The new iOptron SkyTracker is an ultra-portable tracking camera mount for DSLR astrophotography.
The SkyTracker makes it easy to take long exposures of the night sky without streaking or star trailing, allowing you to photograph incredible detail in the night sky with any DSLR or even a compact camera.
The rotation of the earth makes stars appear as long streaks in long exposure photographs of the night sky, however the SkyTracker can be attached to a standard camera tripod to track sky-movement, eliminating star-trailing.
Any digital (or film) camera which allows exposures of over a minute can be used to take stunning photos of the night sky.
The SkyTracker has a very strong metal body and even the mounting gimball is made from metal. In fact there are no plastic parts in the casing, it's connection to the camera tripod, or it's connection to the camera. It can be fine-adjusted in latitude too. This is a significant improvement on existing tracking devices of this type.
The SkyTracker is simple to set up. Just attach the unit to a standard camera tripod with 3/8" UNC format screw. Then slide and lock your digital camera into the saddle. Align SkyTrackerTM to Polaris, the North Star, using the included dark field illuminated polar scope. Then turn on the motor and it keeps your camera tracking at the same speed the earth rotates! The unique DC servo motor keeps your camera in motion to avoid star trails and allows you to take long exposures for beautiful images of the night sky. SkyTrackerTM runs on 4AA batteries for portability at any location.
Recommended Accessories: An optional ball-head is available for the Sky Tracker, please see the Pull down menu below.
Feature summary: Attaches to any standard camera tripod Accepts cameras weighing up to 6.6 lbs (3 kg) Auto-tracking for smooth camera motion, perfect for long exposures Cast aluminum body with plastic painting finish Integrated compass and latitude adjustment wedge for easy polar alignment Also includes AccuAligningTM dark-field illuminated polar scope Up to 24 hours of operation on 4AA batteries Padded carry bag included Optional ball heads available separately
Type: Ultra Compact EQ mount for DSLR imaging Payload (MAX): 3 kg (6.6 lbs) Weight: 1.1 kg w/o batteries Dimensions: 153 x 104 x 58 mm Base Tripod Connection: 3/8" large photo tripod Tracking: R.A. auto Tracking Speeds: Cel, 1/2Cel, N/S Latitude Adjust Range: 0 ~ 70 degrees Polar Scope: 6 degree FOV with dark field illumination Power Consumption: DC 4.8 ~ 6V, 0.06A at Max. load Power Requirement: 4x AA batteries (not included) External Power: DC 9 ~ 12V (Optional) Duration of operation: 24 hours at 20C Compass: Built-in. Drive wheel: 80mm, 156 teeth Aluminum Alloy Worm gear: 11 mm, brass Bearings: 4x separate bearings Motor Drive: DC servo motor Operating temperature: -10~40C Manufacturer Warranty: One year limited
There is much to admire in the Mach1GTO. It is beautifully machined, intelligently designed, precisely fabricated and assembled, and it has sophisticated electronics and servo drive controls.
But the bottom line is performance and results. In February 2007, Roland Christen posted results of a very cold imaging session to the the Yahoo ap-gto group. The mount performed beautifully, and the results posted there prove it.
Whether your Mach1GTO makes a permanent home in your observatory, explores your favorite observing sites or travels to the ends of the earth with you, it will allow you to optimize your observing sessions to the max.
Ideal instruments include: Astro-Physics and similar fast refractors up to our 160 mm f7.5 StarFire EDF, 8-11" SCTs, 6-8" Maks or any scopes of a similar size, up to 10" RCT
Versatility
Portable Enough for Airline Travel Transport this rigid observing platform to your dream destination. The entire mount will fit into a single rugged case that will roll easily through airports or to your car. If needed, the R.A. and Dec. axes split easily into two pieces to fit into a more compact case.
Operate with 12V battery or Regulated Power Supply You can take it to the darkest skies and power it with a commonly available 12V battery. In the observatory, we suggest a minimum 5-amp filtered, regulated power supply.
Image Past the Meridian The mount will track and guide well past the meridian in either direction if the object is located such that the telescope will clear the pier. This allows the user to set up the mount for a long series of exposures without stopping in the middle to flip sides. One can start the telescope under the mount while pointing at an object in the eastern part of the sky and track it all the way deep into the western sky. This is very useful for long exposure H-alpha or in cases where a large number of individual exposures are needed for stacking.
