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Scott Rose
sage
Reged: 04/20/08
Posts: 259
Loc: beachwood ohio
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I am trying to get a handle on what people have mounted successfully on their sxd mounts. I am thinking that my setup will be 25 lbs and want to make sure this does not tax the mount too much. Although rated at 50 lbs, this is with the counterweights.
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adamsp123
sage
Reged: 11/20/08
Posts: 442
Loc: welshpool mid wales UK
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I beg to differ the load capacity is without the counterweights ie scope only.
I have had 30lbs Meade 10" SNT on SXW with a capacity 22lbs
even imaged with it!!
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SkyWatcher 120ED PRO, GSO 200mm F4 Astrograph, Meade 10" SNT, WO 72ED & 66ED
Vixen Sphinx and Vixen Atlux with starbook,
QHY5 guider, Modded Canon 1000D, Baader MPCC.
WO Flattener III
Don't you wish there were a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence? There's one marked 'Brightness,' but it doesn't work."
TV is called a "medium" because it is neither rare nor well done.
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Scott Rose
sage
Reged: 04/20/08
Posts: 259
Loc: beachwood ohio
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That is what I have been told time and time again. I am curious what others have been told.
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adamsp123
sage
Reged: 11/20/08
Posts: 442
Loc: welshpool mid wales UK
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There has been confusion over this but I am pretty certain the spec excludes the counterweight but Vixen do spec the maximum load, quite correctly IMO, with a caveat regarding the distance the centre of mass is from the saddle clamp.
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SkyWatcher 120ED PRO, GSO 200mm F4 Astrograph, Meade 10" SNT, WO 72ED & 66ED
Vixen Sphinx and Vixen Atlux with starbook,
QHY5 guider, Modded Canon 1000D, Baader MPCC.
WO Flattener III
Don't you wish there were a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence? There's one marked 'Brightness,' but it doesn't work."
TV is called a "medium" because it is neither rare nor well done.
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Scott Rose
sage
Reged: 04/20/08
Posts: 259
Loc: beachwood ohio
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Adam, I called Vixen yesterday. They told me on the phone the 50 lbs. included the counterweights. I probably would not go over 25-28 lbs. of scope and accessories, but that's me. I had a friend put a toa130mm on the scope and it took 5-6 seconds to settle from a tap. Maybe vibration pads would help. I do love the weight and portability of the mount. As opposed to many, I like the starbook. I find it funny how some people complain about starbook and then hook up a pc to their mount.
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lionel
member
Reged: 08/12/07
Posts: 68
Loc: Delaware
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I have my Mewlon 250 mounted on an SXD fitted with an ADM Vix-Los saddle adapter and it is a very sturdy yet lightweight setup for visual. The OTA is about 33" long and weighs about 32 lbs with accessories (14" Casady dovetail, 2" diagonal, Nagler ep). It requires only 22 lb of counterweight for proper balance. I have anti-vib pads under the tripod and the scope has electric focus(no-touch). The OTA's center of mass is at the rear, close to the mount's axes. These features all help keep vibration to a minimum (less than 1 second to settle down after a rap on the tube)
Unfortunately I find the SXD overall is a mixed bag - great mechanical quality and design handicapped by unsophisticated firmware. I'm not a fan of the Starbook and while I've gotten used to it I find it slow and tiresome to use in comparison to my CG5-GT.
Lionel
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Tak Mewlon 250
Powerstar C8
1960s Bushnell 60mm f12 refractor
Sphinx SXD
CG5-ASGT
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Doubleglaze
sage
Reged: 11/01/07
Posts: 201
Loc: Pacific NW
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Hi Scott -
I've had my Vixen VMC260L on the SXD. The OTA weight is 22lbs, with Starlight focuser and eyepiece and such, it tops out around 27lbs. I needed to get additional counterweights to balance, but the CW bar is too short for three Vixen weights so I use the Celestron ones http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?ProdID=347.
I'd say this is at the load limit of the mount - for visual work its OK with some wobble at high mag. For photography it definitely wouldn't work at that focal length.
I used to use vibration pads but now I use a scope buggy with hockey pucks under the leveling screws. Seems to help with vibration after slewing or with wind.
Mark
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Vixen VMC260L / Sphinx SXD
Pentax 75 SDHF
Canon 40D / 50mm f1.4 / 100mm f2.8 macro / 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 / 200mm f2.8L
http://www.astrophotogallery.org/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/166
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Bowmoreman
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 3989
Loc: Bolton, MA
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Quote:
There has been confusion over this but I am pretty certain the spec excludes the counterweight but Vixen do spec the maximum load, quite correctly IMO, with a caveat regarding the distance the centre of mass is from the saddle clamp.
Many posts ago, I clarified this after discussions with Vixen Optics (Mike Fowler) right when the SXD first came out (about 2+ years ago). Net:
The Vixen importers (first VNA - a TeleVue subsidiary, then Vixen Optics - they were transition right at this time) quoted 25# for Sphinx SXW and 50# for SXD. VNA never sold the SXD, only VO.
The Vixen JAPAN website, if you do poking around, you will see that they rate:
SXW at 12Kg
SXD at 15KG
12KG is about 25# precisely what VNA rated the Sphinx SXW at...
Vixen Optics are the ones that rated the SXD at 50# and they included the CW's in that rating.
The differences between the SXD and SXD could (in my imagination) account for a 7# delta (e.g. 12 - 15Kg), but NO WAY could account for a DOUBLING of mount capacity. The mount is solid, but not THAT solid!
It was a very solid and stable mount for me, but putting payloads on the SXW above 25# was NOT workable for me, and the reason I moved on. I simply cannot believe that folks could put a OTA load of 50# on it - at ANY distance from the center of gravity/rotation.. the CW shaft would flex mightily under CW's needed to balance such a load - presupposing you could get that much CW weight to even FIT on the CW shaft.
I could see perhaps 28-30# on the SXD (OTA Load that is), which would need at least 20# of CW...
But just don't see going higher for viewing or imaging based on my experience.
Note: I was using Steel pier mounted Sphinx, NOT the HAL tripod...
I truly liked my Sphinx, and in some ways wish I still had it for a road-show grab and go...
but I couldn't get enough load to work on it in my observatory.
Clear enough skies
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Dave
Imaging: MI-250+ADM/SBS/Optec Libra: C11Hyperstar,TMB80SS
Visual: XT10i RTP
TV: 31T5,22T4,17T4,12T4,13Ethos,8Ethos;2x Powermate,Paracorr, 1.6X Antares, Hyperion8-24Zoom
Cameras: Mallincam Color Hyper Plus, QHY8
Guider: SBIG STV eFinder
Key Add-ons: Gerbings Heated clothes, WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO#90), Speco 9"Monitor
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