Vixen GP DX Mount (+Sky Sensor Pro 2000) Help

[Rihard]

Hello everybody,

I am new to this lovely forum.

I've been waiting to buy my first proper telescope before introducing myself to you people, and I've been reading a lot all the sections and found very useful infos that turned on again my love (or Faith?) to Astronomy, but now I found a possible bargain and I'd apreciate some expert advice on it

I am planning to get back to this wonderful hobby and science after a long time, and I am planning to take the road of some nice/serious (but not high end) astrophotography, I'd probably start up with DSOs, even though some planetary webcam imaging would be apreciated. I've already attempted to take some pics with my old bridge camera and with a new Nikon dSLR with no tracking and I had good fun (I'll show you these little pics I've taken when I'll introduce myself properly ) thus I would like to get into astrophotography the proper way.

I actually have some experience and knowledge of telescopes and mount types (I've saved up and chosen my own first Eq Newton Reflector when I was 8 years old which is 17 years ago) but since my budget is very tight at the moment and it's been already stretched A LOT (about 600 euro / 501 £ at current exchange rate) I am planning to get a little 150mm newtonian reflector (I've had a good experience with reflectors so I'll stick with them) to which I will attach my Nikon D3100.

However I do not seem to find a mount basically suitable for astrophotography: I am not planning to do "extremely long" exposures as "high-end-professionals" do: Irish weather would rarely permit that anyway - but I would love to make some colourful pics of some nebulas and other DSOs. I can be a very patient person and I wouldn't mind to repeat the same shot 10.000 times (that's how I made some acceptable pics with no tracking and only with a bridge camera zoom ).

So my issue (and the help I need for) is finding a suitable mount with precise tracking, and after reading this forum throughout I've tried to find a second hand mount. I finally spotted a second hand mount, apparently a suitable one, that is a Vixen GP DX Mount (+ an interesting Sky Sensor Pro 2000). As far as I know Vixen is very well regarded for its quality products, however I've never tried it and I couldn't find exhaustive information about this model.

Is this a good product?

It's being sold at 500 euro (420 £ - but I may be lucky to get a better price, finger crossed). Would you folks advice such mount over a new EQ5 mount with GoTo, which goes for about the same price at FLO ?? Is this 2nd hand Vixen mount a better deal then a brand-new EQ5 GoTo?

The Vixen one seems to be provided with a polarscope, while the Eq5 would require an additional polarscope purchase.

Also, would the Vixen one support an Explorer 150PDS (or something equal/better), or does it need an adaptor? .

TBH I was planning to get a Eq3-2 with additional tracking motors but it doesn't seem to be worth it, especially for big aperture OTAs (which is what I want to buy - smallerapertures are part of the past - how do you folks call it - the aperture fever? ).

Would you folks otherwise suggest any alternative? Please note that I live in the Republic of Ireland thus my 600 / 650 euro budget should include a 50 £ delivery if I buy anything from the UK or Germany (there is virtually no worth telescope shops over here ).

Sorry if I've been too long. I hope we'll all get to know each other much better in this lovely forum (the best one I found so in many years!) . Next time I'll introduce myself properly and I'll be glad to share with all of you my little pics and my little experience.

Thank you all for your consideration and time!

And Happy New Year!

Slàn

[E621Keith]

Hi Slan, Welcome to SGL.

The Vixen GPDX/D2 is a very good mount. It's very different to an EQ5. The EQ5 is a copy of the smaller Vixen GP mount. The GPDX will take a 150PDS without any problem because Skywatcher and many other OTA uses Vixen's dovetail standard.

I have no experience with the SS2K GOTO system, but it is said to be one of the best GOTO system. Unfortunately Vixen discontinued that system and replaced it with the inferior Starbook S. Personally, I am in the process or acquiring a GPDX+SS2K to replace the SBS on my GPDX.

The obvious alternative to the GPDX/D2 are EQ6 and HEQ5, which has similar used price. The EQ6 will handle much heavier OTA than the GPDX, so if you are considering upgrading to a larger OTA in the future, it is a mount to consider. Also, Vixen has discontinued SS2K, so if your handset die, the system is dead. The only alternative would be to replace it with EQ5's Synscan or the SBS system when that happens.

There are some reports that the newer GP2 has better periodic error than GPDX. A GP2 is dimensionally identical to the EQ5/CG5 so it will accept most accessories for the clone mounts.

[Ibbo!]

I use a GPDX as my portable mount with a couple small refractors and very good it is for imaging if you have polar aligned it well

It will also carry my SCT and I use this for planetary imaging

If you do get one remember to enter long before lat

[pete_l]

Slàn

I have a GPDX + SS2k, though it's not used much these days, it was/is a good mount. It does have a pretty good polar alignment scope.

It's quite an old product so getting spares if anything goes wrong could be a problem. Although nothing has failed on my mount (touch wood), if there was an electronic fault, that would be the end of it ... and electronics can fail.

