Vixen Sphinx mount - stiff movement

[Stu]

Hi

I've had a Vixen Sphinx mount with Starbook controller for a number of years now. I'm struggling to remember if it has always been this way, but both axes are fairly stiff with the clutches released, which makes balancing the setup more difficult. It functions perfectly well otherwise, and is pretty accurate with even a basic PA.

My question; has anyone stripped one of these mounts for a similar issue and managed to get the axes moving freely?

Stu

[pete_gamby]

We (Opticron) have done a few of these as out of warranty "repairs" for people. The grease can get more sticky over time and can cause this stiffness or lack of smoothness both when the clutches are released and during tracking/slewing. There are also some tension adjustments that can be made. It all takes a bit of time and patience but is relatively straightforward. I think the last one that my colleague Stuart did took him only a few hours.

Cheers, Pete

[Stu]

Many thanks Pete, I'll drop you a pm

Cheers

Stu