Paramount GT-1100 Robotic Telescope Mount User's Guide
Contents
1. Figure 10 Width of the Paramount Il LLIT s m Figure 12 Approximate width is 47 inches with a C 14 tube attached page 30 Paramount User s Guide Appendix C Paramount GT 1100 Cabling The Paramount GT 1100 has been designed to simplify the process of routing cables to many common electrical devices such as CCD cameras filter wheels and focusing motors For most applications it is possible to pass all electrical connections through the Paramount s internal wiring eliminating the danger of disconnecting or even breaking wires during mount movements Before making any connections to either the BASE PANEL or INSTRUMENT PANEL the following information should be read and understood Failure to observe stated procedures and limitations may result in damage to the Paramount s control electronics and or any attached auxiliary devices Panel Connector Descriptions Connector BASE PANEL Mount Power Camera Power DC power input DC power input Notes 12VDC bi polar 2A fused 12VDC 2A 12VDC 1A 5VDC 1A Aux Power 1 DC power input 5 125VDC 5A fused Aux Power 2 DC power input 5 125VDC 2A fused Parallel Parallel2. Synching the telescope involves pointing the telescope system at a known object usually a star then selecting the Synch command from the Object Information dialog that displays the coordinates of the known object The date time and location in the Site Information dialog in TheSky must be entered correctly before a synch is performed Object Information 21 xi m Object List r Current Object Arcturus Preferences Star HD 124897 GSC 1472 1426 Stellar x F Slew To Synch Map Close Figure 1 Sample Object Information Dialog Aan an Steps for performing a Synch Paramount User s Guide page 19 1 Choose a bright star in the sky which you definitely can identify partial clouds or twilight can make this more difficult than it seems Make sure the star is on the correct side of the Meridian The counter weights should never be higher than the telescope when the sync is performed 2 Using your chosen method for mapping video reticle eyepiece or CCD to center the object 3 Usethe Find command or click on the object to display the Object Information dialog 4 Click Synch on the Object Information dialog When the confirmation dialog appears select OK Note if the Confirm Synchs switch on the Telescope Setup dialog is not checked you will not be prompted to confirm the synchronization It is strongly recommended that the Confirm Synchs switch is always
3. Option 1 Use a pier from Software Bisque which is attached to the ground with 4 bolts Option 2 Use an existing pier and attach an aluminum Universal Mounting Adapter Option 3 Use an existing pier and attach a steel mounting adapter from Software Bisque Option 4 Modify an existing pier to attach the Paramount Wedge by drilling and tapping the required pattern to accept the shoulder bolts The Paramount is attached to a pier using three 5 16 inch shoulder bolts These bolts form a triangular pattern The wedge and entire telescope pivot around the hole that lies on the South side of the pier Two slots at the front of the Paramount wedge assembly allow azimuth adjustment to the polar axis The amount of adjustment is approximately two degrees on either side of center Therefore when the pier is installed true North must be known accurately The North side of the pier must be free of obstructions to allow for movement of the counter weight bar approximately 12 inches Figure 2 Bottom View of the Wedge Mounting Holes Figure 2 shows the bottom of the Paramount wedge Note the slotted holes in the bottom plate that allow for making azimuth adjustments Very fine thread adjustment knobs not shown are used to make adjustments accurately page 24 Paramount User s Guide Required Hole Pattern for Attaching the Wedge to the Pier Hole Pattern for Wedge Bose Connection 6 625 6 966 193 36 0000 North
4. not all of the options are discussed here The Losmandy Dove tail system is one popular system for attaching optical tube assemblies Once attached remember that the RA axis is free to rotate and if top heavy i e the OTA is heavier than the counterweights the mount is in a dangerous and possibly destructive state Continue to hold the assembly and spin it using caution to determine the balance By holding on to the counterweight bar you can make adjustments to the weight distribution and also prevent the system from falling and possibly page 10 Paramount User s Guide colliding with the mount Continue to make adjustments to the position of the counterweights until you can let go of the system and it remains at rest or moves very slowly Attach counterweights in this orientation before attaching OTA Attaching the Optical Tube Assembly Depending on the size and weight of your optical tube assembly OTA you might want to solicit a friend or two to help lift and attach this component The Losmandy dovetail mounting brackets provide a stable mounting interface for most off the shelf OTAs Be sure to sufficiently tighten all mounting screws To limit the amount of stress placed on the RA gear teeth while attaching the OTA to the declination plate the RA axis should be rotated so that the counterweight bar is vertical as shown on the diagram Then estimate the amount of counterweight that is required and
5. Object Identification dialog for the star When the star information is presented on the Object Identification dialog box click the Sync button Once this synch occurs the telescope s control system is aligned approximately with the celestial sphere Even though this initial synchronization is never perfect due to imperfections in the system it establishes the angles in the TCE 1 control system that all subsequent mapped stars will use The synch star can also be your model s first mapped point Click the Map button to record this point and to begin gathering your pointing data TheSky communicates continuously with TPoint as each map point is added From this point on you should just have to slew center and map stars to continue building the model It is usually easiest to choose stars that are not far away from the Synch star until the first six points are mapped Once you have mapped the initial six stars TPoint automatically begins compensating for systematic errors and you should notice an improvement in pointing accuracy Finding the stars in the video or other feedback system becomes easier The most efficient means of mapping points is to use a low light video camera coupled to the telescope With a video camera stars to eighth magnitude are usually detectable and provide a large number of potential mapping targets Also the process of centering and mapping takes seconds allowing you to perform a complete mapping session in under
