Atlux Vs G11

[Tandum]

I've been shopping around for a new mount for some time now and always seem to come back to the G11 as the next mount. However, I've been reading up on the Vixen Atlux, a review of same is on this web site, and note they have dropped a lot in price recently and are now very close to a new G11.

Apart from the fact that everyone has or will own a losmandy mount, is there any reason not to concider the atlux? It looks like a high quality japanese mount to me and capable of carrying from 22 to 34 kilos, depending on what you read with a corrected pec of +/- 3" which shoots my eq6's +/- 15" to pieces :)

[el_draco]

I have not used/seen an Atlux but went through the same process you are going through some time back including going from an EQ6.

A G11 costs a lot of money but the value is definitely in the end product. When I opened the boxes, it took my breath away. Finish is awesome, works well and is capable of many things, including customisation.

Like all mounts, it has its issues and you can join the Yahoo G11 users group to see whats going on, but this mount is a known quantity.

IF I ever trade it in, it will be for a Paramount because thats about the only mount that will do more IMHO.

[gregbradley]

I can only give some minor insight here.

I bought a brand new Vixen Sphinx mount when I was starting out as the next step after a Meade LX90.

It was very disappointing. It really was put on the market too early and
it had very stiff axes which the dealer denied was an issue but it was all over the net that it did.

It did not come with autoguiding capability for a long time and when it was issued by Vixen they charged you for the download even though the mount was sold as being autoguiding capable.

So my point is it was a disappointing mount, PE was better than a Meade but pretty ordinary, the mount needed adjustment which I did, the dealer was a liability and Vixen were greedy and did not answer questions from customers unless asked very often and long.

Losmandy on the other hand will talk to you on the phone. I have talked to the owner who was helpful.

Greg.

[JohnH]

Hmm, with the A$ where it is against the USD I think the G11 must look pretty good right now even if Atlux prices have come down. My history is the same as Greg's I too used a Vixen mount after Meade (ETX90 in my case) and prior to getting a G11 - an SXW not an Atlux granted - and this decision was based on portability to some extent and the reputation of the GP and GPD mounts. I to was disapointed DEC backlash was horrid and PE quite large - almost no use for imaging except for wide field, I used to have 50% or more frames unusable with 2 min subs at f9.

The Atlux-SS2K is rated very highly if you can find one - the Atlux-Starbook less so, there are so many annoyances with the starbook and a general lack of software support is the greatest of these. To my knowledge there is still no ASCOM support from Vixen and only The Sky supports the mount directly...

The G11 just works, is supported by everything including loads of 3rd party upgrades - my problem is sky glow now not PE and backlash....

[Tandum]

Thanks guys you've talked me out of the atlux, however I reserve the right to procrastinate for a while longer :)

[gregbradley]

I agree also the Starbook was not very good. It is great for attracting large amounts of insects in summer as it is very bright and dazzling to your night vision. It is not a bad idea but it is quite limited in its database (at least when I had one 4 years ago).

Greg.

[[1ponders]]

And it hasn't changed much Greg. Go for the G11 Robin. :thumbsup: to Rom's comments

[marki]

Well I will go against the trend here. I would snap up an atlux before even considering the G11. The losmandy just looks thrown together with the motors hanging out in the breeze waiting to be damaged. The atlux is neat, tidy and has an excellent reputation for PE etc as well as being able to carry a sizeable load. Not sure what all the talk about the SXW is, mine is a ripper. I stripped and regreased the mount when I first got it (2nd hand) and all axes move smoothly and freely and the mount tracks very well (easily kept to less then 1 pixel error when autoguided and 20min exposures are a doodle). The starbook is easy to work with and has the added bonus of using a LAN to connect rather then serial or USB so you need one port less. Yes it is bright but you can set the screen to turn off at whatever interval you like (I use 15 sec after last touch). There is a ASCOM driver available for the sphinx free of charge on the net, I am assuming this would work with the atlux as well since they both use the starbook for control.

Mark

[MuntiNZ]

Mate I used a G11 for a few months and it didnt impress me so much.
Not terrible or any thing but less than I thought it would be for the money the bloke paid for it.
And it looks like it was put together in the dark.
Have never used an Atlux but saw one once and it looked pretty nice but thats all I can say about it sorry mate.

[stevous67]

I've had the G11 for some time now, and have only the concern that I'll rip off one of the drive motors day. Buying a spare motor and gear box should put that concern to rest. But the G11 is clever in that it will warn you when the drives are not moving the mount sufficiently and will shut down the mount if you don't fix it immediately. These days, I have cable restraints that keep the mount and imaging cables all in order for the night. So this is a reduced issue.

