ASGT problems again!

Thanks Dave, I'll take my time !
If I can get 2 minute unguided shots again, I'll be happy.
Keith..

I followed this post with interest.
I don't have a CG5 mount, but reckoned that Celestron used the same grease on all budget mounts, mine's an SLT. So this Sunday I stripped it down, cleaned the old grease off with WD40 and a paint brush, and re-greased everything using 3-in-1 Lithium white grease spray (from Halfords). This evening I checked out for any improvement. Things certainly seem smoother, backlash is lessened and Arcturus, the only constant visible tracked all night (2 hours) with no adjustment. Thanks to all for the tips!

Nice to see it worked out John, I'll get that WD40 and paint brush so

Keith..

Thats has been the solution to many a tracking problem, I also cleaned my gears along time ago and it did help.

Anything with moving parts needs regular maintenance, cleaning, tightening of clutches etc. It makes sense to make this part of a regular maintenance schedule. You shouldn't be afraid to tackle these jobs, if you've got any kind of DIY aptitude, and are careful and do prior research, these kind of tasks become mundane rather than frightening. Another thing that may be overlooked is the Tripod itself - tightening of any bolts etc, you'd be amazed at the stability gained by tighening a few screws/bolts.

Gents, dont go giving up on your mounts just yet. Maybe I just got lucky, but I can getr 2 minutes unguided at 2350mm f/l with good enough alignment. That was before I disassembled the mount, cleaned and regreased it.

ALso you'd be amazed at just how forgiving of polar alignment autoguiding can be. I remember one evening where I forgot to polar align altogether. The guidestar was shooting across the screen. Once I locked it and clicked guide. It just stopped dead in its tracks, I was amazed.

However now that my mount is permanently mounted and well aligned it performs a whole lot better.

Also remember you have a mount that costs a tiny fraction of some other mounts. There is no point expecting AP1200 performance no matter how well aligned or how much cleaning/regreasing you do. If you want AP1200 performance buy an AP1200. If you want the CG5 to work well for astrophotography you have to align well and autoguide, its that simple.

What John Murphy says is dead right. Though I dont recommend cracking open a mount still under warranty.