6. an hour To Prepare For a Mapping Session 1 Use the TheSky s Time Service to accurately set your computer s clock 2 Power up the Paramount 3 Make settings to TheSky to aid mapping For example e Display only stars to sixth magnitude limiting screen clutter e Turn on the constellation lines for easy identification and turn on the Meridian line to stay on one side of the sky while mapping this is most useful for German equatorial mounts that must flip when going from the east to west and vice versa To Map an Object 1 Identify a bright stellar object in TheSky 2 Instruct the telescope to slew to the above object by clicking the Slew button on the Object Identification dialog box Make sure the correct object is highlighted in the Object Identification dialog box 3 Using the telescope s hand controller center the object in your field of view 4 Click the Map button in the Object Identification dialog box Repeat the above procedure for each mapped point For the best pointing results map at least thirty to fifty objects distributed evenly across the entire night sky The more points mapped the better Paramount User s Guide page 21 Hand Controller Use The Paramount hand controller contains many useful functions for using your telescope Even though the Paramount is designed to be controlled mainly from the computer you will need to be familiar with the hand controller s functions while mapping the telescope or while us
7. auto initialization requirements cannot be met For the Paramount to point accurately from night to night there are a number of requirements that must be met The amount of time saved when target objects consistently fall into the field of view warrants the additional steps needed to accomplish this Once you have been through the entire process a couple of times Paramount initialization will not seem as confusing as it might the first time Ultimately completing a successful auto startup procedure will initialize the Paramount This involves setting the computer time accurately and turning on the Paramount This very simple procedure can only work if each of the following steps has been taken e The computer clock is set accurately within a few tenths of a second e The park function is used before the Paramount was powered down e A TPoint model and autosync file are available that are synchronous with the telescope control system Although each of these requirements is straightforward each has a number of potential pitfalls Some of these problems can be corrected easily while others will require more effort to correct In the table below each of the operations that are required for performing an Auto Synch are listed along with the time needed to accomplish the operation Please note that the time estimates listed for mapping are for an experienced user The very first time you perform a mapping run might take considerably longer A
8. be used to connect to a 25 pin serial port on the host computer This requires a TheSky supported device page 32 Paramount User s Guide Guider The Guider jack accepts an RJ12 modular plug and provides external access to the directional switching Note The actual wire colors may differ depending upon their placement within the RJ12 plug This information may be used with ST 4 ST 5 and ST 6 cameras RJ12 pin Color Description SBIG DB15 pin 1 BLU X R A East 10 YEL Y Dec North 13 3 GRN Y Dec South 7 4 RED X R A West 4 5 BLK GND common 5 8 11 14 6 WHT N C no connection 123456 Radio Shack Cross Reference Description Part Number Qty Pkg 1A 5x20mm fast acting fuse 270 1049 4 2A 5x20mm fast acting fuse 270 1052 4 5A 5x20mm fast acting fuse 270 1056 4 5 5mm O D 2 1mm I D DC power plug 274 1569 2 3 5mm phono plug mono 274 286 2 RJ12 modular phone plug 279 421 10 DB9P male 276 1537 1 DB9S female 276 1538 1 DB9 hood used with DB9P and DB9S 276 1539 1 DB9 female to female cable 6 ft 26 152 1 DB25 male to male cable 6 ft 26 249 1 DB9P DB25S adaptor 26 287 1
9. further information Polar Alignment Before the Paramount can accurately track objects an accurate polar alignment is necessary The question may be asked how accurate Subjectively if the altitude and azimuth are each within 2 arc minutes of the pole images of a few minutes can be taken maintaining round stars at focal lengths of 2000mm or so At greater image scales and longer exposures guiding will become necessary where adjustments in both altitude and azimuth are made Once an axis is within one arc minute of the pole it becomes difficult to improve since making the adjustments requires altering the mount from a fixed state to a free state then back to a fixed state again page 14 Paramount User s Guide Adjusting the Altitude and Azimuth The Paramount is equipped with very precise altitude and azimuth adjustments The 80 pitch adjustment screws are specially designed so that one complete rotation translates to a small angular motion One rotation of the Altitude Adjustment Screw results in about 5 arc minutes of motion One rotation of the Azimuth Adjustment Screws results in about 6 arc minutes of motion These calibrated amounts can be used to fine tune the polar alignment Polar Elevation Adjustments Step 1 Make sure adjustment bar nuts are securely tightened Step 2 Loosen 4 RA housing nuts two each side before making elevation adjustments Step 3 Make adjustments using the elevation adjustmen
10. is machined to precise tolerances What s more no other commercially available robotic telescope mount has such an impressive supporting cast including Research grade gears with less than 5 arc second periodic error before PEC in RA TheSky Astronomy Software to easily locate your target objects CCDSoft CCD Astronomy Software for controlling CCD cameras Orchestrate scripting program for running unattended data acquisition sessions TPoint Telescope Error Modeling Software to provide unmatched pointing capabilities SBIG s TCE 1 Telescope Drive System for precise tracking periodic error correction and slewing Numerous features designed specifically for the serious CCD imager or astrophotographer Unpacking and Assembling the Paramount GT 1100 The order of the assembly is important and the steps are listed here A more detailed description follows Unpack and inspect Attach the wedge RA to the pier Attach the counterweight bar to the declination assembly Attach Declination Housing to Right Ascension Housing Connect the declination electronics two plugs inside the declination housing Add the counterweights Attach the optical tube assembly OTA Balance the system Engage and adjust the worm blocks Connecting the electronics and power Turn on and test the mount eco OO eal Une xcu pars pai page 6 Paramount User s Guide Step 1 Unpacking the Paramount GT 1100 Software Bisque has made every effort t
11. plug The power applied to this jack is reversing DC of user selectable voltage Jumper JF1 on the TCE 1 piggybacked Adaptor Board inside the R A assembly may be used to select 5VDC or 12VDC operation of the focus motor Variable resistor R1 on the same board may be used to fine tune the speed of the focus motor clockwise is faster Communications Paramount TCE 1 Serial Connect a DB9 female to female cable included between the Serial connector on the BASE PANEL and a serial port on the host computer Parallel Connect a DB25 male to male cable included between the Parallel connector on the BASE PANEL and a parallel port on the host computer Instrument mounted Device e g CCD camera closed loop focuser etc Direct serial Connect the serial communications cable from the device to one of the Aux Serial connectors on the INSTRUMENT PANEL Connect a DB9 female to female cable between the corresponding Aux Serial connector on the BASE PANEL and a serial port on the host computer Via TCE 1 parallel Connect the communications cable from the device to the Parallel connector on the INSTRUMENT PANEL The device is then controlled through the same parallel communications port used for the TCE 1 Peripheral Device e g dome controller GPS weather station etc Direct Connect the communications cable from the device to an appropriate communications port on the host computer A DB9P DB25S adaptor included may
