iOptron CEM26 "Center Balanced" Go-To German Equatorial Mount With Accualign And 1.75" Literoc Tripod

Enjoy taking the lightweight CEM26 out under the stars.

The iOptron CEM26 center-balanced go-to equatorial mount with 1.75" tripod legs is whisper quiet, light in weight, and uses up to 60% less power than other mounts in its category. 

The iOptron "Z" design mount puts the weight of the payload over the mount's center of gravity, allowing for greater natural stability. Given its payload capacity, this means the "Z" designed mount is unusually light, a nice benefit when transporting and setting up at a remote observing site. Another mount feature is an adjustable counterweight bar to allow low latitude use without the counterweight hitting the tripod. And polar aligning is quick and accessible all the time since the polar scope is not blocked by the declination shaft.

The iOptron CEM26 is equipped with the latest advanced GOTONOVA go-to technology, making it one of the most powerful and accurate go-to mounts available. Its go-to database includes over 212,000 objects. The hand control is intuitive to use and its large 4-line LCD screen simplifies the process of aligning your scope on the night sky and locating objects.

The iOptron CEM26 features a new design center-balanced equatorial mount for a maximum payload of 26 lbs (11.8 kg) with mount-only weight of only 10.4 lbs (4.7 kg). It is a specialized astrophotography mount ideal for entry-level and intermediate astro-photographers. It has a spring loaded gear system with customer-adjustable loading force. Gear switches on both R.A. and DEC axes allow easy balancing when disengaged. A pivoting counterweight shaft allows for 0º latitude operation. There is a spring loaded Vixen-style saddle for mounting optical tubes with a V-style dovetail mounting bar.

The included iOptron AccuAlign calibrated polar scope has dark-field illumination and an easy polar alignment procedure, allowing for fast and accurate polar alignment. There is also a polar alignment routine in the software for those who can't see the Pole Star.

The iOptron mount's stepper motor has low power consumption for extended use in the field. The drive has low periodic error (< ± 10 arc seconds). It features new electronics and a control adapter from the more than twice as expensive iOptron CEM70. The controller features an integrated ST-4 autoguiding port. There is also a serial port for firmware upgrade and computer control.  WiFi is now standard and GPS is optional.

The standard heavy-duty tripod weighs 11 lbs (5kg). It has 1.75" diameter stainless steel tripod legs, with a die-cast metal tripod spreader and accessory tray.