Original Vixen Atlux. Payload? Manuals? Info?

[angusb1]

Hi folks, I just bought a Vixen Atlux, the original 1st gen version from the 90s with a SkySensor 3D hand controller. Does anyone have any info about it? I've been trying to find a manual and information about payload capacity and details like the number of teeth on the gears and the motors etc in case the hand controller or motors break and I need to find something else to replace them since they are getting pretty rare these days.  The UK and US Vixen Optics don't have anything specifically about the original model.

Thanks in advance.

[triton1]

there,s a thread on cloudy nights about a vixen atlux ss3 probably will carry the same as an eq6 would have thought

[bilgebay]

Should be around 40 pounds. I have a Vixen New Atlux and it has 44 pound pay load capacity. Yours should be similar.

[angusb1]

there,s a thread on cloudy nights about a vixen atlux ss3 probably will carry the same as an eq6 would have thought

I guess that would be this one 

http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/256827-vixen-atlux-vs-celestron-cge-pro/

Cheers for this. Useful discussion of the payload ratings.

[bilgebay]

I think this will nail it for you --> http://www.iceinspace.com.au/index.php?id=44,437,0,0,1,0

[pete_gamby]

The old (now defunct) Vixen North America site still has some links to info on the older mounts:

http://www.vixenamerica.com/pdf/Mounts/VNA_SkySensor3DType.pdf

Full directory listing still seems to be available:

http://www.vixenamerica.com/pdf/

HTH

Cheers, Pete

[angusb1]

Thanks for these, I have emailed Vixen in Japan to see if they can help me with the original manual for the mount, and I have put a folder on my Google Drive with any useful PDFs I find in it that people can view here https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B58-RGQv5piYa1lRY1FiQURrSDg&usp=sharing - There is a manual for the "NEW Atlux" and for the SkySensor 3D. From what I have been able to find out the payload is going to be similar to the NEW Atlux as it has the same size shafts and number of teeth on the gear wheels. The main difference is that the older mount has SkySensor 3S or 3D and MT1 motors with lower torque than the later motors so slew is slower. I am guessing from the CN article it could manage a payload of a bit more than 22kg on it for visual observing if I use a pier to mount the head rather than the tripod.

[Waldemar]

Hi,

I owned a Vixen Atlux with a SS3 in the very early nineties. Did a whole lot of work on it, including faster steppermotors. (SECM264),

and a new goto system (FS2) worked great. I could slew a lot faster then before I upgraded it, about 200 times sidereal, while normally it was 32x.

I still have quite a bit information on file.

If you are interested in the information I still have, I will be happy to email it to you.

Just send me a PM and I will answer a.s.a.p.

The picture in one of the posts above is the new Atlux, recognizable by it's different dimensions. Yours, the old one, has a shorter neck to the DEC axis therefore it could carry a lot more. (leverage)

The old Atlux was able to carry about 60 Lbs without any problem.

The bottom one in the picture is the old Atlux ('91)

Regards, Waldemar

[Waldemar]

Maybe it is nice to tell the story of the Old Vixen Atlux upgrade here, it was quite an adventure, learned a lot from it and had great fun doing it.

Thanks for reading, Waldemar

Upgrading my old Vixen Atlux Mount.docx

[angusb1]

Interesting stuff, thank you very much Waldemar for all this info. It's good to see how you went about it. With such an old hand controller it gets more likely as time goes by that it will need to be replaced. I had a look for what info I could find about the FS2 controller but sadly Michael Koch is no longer making them. I am going to check with AWR to see if they can provide an aftermarket hand controller and motors.

[angusb1]

Got a response from Vixen Japan a couple of days ago. They have no information about this original version of the Atlux.

I have emailed Vixen in Japan to see if they can help me with the original manual for the mount

[Mike Hawtin]

I am going to check with AWR to see if they can provide an aftermarket and controller and motors.

Angus, I had my New Atlux converted to the AWR system and while it worked ok it was hardly cutting edge and a bit clunky to use.  I replaced it with an EQ6 Synscan upgrade kit and 4:1 belt drive conversion and was very happy with this set up, all the benefits of EQMOD too!  It was also a great deal cheaper than the AWR system.

Mike

[angusb1]

Angus, I had my New Atlux converted to the AWR system and while it worked ok it was hardly cutting edge and a bit clunky to use.  I replaced it with an EQ6 Synscan upgrade kit and 4:1 belt drive conversion and was very happy with this set up, all the benefits of EQMOD too!  It was also a great deal cheaper than the AWR system.

Mike

Thanks Mike. I will have a good read up about it. I like the idea of having parts that are easy to find.