Dennis di Cicco had this to say about the "powerful meridian delay feature" in his 2007 review: ". . . makes it easy to set up photographs that track across the meridian without interruption. It may sound like a small feature on paper, but I found it extremely useful in the field . . ."
Easy Alignment for Non-critical Observing
You can align the Mach1GTO using setup routines in the keypad, or with a polar alignment scope to quickly zero in on the pole for most non-critical observing or to get close before tweaking in for imaging (polar scope not included). We recommend either the PASILL4L or the prior PASILL4 or PASILL3 models since they can rotate in the axis. You can even align the mount during the day with our clever Daytime Polar Alignment Routine (outlined in the Keypad Manual) for solar observing, viewing the planets at twilight, or just getting a jump start on a long night.
Multiple Options for Controlling your Mount in the Field or Your Observatory
You have your choice of the GTO Keypad (included), which is a full-featured handheld computer, PC computers using a wide variety of software with or without our ASCOM driver, Mac computers or even your mobile smart device (like your iPhone or iPad). The Astro-Physics command language is available to those who need to write their own software. GTO control options are discussed in detail at this link.
Mechanical Features
Precise Mechanical Fabrication
Using modern CNC machining techniques, AP make all components to a high precision level, which results in a final package that is solid and accurate in all respects. The critical angles are accurately machined so that the mount is orthogonal to a very high degree. This results in pointing accuracies well below 1 arc minute for a properly aligned mount.
Although the Mach1GTO is very light for its size and load rating, it has been machined out of solid aluminum to withstand the high axial and thrust loads that a medium-sized telescope places on the mount under real-world observing conditions. The mount is solidly built and will withstand gusting winds without excessive shake or vibration. We used high-quality machine tool bearings, rated in excess of 400 lb. static and dynamic load, on the main axis shafts. Both worm wheels turn smoothly with no runout throughout their 360 degree range.
Dennis di Cicco had this to say about the Mach1GTO's performance:
"The mounts tracking and Go To pointing are among the most accurate Ive ever tested. At the end of each night Id park the scope and turn off the power. Whether an hour, day, or week elapsed until Id power up the mount again and resume from park, it would have perfect sync with the sky even to the point of hiding stars behind my finderscopes crosshairs when Id check the alignment by slewing to them in a bright twilight sky . . .
Such Go To pointing precision comes in handy when shooting photographic mosaics, making a sequence of deep exposures of the same field on multiple nights, or hunting difficult targets by eye."
GTO Servo Drive System
The drive system uses a high-quality Swiss DC servo motor controlled by a microprocessor to an accuracy of 0.05 arc-seconds per step. Tracking is very smooth, noticeably smoother than any stepper motor drive or inexpensive servo motor. The system can be accurately controlled over a speed range of 4800:1, which allows 0.25x sidereal for manual guiding to 1200x sidereal for 5 degree per second slewing. The circuit draws only 0.4 amps when tracking the stars, 2 amps with both motors slewing and requires only 12 volts to operate. The servo drive will satisfy the requirements of the sophisticated, advanced astrophotographer, yet is easy for the casual, visual observer to use.
Gear Accuracy and PE Performance
The heart of this mount is a precision gearbox using custom high-quality fine-pitch gears, coupled to a highly accurate worm and worm wheel. These parts are manufactured and assembled at our facility and individually tested to meet or exceed our periodic error specification of 7 arc seconds (+/- 3.5 arc sec.) before introducing any periodic error correction. The PE is smoothly variant with extremely low ripple or moment to moment error. In contrast, mounts that use integral gearboxes have very small spur gears with tiny teeth and too few of them. This generally causes ripples in the tracking rate which are difficult to guide out.
Each mount is rigorously tested on our specialized periodic error tester. Only mounts that provide an accuracy of 7 arc seconds or better will pass this inspection. If the mount exhibits greater error, the substandard part is identified, replaced and the mount is retested.
Pre-loaded PEMPro Curve
As mentioned above, the spec of 7 arc seconds (+/- 3.5 arc sec.) is the maximum native mechanical error inherent in the mount's RA axis WITHOUT any software correction. In order optimize performance even further, we use a special version of Ray Gralak's PEMPro (described below) developed specifically for our test equipment. We generate a unique PE curve for each mount that we program into each GTOCP3 Control Box. Simply use the Keypad or your Astro-Physics software (ASCOM V2 driver, PulseGuide or APCC) to turn the PE Correction "on" and you will see results significantly better than our published 7 arc second spec without additional PEMPro runs! However, you may use PEMPro to further refine your PE, if you chose to do so.
