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Regreasing the Vixen GPDX equatorial mount

Copyright (c) Carsten A. Arnholm.


Where I live (Norway), it sometimes gets colder than the standard GPDX grease appreciates, resulting in a very stiff mount. I therefore decided to follow where others had gone before, and regrease the GPDX using low temperature grease. I used Biral LTG Low temperature Grease, a lithium based grease with temperature range from -50C to +80C.

These pages contain images and notes on how I dismantled and regreased my GPDX. The procedure I followed was based on a similar description for the CG5 mount found at http://www.astronomyboy.com/cg5/ . The CG5 is a clone of the GPDX, but there are some few differences. I recommend studying that CG5 site well before starting the work on your GPDX mount, and use my pictures and notes as supplementary information. It is not terribly difficult, but a methodical approach is recommended.

To read the details and see higher resolution images, click any of the thumbnails below or start with the top left one and continue pressing the "Next" link on each page.

Test results: After greasing/reassembling the GPDX, I performed a periodic error test, the results can be seen here. In short, the mount has an uncorrected periodic error of 30 arc seconds (peak to valley), and less than 5 arc seconds when subject to periodic error correction.

DISCLAIMER: These pages simply reflect what I did to my mount. I do not guarantee that I did everything correctly. Be aware that you may void any warranty on your mount by performing these operations. I accept no responsibility for any damage you may inflict on your mount by following these instructions. If you decide to dismantle your mount, it is entirely YOUR responsibility to avoid damage.

PDF versions of these pages
Many thanks to Stéphane Poirier at http://astrosurf.com/c8/ for making PDFs and for french translation!
English language PDF
French language PDF


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