[Fox]

Dear Southern Sphinx owners and experts

I have some questions about the Sphinx SXW (currently have an LXD75) that I would appreciate your comments and input on. I have gleaned quite bit from websites, but much of it is dated in light of software builds. User reports range for glowing to scathing, and besides, I also want Southern user comments.

Objects in Starbook. I am confused about the objects that are graphically displayed in StarBook. I understand that the Messier objects are shown, but what about Caldwell and NGC objects? (Indeed, is Caldwell in the latest build?) Can all database objects be shown as graphic objects in the display that can be slewed to? If they are not, or largely not, what’s the point of StarBook at all, you might as well just use a database handset like AutoStar.

Polar scope. How does the Vixen SXW polar scope compare to the Meade LXD75 polar scope – the latter I find to be excellent. I use the LXD75 polar scope all the time for the Southern hemisphere, and I think its illumination and ease of use is very user-friendly.

I have read that the SXW polar scope illumination is too bright red/washed out. It is this true ? Is it useful for us S.hemisphere users?

I have also read that there might be 3 ‘vanes’ that block the light path of the polar scope in the SXW – is this also true (?), does it render the polar scope useless?

Finally, is the pattern in the SXW polar scope an illuminated printed or etched reticle?

Noise: How does the slewing noise compare to the LXD75 (which I find too noisy and offensive). I believe even with max slewing, the SXW is very quiet?

Worm gear backlash and slack. OK, in the LXD75 the whole set up is crude but very user-accessible and adjustable. In the SXW its all one-piece, sealed, and (largely) not user-accessible. What’s the likelihood that the SXW will have noticeable gear backlash/slack when brand new, out of the box?

You can’t slew to a specific set of co-ordinates in StarBook – is this true ? (because there is no keyboard?) Having said that, is this of any real consequence given I would only be slewing to database objects anyway.