LewisM
25-04-2014, 09:30 AM
Buyer pulled out at the last second (had to refund his money), so I am offering the Vixen GPD2 mount again.
This is fully GOTO, with a tuned Skywatcher kit installed. THERE IS NO HAND CONTROLLER - YOU NEED TO CONTOL IT VIA COMPUTER (CABLE SUPPLIED). Tracking is simply flawless, with NEVER an elongated star in ALL the years I used this setup. In fact, I left it NOT GUIDELOCKED for 37 minutes once, and the target star was STILL centre of the FOV in the reticle cross hair! Cloud when imaging is not an issue, because even if the guidestar is lost, the guide programme will lock straight back in on the star as it won't have moved!
Anyway, it is in immaculate condition. I did some MINOR tuning work on the RA axis to make it easier to balance, and I regreased it all. I also polished all the spur gears.
Downside of this mount is the payload carrying capacity - it's limited to 10kg PHOTOGRAPHICALLY. I am sure you could push it to 15 visually without any issue at all. So, this is ideally suited to small to medium refractors, and any Newtonian/Cat up to about 8" (it handles a Vixen VC200L with ease).
Price is SOLD, and this does NOT include postage
Some images attached:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=152515 (GPD2 is to the right, with the long tube FL102S refractor on it)
Another: http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=152514
This is the mount that Skywatcher copied to make their EQ5 (which is not even CLOSE in performance to this!!!). In fact, it will out-perform an HEQ5 (apart from payload capacity)
Regretful sale, and am sure that I will need it again one day, but I have a Takahashi NJP mount coming so this needs to make room...
EDIT: myastroshop.com.au sells Synscan hand controllers - NEW - for $299 plus $12 postage to the eastern states.
This is fully GOTO, with a tuned Skywatcher kit installed. THERE IS NO HAND CONTROLLER - YOU NEED TO CONTOL IT VIA COMPUTER (CABLE SUPPLIED). Tracking is simply flawless, with NEVER an elongated star in ALL the years I used this setup. In fact, I left it NOT GUIDELOCKED for 37 minutes once, and the target star was STILL centre of the FOV in the reticle cross hair! Cloud when imaging is not an issue, because even if the guidestar is lost, the guide programme will lock straight back in on the star as it won't have moved!
Anyway, it is in immaculate condition. I did some MINOR tuning work on the RA axis to make it easier to balance, and I regreased it all. I also polished all the spur gears.
Downside of this mount is the payload carrying capacity - it's limited to 10kg PHOTOGRAPHICALLY. I am sure you could push it to 15 visually without any issue at all. So, this is ideally suited to small to medium refractors, and any Newtonian/Cat up to about 8" (it handles a Vixen VC200L with ease).
Price is SOLD, and this does NOT include postage
Some images attached:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=152515 (GPD2 is to the right, with the long tube FL102S refractor on it)
Another: http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=152514
This is the mount that Skywatcher copied to make their EQ5 (which is not even CLOSE in performance to this!!!). In fact, it will out-perform an HEQ5 (apart from payload capacity)
Regretful sale, and am sure that I will need it again one day, but I have a Takahashi NJP mount coming so this needs to make room...
EDIT: myastroshop.com.au sells Synscan hand controllers - NEW - for $299 plus $12 postage to the eastern states.