Vixen AP-SM Equatorial Mount with Star Book One Controller

Portable, Accurate, and Reliable

Want flawless long-exposure shots? The Vixen AP-SM Equatorial Mount offers steady celestial tracking without worrying about load capacity limits or tedious alignment issues.

Features

• Motorized Equatorial Mount: Achieve smooth, precise celestial tracking with an advanced motorized system that ensures stability and accuracy.
• Pulse Stepper Motor Technology: Offers precise, quiet movement for accurate tracking of celestial objects during long observation or astrophotography sessions.
• STAR BOOK ONE Controller: Navigate the night sky with ease using the intuitive Go-To controller featuring multiple tracking speeds and modes.
• Portable and Lightweight Design: Weighing just 3.9 kg (8.6 lbs), the mount is highly portable, making it perfect for both home and on-the-go astronomy sessions.
• Multiple Tracking and Slew Speeds: Choose from various tracking rates, including sidereal and solar, to capture celestial movements with unmatched precision.
• Backlash and PEC Compensation: Minimize inaccuracies caused by gear play and periodic error, allowing for smooth and precise tracking even during extended viewing.
• Vixen-Style Dovetail Saddle: Quickly and securely mount your telescope with the universally compatible Vixen-style dovetail, designed for ease of use.
• 13.2 lb Load Capacity: Capable of supporting telescopes and astrophotography equipment up to 6 kg, perfect for most amateur astronomy setups.
• Internal Power Supply: Conveniently powered by four AA batteries or a USB external power source, eliminating external wiring for a cleaner setup.

The Vixen AP-SM Equatorial Mount with Star Book One Controller is for you if…

• You’re looking for a portable and lightweight mount that makes traveling to dark-sky locations easy and hassle-free.
• You want precise and stable celestial tracking without complicated setups, perfect for both beginner and seasoned astronomers.
• You’re tired of dealing with cumbersome external power sources and prefer a mount that runs on standard AA batteries or a convenient USB connection.
• You need a mount with multiple tracking speeds for capturing celestial movements accurately, whether for visual observations or astrophotography.
• You’re an astrophotographer seeking a mount that provides backlash compensation and PEC control, ensuring clear, detailed images during long exposure sessions.
• You want to avoid complex wiring and prefer a clean, integrated design that powers your equipment internally for less clutter and more focus on stargazing.
• You value versatile tracking modes that include solar and sidereal rates, making it easier to track various celestial objects with pinpoint accuracy.
  

The Vixen AP-SM Equatorial Mount with Star Book One Controller is packed with advanced features tailored for astronomers who demand precision, portability, and ease of use. At its core, this mount utilizes a pulse stepper motor system that ensures smooth and accurate tracking of celestial objects, whether you're observing or engaging in astrophotography. The motor is engineered for silent, vibration-free operation, allowing you to capture long-exposure shots without worrying about mechanical interference.

Weighing just 3.9 kg (8.6 lbs) without the counterweight, the AP-SM is designed for easy transport, making it ideal for those who travel to dark-sky sites. Despite its light frame, it supports a robust 13.2 lb (6 kg) load capacity, capable of handling mid-sized telescopes like 80mm to 100mm refractors, or an 8-inch reflector, along with accessories such as cameras, autoguiders, and filters. The Vixen-style dovetail saddle offers quick and secure mounting for a wide range of telescope tubes, so you can effortlessly swap between instruments.

One of the most notable features is the STAR BOOK ONE Go-To controller, a handheld device that simplifies celestial tracking. Equipped with multiple tracking speeds—sidereal, lunar, solar, and king rates—this controller helps you follow a variety of celestial objects with pinpoint accuracy. The right ascension (RA) and declination (DEC) worm gears are made of high-quality brass and feature 144 teeth, ensuring smooth movement and precision across a 73.5 mm diameter RA axis and a 58.4 mm DEC axis. This level of mechanical precision allows for seamless tracking even during long exposure sessions, ensuring that objects stay centered in your field of view.

Power options are designed with mobility in mind. The mount operates on four AA batteries, providing up to four hoursof usage with a full telescope setup in temperatures around 20°C (68°F). For extended observation sessions, you can plug into a USB mobile power bank or a USB AC adapter via the built-in USB Micro-B terminal. This flexibility makes the AP-SM a great choice for remote stargazing, where access to electricity may be limited.

For astrophotographers, the mount includes backlash compensation and periodic error correction (PEC), both essential for eliminating minor mechanical errors that can affect the quality of your long-exposure photos. These advanced features ensure that even the tiniest movements are corrected, allowing for sharp, clear images of distant galaxies, nebulae, and planets. The RA slow motion worm gear system further refines your control, ensuring precise adjustments when framing objects through the eyepiece or camera.

The altitude and azimuth adjustment knobs allow for fine-tuning, with a range of 0-65° in altitude and 6.5° in azimuth per full rotation, giving you the accuracy needed for aligning and stabilizing your setup. The mount’s seven precision bearings offer smooth movement and added durability for long-term use.

The Vixen AP-SM is the perfect balance between portability and professional-grade functionality. Whether you’re a beginner seeking simplicity or an experienced astronomer looking for a reliable, customizable mount for your astrophotography, the AP-SM Equatorial Mount delivers everything you need. With its sleek design, modular capabilities, and high-end tracking precision, this mount will take your astronomy experience to the next level. If you're ready to enhance your stargazing or astrophotography efforts, this mount offers the perfect combination of performance, convenience, and reliability.

Everything You Need to Get Started Right Out of the Box

The Vixen AP-SM Equatorial Mount with Star Book One Controller comes fully equipped with all the essential accessories to get you stargazing immediately, without the need for additional purchases. This comprehensive package ensures that your setup is streamlined, user-friendly, and ready for action.

The highlight of this package is the STAR BOOK ONE Hand Controller, which puts the power of precision tracking in the palm of your hand. With its intuitive interface, you can easily navigate celestial objects using multiple tracking speeds, including sidereal and solar rates. The Star Book Cable is also included to seamlessly connect the controller to the mount, ensuring smooth communication and control of your telescope’s movements.

To balance your telescope perfectly, the package includes a sturdy Counterweight Bar and a 1kg Counterweight, designed to provide stable, even balance during celestial tracking. This ensures your telescope remains steady, even when observing or photographing objects at high magnifications. The counterweight system helps minimize vibrations, allowing you to focus on the night sky without distractions.

For easy adjustments and maintenance, you’ll also receive an Allen Wrench Set. This set is ideal for making any fine-tuned adjustments to the mount’s components, ensuring everything is tightly secured for optimal performance during long observation sessions.

With these essential accessories, the Vixen AP-SM package ensures you have everything you need to start exploring the universe, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned astronomer.

Enhance Your Stargazing Experience with the Perfect Companion: The Vixen Polar Meter

Take your celestial observations to the next level with the Vixen Polar Meter, the ideal accessory for achieving flawless polar alignment with your Vixen AP-SM Equatorial Mount. Designed to simplify one of the most critical aspects of astronomy, the Polar Meter makes it easy to align your mount, even in locations where Polaris is not visible. This tool provides precise polar axis alignment in minutes, removing the guesswork and ensuring that your telescope tracks celestial objects smoothly and accurately.

Whether you're observing from an urban area with obstructed views or simply want a quicker setup process, the Vixen Polar Meter saves time and frustration. By improving your alignment, it ensures longer, uninterrupted observation sessions and more accurate astrophotography results. If you're serious about getting the best performance from your AP-SM mount, the Polar Meter is a must-have accessory that will elevate your stargazing experience.