12. point about one arc minute above it to minimize the effects of refraction on longer exposures Similarly when adjusting the polar axis azimuth look at the Polar Axis EW value reported on the Fit Dialog If this value is greater than zero the pole of the mounting is to the right of North so the azimuth adjustment screw on the West should be tightened to move the pole towards the West Polar Alignment The Drift Method We recommend using the drift method to achieve polar alignment if you are not familiar with TPoint Using this procedure you can achieve very good polar alignment in each axis Drift Method Azimuth Adjustment Locate a star near the meridian star should be gt 15 degrees altitude and lt 85 degrees altitude Determine if the star drifts north or south If the star drifts north the polar axis is too far west If the star drifts south the polar axis is too far east Make the appropriate adjustment and repeat the above procedure until the star does not drift for several minutes Drift Method Elevation Adjustment Locate a star near the eastern or western horizon about 15 degrees altitude at an hour angle of about 6H If the star is in the east drift to the north means that the polar axis elevation is too high while drift to the south means that polar axis elevation is too low If the star is in the west reverse these Continue making adjustments until the star does not drift for 10 20 minutes Once you are
13. that are present on the Universal Mounting Adapter The plate is machined out of 0 75 inch thick aluminum If mounting into a concrete pier the best method of mounting the adapter is to attach the mounting bolts probably j bolts directly to it then push them into the concrete while holding the adapter The mounting bolts should not protrude from the concrete surface more than 0 75 inches the thickness of the adapter plate The center holes on the pier and wedge plates are provided as an option to route the electronics cable down into the pier In situations where the wedge is attached to existing piers that do not Paramount User s Guide page 27 provide a central pathway for the cables the cables turn inside the wedge and exit through the front North side of the wedge The drawing to the left shows a slightly overhead view of the Paramount The top plate is used to attach optical tube assemblies The dimensions of this aluminum plate are 9 x 16 x inches This plate can easily be modified to accept many different optical tube assemblies Losmandy dove tail adapters are also available for an additional charge N T Nw uM Figure 8 Paramount side view showing OTA Mounting Plate page 28 Paramount User s Guide Appendix B Paramount Dimensions This section provides dimensions of the Paramount in the many possible positions used for pointing a telescope German Equatorial telescope mountings are very stable by des
14. the declination axis until the hole in the declination shaft is visible 2 Connect the 60 wire shielded cable from the RA Housing to the declination cable connector 3 Connect the ribbon cable to the smaller connector Before replacing the declination Housing side panel you must rotate the declination axis through its full range of motion to ensure the cables are connected properly The declination axis cannot rotate through 90 degrees declination i e the telescope is pointing down into the Earth at 90 degrees declination Step 6 Add the Counter Weights While the RA gear and worm are still not in contact the counterweights should be placed on the counter weight bar Note that each counter weight has a brass insert that is used to apply pressure between the counterweight and the declination shaft This insert does not turn while pressure is applied by turning in the knob protecting the counterweight bar from scratches The amount of counterweight depends on the weight of the optical tube assembly Try to make a close estimate to how much counterweight is required and add this to the declination counterweight bar Once added the RA axis will be bottom heavy yet will be in a safe state since the axis is free to hang downward due to gravity Adding the optical tube assembly will now result in a system that is close to balance Step 7 Attach the Optical Tube Assembly Because the Paramount can accept a wide range of optical tube assemblies
15. toggled on since it is easy to accidentally click Synch instead of Map during a mapping run especially at 3 00 am The Meaning of the Synch Once you have synched the telescope TheSky now knows the orientation of the telescope and can ascertain how to correctly slew the telescope to reach any position in the sky without wrapping up cables or running the telescope into the mount This of course also requires the site information is properly entered in TheSky When the Synch is performed the relevant information needed by TheSky to automatically startup on subsequent sessions is stored in the Windows system registry under the PARAMOUNT keyword You should never have to access these directly This is important however since the machine the Synch was performed on is required for auto startup If you copy the TPoint model to another machine you will need to perform a short mapping run which includes a Synch for proper operation In theory the Paramount will be synched a single time and it will never have to be synched again In practice you will be synching the system from time to time Following are a few examples of changes which will require a Synch and subsequent mapping or short mapping run e Changes to polar alignment e Changing the optical tube assembly e Balancing when the worm and gear are disengaged e Failure to park the Paramount R ecover Control System y When one or more of the requirements for Auto startu
16. Data Site Information from TheSky menu and select the Date and Time tab to access the Time Service function of TheSky This is the best method for setting the computer s clock accurately If you cannot use the dial up Time Service feature of TheSky you can set the time manually Remember that each second of time translates to 15 arc seconds of motion near the celestial equator If the night to night time base is not set accurately pointing will be compromised The time error will be cause objects to fall a consistent amount in RA ahead or behind the target Parking the Paramount GT 1100 To park the Paramount choose Telescope Options Park from TheSky menu while the telescope link is active The park procedure can take up to one minute while the control system searches for encoder indexes The hand controller Rate LED will blink while parking Once it is parked the hand controller will become inactive i e pressing the NSEW buttons will not produce and telescope motion To regain use of the hand controller you will have to power down and power up the Paramount Once parked the unpark procedure will automatically be executed the next time the Paramount is powered up If the Park procedure is used at the end of each session before the Paramount is powered down the raw encoder readings will not change from day to day and auto synching is possible if the time is set accurately when the telescope link is established Synching the Telescope