I have a friend with the Atlux, and he loves it. But he seems to have quite a lot of issues with the mount, from guiding control, to unusual behavior when the mount approaches the meridian flip point. The starbook is a nice touch, but how good it practically is in the field, I'm not so sure. He uses Maxim, and for the majority of time, works well with the Atlux. But the last time out, the guiding just wouldn't work via Maxim 5. Switching to PHD, it then would work?Losing the guide star was continually the error. Communication between the PC and the mount seemed the issue on that occasion.

The G11 hand control is horrible when you first move to it from the EQ6Pro control, but after awhile, the theory of the Gemini control comes through, and is very logical. It has some really nice tracking options, like the King Rate, and I confirm the Gemini control (L4) is very easy to work with in all 3rd party apps I've tried. Only communication issues I have had was with the rotten comm's cables I made in the beginning. The ascom support is great, and works every time. I use PEMPRO to do my PEC, and have only done the process once, and now achieve a less than 4 arcesecond PE.

In regard to guiding control, PHD is great, Maxim Dl works fine, and I've tried the Orion Steadystar to achieve an approx 0 PE. This was achieved with a basic polar scope alignment. Running at a FL of 2000mm for astrophotography, I am extremely pleased with the G11. I am equally pleased with the EQ6pro for my wide field imaging.

The polar alignment adjustment on the G11 is super smooth. Coming from the EQ6Pro, its adjustments are quite coarse, but still effective.

If I had the knowledge I have now about the G11, I would have bought it much earlier.

Going back to the Atlux, from an appearance side, its sleek and beautifully finished. Its operation needs to be honestly cofirmed by a present owner. Their PE is supposed to be amongst the finest mounts.

Its not an easy decision, so sleep on it. :thumbsup:

Good luck,

Steve

[g__day]

As an Atlux / SS2K-PC owner - I'd say its a beauty once you've mastered the SS2K's foibbles (set-up and tunning). I note many people here get great results from the G11 + Gemini, so both mounts can be used to great effect.

The starbook - well I just don't like it - a huge step backwards compared to the SS2K

[stevous67]

Just thought to add one other aspect for the Gemini I found great, the easy connection of a serial ported hand held GPS, like the eTrex to the G11.

See here for info on how to do it...

http://www.mpas.asn.au/astroinfo/gps_gemini.htm

Its a cheaper alternate than buying a dedicated GPS unit, and gives you the flexibility to use the GPS for other things.

Bye

Steve

[JohnH]

OK, I'll bite re SXW/D- but this has been said elsewhere and this thread is really G11/Altux based - so what is your image scale?

I found the SXW mount to be ok in RA (the PE was +/- 20" or so but fairly smooth) but DEC was hopeless - backlash could be adjusted down to about 5s or so but would never hold at that level and would go out to 10 or even 20s with use. This meant any DEC reversals would result in failed fames and, more often than not, lost guide stars. I was imaging at 0.75 " per pixel so it was a tough ask...then again the G11 has no issues withthe same task and I am pretty sure the Atlux would cope as well.

And I did not have to strip and re-grease the G11 for it to work properly either - that sort of action should not be required with a quality mount.

[marki]

You are right, this thread is about G11 vs Atlux. My image scale is 2.32 arcsecs/pixel, 0.75 is going to be tough for many mounts. I greased my mount up because it was 3 years old and I did not know it's history. If you don't strip your G11 to grease it up every year you would be the only G11 owner on this forum to do so..... I have set my dec clearances correctly and with current software (ver 2.2) tracking in the southern hemisphere is nice and smooth. I have never lost a guide star due to any correction made in dec or RA so improvements must have been made over the last 6 years since they were first released. Leave it here shall we, sorry Robin :D. Both mounts would do the job I imagine.

Mark

[Tandum]

GaryB has pointed out to me that there have also been a couple of 2nd hand em200 tak mounts around for the same sort of money as these two, although I don't think the tak would like having a 10" newt dropped on top of it. I'll just keep looking ...

[marki]

What about an EM400...that would be sweet if you could stretch your budget that far. Have not seen too many 2nd hand EM400's around though.

Mark

[Tandum]

Thanks for all the input guys but I've bucked the G11 trend and bought a 2nd hand EM-200.

It should sail into town in about 3 weeks :)

[DavidTrap]

Congrats on the new mount Robin. However, with my new mount coming to Brizvegas as well, we better get prepared for that flood of biblical proportions to arrive...

DT

[Tandum]

Dave, the weather could not possibly get any worse than it's been :)

[DavidTrap]

Plague and pestilence anyone?

DT

[bokglob]

Sweet Robin! Temma11 terrificness. With the strong Aussie $ at the moment,ther are some very tempting setups o.s right now. Congrats, you can't go wrong there:thumbsup:

[Tandum]

Cheers Darrell, got the head, cables and counterweights coming in for about the same as a new G11 from opt.
No tripod though, it's going on a pier first up.