PEMPro (available from CCDWare) is a very powerful program that allows the user to characterize the periodic error to a high degree of accuracy and to reduce it dramatically for long unguided exposures. It is especially useful for this mount since the average worm rotation error is already quite low, and the short term ripple error is almost nonexistent. If you are a serious imager, you may wish to consider purchasing PEMPro, especially down the road as your worm gear runs in. Depending on usage, re-measuring error and re-loading periodic error correction from one to four times a year is a good practice, especially if you do some unguided images from time to time. Additional PEMPRo runs are not necessary for visual observers.
GTOCP3 Control Box
The GTOCP3 Control Box contains all of the circuitry to drive the two servo motors and the logic required to navigate the sky. It can be easily removed from the mount, if required. The Mach1GTO uses the same GTOCP3 Control Box (with the exception of the completely black-anodized exterior), as its big brothers - the 900GTO and 1200GTO mounts. In fact, the control boxes for all three mounts are interchangeable with one another in an emergency. Extensive information regarding the GTOCP3 can be found here.
GTO Keypad
The Keypad is a self-contained computer that allows you to control all essential telescope functions and includes an extensive database of objects. We have designed the interface and firmware to be as intuitive and easy to use as possible, while filling it with terrific features to make your observing session productive and pleasurable. Click here for detailed information regarding features and functions of the Keypad.
Please note there is a limited supply of Mach 1 GTO at this price.
Construction All CNC machined aluminum bar stock, stainless steel, brass; stainless steel fasteners Finishing and Assembly Every part is hand-finished and inspected. All assembly is done by hand, by highly skilled mount assembly staff. Worm wheel - R.A./Dec. 5.9" (150 mm), 225 tooth aluminum Worm gear - R.A./Dec. Brass, 0.705" (17.9 mm) diameter Axis shaft - R.A./Dec. 2.36" (60 mm) diameter Shaft axis bearings - R.A./Dec. 3.1" (78 mm) diameter, 2 per axis Latitude range 0 to 70 degrees with or without the polar scope attached, engraved scale Azimuth adjustment Approximately 13 degrees (+/- 6.5 degrees from center) Counterweight shaft 1.125" (29 mm) diameter x 14.5" (368 mm) long [13.625" (346.1 mm) useable length], incl. washer and safety knob. Optional counterweight shaft (M1053-A) available: 1.875" (48 mm) diameter x 10.7" (272 mm) long; fits inside Dec. axis for transport. Weight of mount Total: 32.1 lb. (14.6 kg) R.A. axis/polar fork: 16.5 lb. (7.5 kg) Dec. axis: 11.5 lb. (5.2 kg) Counterweight shaft: 4.1 lb. (1.9 kg) Capacity Approximately 45 lb. (20 kg) scope and accessories (not including counterweights), depending on length. Recommended for: Astro-Physics and similar fast refractors up to our 160 mm f7.5 Starfire EDF, 8-11" SCTs and 6-8" Maks. These are only guidelines. Some telescopes are very long for their weight or heavy for their size and will require a larger mount. Remember also that imaging requirements are more rigid than visual observation. Instrument mounting interface
Refer to list of suitable mounting plates below Diameter of base 5.800" (147.32 mm) diameter
GTO Servo Drive System Specifications
Electronic components Rated for industrial and automotive applications Motors Zero-cogging Swiss DC servo motors, enclosed in machined, aluminum housing Motor encoder 2000 tic quadrature yielding an effective resolution of 0.050 arcseconds per tic Motor reduction gear train 57.6:1 gear reduction through a custom built set of large diameter, fine-toothed, precision, spur gears for vastly superior performance Servo Motor Control Box GTOCP3 Control Box; black-anodized to match the mount Included: machined aluminum Control Box Adapter and cloth Control Box Pouch;
Hand-held computer GTO Keypad to control all mount functions.Includes extensive databases and tour features in a simple, intuitive interface. Firmware updates via the internet Power consumption ~ 0.3 to 0.5 amps at 13.8 volts - tracking ~ 1.0 to 2.2 amps at 13.8 volts - both motors slewing at 1200x Power requirements Nominal 12 volt DC supply at minimum of 5 amps continuous Periodic error 7 arc seconds peak-to-peak (+/- 3.5 arc seconds) or less in one worm cycle (6.4 minutes); native, prior to any error correction
Maximum slew speed 5 degrees / second
** Please Note as at 5 February 2013**
10 Micron have imposed a price increase. In addition the falling currency rates mean that a significant retail price increase will be imposed as soon as we have sold through the remaining small batch of mounts we have on order.
