Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I DO NOT RECOMMEND the VIXEN GP2 Equatorial Telescope Mount. I've been using VIXEN products from the late 70's and then the company was still rather young and trying hard to garner brand loyalty in the USA. In so doing VIXEN, at that time and it's leadership projected quality through both quality of finish and overall build quality, quality which extended to places less seen or not perceivable with in a static configuration or during a non operational state. This review pertains to mount ser#1434.
For starters, the Vixen GP2 Equatorial Mount has a nice surface finish and projects the initial perception of quality. Unfortunately, that quality stops abruptly at the surface as a quick inspection of the mount reveals numerous processes and manufacturing weakness that completely disrupts the end users experience. As a side note, this mount was packaged and drop shipped from Vixen without a copy of the assembly instructions or owner's manual.
1) The tapped bore hole for the counter weight shaft at the lower end of the DEC axis was improperly machined and positioned. The hole was not bored coaxially or normal with respects to the face cut at the end of the DEC. shaft. Instead, the shaft was bored on center but with an approximately 1 degree tilt error from normal (using 16" for the counter weight shaft length). This manufacturing error causes the end of the counter weight shaft to nutate about the axis of rotation, drawing out a circle of approximately 0.5 inch in diameter. Observe the end of the counter weight shaft on both videos*. Never before, in my 32 years of making and working with telescopes, have I seen a counter weight shaft nutate in this manner, not even from a cheap $100 mount sold by your typical discount retailer.
2) The threaded bore hole at the south end of the R.A. axis is horrendously cut. Again, and sadly so, I have never before encountered such poor quality machining work in any retail telescope mount, none the less from a supposed competent manufacturer like Vixen. Note in the photos* the continuous rings of sharp ridges, pitted valleys and gouges along the I.D. (inner diameter) thread faces indicating the presence of excessive tool chatter and chip build up. Not excluded but in a less bad condition are the O.D. threads. Threads of this nature will lead to premature ware and cross threading which with Aluminum can occur rather rapidly as the miss aligned and cut threads ware against the threads on the polar alignment scope generating unwanted metal chips and contaminants.
Such exceptionally low quality workmanship and the simple fact that the above part was ever released from manufacturing says that not only does Vixen have a serious short coming in their manufacturing process, but essential no QA (quality assurance) measures in place from the time the piece was first cut to the time the part was incorporated into the final integration and testing phase.
3) The DEC. Axis, Manual Motion Extension Shaft with Control Knob arrived broken. With the GP2 mount, the manual motion control knob used for the DEC. axis starts of identical to that which is used on the R.A. axis. The exception being, the addition of a shaft extension bonded to the back side of the DEC knob. In this case, not enough glue was applied to the back side of the knob; note the broken glue bond line in the photos*, allowing the knob to separate from the extension shaft. Rotate the knob or mount about the DEC or R.A. axis 45 degrees or more, reorienting the DEC knob and the DEC knob tends to fall off. The alternate is just as bad as one would have to seat and reseat the knob after each use, bumping the mount about and completely unsatisfactory.
4) As I shared above, the DEC. and R.A. Axis, Manual Motion Control Knobs are from the start, identical. However, with this particular mount, that was not the case. Note in the photos* above that the knob on the right has a deformed and incomplete press fit, hollow keyed, metal insert. Because of this, the knob with the broken shaft extension cannot be used in its native form. Should one try to attach the knob to the end of a motor shaft, the knob simply falls off. If you try to rotate the knob about the motor shaft, the knob simply spins in place, failing to couple with the motor shaft. By this point and time, I was already thoroughly discussed with what I had seen and didn't want to find another discrepancy.
5) The Polar Alignment Elevation Scale for this Equatorial Mount is a simple plastic disc that is glued outboard to the mechanical elevation interface for the tripod and R.A. axis. With this mount, the scaled fell out with in short order and needed to be reinserted. Unfortunately, this cap, with elevation scaled printed on it is supposed to be a factory set reference. Hence replacing the cap is not to be done in a haphazard manner. I've seen this design short coming occur in another VIXEN GP2 mount and thought that perhaps I was witness to a rare incident but from my personal experience with the mount appears to a common failing point.
6) When approached, the VIXEN representative on the phone tried to down play the importance of the problems and that perhaps such poor quality workmanship should be ignored as long as the telescope mount can still be used. Unfortunately, I was looking for more than that, and actually was expecting to receive a product that represented a high stand for quality. Sad as it may seem, but it appears that VIXEN has lower the standard for quality so low, that as long as it's not an appearance issue and not visible on the surface than anything goes.
That is not the sort of company I want to do business with. To buy a current GP2 mount would be the same as condoning unacceptable manufacturing and quality process. In conclusion, VIXEN needs to immediately change their suppliers and or subcontractors, and reassess their entire Quality Control and Manufacturing Process for the GP2 mount.
Minus one for DEC. shaft machining error.
Minus one for low quality threads cut in R.A. Shaft.
Minus half for broken DEC. axis slow motion control knob and shaft.
Minus half for build quality of Dec. axis slow motion control knob.
Minus half for poor and failed mounting of the R.A. elevation scale.
Minus half for missing instructions and owner's manual
* As per Amazon rules, I cannot post the video or photo URLs showing the nutating shaft and other problems.
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Product Description:
With smooth and accurate tracking, Vixen's GP2 Equatorial Mount is a platform for serious astronomers. This easy to use mount functions well for both the visual observer and the astrophotographer. The GP2 is an excellent choice for observers who want a simple, yet sturdy mount, with the ability to grow into a go-to system. Add the optional STAR BOOK-S for full go-to functionality. .A. Slow Motion Axis144-tooth wheel gears whole circle movementDEC Slow Motion Axis144-tooth wheel gears whole circle movement.
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