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kmj1
member
Reged: 07/28/09
Posts: 14
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Hello,
I am relatively new at this and have been trying to learn all I can. I seem to be getting a feeling that the mount is one of the more important aspects of my purchase. (I could be wrong given that I am a newb) I am looking at GEMs. I have heard that Vixen is a good quality Brand.
Any opinions or comments on the Vixen Sphinx SXD mount?
Is the quality as good as rumored?
Is this mount one I can buy and not worry about for years to come?
If not, what is?
What other mounts do you recommend?
I was planning on getting the best mount I could and could upgrade the optics as I go.
Any opinions on the StarBook S?
Edited by kmj1 (07/31/09 01:59 PM)
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Wes James
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/12/06
Posts: 3455
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I would recommend looking at the Losmandy's... extremely high quality mount as well... Either a GM-8 or GM-11 are as good as they come.
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Wes
Atlantic Beach, FL
Some bino’s from Miyauchi 5x32 Binon's up through Garrett 20x110 Signature's,
Some telescopes from a Stellarvue 80mm NHNG up through a couple of 8” reflectors…
And a wonderful 4.25" Delmarva Shiefspiegler!
Some good friends, made here on C/N.
Oh- several cats and a wonderful wife!
Anyone want a cat???? :-O
"When your work speaks for itself- Don't Interrupt" -Gamble Rogers
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Eddgie
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/01/06
Posts: 2703
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In general, Vixen builds nice equipment, but in my own humble opinion, they are overpriced. Is the qualtiy as good as rumored? Yes and no. I mean the build quality is nice, but not dazzling.
The Starbook gets mixed reviews. Some people like it, others don't.
Vixen builds GOOD equipment, but would not consider it to be a particulary good value. I don't think the Sphinx is really that much better than the Celstron CG5 ASGT.
Can you buy it and use it for years to come? Yes, but I would say the same about the Celestron ASGT.
Before I paid the money for a Sphinx Starbook, I think I would go with the Losmandy Gemini. Really superb quality, real craftsmanship. Yes, a mount to own a lifetime.
Just opnions though. You will get a lot and most of them different from my own if you are patient.
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Celestron C14, CGE (Big Al)
Astro-Physics 6" f/8 (Buffy)
Televue 101 (No name, but I call it my Widescreen HD Space TV)
The night sky is my mistress. She seduces me away from all other lovers.
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ericsolo
member
Reged: 12/27/05
Posts: 43
Loc: Edmonton, AB, Canada
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I have both a Vixen Atlux with Starbook (same Starbook as the SXD mount), and a Losmandy G-11/Gemini.
My recommendation is the Losmandy mount, hands down and without hesitation, for all of the reasons that Eggie stated.
A Skywatcher EQ6 is another mount to consider. However, before you buy anything, you should make a list of the features that you want. The best mount also depends on whether you plan to do astrophotography, type and weight of telescope, need for portability, size of user community (important for trouble shooting and tips) etc
Eric
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Skywatcher 254mm Newtonian
Vixen VMC260
Losmandy G11
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Whirlwind
newbie
Reged: 04/12/04
Posts: 4
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Hi
I suppose this all comes down to what you want to use it for.
Are you looking for a visual only mount or one for ccd/DSLR work etc?
Firstly I'm from the UK so costs are a bit different over here, the Losmandy G11 was double the price of an SXD when i bought one, but I'm not sure the same still applies where you are.
I use my SXD for ccd work with a QSI540wsg and starlight xpress adaptive optics unit. I find it excellent for what I want to do with it. The standard periodic error is a lot lower than the ASGT ever was (which was ever a battle getting decent images with). Although as aways I might have a really good SXD or really bad ASGT.
One of the advantages of the SXD is that it is light; for someone without a permanent observatory this was a big boon. I always worried that the G11 was too bulky and heavy to allow me to use the small windows of opportunity we get here in the UK.
As for the starbook, i like it and find it much more intuitive to find objects than the ASGT control was. But then I think it is a 'marmite' thing.