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10 Micron are one the highest regarded manufacturers of high precision ultra high quality mountings in the business.
We would like to introduce the new GM1000 HPS equatorial mounting. This mount slots in perfectly in terms of price and load bearing capacity between lower quality mass produced mounts and similar quality but more expensive and larger mounts such as the Paramount MX.
The GM1000 HPS features:
Absolute on-axis encoders in RA & Dec, featuring more than 10 million increments (interpolated), fully encapsulated and calibrated
Provides up to 0.5 RMS tracking accuracy - for long duration UNGUIDED imaging - even at long focal lengths
Closed loop (encoder controlled) satellite tracking
speed - up to 20°/s
Extremely low power consumption and miniature format (20 x 15 x 8cm) electronics
After an observing session, the entire electronics Box (motor electronics with Linux computer) and HC can be easily detached and protected from premature aging and moisture damage
Service friendly design - electronics box and HC can be easily exchanged for service, without returning the precisely adjusted HPS mount
Automatic refraction correction function implemented the only way for perfect unguided tracking during long exposures
Intuitively operated V2 software and QSI motor control system, integrated into an onboard Linux computer intelligence built-in
No external PC or laptop mandatory in the fi eld all functions in the onboard computer can be accessed via stand-alone hand control unit (HC)
Precise multistar pointing models, entering satellite and comet trajectories, programming individual observing sessions and much more
Well documented fi rmware and drivers, working autonomously w/o additional planetarium software, without need for external RS-232 converters / USB ports
Excellent documentation in English and German
Electronic balance - requiring one time balancing only
Ultra stable pointing models for safe East/West load reversal no change of pointing model necessary when changing accessories
Precise polar alignment software aided and accomplished within minutes
Fully remote controlled via your observatory PC with 10/100 LAN included, perfectly prepared for your future Internet observatory
Remote diagnostics assist option via Internet
The GM1000 HPS has a max load bearing capacity of 55 to 60 lbs and is both portable and easily manageable in the field.
Tests with 3600 second long unguided exposures have show tracking accuracy within +/- 0.5 arc seconds.
DRIVE MECHANICS Self-locking, high-precision worm-wheeldrives with classic friction clutches Internal wiring no external mount cables (GM 1000 HPS) High torque Servo DC motors eliminate imbalance motor stall GM 1000 HPS with ultra portable on-axis encoder mount for uncompromizing stand-alone field use DRIVE ELECTRONICS Ultra-high-precision RA & Dec on axis encoders, featuring morethan 10 million increments (interpolated), fully encapsulated and calibrated Up to 0.5 RMS tracking accuracy - for long duration unguided imaging Closed loop (encoder controlled) satellite tracking speed - up to 20°/s Extremely low power consumption and miniature format (20 x 15 x 8cm) electronics After an observing session, the entire electronics box (motor electronics with Linux computer) and HC can be easily detached and protected from premature aging and moisture damage Service friendly design - electronics box and HC can be easily exchanged for service, without returning the precisely adjusted HPS mount NGC 891.400 s unguided exposure with GM 2000 HPS 0.7 arcsecond/pixel scale
FIRMWARE Automatic refraction correction function implemented the only way for perfect unguided tracking during long exposures Intuitively operated V2.7 software and QSI motor control system, integrated into an onboard Linux computer intelligence built-in No external PC or laptop mandatory in the field all functions in the onboard computer can be accessed via stand-alone hand control unit (HC) Precise multistar pointing models, entering satellite and comet trajectories, programming individual observing sessions and much more Well documented firmware and drivers, working autonomously w/o additional planetarium software, without need for external RS-232 converters / USB ports Excellent documentation in English and German Electronic balance - requiring one time balancing only Ultra stable pointing model for safe East/West load reversal no change of pointing model necessary when changing accessories Precise polar alignment software aided and accomplished within minutes Fully remote controlled via your observatory PC with 10/100 LAN included, perfectly prepared for your future robotic observatory.