17. G THE PARAMOUNT PIER REQUIRED HOLE PATTERN FOR ATTACHING THE WEDGE TO THE PIER PARAMOUNT PIER FROM SOFTWARE BISQUE THE UNIVERSAL MOUNTING ADAPTER APPENDIX B PARAMOUNT DIMENSIONS APPENDIX C PARAMOUNT GT 1100 CABLING 18 18 19 19 19 21 21 22 22 22 23 24 25 26 28 30 Paramount User s Guide page 5 Introduction Thank you for purchasing the Paramount GT 1100 Robotic Telescope Mount The Paramount is a high precision instrument designed to deliver unmatched telescope performance to the amateur or professional astronomer Its rugged designed will continue to deliver first rate results for years We recommend that you become familiar with all the components of the Paramount before attempting to assemble and use the instrument Although we have taken many steps to ensure ease of use you will learn that there are many critical steps you must follow to obtain optimal telescope performance Please familiarize yourself with the parts and components diagrams before unpacking your new mount Conventions This manual is written as if the mount is being assembled in the Northern Hemisphere If you are setting up the Paramount in the Southern Hemisphere all compass directions should be reversed What Makes Paramount Different The Paramount GT 1100 is designed from the ground up to be a sturdy reliable mount for instruments up to 75 lbs 34 kg No short cuts were taken during the design process Every part
18. Paramount GT 1100 Robotic Telescope Mount User s Guide Rev 1 2 Copyright O Software Bisque January 1998 page 2 Paramount User s Guide Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Software Bisque The software products described in this document are furnished under a license agreement or nondisclosure agreement They may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement It is against the law to copy the software on any medium except as specifically allowed in the license or nondisclosure agreement The purchaser may make one copy of the software for backup purposes No part of this manual and or databases may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including but not limited to photocopying recording or information storage and retrieval systems for any purpose other than the purchaser s personal use without the express written permission of Software Bisque This document was produced using Microsoft Word 1997 TPoint Software and Software Bisque All rights reserved CCDSoft CCD Astronomy Software and TheSky Astronomy Software are trademarks of Software Bisque TPoint TPOINT and TPOINT PC are trademarks of TPoint Software TPoint software is sold by Software Bisque under a licensing agreement with Patrick Wallace Abingdon Oxfordshire United Kingdom Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corp
19. R0 5000 3 6290 193 Notes Tap holes to accept 3 16 237 18 thread per inch shoulder bolt Figure 3 Pier hole pattern to accept the Paramount Wedge Figure 3 shows the hole pattern required for mounting the Paramount Wedge The offset dimensions shown 6 6574 inches and 2 1631 are not whole numbers since they result from a 7 inch radius circle Each hole is 18 degrees from a center line that points directly North An optional hole can be placed in the center of the plate center 3 625 inches to the North of the rotation hole for routing the Paramount electronic cable down into the pier The hole diameter is one inch to allow passing of the Paramount cable and end connector Paramount User s Guide page 25 Paramount Pier from Software Bisque The following information pertains to the steel piers manufactured by Software Bisque Bottom Plate 12 0000 ye 10 0000 R6 5000 12 0000 R0 5000 YS QA Jv radius corners Ns Figure 4 Bottom Plate of Paramount Pier Version A Note the bottom plate of the Software Bisque pier contains 4 slotted holes with a radius of 6 5 inches This design allows the use of four 0 50 inch foundation bolts such as j bolts placed in a concrete base One edge of the base plate must be aligned with true North The slotted holes allow for a few degrees of adjustment of the entire pier in addition to the 2 degrees of adjustment available on the wedge using the fine adjust screw
20. d to use once you have determined the Paramount is properly configured for operation Please read the appendix labeled Paramount Cabling for complete information on wiring and using the special Paramount cabling Paramount User s Guide page 13 First Slews Once you have assembled the mount and connected all the electronic wiring verify that all the electronic and mechanical components function by slewing the mount Check to see that the mount slews in all directions by clicking the F1 F2 F3 and F4 buttons on the Hand controller Also switch to the four slewing rates and test each slew speed Connecting the TCE 1 Interface to your Computer The Paramount can communicate through either parallel or serial ports Make sure TheSky is configured for the correct computer port Camera BASE PANEL Aux Serial 1 Parallel Aux Serial 2 The Paramount Base Panel INSTRUMENT PANEL Guider Serial Aux Serial 1 Parallel Aux Serial 2 The Paramount Instrument Panel The First Night You should already be very familiar with the operation of TheSky Astronomy Software and the TPoint Modeling software before attempting to use these two applications under the stars If you are not familiar with these applications please refer to their documentation for
21. data input output H ost PC to M ount communications Serial Serial data input output H ost PC to M ount communications Aux Serial 1 Aux Serial 2 Serial data input output Serial data input output Auxiliary communications pass through Auxiliary communications pass through INSTRUMENT PANEL Camera Power DC power output 12VDC 2A 12VDC 1A 5VDC 1A Dew DC power output PW M 12VDC 1A fused Aux Power 1 DC power output 5 125VDC 5A fused Aux Power 2 DC power output 5 125VDC 2A fused Focus DC power output 12VDC 1A fused Guider D ual axis input Four open collector TTL logic inputs Parallel Parallel data input output M ount to device communications Serial Serial data input output M ount to device communications Aux Serial 1 Serial data input output Auxiliary communications pass through Aux Serial 2 Serial data input output Auxiliary communications pass through T he Dew output is protected by a 1A fuse located inside the INSTRUMENT PANEL t umper JF 1 on the piggyback A daptor Board may be used to select 5VDC or 12VDC operation of the focus motor Variable resistor R 1 on the same board may be used to fine tune the speed of the focus motor Aux Serial 1 has pins 1 8 wired straight through which may be useful for non communications applications which do not exceed 1 amp per conductor Other serial connectors have only pins 2 3 and 5 wired e CCD Camera ST 4 ST 5 ST 6 PixCel 255 The Aux Power I 5A jack ca
