Vixen Mount Advanced Polaris AP-SM Starbook One (47790)

The Advanced Polaris equatorial mount is an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced astronomers who want a lightweight and portable mount for travel. It combines a sleek design with advanced engineering features.

This mount is built with an aluminum gearwheel that has a 58.4mm diameter and 144 teeth, providing precise adjustments on both axes. The 9mm diameter worm shafts are supported by two bearings each, ensuring smooth and reliable movement.

A standout feature of the Advanced Polaris is its adjustable slipper clutch. You can move your telescope freely in any direction without unlocking anything, and then fine-tune the position using rotary knobs. This clutch system works even when the mount is equipped with motors (AP-SM), making it easy and intuitive to navigate the sky.

For polar alignment, you can choose between a polar finder scope or the compass from the Vixen Polarie photo mount. The mount has connectors for both options. Using the compass allows for alignment without needing to bend down or have a direct view of Polaris. Both the polar finder and compass are available as accessories, and the mount can be further customized with a wide range of add-ons.

Star Book One Control System

The Star Book One controller is versatile and user-friendly, allowing tracking on both right ascension (R.A.) and declination (Dec) axes with variable speeds. It offers several tracking options, including sidereal, lunar, solar, and time-lapse speeds. Additional features include backlash compensation, an autoguider port, periodic error correction (PEC), and a built-in red LED light for night use.

The Star Book One is designed for the Vixen Advanced Polaris and SX2 mounts and is a key component of the Advanced Polaris R.A. motor module. If you want to motorize the declination axis as well, an additional declination motor module is needed. The SX2 mount comes with all motors pre-installed.

Motorizing the right ascension axis is sufficient for tracking during observations or astrophotography, as it compensates for the movement of the celestial sphere.

Star Book One dimensions: 13.7 x 6.5 x 2.1 cm
Weight: 110 g
CPU: 32-bit CISC processor

Key Features of Star Book One

• Four arrow buttons for direct motor control

• Two-line LCD display with adjustable red background for night vision

• English menu language

• Multiple tracking speeds, with adjustable rotation direction for different hemispheres

• Four slewing speeds for targeting celestial objects

• Backlash compensation for more responsive control when changing direction, especially useful at high magnification

• Supports autoguiding

• Periodic Error Correction (PEC) for improved tracking accuracy during long exposures

Specifications

• Model: Advanced Polaris

• Maximum additional load capacity: 6 kg

• Worm gear teeth (RA): 140

• Material of worm wheel: Brass

• Counterweight(s): 1 (1 kg)

• Slow-motion azimuth adjustment: +/- 6.5°

• Polar elevation setting: 0° to 65°

• Diameter of counterweight bar: 20 mm

• Motor type: Stepper motors

• Mounting saddle: Vixen-Style

• Battery-powered: Yes

• Power supply: 5V (USB)

• Drive type: Worm wheel

• Tracking on DEC axis: Manual

• Tracking on RA axis: Yes

• Motor-powered: Yes (Right Ascension)

• Tripod: Not included

• Pole finder: Not included

• Overall size (L x W x H): 26.3 x 30.2 x 9.6 cm

• Total weight: 3.6 kg

• Series: Advanced Polaris

• Type: Mount

• Type of build: Equatorial

• Battery type: Mignon (AA, LR6), 4 pieces

This mount, paired with the Star Book One controller, is a reliable and flexible solution for both visual astronomy and astrophotography, with plenty of options for customization and expansion.