Any Vixen GP2 owners here?

[StevieDvd]

Now that I've pier mounted my HEQ5 and having 2 unused tripods I splashed out on a Vixen GP2 head for grab & go duties and for using away from home. It's a used once bargain and is as new as it can seem.

I did notice that it only has one Dec adjuster bolt, although the holes to fit a bracket seem to be there - does this cause any issues or is it fine with just the one?

Will possibly consider adding a motor or two depending on the prices. Any suggestions on what ones to buy other than the Vixen ones (too pricey)?

Any other tips welcome.

Thanks.

Steve

[pete_gamby]

Steve - we do have the high latitude adjustment bolt set in stock (Vixen sent us a batch of GP2 mounts without the bolts installed and it looks like you've picked up one of that batch) - if you PM me your address I can put a set in the post for you.

Cheers, Pete

Sales Manager - Opticron - Vixen UK Distributor

[E621Keith]

What do you mean by Dec adjuster bolt? Do you mean the slow motion hand knob? GP2 comes with two as standard, so one each for RA and Dec

If you are on a budget, Skywatcher EQ5 motors will fit the GP2.

[StevieDvd]

Steve - we do have the high latitude adjustment bolt set in stock (Vixen sent us a batch of GP2 mounts without the bolts installed and it looks like you've picked up one of that batch) - if you PM me your address I can put a set in the post for you.

Cheers, Pete

Sales Manager - Opticron - Vixen UK Distributor

Is it a batch problem? All the pictures I see have just one adjustment bolt like http://www.vixenoptics.com/mounts/gp2mount.htm . If there should be a second bolt on the GP2 then I'd appreciate a set and will send you a PM - I've never seen a mount with just one so don't know if that is correct or not.

What do you mean by Dec adjuster bolt? Do you mean the slow motion hand knob? GP2 comes with two as standard, so one each for RA and Dec

If you are on a budget, Skywatcher EQ5 motors will fit the GP2.

Daft old me referring to the lattitude adjustment bolts as dec!! Need to put brain in gear next time.

As to the motors I'll check out the EQ5 ones, I want to avoid the cheaper styles that use rj45 connections and have something a little more robust but not at the full Vixen set cost (£325). Found a set at Teleskop Express DK3 for a bit less, so looking at options and what people recommend.

Thanks

[E621Keith]

UK GP2 are sold with what they called a high latitude bolt which goes in the front to help locking down the alt axis. It can get in the way of the RA motor if you use it at lower latitude (like Japan). It may be the the reason why yours were missing. Give Pete a PM.

I heard the DK3 motors are quite good. I think the Vixen ones are over priced, you can get a SW synscan goto upgrade kit for that price.

[StevieDvd]

Steve - we do have the high latitude adjustment bolt set in stock (Vixen sent us a batch of GP2 mounts without the bolts installed and it looks like you've picked up one of that batch) - if you PM me your address I can put a set in the post for you.

Cheers, Pete

Sales Manager - Opticron - Vixen UK Distributor

Pete,

The altitude adjuster set arrived today. Many thanks for that you do the Vixen company proud as a distributor.

Regards

Steve

[Ludd]

I had the DK3 set (I think they were about £160 from Bern at Modern Astronomy) and they are remarkably similar in build quality and quietness to the MT1 motors I had on my first GP mount. They served me extremely well until I tracked down a second hand Skysensor 2000.

[StevieDvd]

I'm in a bit of a quandary.

Do I get a motor set such as the DK3, it would leave the nice blue motor case on the Vixen but means I would have to find my targets manually - I've been a little lazy at that since using the HEQ5 goto. It would be fine for solar, lunar and planetary.

Price is not the main factor. Though I'd pay a little more for a Vixen dual motor set, double the cost is a bit much for a grab & go setup.

Or go for the Synscan goto upgrade, not sure if this is going to be noisy and whether the motors are as good. This option would still be cheaper than the Vixen dual motor set. But at least I'd be used to it's operation, I'd have never found the ring nebula without the goto option and the new polar alignment feature would be useful.

[Ludd]

My personal view on this, having tried the EQ5 synscan kit on a GP mount, as well as the DK3 and Skysensor kits on a GPDX, is that:

(a) the synscan is easy to use and gets good goto results, and is plenty fast enough;

( the DK3 is lovely and quiet (barely audible even close up) and tracks very smoothly but, as you say, it leaves you having to find faint fuzzies by starhopping;

© the Skysensor is amazingly accurate - I had it landing a succession of galaxies and globular clusters through my C8 last night, with very rough polar alignment. It can run even faster than the synscan kit, and is quieter, and the real boon for me is that you can set limits on the goto slew speed to keep it nice and quiet (to avoid upsettnig neighbours).

I'd say it might be worth looking around for a second hand Skysensor 2000 kit if you want good goto results, but if noise is not an issue for you, then the synscan is plenty good enough.

[E621Keith]

If you want a grab and go set up for visual, get the dual axis kit. You just need a quick polar alignment and you are good to go. You can also track manually if you don't have power.

I agree with Ludd about the Vixen Skysensor 2000, it's one of the best GOTO system ever made. It's also one of the few that can operate in equatorial mode without polar alignment. Its successor, the Starbook and Starbook S, doesn't even come close in terms of capability. Drawback: still need to perform alignments, cannot be use without power. (These disadvantages also applies to all goto systems)

[StevieDvd]

Thanks for the feedback Keith & Ludd.

I've ordered a Synscan upgrade kit for now, if I ever see the Skysensor around then perhaps I should grab one - though from a quick search it seems they are harder to find than a Yeti.

Steve

[Ludd]

The Skysensor 2000 kits are a bit thin on the ground, I'll agree. But a determined hunter can track one down, which is more than can be said about yeti-hunters.

I found mine by some persistent googling, which led me to a discussion on an army-related forum about Patrick Moore and some of his less appealing political views, in which someone had just in passing mentioned that he had a couple of Vixen mounts with SS2k drive systems in his garage, and that he ought to put them to use. I signed up to the forum and messaged him, and got a very friendly and helpful reply and a few days later (once I had raised enough cash by selling my GP mount with DK3 drives and a rather lovely Mintron video camera kit) I went to collect my GPDX complete with the SS2k kit.

[E621Keith]

That's an unusual way of getting hold of a used SS2K. It makes me wonder how much high quality astro kits gets left in the corner of people's garage unused and neglected.

Skysensor 2000 system isn't that uncommon. GP or GPDX equipped with SS2K appears on ABS once every few months.

[StevieDvd]

That's an unusual way of getting hold of a used SS2K. It makes me wonder how much high quality astro kits gets left in the corner of people's garage unused and neglected.

Skysensor 2000 system isn't that uncommon. GP or GPDX equipped with SS2K appears on ABS once every few months.

They'll pop up in the next few days now that I've ordered the goto kit. And when it arrives someone will find a forgotten stock of new SS2K needing to be cleared