TheSkySearchers

I am a very happy owner of a used Vixen SXD2 but have a chance to buy a used SXP (not the Ver 2) I believe the motors and overall the mount is better and quieter.the website shows an additional 6 bearings and about 2kg extra weight. Must do something ?

Is anyone using PEC with these mounts? the description in the manual is a little confusing. I know off topic

It shows little difference in payload capacity though.

I'd love a SXP2 with the belt drive but they are real expensive with the Aussie Paso

Cliff

Hello Cliff, the SXP is a good step up from the SXD2.
I have not used the Vixen version of PEC but those that do use these mounts for AP have nothing but good things to say about the SXP and SXP2.
The capacities are fairly conservative from Vixen and are usually photographic wiegth not full capacity.
I regularly use a 13.5kg refractor on my SXP and it barely knows it is there.

I highly recommend the SXP if you can afford it.

Thanks for that , my SXD2 already has the same Dec head as a SXP so no difference there. A mod sourced from Japan by a previous owner.

I thought maybe the SXP was getting a bit long in the tooth but see little evidence of them needing maintenance other than a replacement 9 pin cable that wears out. I had to replace mine on the SXD2 after I got it.

Don't see much about supertuning or anything like with other brands and i can detect very little backlash in mine as well. Was tracking the sun with my 6"SCT yesterday 1800mm with the moonlight focuser on it and it just was effortless and no drift must have fluked the alignment with the tripod.

Finally sold the AZEQ6GT and only miss it for the Alt/Az function occasionally. Don't miss carrying the extra weight.

Maybe I can keep the SXD2 have to see ?

Cliff

If you are happy with the SXD2 I would suggest keeping it, the Vixen mounts are quite capable and with the Starbook 10 they make the regular Chinese mounts seem almost archaic in comparison.

The SXD2 is a good mount and with the head modification I doubt you would see any but incremental improvements.

You are right would be hard to go back to a Synscan controller. The iOptron hand controller I had on the MinitowerPro was quite nice.

That's what I am thinking the SXD2 is actually the newer mount the SXP has been around for some time. They look like they are basically built in the same body. I think the motors are much better in the SXP suppose to be the same as the AXJ ones ?

More thinking required actually a package deal with a Tak fsq85. Do I need another high end scope ?

Easy hobby to spend $$$ in

The AXJ is considerably larger so I have doubts that the same motors are used, the SXD2 and SXP have both been around for about the same time, I bought my SXP in 2017 and six months later the SXP2 debuted, my typical luck! I have a picture somewhere of a SXP, AXJ and AXD showing the size differences.

Thats what I thought the AXJ is a much larger mount. Was on the Vixen sight that I saw it so not sure. Sorry AXD

"Using the same high precision stepper motors as the top of the range AXD mount, the new SXP brings a new level of performance to the mid-range Vixen mount family." from here https://www.vixenoptics.co.uk/Pages/sxp_mount.htm. This was a review so maybe not accurate.

Any way they are all great mounts would be hard to buy something else , maybe 10micron but they are $$$$$.

I thought just buying a SXP2 mount only and see how much that would be not much Vixen stuff here in Australia.

Says it here also about the SXP2

Using the same high precision stepper motors as the top of the range AXD mount, the SXP2 brings a new level of performance to the mid-range Vixen mount family.
https://www.vixenoptics.co.uk/Pages/sxp2_mount.htm

Possibly though the AXD and AXD2 have always had more steps/ finer encoders than the SXP(2)
Either way the mounts are excellent value compared to the others that are available.