Improving the CG-5 Equatorial Mount
"Old" CG-5. Note the stepped RA housing.

"New" CG-5 with ball bearings. Note the tapered RA housing.
Photo courtesy of Kip Crawford.

"Old" and "New" CG-5 Mounts

				CG-5 INFORMATION
				Introduction
				Preparation
				Getting Started
				Declination Axis
				Right Ascension Axis
				ASTRONOMY INFORMATION
				Barn Door Camera Mount
				Equatorial Mount Animation
				Comet Hale-Bopp Photos
				Constellation Portraits
				Home Page

The "new" CG-5 has been improved with the addition of two ball bearings in the RA axis. There are two external differences that identify the "new" CG-5 with ball bearings in the RA axis. As you can see in the photos above, the "new" version has a smoothly tapered RA housing, where the "old" version has a stepped housing. The "new" CG-5 also has a differently shaped locking collar for the counterweight shaft. This is the conical component immediately above the counterweight in the lower photo.

I am not certain that this positively identifies every "new" CG-5, but it has proven correct so far.