22. e the RA gear and note that only about 5096 of the gear has a grease lubricant on the teeth Rotate the RA axis until the center of the lubricated portion is at the lowest point Rotating the RA gear is normally accomplished by manually pulling down on both sides of the RA worm block until the teeth are fully disengaged on a balanced system As shipped the worm block plunger is loosened so that there is no contact between the worm and gear during shipment Note another reference for ensuring correct attachment of the declination housing to the RA housing is to remove the RA side panel This will reveal the RA shaft cable entry position This angled hole should be lined up with the counter weight shaft i e pointing down Remove the side panel of the declination housing to access the cable connectors 4 As you lift the declination assembly into place insert the shielded cable with the 60 pin connector and the declination motor ribbon cable into the 2 3 8 inch hole on the declination housing Do not connect these cables to the declination assembly until you have fastened the four mounting screws Orient the declination housing so that the counter weight shaft hangs straight down 6 Insert and tighten the four declination mounting bolts io eA Paramount User s Guide page 9 Attach dec assembly with four 5 16x18x1 inch mounting bolts lt A N side A removed N N N Step 5 Connecting the Declination Electronics 1 Rotate
23. e values computed by TPoint for the Polar Axis Elevation and Polar Axis azimuth EW to make the necessary adjustments to the Paramount s Altitude and Azimuth Adjustment screws Tera Shy FNS 51 53 PSD 60 fe inde Eno HAT 4468 FF indes En pai Amm F Ncegerp HA Due 56 34 F2 Mereepibec TA 21113 F Pala sux skev gi f Pots com Ew an I Fokesan F Imion oem Emend Mesa Tag 14 hep inte B arns Gah 5 cuta Dugar ner Dafra Graph ue isup The polar misalignment errors are reported on the Fit Dialog in TPoint The Polar axis elevation value ME and the Polar axis EW value MA provide an estimation of the polar misalignment in arc seconds The fine pitch adjustment screws on the elevation and azimuth result in about 5 arc minutes 300 arc seconds per full turn page 16 Paramount User s Guide TPoint Fit Dialog ME positive Axis is below celestial pole ME negative Axis is above celestial pole MA positive Axis is East of celestial pole Move axis West tighten West and loosen East MA negative Axis is West of celestial pole Move axis East tighten East and loosen West For example if the Polar axis elevation ME value is 600 arc seconds the polar axis should be lowered about ten arc minutes Ten arc minutes corresponds to about two full turns of the elevation adjustment screw For most U S latitudes the actual polar elevation target is not the North Celestial Pole but rather a
24. familiar with TPoint it provides the best analytical method for determining polar alignment However until a TPoint model is established with all of the terms necessary to achieve good pointing the polar mis alignment terms provided by TPoint are sometimes misleading Using a Calibrated Video Screen Although the adjustment screws on the Paramount wedge provide a reasonably accurate means of making adjustments to the polar axis there are advantages to watching a calibrated video monitor while making the adjustments The process of loosening the two shoulder bolts for azimuth adjustment or the RA housing nuts for altitude adjustment will usually cause a bit of motion of the entire Paramount With video feedback the magnitude and direction of this motion can be noted and then compensated for when re tightening occurs This small amount of motion usually within a couple of arc minutes is not a problem when making course adjustments but becomes important when trying to achieve a polar alignment of less than three to four arc minutes Paramount User s Guide page 17 When using video feedback for making polar alignment adjustments pick a star near the celestial equator within an hour of the Meridian Paramount Initialization This section describes the steps necessary to initialize the Paramount GT 1100 on the first night of operation and on subsequent nights Also discussed are recovery methods for restoring the pointing when one or more of the
25. ign yet the requirement of counterweights increases the clearance space required surrounding the telescope and mount Figure 10 shows the approximate dimensions in inches of the Paramount The 14 inch dimension from the base of the mount to the center of the RA axis represents the approximate height of the OTA center when the telescope is pointed near the Meridian For various latitudes the height in inches and can be computed from the following formula Figure 9 Approximate Paramount Dimensions OTA Center height at Meridian see figure 12 below Metric Height 4 45 cm sin latitude 32 deg x 34 8 cm Imperial Height 1 75 in sin latitude 32 deg x 13 7 in This dimension is important if there are walls around the observatory building An unobstructed view at the horizon requires the pier top be high enough so that OTA does not point through the walls when pointing in the North or South directions Latitude Approx OTA Center height at Meridian inches 20 As C 20 30 13 Paramount User s Guide page 29 The widest dimension of the Paramount i e looking North South is 12 inches the width of the RA gear cover when the declination assembly is vertical
26. ing run it is extremely difficult to balance the system without changing the worm tooth correlation If this correlation is changed at least a short mapping run will be required to see good pointing If additional terms are used in the model other than the six geometric terms see the TPoint documentation these typically rely on the worm tooth correlation to remain static Step 9 Engage and adjust the worm blocks While the RA and declination gear covers are removed inspect the contact between the worm and gear on both axis As shipped the spring plungers that insure contact between the worm and gear are backed off so that a protective insert can be placed between the worm and gear When the insert is removed usually made of rubber the plungers must be adjusted Only a small amount of force is necessary to maintain full contact between the worm and gear To properly adjust the worm blocks for both axis follow these steps Push the worm block into the gear and insure that full contact is made system balance is assumed 2 Turnin the plunger until the plunger just contacts the worm block then about 1 8 of a turn further Once in contact the axis should be adjusted properly If the plunger is tightened too much the motor will sound labored when slewing in the corresponding axis and or it will stall On the RA axis more spring force is required since the plunger is not only used to insure contact between the worm and gear but must als