The 10 Micron GM 2000 HPS is the bigger brother of the GM 1000 HPS mount and uses the same technology.
Boosted by a high-accuracy absolute encoders on each axis the GM2000HPS provides absolute positioning, thus eliminating the need for homing or zeroing procedures. You will not lose your alignment by moving the mount by hand, releasing the clutches, even when the mount is unpowered, for example in case of power outages. This means ease of use when operating in the field, since the setup procedure is much faster. This means also additionalal security for remote operation, since there is absolutely no way you can lose your alignment, even in case of slippage.
The absolute encoder provides also high-accuracy, sub‑arcsecond tracking feedback, eliminating the need for autoguiding in the vast majority of applications.
The dual axis tracking function ensures correct tracking in case of polar misalignment, and is able to correct for atmospheric refraction.
The GM2000HPS is able to point and track artificial satellites thanks to its slew speed of 20 °/s.
In Summary the GM 2000 HPS offers the following
The GM2000 HPS features:
Provides up to 0.6 RMS tracking accuracy - for long duration UNGUIDED imaging - even at long focal lengths
The GM2000 HPS has a max load bearing capacity of 132 lbs and is both portable and easily manageable in the field.
The M-Uno is an exciting and innovative new mount for high precision astro photography.
It is made in Italy by DAL SASSO Srl, a company with more than 30 years of experience in the field of high precision mechanics and marketed with the AVALON INSTRUMENTS trademark.
The M-Uno design has abandoned the traditional worm and gear arrangement in favour of a new transmission system based on pulleys and tooth belts, for both right ascension and declination.
This belt driven design produces various benefits over the traditional geared designs including
Very consistent motion, without play and the sudden peaks associated with traditional mounts, these are factors that are of particular importance for long exposure deep sky astro imaging.
Traditional mounts always suffer from backlash to a greater or lesser extent particularly in the declination axis The Linear Belt driven transmission system can now quickly reverse the Declination motion, without any backlash This is the reason for the name: FAST REVERSE.
It is wortwhile stressing that, since the motion transmission in traditional gear-worm systems have just one contact point, any error on each of the two components will, sooner or later, result in tracking errors.
However, with the pulley-tooth belt system, no direct contact occurs and the motion is transmitted by the belt working with some 50% to 90% of the girth surface. Consequently, any errors are balanced among the cogs, and are lower in amplitude with respect to the geared ones
We have been testing the mount and have found even with very long focal length telescopes by adopting a low guide rate of 0.125x sidereal the M-Uno mount delivery pinpoint round stars over long exposures.
The single fork arm also means that there are no meridian flip issues as is the case with German Equatorial mounts and thus the mount will track a target from East through the Meridan into the West uninterrupted.
Another advantage of the single fork arm design is the absence of a long counterweight shaft. In an observatory in particular this frees up a significant amount of room.
No wear, No Friction.
No wearing effects will occur since no friction occurs amongst the various parts. In fact, the pulleys and the axes rotate on roller bearings, 13 for the right ascension, 12 for the declination. The tooth belts are the same as used in car engines (with steel core), which are designed to work for 100.000 Km at an average speed of 2000 rpm, facing a 0-100°C thermal range in a few minutes. Compared to that, the stress supported by the belts working on these mounts is extremely low guaranteeing almost eternal life !
The mount as standard comes equipped with a Pier Top Adaptor and the Skywatcher Synscan Goto Controller.
The Synscan offers a simple and reliable goto performance that can be cobtrolled independently via the hand set or via a PC running popular Planetarium software via the included PC Connection cable.
In addition a EQDir adaptor is included with the mount which can be run via the EQMod suite of software.
In addition comes equipped with Pole Finder Telescope and Losmandy compatible Saddle Plate
Our early tests have left us very impressed with the M-Uno mount.
The LINEAR mount is specifically designed for astroimagers, with some important features including
- Excellent performances in guided imaging, even with high focal lengths, up to 3 metres - Simple and original design - Really portable and lightweight, with its useful handle and a weight of only 12.5 kg, without counterweight and bar - Payload capacity up to 20 kg in imaging (best choice 15-18 kg) - High quality manufacturing, all parts are designed for long lasting use, made of anodized aluminium and stainless steel, directly milled obtained from single blocks thanks to high precision 5 axes CNC machines. - Reliable and consistent performance
- Easily suitable to the main commercial tripods, such as Baader AHT, Skywatcher EQ6 Tripod, Geoptik and several others.