Would I recommend it for visual only, probably not. I was quite happy with my C11 on ASGT for visual. If you want something a bit more stable maybe the CGEM or EQ6 which get good comments?
I would recommend it for astropics though, you'll still need to guide it though.
I have no experience with any losmandy mounts
Hope this helps 
Ian
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Posts: 4346
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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Vixen mounts are decent, but the price is likewise higher than average. Mechanically I would say that you get what you pay for.
The Starbook controller, however, is a work in process. I prefer the firmware solutions from other vendors like Synta's Synscan and Celestron's Nexstar. Electronically I feel the Vixens are a few steps behind even the budget GOTO mount vendors.
Unless you are planning on starting out as an imager, I would put the mount well behind the optics. For visual use you can get decent GEMs with full GOTO for $500 to $1500, new. These are more than adequate for any reasonable visual payload. Generally a premium mount is needed for premium imaging, where tracking precision impacts use much more than it does for purely visual observations.
I would get a decent OTA and a mid-range mount as a set-up likely to keep you happy for years.
Regards,
Jim
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"I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."
- Sir Issac Newton
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Phil Cowell
sage
Reged: 05/24/07
Posts: 377
Loc: Southern Tier NY
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Your looking at a Vixen with a Starbook which is a visual to operate system (i.e. look at the map and click). Before taking other people advice about a G8 or G11 have a look at one and how it is controlled. Some folks like the Gemini others think it's primative. The Starbook is a lot easier to learn but does have it's "features" too. Before dropping the money at least check both of them out. Also check out the CGEM and Atlas mounts. Both have capacities close to the SXD again both easy to setup like the Starbook with a short learning curve.
Phil
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If it'll fit on a sig you don't have enough
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GaryML
sage
Reged: 02/16/09
Posts: 324
Loc: San Diego, California
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The Vixen Sphinx mounts, and their competitors like the Losmandy GM-8 & G-11, Celestron CGE, etc. are fairly heavy and expensive mounts made for users with specific, clearly defined needs such as use with imaging or for carrying large telescopes. If you do not yet own a telescope, then buying one of these mounts is probably not the place to start.
The place to start is to get an idea of what size and design of telescope suits your interest and will work well in the observing sites that are available to you. It's probably best to start with visual observing rather than imaging, and therefore you might just want to go with an easy to use alt-azimuth mount. Look for a package that includes the telescope and mount, as this will be the best deal if you are in the market for both. I agree that the mount is important so I would be sure to get a package that includes a very good mount. Better to get the sturdy mount and the smaller telescope, rather than an oversized telescope on a wobbly, undersized mount. But you need to have some idea of what telescope you are getting and where you might need to move it to before selecting a mount for it.
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Sky conditions in San Diego, California:
Vixen VMC200L 8" corrected Cassegrain telescope on a Celestron CG-5 Advanced Series GT mount
Pentax eyepieces and Televue eyepieces & diagonal
Fujinon 16x70 Binoculars on a Manfrotto 028B/501HDV tripod
Celestron SkyScout
______________________________________________________
Avatar: Gemini North on Mauna Kea, November, 2008.
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David Pavlich
Postmaster
Reged: 05/18/05
Posts: 8668
Loc: Mandeville, LA USA 30.22 X 90....
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I'm pretty much with the choir here. Vixen makes a good mount, but it's a bit spendy for what it is. I also echo Gary's sentiments. You really need to sit down and examine your goals, at least in the short term. Eventually they will change, but you may as well work out the scope and what you plan to do with it before you decide on a mount.
A couple of things to think about; are you going to be in one place for the vast majority of the time or will you be traveling the hardware? Strictly visual or is imaging in your plans?
If you're pretty much a stay at home observer, then a bigger mount and scope can be handled using something like a Scopebuggy. If, however, you are going to head to a dark site a lot, then you might consider something a bit more portable.
And if imaging is in your plans, the mount does become very important. You need stability and good tracking.