27. ing the telescope for visual Observations Button Controls The hand controller contains six buttons and six light emitting diodes LEDs Each performs specific functions Pressing the Function or Mode button allows you to access built in telescope commands using the four motion buttons F1 F2 F3 and F4 Paramount Hand Controller On power up the hand controller will blink while the telescope control system is initializing When Normal Operation ready to receive commands the hand controller will F1 Slew N S show the current slew rate default is 16x on one of F2 Slew E W the four LEDs next to the Rate button F3 Slew N S F4 Slew E W Additional functions are available by using a combination of keys similar to the Shift key on a Function computer keyboard If you hold the key labeled F1 Map Star Function down and press F1 the hand controller F2 Future use will issue a Map Star command to TheSky and the F3 Future use current telescope position will be added to the F4 Future use TPoint mapping data Rate In the same manner the holding down the Rate key F1 Commutate motors while pressing F1 F4 allows access to some of the F2 Train PEC TCE 1 s commonly used functions F3 Unpark F4 Park the mount Commutate Motors This function instructs the TCE 1 to go through a calibration routine between the encoders and the motor positions This function should be run the first time the telescope is powered up to insure
28. lance is achieved by disengaging the worm from the gear in each axis Caution Use extreme care when balancing the telescope Make note of the weight distribution on the telescope before pulling the worm block assemblies away from the gears Always grab hold of the OTA or counterweight arm before disengaging the worm and gear so that you maintain control of the telescope The telescope could be damaged or you could be seriously injured whenever the worm gear is disengaged from the main gear on an unbalanced system Software Bisque provides 22 kg 50 Ib of counter balances that can be used to balance the optical tube assembly To balance the right ascension axis slide the counter weights up or down the counter weight bar until the system has no tendency to fall in either direction If you use multiple devices such as a video camera to map and a CCD to image after mapping the difference in weight might be enough to cause slewing problems when the instruments are interchanged By marking various positions of counterweights on the shaft for different configurations you can quickly page 12 Paramount User s Guide rebalance a system without disengaging the worm and gear It is very important not to change the system after mapping has been completed and a model is created for the mount OTA Note Now is the best time to mark the various positions the counterweights will be for different instrument configurations Once you have done a mapp
29. n be used to power the CPU and head DC Power A cable will need to be made to adapt to the CPU s power connector Construct two 5 5mm O D 2 1mm I D DC power plug to DB9 adaptor cables wiring the sleeve to pin 4 GND and tip to pin 9 12 15VDC Use a DB9P male for the BASE PANEL cable and a DB9S female for the INSTRUMENT PANEL cable ST 7 ST 8 The Camera Power jack can be used to power one of these cameras Plug the camera s Paramount User s Guide page 31 power supply into the BASE PANEL s Camera Power jack and a 5 pin DIN 180 male to male cable wired straight through between the INSTRUMENT PANEL s Camera Power jack and the camera Do not use less than 22 AWG wire for this cable or the camera may not be able to draw enough current for thermal regulation 24 AWG wire may be used if two conductors are ganged for the GND line Dew Heater Cooling Fan A low amperage 750mA dew heater or cooling fan may be software controlled through the INSTRUMENT PANEL s Dew jack This jack accepts a 5 5mm O D 2 1mm I D DC power plug If the unit has a different connector type either replace the connector or use an adaptor not included The power applied to this jack is pulse width modulated PWM forming a 12VDC square wave tip is hot Focuser A low amperage 250mA motorized focuser may be software controlled through the INSTRUMENT PANEL s Focuser jack This jack accepts the industry standard 3 5mm phono
30. n the wedge As shipped the RA housing is in the lowest position and therefore has no tendency to fall Once raised make sure that at least two of the nuts are tight to insure the RA assembly does not fall y fX JM pz IN I Altitude adjustment nuts three each side j RA housing nuts gt 2 per side WE Altitude adj bar nut 1 per side Paramount User s Guide page 7 Rotate the RA housing to the highest elevation and re tighten the altitude adjustment bolts When the RA housing is in this position accessing the rear pier mounting bolt is much easier Caution When lifting the housing to attach the RA wedge assembly to the pier make sure the RA housing nuts are secure Insert the three pier mounting bolts into the wedge to pier attachment holes shown below and hand tighten Make sure the two shoulder bolts in the slotted holes to the North are in place before raising the Paramount to its highest altitude position as it will have a tendency to fall towards the South in this configuration Wedge to pier attachment hole Next rotate the RA assembly to its highest position to make the pivot shoulder bolt more accessible Now tighten the rear shoulder bolt until it is snug When making azimuth adjustments you do not have to loosen this rear shoulder bolt Rotate RA housing to highest position page 8 Paramount User s Guide Note the azimuth adjustment
31. o ensure that your new mount arrives just the way it left our facilities ready to run We want your first experience with our product to be as enjoyable as the many hours you will spend with it under the night sky Upon receiving the shipping packages please inspect all boxes for damage of any kind If you notice anything peculiar make detailed notes before opening the packages we recommend photographing or video taping the unopened packages if there is any apparent damage Remove all components from the packing boxes and check to make sure they are in good order Also compare the pieces with the following Packing List Packing List wei i V2x18 inch counter weight bar 4 5 kg 10 Ib counter weight 9 kg 20 Ib counter weight Hand Controller 14 80x1 A inch azimuth adjustment screws 80 threads per inch For assembly at least the following are required included e 1 16 1 8 3 16 and 4 inch Allen or hex wrenches Paramount GT 1100 Assembly and Setup Once you have thoroughly inspected all components of the mount you are ready to assemble the Paramount Software Bisque pre assembles and tests each mount individually so the final assembly should go smoothly Follow the steps below to assemble the mount Step 2 Attach Wedge RA to Pier Loosen the six altitude adjustment nuts two RA housing nuts and one adjustment bar nut on each side Caution When all 6 of these have been loosened the RA housing is free to pivot i
32. o overcome the weight of the RA worm block and motor assembly Visually check to make sure there is full engagement between the RA worm and gear Then with the RA axis in balance slew the Paramount from side to side to make sure there are no binding problems Remember balance is extremely important for smooth slewing Step 10 Connecting the Electronics and Power 1 Connect the hand controller to the round din connector on the East side of the Paramount RA box Never plug or unplug the hand controller while the Paramount is powered 2 Plug the parallel or serial cable into the appropriate connector on the Base Panel i e labeled Parallel or Serial This connection will permit communication between the Paramount and your computer Note that when using parallel communications a single parallel port on the computer can control both the Paramount and an ST 7 or ST 8 CCD camera 3 Plug the power supply into the jack labeled 2A Mount on the Base Panel This supplies power to the Paramount 4 Turn on the Paramount using the rocker switch above the Hand Controller connection on the East side of the mount On power up you will hear the motors seeking up to one degree for the nearest index on the encoders The hand controller Rate LED will blink until the Paramount is ready to receive commands from the hand controller or the computer Attach any additional devices through the Base Panel to Instrument Panel cable routing system you inten
