Large, tapered bearings in the R.A. axis and a wider distance between the bearing stands contributes to the mount's 37.5-pound loading capacity. The SXP2 uses the same R.A. body forks as the high-end AXJ equatorial, ensuring light weight, strength, and stability.

A total 16 bearings are set in the mechanical parts such as the R.A. and DEC axes and worm gears of the SXP2 equatorial mount. This configuration realizes smooth movements without stress.

Among the STAR BOOK TEN's functions is P-PEC, a great advantage in celestial tracking. The PEC stands for Periodic Error Correction and it electrically rectifies uneven motion of the tracking gear wheels, which is inherent in gear-driven systems. For the SXP2 equatorial mount, a P-PEC function function retains the records of your corrections after the power is turned off on the equatorial mount. It is not necessary to obtain the data every time and it achieves more accurate tracking quickly.

The belt drive system that drives the worm gears minimizes backlash and noise and makes the mount more responsive.

The heavy R.A. and DEC motor units are placed in the lower part of the declination body so that the center of balance of the equatorial mount shifts to below the crossing point of the R.A. and DEC axes. This makes the declination body act as a counterweight. Also, the low-profile mount head allows the equatorial mount to balance with less weight.

The stainless steel counterweight bar is 0.8" thick and allows for using all the counterweights for the SX series of the equatorial mounts. The counterweight bar is stored inside the declination body, aiding in quick setup.

The polar alignment scope allows you to align the equatorial mount to the north or south celestial poles with simple adjustments using built-in scales and reticle. In the case of the northern hemisphere, it is possible to align to within 3 arc minutes easily by setting Polaris and other two stars simultaneously to the designated position on the scales. The polar scope's reticle is illuminated in red in the dark field of view by a push of the button. It is convenient as you can view stars on the relatively dark background. Also, it is a great help as all the alignment can be finished in the dark while looking through the polar scope. The brightness of the illuminated reticle can be adjusted in 8 levels, so you can adjust it to your preference. The red light becomes gradually dimmer after a certain interval of time (about one or two minutes) and turns off automatically.

The 35mm-diameter mount head features eight threaded holes for M8 screws that are arranged at an intervals of 45 degrees. Choose the screw holes that are appropriate to your saddle plate that holds the telescope tube.

STAR BOOK TEN allows you to slew automatically to the given celestial object, bring it into the field of view of your telescope, and then start tracking it continuously. Various celestial navigation functions are displayed beautifully on a wide 5" TFT color LCD. Easy-to-use commands and direction keys can be backlit in red to let you operate the controller comfortably in a dark observing site.

There is an accessory shoe for an optional polar meter, which is a compass with a bubble level and an altitude scale used for locating Polaris with ease. It allows for simple setup in daytime.