Lots to chew on, but it sounds as if you're going to make a pretty fair investment. Keep doing your research and you'll come up with an answer.
David
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Proud Member; PAS NOLA,
"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research..."
A. Einstein
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kmj1
member
Reged: 07/28/09
Posts: 14
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I am mainly going to be staying in my backyard to observe. I initially will focus on visual observe and shortly throw in AP.
How do the losmandys use goto. The CGEM has Nexstar.The vixen has a starbook. What does the losmandy use?
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Phil Cowell
sage
Reged: 05/24/07
Posts: 377
Loc: Southern Tier NY
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Quote:
How do the losmandys use goto. The CGEM has Nexstar.The vixen has a starbook. What does the losmandy use?
It uses it's own system. It's nothing like the Starbook or as easy to use as the Nexstar. If you want to get one plan on spending quiet a bit of time learning to use it. It's also not upgradable like the Starbook or Nexstar. When it's time to upgrade you open it up and replace a chip. The system works but it's basically old technology compared to most modern systems. The Losmandy mount is very made and an excellent mount there are also options other than the Gemini system. Sitech plus Argo Navis combo being one of them. More modern and you don't need to open the Argo to upgrade it.
Bottom line it works but it's comparitively older technology and you'd need to spend time learning it to get the full use out of it.
Phil
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If it'll fit on a sig you don't have enough
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Luigi
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/03/07
Posts: 4940
Loc: MA
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By far the best bang for the buck in GEM mounts are the Celestron and Synta (Skywatcher, Orion, etc. (BTW, Celestron is owned by Synta)). The CG5ASGT is really an awesome deal. You can pay a 2x more and only get incrementally more in performance, and sometimes a lot less in features. The hand controller software on the Celestron mounts is arguably the best out there. I've used a few GEM mounts and owned a G11 for 10+ years before downsizing to a CG5 for my current ~16 lb OTAs. I'm quite happy with it. One more point. The stability of the tripod makes a huge difference in any mount. The G11 tripod is among the strongest and most stable of any. The CG5's tripod with 2" stainless legs is an entirely different class, but in its class, it's among the best.
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17.5" f/5 Dob. IM-715 MCT. 120ED. Lunt 60mm Ha.
Zeiss, Leica, Fujinon, Nikon, Pentax, Bushnell bins
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Fred1
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/19/07
Posts: 1000
Loc: Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania
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I'm entirely visual. I owned a Sphinx SXD for about a year for my SCT. Bought the CG5ASGT about two months later to handle my small refractor. After using both mounts for about a year, I discovered I didn't need the SXD because the CG5 gave me smoother and more accurate tracking, near spot on Gotos, more variable slew speeds for scanning, a much better and easier to use control system, more user friendly options when accessing the database, and a load capacity that met my needs for my equipment. Additionally, I never grew fond of the Starbook and found that using the Nexstar hand controller with one hand easier to use than the Starbook with two hands. To top it off now, with the new Polar Alignment program in Nexstar, I don't have to scrunch down to do a polar alignment through a polar scope. Considering the price difference (almost $3k for the SXD and $600 for the CG5) I've come to the conclusion that the CG5 is the best bang for the buck in GoTo mounts. YMMV.
PS: My recommendation to anyone just starting out in this hobby who is thinking about astrophotography is to get a CG5 first, then after learning about the art and patience that AP demands, move on to a larger mount like the CGEM, CGE or CGE Pro, or stick with the CG5 and don't look back. YMMV.
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Fred
Celestron 8" SCT w/Starizona Feathertouch Microfocuser/JMI Motofocus;
Stellarvue SV80ST Triplet APO
Tele Vue Binoviewers w/Orion Filter Wheel,Siebert Galaxy Viewer FR, Siebert 0x/1.3x MultiMag OCA
Earthwin Optical Binoviewers w/Pwr-Fltr Slide
Stellarvue BV3 Binoviewers w/Siebert 1.25x OCA
Celestron CG5-ASGT
Astro-Tech Voyager w/JMI Micro-Slew
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