33. opping more gently Settling times of the system are reduced when slow acceleration is used Check Worm Gear Pressure If the spring loading on between the worm and the gear is set with too much pressure it can cause the motors to stall The spring plunger on each axis is used to insure full engagement of the worm and the gear but need not apply much additional pressure Check Motor Calibration If the motors have not been commutated a special calibration required on the TCE 1 their maximum torque output is reduced Commutation can be initiated by pressing and holding the Rate button then press F1 However it is best to select Commutate from TheSky since it can provide a status result once the commutation is completed and failed attempts can be retried There should be little or no torque on the motors when they are being commutated There is a loud chattering when I try to slew at full speed It is possible that the motors need to be recommutated In normal operation you should only have to commutate one time Although we have taken every step insure the encoders do not move on the stepper motors if they do a recommutation must be performed The commutation information is stored in non volatile RAM in the TCE 1 There should be little or no torque on the motors when they are being commutated Paramount User s Guide page 23 Appendix A Preparing the Paramount Pier There are a number of options for attaching the Paramount to the pier
34. oration Microsoft Word is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used solely for identification Paramount User s Guide INTRODUCTION CONVENTIONS WHAT MAKES PARAMOUNT DIFFERENT UNPACKING AND ASSEMBLING THE PARAMOUNT GT 1100 STEP 1 UNPACKING THE PARAMOUNT GT 1100 PACKING LIST PARAMOUNT GT 1100 ASSEMBLY AND SETUP STEP 2 ATTACH WEDGE RA TO PIER STEP 3 ATTACH COUNTERWEIGHT BAR TO DECLINATION HOUSING STEP 4 ATTACH DECLINATION HOUSING TO RIGHT ASCENSION HOUSING STEP 5 CONNECTING THE DECLINATION ELECTRONICS STEP 6 ADD THE COUNTER WEIGHTS STEP 7 ATTACH THE OPTICAL TUBE ASSEMBLY ATTACHING THE OPTICAL TUBE ASSEMBLY STEP 8 BALANCE THE SYSTEM STEP 9 ENGAGE AND ADJUST THE WORM BLOCKS STEP 10 CONNECTING THE ELECTRONICS AND POWER FIRST SLEWS CONNECTING THE TCE 1 INTERFACE TO YOUR COMPUTER THE FIRST NIGHT POLAR ALIGNMENT POLAR AZIMUTH ADJUSTMENTS POLAR ALIGNMENT USING TPOINT POLAR ALIGNMENT THE DRIFT METHOD PARAMOUNT INITIALIZATION WHY IS ACCURATE TIME IMPORTANT SETTING THE COMPUTER CLOCK page 3 13 15 15 16 17 17 18 page 4 Paramount User s Guide PARKING THE PARAMOUNT GT 1100 SYNCHING THE TELESCOPE THE MEANING OF THE SYNCH RECOVERY TELESCOPE MAPPING OVERVIEW HAND CONTROLLER USE BUTTON CONTROLS TROUBLESHOOTING CHECK MAXIMUM SLEW SPEED CHECK ACCELERATION APPENDIX A PREPARIN
35. p can not be met recovery steps can often be taken that eliminate the need to perform an entire mapping run Simulator M r Soft TPoint Model is Present TPoint models are saved as compound documents in SKY data files or as separate TPT documents A TPoint model is required to achieve accurate pointing with the Paramount The steps for creating a TPoint model are outlined in the section Creating a TPoint Model Confirm mapping Impose slew limits destination coordinates only Attempt to stop slews in progress through slew limits Switch to night vision upon link IV Show the number of packets retries failures Close Object ID box upon slew v Enable TheSky modeling Cross hair update period ms 200 Telescope Mapping Overview Telescope mapping is the process of slewing to a known object manually centering that object in the eyepiece then recording the angular differences between the slewed to coordinates and the manually page 20 Paramount User s Guide centered coordinates Mapping a number of known targets allows the TPoint Telescope Modeling Software to analyze systematic errors in your telescope system and create a model to compensate for these errors To begin a mapping session accurately set your computer s clock and establish a link to the telescope Once connected slew the telescope to a known star and center it in the eyepiece Using Find or Identify in TheSky display the
36. place it on the counterweight bar In this manner the out of balance system is in a static state and the gear teeth are not supporting the entire load of the counterweights Once the counterweights are in place the OTA can be attached Care should be taken to center the mass of the OTA near the center of the declination axis Depending on the type of hardware used to attach the OTA to the declination axis this adjustment can be made during attachment or by moving mounting rings prior to lifting the OTA to the declination plate Paramount User s Guide page 11 Caution Do not put the Paramount in the above configuration with the worm gear engaged Note The Paramount as pictured above is in an unstable configuration that is putting extreme forces on the RA gear teeth The counterweight shaft should remain in the vertical position during the time when the Paramount is loaded with counterweights but the OTA has not been attached This minimizes the force on the RA gear teeth and insures the mount is in a stable position at all times Step 8 Balance the system It is a good idea to attach the CCD camera you will be using to the system while balancing Any other peripherals that will be attached should also in place The telescope will slew best when balance is very good An unbalanced system can cause numerous problems such as stalling or gear chattering during slews There is no clutching mechanism on the Paramount This means that ba
37. s of the Paramount 11 0000 Note Version B has a 6 25 inch F 0 7500 x radius for the mounting holes and an 11x11 inch footprint Version B 10 0000 piers use the same plate for the top Re2500 o and bottom of the pier On the top of the pier the slotted holes provide a Pivot convenient place to hang various 11 0000 uipment T1 ERE equip o 5 5000 D H C1 inch radius cor Figure 5 Bottom Plate of Paramount Pier Version B page 26 Paramount User s Guide The Universal Mounting Adapter A Universal Mounting Adapter pre drilled with the Paramount Wedge hole pattern is available from Software Bisque The plate also contains 3 countersunk holes which can accept a 2 inch mounting bolts and nut The center hole allows 3 EN the Paramount electronic cable to be directed through the bottom of the wedge and into the pier The large holes in the diagram accept the mounting bolts and the countersink is used to keep the nuts below the top mounting surface Since the wedge slides on this plate when Figure 6 Universal Mounting Adapter azimuth adjustments are made the j bolts must not protrude above the plate top Universal Mounting Plate Cj bolt hole pattern 7 1 2500 H i O d 2 7500 6 5000 O 4 0000 R0 5000 5 5000 e E 8 0000 Figure 7 Mounting hole pattern for the mounting adapter The above drawing shows the dimensions of the mounting holes