You should also check out the firmware version of the SS2k. Some of the early ones (2.04, 2.05? you'd have to check) had problems connecting to PC serial ports for computerised GOTO. There's a Yahoo! group for this mount which can probably give you better quality info than my misremembered rumours

Although I think you can buy firmware upgrades, that may give you a bargaining point to knock a few euro off the price.

[Rihard]

Thank you E621Keith and Ibbo for the encouraging answers. I am now posting my offer to the seller.

And Thanks pete_l for the firmware thing, that's a good point. I am not scared of upgrading the firmware if that's an available option (I am an IT tech so that's going to be fun).

I'd probably stick with a 150" newtonian for a while and later on I'd love to get a higher focal-lenghty Mak 127" for planetary imaging in the future.

I haven't purchased the OTA yet, would you suggest anything similar to a 150PDS for the same price range?

Should I get the mount, how do I connect my camera directly in place of the scope, just to try it out? I know the piggyback thing but ATM I have no OTA to do that . I've been using a 300mm telezoom with my SLR to do some quick shoots of M31, M42 and M45, so I'd love to try the same with tracking

Thanks again

PS: Slàn is an Irish greeting My name is Rickey.

[pete_l]

PS: Slàn is an Irish greeting My name is Rickey.

D-oooops, getting my à's and my â's mixed up

[E621Keith]

PS: Slàn is an Irish greeting My name is Rickey.

Oops. Sorry for the mix up.

I just learnt something new today.

[Ibbo!]

I think my mate has a couple of eproms flashed with the new firmware

its done this sort of thing

http://www.astrosphere.org.uk/NGC%207000%208-9-2010.htm

http://www.astrosphere.org.uk/Jupiter%2024th%20Aug%202-57%20BST.htm

[pete_gamby]

Parts for the GPD2 are compatible with the GPDX so anything mechanical that fails can still be replaced.

As others have noted though, the SS2K is very, very discontinued. The only spare part that I can get from Vixen in Japan now is the control cable loom and even those are in short supply. We're starting to see a number of these "fail" as the internal battery runs out of juice (means resetting location, clock etc every time you use it).

Regarding your question about direct mounting a camera, you need an adaptor from the Vixen dovetail to a 1/4" thread so something like the 78011 Multi Plate here:

Vixen - Mount & Tripod Accessories

There's a similar product from Orion which I think First Light Optics can get hold of:

Dovetail L-Bracket for VersaGo Telescope Mount | Orion Telescopes

On the 1/4" thread, you add a ball & socket or other pan head to orient the camera to the area you want to image.

There are a couple of other bits here which might also be worth a look once you have your OTA:

Vixen - Photographic Aids

HTH.

Cheers, Pete - Opticron UK - Vixen Distributor

[skybadger]

I note that you can get replacement batteries.from places.like RS if you are prepared to fit them yourself. Thionyls, I recall.

Mike

[angusb1]

I have a SS2KPC on firmware 2.10 with my GPDX. It works well for me and I like the customisability of it. The other thing I like about it is that the handset can be set to use worm wheels of different sizes so I am hoping to use it with another mount I get this year as well. The motors are quite quiet when tracking but can slew at 32x so it can be used for tracking fast moving objects like the ISS which move in Dec as well as RA.

Like Pete says you need to avoid the early versions of firmware before 2.06 if you want full goto over the serial interface from a PC. If the one you are looking at has one of these older versions of firmware you can get it upgraded for about £100 by a guy in the US who will do the dismembering of the handcontroller and soldering in of the new ROM chips for you. If you go down this road you ought to pay less for the SS2KPC than you would for one with later firmware to take this process into account.

[Rihard]

:D

Thanks everybody for your help, you've been great, I couldn't put together this much information just googling, I am amazed

Yesterday I was supposed to pick up the Vixen mount, however the seller found out that the controller wouldn't turn on anymore, so there was no point to buy it anymore and the seller had to withdraw the sale.

I am now planning to get an Eq5 with DK3 motors and controllers, would you guys consider this as a nice astrophotography setup with an Explorer 150P DS and SLR?

Cheers

[angusb1]

If you are considering a Skywatcher mount instead you need to be looking at the HEQ5 to match the load capacity and periodic error of the GPDX. The EQ5 is not comparable.

[E621Keith]

I am with Angusb1. If you are considering Skywatcher, you should choose the HEQ5. The EQ5 may look like a GPDX, but they are completely different. EQ5 is a clone of the Vixen GP, which is much lighter than the GPDX. The GPDX is heavily reinforced and extensively modified and weight twice as much as the original.

[Rihard]

Cool! I was almost buying the Eq5 and then I saw your answers

One final question (sorry for taking advantage of your kindness ).

I saw that the Explorer 150P has a "Direct SLR connection".

What else do I need to connect my Nikon D3100? Do I also need any additional adapter to correct any focus issues?

Many thanks

Clear Skies!

[E621Keith]

Direct DSLR connection usually mean the focuser is T threaded. You will need a T-to-Nikon F adapter to connect your D3100.

I haven't use that scope before, so I can't say for sure. You may need a extension tube if there isn't enough outward travel or a barlow if there isn't enough inward travel.