Product Details
The quiet and speedy Vixen Skypod Motorized Altazimuth Mount offers super-simple setup and an included 2.6" monochrome LCD controller that functions much like a handheld video game. This quality Japanese-made mount's backed by Vixen's 5-year warranty, quite beyond the standard for electronics.
The Skypod's Starbook-S screen displays a star map which, in the "scope mode", controls the telescope's slewing speed-push a button to 'zoom in' on an area on the star map, and the mount will accordingly slow down its movements. Select anything you like on the map and the telescope immediately centers upon that object. The 22,000-object dropdown menu only lists objects available to be viewed at that time you're viewing, eliminating the frustration of other systems that don't tell you the object is below the horizon until after you've selected it.
Skypod & Starbook-S let you spend your time viewing, not just searching for a view, and do so without cords strewn about or large counterweights. Alignment's easy; there's a once-per-location entry of date/time/latitude/longitude (use a GPS device if possible) which is retained as long as depleted batteries are replaced within the controller within one hour. Beyond that, just get the scope roughly level and pointing west (east in the southern hemisphere) and center upon any two bright stars 10-90° apart in the rotation axis.
This mount requires a Vixen dovetail plate under your scope (included with any Vixen optical tube assembly). Though all Vixen plates work, considering Skypod's compact dimensions and light duty specification the basic #2661 plate or the #2662 plate (which offers fore-and-aft adjustment for better balance() are best. This mount's made for enjoyable observing with smaller scopes, and though you can certainly do some digiscoping of bright stuff with smaller cameras it isn't intended for long-exposure imaging with SLR/CCD cameras.
The body of Skypod has a completely internal motor drive assembly which uses 8 "AA" batteries. You'll get ~8 hours of operation in warm conditions, so there's an optional "D" battery box which yields many nights of use as well as an AC adapter if you've got an electrical socket within reach. But for the longest sessions in the field, combine Vixen's cigarette lighter adapter with a Celestron Power Tank. The hand controller does also require 4 "AA" batteries and is only specified for ~8 hours in warm weather; try Energizer's lithium batteries for better performance.
This version of Skypod's delivered without any tripod. Vixen's two proprietary options (the SX Tabletop Tripod and full size AL130-SP tripod) are listed here as accessories. The bottom of the Skypod mount does have a 3/8"-16 threaded socket to mount upon standard tripods, but unless you've got a really large tripod with a broad rubber mounting platform it isn't the most safest of connections. The Skypod mount's bottom is therefore not flat, but rather two parallel planes offset by ~1.5" (4cm) with the center lower than the edges. Vixen's support options' matched cavity accepts the Skypod mount head most securely.
• Innovative, sturdy altazimuth "GO-TO" mount with accurate tracking
• Smooth multiple-speed electrical motion (up to 900x sidereal time) for both 70-tooth axes
• 2.6" 160 x 160-pixel Starbook-S monochrome LCD panel
• Integrated Starbook-S controller can be removed for cable-remote control, and stores upon mount without external cabling to snag
• "Scope Mode" allows selected points upon star map to automatically direct scope
• "Chart Mode" allows browsing star map without affecting telescope's position
• Starbook-S can be used alone, or as a binocular guide
• Starbook-S LCD requires 4 "AA" alkaline/lithium/NiMh batteries (no external alternatives)
Motor drive requires 8 "AA" batteries for ~8 hours operation @ 68°F/20°C
Optional AC adapter, D battery box, or cigarette lighter adapter for motor drive
• Optional #2518 half pillar eliminates obstruction and aids comfort with longer telescopes
• Accommodates <5.5 lbs (2.5kg) scopes as delivered
Scopes 5.5-11.0 lbs (2.5-5.5kg) require optional #27610 counterweight
• Requires a Vixen dovetail plate (included with all Vixen optical tube assemblies)
• Requires tripod or tabletop tripod
• Made in Japan
The Skypod's Starbook-S screen displays a star map which, in the "scope mode", controls the telescope's slewing speed-push a button to 'zoom in' on an area on the star map, and the mount will accordingly slow down its movements. Select anything you like on the map and the telescope immediately centers upon that object. The 22,000-object dropdown menu only lists objects available to be viewed at that time you're viewing, eliminating the frustration of other systems that don't tell you the object is below the horizon until after you've selected it.
Skypod & Starbook-S let you spend your time viewing, not just searching for a view, and do so without cords strewn about or large counterweights. Alignment's easy; there's a once-per-location entry of date/time/latitude/longitude (use a GPS device if possible) which is retained as long as depleted batteries are replaced within the controller within one hour. Beyond that, just get the scope roughly level and pointing west (east in the southern hemisphere) and center upon any two bright stars 10-90° apart in the rotation axis.
This mount requires a Vixen dovetail plate under your scope (included with any Vixen optical tube assembly). Though all Vixen plates work, considering Skypod's compact dimensions and light duty specification the basic #2661 plate or the #2662 plate (which offers fore-and-aft adjustment for better balance() are best. This mount's made for enjoyable observing with smaller scopes, and though you can certainly do some digiscoping of bright stuff with smaller cameras it isn't intended for long-exposure imaging with SLR/CCD cameras.
The body of Skypod has a completely internal motor drive assembly which uses 8 "AA" batteries. You'll get ~8 hours of operation in warm conditions, so there's an optional "D" battery box which yields many nights of use as well as an AC adapter if you've got an electrical socket within reach. But for the longest sessions in the field, combine Vixen's cigarette lighter adapter with a Celestron Power Tank. The hand controller does also require 4 "AA" batteries and is only specified for ~8 hours in warm weather; try Energizer's lithium batteries for better performance.
This version of Skypod's delivered without any tripod. Vixen's two proprietary options (the SX Tabletop Tripod and full size AL130-SP tripod) are listed here as accessories. The bottom of the Skypod mount does have a 3/8"-16 threaded socket to mount upon standard tripods, but unless you've got a really large tripod with a broad rubber mounting platform it isn't the most safest of connections. The Skypod mount's bottom is therefore not flat, but rather two parallel planes offset by ~1.5" (4cm) with the center lower than the edges. Vixen's support options' matched cavity accepts the Skypod mount head most securely.
• Innovative, sturdy altazimuth "GO-TO" mount with accurate tracking
• Smooth multiple-speed electrical motion (up to 900x sidereal time) for both 70-tooth axes
• 2.6" 160 x 160-pixel Starbook-S monochrome LCD panel
• Integrated Starbook-S controller can be removed for cable-remote control, and stores upon mount without external cabling to snag
• "Scope Mode" allows selected points upon star map to automatically direct scope
• "Chart Mode" allows browsing star map without affecting telescope's position
• Starbook-S can be used alone, or as a binocular guide
• Starbook-S LCD requires 4 "AA" alkaline/lithium/NiMh batteries (no external alternatives)
Motor drive requires 8 "AA" batteries for ~8 hours operation @ 68°F/20°C
Optional AC adapter, D battery box, or cigarette lighter adapter for motor drive
• Optional #2518 half pillar eliminates obstruction and aids comfort with longer telescopes
• Accommodates <5.5 lbs (2.5kg) scopes as delivered
Scopes 5.5-11.0 lbs (2.5-5.5kg) require optional #27610 counterweight
• Requires a Vixen dovetail plate (included with all Vixen optical tube assemblies)
• Requires tripod or tabletop tripod
• Made in Japan