38. s you can see the mapping operation is the most time consuming The short mapping run is identical to a normal mapping run except that only 6 12 stars are must be mapped Operation Time required for an experienced user 2 minutes Why is accurate time important You can achieve very accurate pointing during a single session without having an accurate time base i e within a couple of minutes However TheSky makes decisions on how to slew to various positions in the sky based on the local time Objects which are to the East of the Meridian require the telescope to be on the West and vice versa except in the below the pole case Therefore if the time base in two hours off the Paramount will slew the telescope into the mount possibly causing damage Always do a quick reality check of the computers time by comparing the simulated sky to the night sky page 18 Paramount User s Guide A very accurate time base is required when using the auto synch function of the Paramount The auto synch function uses the computer time to compute accurate Local Sidereal Time LST When a link is established between TheSky and the Paramount that was successfully unparked the LST is used to re establish the synchronization between the Paramount electronic setting circles and the celestial sphere to within a few arc seconds Being able to simply power up and start imaging makes each evening more productive Setting the Computer Clock Choose
39. screws on the East and West sides of the mount These screws are very fine pitch and require a lot of turning to tighten i e 80 turns per inch of movement Continue to screw in the azimuth adjustment screws until they have contacted the shoulder bolts the ends of these azimuth adjustment screws become visible in the slotted holes shortly after they have passed through wedge side plate Insert azimuth adjustment screws here Step 3 Attach Counterweight Bar to Declination Housing Locate the counter weight bar and screw the threaded end into the base of the declination housing Although this increases the weight of the assembly before it is lifted for attachment to the RA housing it provides a solid handle and insures the declination assembly is not top heavy after attachment If this step is skipped once the declination housing is attached to the RA housing it will free fall until the declination plate hits the wedge or worse your fingers Step 4 Attach Declination Housing to Right Ascension Housing We recommend two people perform this assembly step since the declination housing is rather heavy and can be cumbersome The declination housing has a required orientation relative to the position of the right ascension gear The declination motor and panel wiring must be properly routed and connected Follow the procedure below to assure proper alignment of the RA and declination housing 1 Remove the RA gear cover Examin
40. t screw Important Note Before loosening the four RA housing nuts be certain that the two nuts on the altitude adjustment bar are securely tightened If they are not the entire assembly including the telescope is free to move and will fall to the bottom of the wedge slot This could cause damage to the Paramount the OTA or the operator Paramount User s Guide page 15 Polar Azimuth Adjustments Step 2 Make adjustments with the azimuth knobs here knobs not shown For a complete closed loop polar alignment adjustment system attach a video camera to the telescope and point the telescope near the celestial equator The video output gives real time feedback of any adjustments made If you have calibrated the video output display i e arc minutes in the x and y directions you can determine exactly how much the telescope moves during adjustments and rapidly achieve polar alignment Note When making adjustments for polar alignment using video feedback make sure the OTA is pointing close to zero degrees declination Along this line the units of angular distance match the units of right ascension As the telescope moves closer to the poles the angular distance swept by the telescope becomes smaller for a given change in right ascension Polar Alignment Using TPoint Once you have successfully performed a mapping session and developed a TPoint model you can use TPoint to determine the mount s polar misalignment Use th
41. the calibration numbers are set properly Once run the calibration information is stored in non volatile memory on the TCE 1 It is best to select Commutate from TheSky since it can provide a status result once the commutation is completed and failed attempts can be retried Always commutate with a perfectly balanced or completely unloaded system Train PEC This function is run when a CCD autoguider is making guiding adjustments to the system or can be done manually The PEC training period takes about 4 minutes to complete During the PEC training the LED at the top of the hand controller will blink Once completed the blinking will stop To manually train PEC select the 2x slew rate on the hand controller then click PEC Train PEC from the telescope options menu in TheSky Center up a star preferably near declination 0 degrees then confirm you wish to immediately begin training PEC from the verification dialog Use the F2 and F4 function keys to keep the star centered in a reticle eyepiece or on a the live video screen page 22 Paramount User s Guide Itis a good idea to practice for a minute or two before starting the PEC training to make sure your hands are calibrated with the direction buttons Try to keep the star centered as best as possible during the four minute calibration period Troubleshooting I cannot communicate with the Paramount Communication between a personal computer and hardware device requires that both the soft
42. ware and hardware are properly configured If you cannot establish a link to the telescope we recommend trying the following 1 Check the cables to the communications port either serial COM or parallel LPT They must be securely plugged in at both ends 2 Check the communications port with a different device For example connect a modem or mouse to the serial port or a printer to the parallel port to verify that its functioning properly 3 Make sure the software settings are correct for the communications device The Paramount is having difficulty slewing Check Balance If the Paramount stalls or sounds very labored as it is slewing you should check to make sure both axis are balanced The heavier the load the more critical the balance becomes Check Maximum Slew Speed Click Telescope Options More Settings to display the settings dialog for the Paramount It is recommended that when telescopes that weigh more than 50 Ibs are mounted on the Paramount the maximum slew speed should be set to one degree per second instead of the default of two degrees per second Stepper motors have more torque at slower speeds Check Acceleration Click Telescope Options More Settings to display the settings dialog for the Paramount Acceleration ranges from 120 fast acceleration to 20 slow acceleration With heavier OTA s or those that are very long an acceleration of 20 60 will improve system performance by coming to speed more slowly and st
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