Vixen
has been making versions of the GP mount almost since the inception
of the company. It originally started out as the Polaris Mount, then
evolved through refinements as the Great Polaris Mount and with
further refinements now as the GPD2 Mount. As with all versions, the
GPD2 incorporates the same care and precision that is evident in all
Vixen products. This includes 100% inspection and testing on the
drive gears of all mounts.
You can be assured
that when you purchase a GPD2 mount it is going to work right out of
the box. To give you added assurance when this mount is purchased
through a certified Vixen Optics dealer, your warranty is increased
from 1 to 3 years.
The
GPD2 equatorial mount is the stronger and heftier of the GP
mounts. With its solid steel R. A. and Declination axes and
brass worm gears, this mount will hold up to years of heavy use.
In order to assure accurate tracking for astrophotography the
worm gears are especially machined to a very high precision that
minimizes periodic error
The GPD2 holds almost 50% more
weight than the GP2. It is easy to use and functions well for
both the visual observer and astrophotographer. Motion is
controlled by included control knobs for accurate slewing. The
polar altitude adjustment varies from 0° to 62° in altitude
The
latest option for the GP2 and GPD2 mounts is the new STARBOOK
S which incorporates Vixen’s legendary GOTO controller with
BUILT IN STAR CHART that shows you exactly where the telescope
is pointing and displays “what’s up” right now. The included
(and upgradeable) software contains a 22,000 object database
giving the user an endless variety of objects to view. Included
are drop down menus of different categories of celestial
objects, including Stars, Planets, Messier,
NGC and other famous objects. Each sub menu only lists the
objects that are available to be viewed at that time. This
eliminates the frustration of other GOTO systems that don’t tell
you the object is below the
horizon until after you have selected it. With the Vixen
Starbook you will spend more time viewing and less time
searching
The package
includes advanced encoded motors for accurate
tracking
and an auto-guider port and PEC (periodic error correction) are
standard features. All of this makes the GP2 and GPD2 with
STARBOOK S the most affordable, quality astro-photographer’s
mount available
The
package includes advanced encoded motors for accurate tracking
and an auto-guider port and PEC (periodic error correction) are
standard features. All of this makes the GP2 and GPD2 with
STARBOOK S the most affordable, quality astro-photographer’s
mount available.
