paying for a hard case or the heavier LiteRoc tripod if you do not need them.
- Is the CEM40 a good upgrade from a smaller mount?
- It can be a substantial one. The 40 lb payload rating gives you room for a more capable visual or imaging system, while the 17.4 lb head remains manageable enough to carry outside regularly.
- Is the 1.5" tripod only for small telescopes?
- No. It is iOptron's standard lighter tripod for this CEM40 package, and owners use it successfully with complete refractor imaging systems. Longer tubes, heavier payloads, wind, and demanding image scales can make the additional support of the LiteRoc or a Tri-Pier worthwhile.
- How much can the CEM40 carry?
- iOptron rates it for up to 40 lb (18 kg) of telescope and equipment, excluding counterweights. Telescope length, center of gravity, wind exposure, and focal length should also be considered.
- Can I use the CEM40 for astrophotography?
- Yes. The CEM40 is designed for both visual observing and astrophotography. For demanding long-exposure imaging, plan to use an autoguider. The mount provides both an ST-4 guide port and USB computer control.
- Does the CEM40 include iPolar?
- Yes. The iPolar electronic polar scope is installed inside the RA axis.
- Does iPolar require a clear view of Polaris?
- No. Polaris itself does not have to be visible, although the iPolar camera still needs enough surrounding polar sky to plate-solve successfully.
- Does this package include a hard case?
- No. The fitted CEM40 hard case is available separately. The C402A1 package includes the same basic 1.5" tripod configuration with the hard case added.
- Can I upgrade the tripod later?
- Yes. If the telescope grows or you decide you want a more substantial support, the CEM40 can be moved to a compatible LiteRoc or Tri-Pier.
- Does the CEM40 have Wi-Fi?
- Not built in. The mount communicates over USB, and iOptron's optional iStarFi adapter can add wireless mount control.
Accessories
Guide scope and guide camera (sold separately): the usual next step when you begin long-exposure astrophotography.
iOptron CEM40 Hard Case (sold separately): protects the mount head for storage and travel.
iOptron 1.75" LiteRoc Tripod (sold separately): puts a more substantial portable support underneath the CEM40 as the telescope grows.
iOptron MiniPier for CEM40 (sold separately): provides additional clearance for longer refractors and camera trains near the tripod legs.
iOptron 2.5 kg #8027-05 Counterweight (sold separately): adds balancing capacity when the complete telescope system requires more than the included 5 kg weight.
iOptron iStarFi Wi-Fi Adapter (sold separately): adds wireless mount communication.
Final Thoughts
The C401A1 makes sense for someone who wants the CEM40 without buying more package than they need.
You get the same 40-pound-capacity head, internal iPolar, GPS, Permanent Periodic Error Correction, dual saddle, and guiding-ready electronics as the other standard CEM40 packages. Underneath it is the lighter 1.5" stainless tripod, and beside it is the 5 kg counterweight you need to get started.
There is no hard case, and there is no LiteRoc. You can add either one later if the way you use the mount changes.
For now, what you are buying is the important part: a CEM40 with enough capacity to let the telescope, the camera, and probably the observer grow for quite a while before the mount becomes the thing holding them back.
