Vixen Sphinx SX

[rl]

What's the general opinion on the Vixen Sphinx SX? I'm about to start astrophotography after a 20 year gap and have the option on one for £500. It will be supporting an IKI 70mm apo plus a Canon 350D plus guidescope, pier mounted. I'm mainly interested in prime focus deep sky stuff and it will need to be portable.

 I wondered what people's experiences were regarding the mechanical quality and the software support. I would expect it to ba a cut above the HEQ5 given the fact that it's Japanese and the original purchase price but the HEQ5 seems to much the more popular choice. Your thoughs, gentlemen please...

[rowan46]

I have not been hearing good things about these. the mount like much of vixen stuff  appears to be reliable. but there have been problems with the sphinx starbook. There has been a project to replace part of the mother board with a card to make it compatible for nexstar hand remotes which apparently is very good. it was a while ago when I heard this problems so they may have been sorted I doubt its a cut above the heq5 except in price. It doesn't carry as much and unless ts been modded with nexcard I doubt its electronics are as reliable, Keith will know if the vixen is back on song  he's a bit of a vixen boffin.

[rl]

Thanks Rowan....

I like the look of it but for the same cash I'm nearly into s/h EQ6 territory. The starbook looks good but there are some other mentions of assicoated problems. If the weathewr's good enough for a demo tonight I might have it but I've been caught before buying s/h goto mounts that don't work properly...

Thanks for your input.RL

[ollypenrice]

I know three owners of the Sphinx and two of them have given up on them and bought other mounts. 'Hardware good, software bad and Vixen Sphinx-like,' is the general feeling.

Olly

[rl]

Thanks guys....he's come down in price a bit and it's in very good condition....hmmmmm  torn! Don't know!

RL

[pete_gamby]

If you are planning to do astrophotography with the SX mount, then you need to consider the following:

1. It was primarily designed as a visual astronomy tool

2. It's relatively low factory-rated load capacity is very conservative but realistic

3. It was designed to be very portable so is lightweight

4. The Starbook firmware has an inherent feature that nudges the DEC axis after using the software alignment process but this happens when physical polar alignment is not perfect. These DEC "jumps" are what makes the mount unsuitable for AP assuming you use the software alignment function.

5. Installing the NexSXD board significantly improves the function and performance of the mount but, of course, has a cost

6. Without the NexSXD upgrade, there is no permanent PEC function

I've seen reports that people have got perfectly acceptable imaging results with this mount by drift aligning and/or making the best possible polar alignment without using the Starbook's alignment process.

IMO, at £500, it is a very good purchase as a portable visual observation platform. But for AP, the cons outweigh the pros even at that price.

Vixen has now discontinued the SXW mounts and that is the last of their products to use the "old" Starbook system. The new Starbook TEN platform does not have the same issue and has been designed with AP users needs in mind.

HTH

Cheers, Pete - Opticron, Vixen UK Distributor

[rl]

Thanks Pete..that makes a lot of things clear. I've looked up the Nexsxd board; it costs 152 euros which ain't cheap but I already have a Celestron handset which would be compatible. It still seems easier to get a new HEQ5....

RL