The Linear Fast Reverse is an exciting and innovative new mount for high precision astro photography.
The Linear mount design has abandoned the traditional worm and gear arrangement in favour of a new transmission system based on pulleys and tooth belts, for both right ascension and declination.
However, with the pulley-tooth belt system, no direct contact occurs and the motion is transmitted by the belt working with some 50% to 90% of the girth surface. Consequently, any errors are balanced among the cogs, and are lower in amplitude with respect to the geared ones.
The Linear Fast Reverse is a German Equatorial mount design with a load bearing capacity of up to 20kg for astro imaging. It is perfect for telescopes such as the popular Celestron and Meade SCT,ACF and Edge HD designs up to 11" of aperture. It is also a very good choice for up to 6" refractors and 10" Ritchey Chretien designs including our own IKHAROS RC10 CFT Truss Tube telescope.
The mount has bveen extensively tested with up to 3m focal length instruments and has proven to give reliable pin point tracking over very long sub exposure lengths.
The Synscan offers a simple and reliable goto performance that can be controlled independently via the hand set or via a PC running popular Planetarium software via the included PC Connection cable.
In addition an EQDir adaptor is included with the mount which can be run via the EQMod suite of software.
The Linear Fast Reverse is a highly accurate and portable mount which can handle long focal length scopes easily in the field as well as in the observatory and provide the tracking precision necessary for round pinpoint stars even at the sampling rates of under 1 arc second per pixel typical with 2m or longer focal length telescopes.
The Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6GT is an exciting evolutionary development of the hugely successful NEQ6 PRO.
The AZ-EQ6GT is a dual purpose, fully functional computerised heavy-duty Go-To/Tracking astronomical mount in both Alt-Azimuth (AZ) and Equatorial (EQ) modes. Supplied with a Synscan handset with dual AZ/EQ firmware, it can automatically find and track over 42,900 celestial objects from its database.
In EQ mode, the AZ-EQ6GT is designed for either visual use or precise astro-imaging.
In AZ mode, it is primarily intended for visual use, and in this mode, two telescopes can be mounted simultaneously in parallel.
A great feature of the AZ-EQ6GT is the patented dual-encoder technology. This allows the telescope to be moved manually in either axis without the mount losing its positional information. This gives the user enormous freedom, convenience and flexibility during observational sessions.
The Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6GT.....a new legend is born!!
Payload Capacity: 25kg (EQ and AZ modes)
Tracking Accuracy: 0.1436 arc minutes
Go-To Capability: EQ and AZ modes Synscan Handset Database: over 42,900 celestial objects Tracking Speed: sidereal, solar & lunar rates Tracking Mode: EQ or AZ, dual or single axis PEC control in EQ mode Autoguider Port : Yes DSLR Electronic Shutter Release Port : Yes Motor Type: DC12V stepper motors
Patented Dual-Encoder design allows manual movement without losing positional information Polar alignment: via software control or supplied polar scope
Alignment methods: 1, 2 or 3 star alignment (EQ) / brightest star or 2 star alignment (AZ)
Telescope Connection: 2 x dual-fit saddle plates supplied accepting 45mm & 75mm dovetail bars
RA/DEC Worm Gears: D=92.5mm, 180 teeth, brass RA/DEC Axes: D=40mm, steel Tripod: 2 Stainless Steel Counterweights supplied: 2 x 5kg Counterweight Bar: 25mm Diameter Mount Body Weight: 15.4kg, Tripod Weight: 7.5kg Power requirement: 12V DC 3A (Sky-Watcher 17Ah Power Tank recommended)
Note: Two 5kg Counterweights supplied, not four as shown in main picture
The iEQ30 is a new equatorial mount product from iOptron designed for imaging and visual use in a light weight portable package, with a maximum payload of 30lb and the industry leading iOptron GOTO technology which drives the widely acclaimed iEQ45 and Minitower mounts.
Advanced GoToNOVA Technology for high precision goto and auto-tracking
Portable, compact, and sturdy German equatorial mount with the highest payload/mount ratio
Maximum payload 14 kg / 31 lbs
Mount weight 6.8 kg / 15 lbs
Built-in GPS
Resolution 0.11 arc seconds
Polar Scope with dark-field illumination
Permanent PEC
Please note, this is New Upgraded Version of the iEQ45 with a new declination clutch design for more convenient optical tube balancing (more info below).
