Celestron Heavy duty HD Pro equatorial wedge for fork-mounted Celestron SCTs

$499.95

Availability: In stock

Celestron's HD Pro Equatorial Wedge equatorially mounts Celestron fork-mounted Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes up to 11" aperture on your tripod or pier for long exposure astrophotography . . .
Our Product #: 2514HD
Celestron Product #: 93664
 

Product Description

Celestron's HD Pro Equatorial Wedge is designed to mount Celestron fork-mounted SCTs up to 11" in aperture on your existing pier or tripod. The HD Pro Wedge provides a heavy duty, very stable equatorial platform that is perfect for astro-imaging and guarantees minimal vibration.

Its full latitude range of 0-90° lets you use this Celestron HD Pro wedge from the Pole to the equator. The side plates are thicker than previous wedges for increased rigidity, with increased mass to provide less vibration while imaging. The side plates can be moved fore and aft on the wedge base to position your scope's center of gravity over the center of your pier or tripod, depending on your observing latitude.

The 30 pound wedge's built-in altitude/azimuth adjustment controls have oversized knobs for easier polar alignment. The latitude adjustment screw is 14mm in diameter for strength and stability. It does not flex or bend under the heaviest load, providing less vibration and making it easier to rotate a heavy telescope. A latitude scale is provided to make the initial rough latitude adjustment easier.

The HD Pro wedge has a built-in hand control holder that provides the option of placing the hand control either on the wedge or on the scope's fork arm. When the hand control is mounted on the wedge, there is no possibility of the controller falling off when the fork arm is angled towards the ground.

The tilt plate is designed with recesses that fit the feet molded into the base of your Celestron telescope. This makes it easier for one person to mount the telescope onto the wedge and tripod. Simply install one bolt into the base of the scope, slide the bolt into the slot at the top of the tilt plate, and rotate the scope onto the wedge until the scope feet drop into the tilt plate recesses. Install the other two bolts into the base of the scope, tighten all three bolts snugly, and you're ready to go.

Tech Details

Weight 30 lbs.
Warranty 2 years

Reviews

Review by:
I purchased the HD wedge to use with a CPC1100 and a pier after reading more than a few internet posts, pro and con (many of which were about the earlier version). It was easy to setup and adjust. I used a table and some blocks to bring the base of the mount close to wedge height Then lowering the angle of the wedge plate with the altitude adjuster allows you to slide the CPC onto the wedge, then insert the attachment bolt and elevate the wedge. In operation alignment was simple, and as with other Celestron mounts the alignment can be perfected in use. On a pier I could park the mount and for the next session just power up and used the saved alignment. I enjoyed using the CPC on a wedge for some EAA and light imaging. The wedge does add some flex to the system noticeable when focusing but not when tracking. There have been stiffer wedges but at a much higher price. A wedge greatly extends the way in which you can use a CPC. Good design and nicely made. (Posted on 9/9/2019)
Review by:
"Heavy-duty" is a very apt description for this beast of a wedge. At approx. 30lbs it isn't the lightest thing around. But for all of its size and weight it is surprisingly easy to use. Mounting even a hefty SCT like my CPC1100 is easily done by a single person. Adjusting the wedge's polar alignment is also easy with the sturdy knobbed screws. Following the procedures outlined for "all-star wedge align" on the CPC's mount will very nearly put you into such a close alignment that a further "drift alignment" will be either very minor or not even needed (with a little practice of course). Although it would honestly be a lot more convenient for this wedge to be mounted on a permanent pier, I have had no issues with using it as a portable setup requiring it to be installed/removed from the tripod with each use. I whole-heartedly recommend this great product. (Posted on 8/4/2017)
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