[g__day (Matthew)]

Monte,

The Vixen Atlux is a pretty amazing mount once its properly set-up and mastered. It's documentation is lacking, the gear adjustments needed some simple tweaking - but once that is done its pretty close to switch on, check calibration on three stars (avoidable once I figure this out), calibrate PHD and you're straight into imaging.

Given my error is consistent in magnitude and direction - every day, every single time I switch it on - even if its only off for a few seconds its a predictable (i.e. addressable) - not random error.

A consistent error can be modeled out. I did a new MaxPoint model and I found the mount is 33 arc minutes East of the SCP and 17 arc minutes low. This pretty much equates to the pointing error I see on start up (about 1/2 a degree), so maybe its not a level issue - maybe its a celestial pole mis-alignment issue given I've told the mount it is in aligned equatorial mode.

With its current polar alignment error - after a three star calibrate every goto is on my CCD for the C9.25 - never more than 1/3 out from the centre - and that's before MaxPoint kicks in to further improve pointing. Quite simply its an impressive mount. What I might be experiencing is the mount only wishing to be in polar equatorial mode if its better than 15 arc seconds off the SCP. More research is needed!

I've told the mount its in aligned equatorial mode (to allow PEC - Vixen state a PE or +/-3 arc seconds with PE enabled!). In unaligned mode the hand controller correct out polar mis-alignment in both pointing and tracking (which is way cool) - but this make drift aligning effectively impossible if you align on more than one star.