While iOptron have designed the iEQ45 mount with the astro imager in mind, it also caters for visual observers who want a lightweight easy to use mount with high pointing accuracy.
The iEQ45 is the lightest mount in it's price range, and it's very easy to carry, weighing only 25lb (11.4kg). The iEQ45 weighs 5 to 7 kg less than other mounts in this price bracket. If you divide the payload by the weight of the iEQ45 you get a ratio of 1.7 which is the best ratio on the market for a mount in this price range.
Additional features make the iEQ45 stand out in the marketplace. A software based polar aligment routine with a dark field illuminated reticule that matches the angle display in the handset makes the mount very quick and easy to polar-align. Setup time and accuracy are further improved via a built in 32 channel GPS module. An RS232 port is available for PC control using planetarium software, and for fast, accurate autoguiding an ST4 port is provided. The heated, brightness adjustable multi-line display hand control module is extremely easy-to-use, and contains an enormous 130,000 object database. While the mount is aimed at the imaging market, it's light-weight, high capacity and and fast easy setup make it a great mount for visual observers too.
The iEQ45 is one of the most anticipated products amongst the astro-imaging community and customers have captured some excellent images.
This new version of the original iEQ45 mount (recently voted Sky & Telescope Hot Product) has a modified declination clutch that allows your optical tube to spin freely in declination during setup. This makes it easier to precisely balance any combination of imaging components in declination for even more precise tracking during long exposure imaging. The scope is still easily balanced in right ascension by sliding the counter weights up and down the counterweight shaft. The mount also benefits from firmware upgrades making it compatible with the v2.5+ Telescope Drive Master units, and enabling simultaneous use of an autoguider, giving incredible accuracy of around 1 arc second on long exposure images.
Another important feature making this mount suitable for field use is the low power consumption due to the unique low friction drive train. The mount consumes approximately 0.2A while tracking, so you don't have to lug a truck battery around. A built-in 32 channel GPS receiver, accurate software polar alignment routine, and a levelling bubble make setup quicker and easier than any other mount we've heard of - and the SmartStar GOTO system is gaining a great reputation for rapid setup.
Precision DC servo motors deliver smooth torque to the drive train to reduce backlash to negligible levels, for very smooth auto-guiding and accurate tracking, making the iEQ45 perfect for long exposure astro-photography at a reasonable price.
Payload 45 lbs (20kg) Mount Weight 11.4kg Payload / Mount Weight Ratio 1.75 Right Ascension Worm Gear 216 Teeth (Gap-free) Ψ130mm Declination Worm Gear 192 Teeth (Gap-free) Ψ115mm Motor Drive Type Precision DC Servo Encoder Resolution 0.09 Arc Seconds Latitude Adjustment Range 5-70° Azimuth Adjustment Range ±6° Counterweight Bar Ψ28mm Counterweight included 5kg x 2 Total 10kg Field Tripod 2" Stainless Steel (8kg) Polar Scope Included - dark-field illumination. Ascension Axis Ψ50mm Dovetail interface Dual Vixen / Losmandy Power Consumption 0.2A (Tracking) 1A (Slewing) Power Requirement 12V DC (11-15V), 2 Amps Transmission Synchronous belt Level Indicator Precision Bubble GPS Internal 32-channel GPS
Available July-August 2010 at this introductory price.
The HEQ5 Skyscan Pro has been specially designed as a high precision mount for both small and larger telescopes.
It features engraved setting circles, a latitude scale, built in pole finder telescope and a retractable counterweight shaft.
The worm gears are pre-loaded with ball bearings for smooth tracking and slewing.
The Skyscan goto controller has a 13,400 object database including complete Messier,NGC and IC catalogues. The positioning accuracy is up to 1 arc minute and the Skyscan has both an autoguider socket and periodic error correction (PEC) for imaging without having to manually or autoguide.
HEQ5 Pro Mount 2 x 5KG counterweights Illuminated Pole finder scope Retractable counterweight shaft Complete with dovetail Skyscan goto controller heavy duty tubular metal tripod High quality quiet stepper motors with 800x slewing and 0.144 arc second resolution.
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