Paramount ME Robotic Telescope Mount
The Paramount MET Robotic Telescope Mount is a blissful marriage of advanced CNC engineering and the Software Bisque Observatory Suite's technical sophistication.
This union will carry you from interactive telescope and camera control through script-writing and remote operation to achieve a level of hands-off automation unheard of - until now.
Quite simply, when instructed, the Paramount ME will heft 68 kg (150 lbs.) of telescope and imaging equipment. With unburdened ease, the Paramount ME meets the demands of nightly operation; unflinching in its professional-quality pointing and tracking accuracy.
Paramount ME. The only robotic telescope mount designed to exceed the demands of our digital age.
E N G I N E E R I N G
 Who would think of machining 8.8-inch right ascension bearings and 6.7-inch declination bearings directly into the gears? We would. Why? With this single design innovation all the bearing strength (and stresses) are concentrated at the axis of action (and reaction) of the gears. This virtually eliminates torsional spring effects and bending moment found in standard axial construction. The result is increased payload capacity and vastly improved performance while acquiring celestial data.
Every element of the Paramount ME design enhances observatory and field performance by reducing weight, without sacrificing overall rigidity and load capacity. The Paramount ME tips the scales at 29.5 kg (65 lbs.), yet effortlessly hefts more than twice its weight in payload. No small engineering feat.
S O F T W A R E
While the Software Bisque Observatory Control Suite needs little introduction, there are some aspects worth mentioning. One noteworthy item is ProTrackT. This little gem goes beyond conventional periodic error correction. You see, ProTrack compensates for tube-flexure, atmospheric refraction, polar misalignment, gear errors and other system errors, while tracking! What a thought. You can now take longer unguided CCD images.
It's the TheSky6 Professional Edition, too, that makes a Paramount ME observatory operate like a fine timepiece. Nowhere else can you find pre-programmable, scriptable system that delivers sub arcsecond astrometry, unattended operation, and Internet, WAN or LAN accessibility. If capturing 200-300 pinpoint deep-space images nightly (while you sleep, eat or travel) sounds like productivity (or just a good thing) to you, then you've come to the right place.
C O N T R O L S Y S T E M
We call it the Bisque Telescope Control System (TCS), you'll probably call it incredible due to its optimum torque, high slew rates, and vast dynamic range. The Bisque TCS has 56-bits of internal precision. That means the right ascension and declination motors can slew from zero to about five degrees per second and at any rate in between. The outcome? Precise tracking for deep space objects and professionally imaged comets, asteroids or any objects that move at sidereal or non -sidereal rates.
Belt driven research-grade gears make backlash nearly non-existent. Brushless DC servo motors ensure long-life to meet the demands that continuous-operation survey astronomy place on a robotic mount. All while placing fewer demands on you.
Our Price: $12500
Specification |
Details |
Material Design |
German Equatorial Mount (GEM) with all stainless-steel and anodized aluminum construction. (Worms and the Versa-Plate plungers are manufactured from brass.) |
Weight |
Overall weight (base plus Versa-Plate ) is 29.5 kg (65 lbs.) without optical tube assembly or counterweights |
Maximum Dimensions |
The overall "maximum" dimensions of the Paramount ME will vary depending upon the following factors.
-
The dimensions of your optical tube assembly (OTA).
-
How the OTA is mounted to the Versa-Plate (using a dovetail, OTA rings, or other mechanism).
-
The length of the counterweight shaft (which depends upon the weight of the payload).
-
The height of your pier.
-
Your longitude.
-
Minimum dimensions
|
48 cm x 30 cm x
58 cm (19 in. x 12 in. x 23 in.) |
Maximum height of the Paramount ME and Versa-Plate when:
|
86 cm (34 in.) |
Maximum width of Paramount ME and a standard length (18 in., 46 cm) counterweight shaft (no OTA).
This dimension is measured from the center of the Paramount ME right ascension housing to the end of the counterweight shaft when the OTA is pointing at meridian (that is, the counterweight shaft is horizontal). |
71 cm (28 in.) |
|
Instrument capacity (carrying capacity) |
68 kg (150 lb.) instrument capacity. This amount does not include the weight of the counterweights . Therefore, the total carrying capacity (instruments plus counterweights) is 136 kg (300 lb.). |
Gear specifications |
All aluminum 11.45-inch (29 cm), 576 tooth research-grade right ascension gears and 7.45-inch (18.9 cm), 375 tooth declination gear each with guaranteed 5 arcsecond or less peak-to-peak periodic error before periodic error correction. |
Gear construction |
Precision CNC brass worm gears; precision CNC integrated all aluminum right ascension and declination gears. |
Bearings |
8.8-inch O.D., 5.9-inch I.D. right ascension bearings, 6.7-inch O.D., 4.3-inch I.D. declination bearings. |
Worm blocks |
Spring-loaded right ascension and declination worm block assemblies can be engaged for near zero backlash, or disengaged for adjusting payload balance. |
Cabling |
Through-the mount wiring for mount control plus auto-guider input, parallel or serial port CCD camera control and two additional devices (dew heater, video camera, etc.). A large access hole permits the addition of custom cables through the mount. |
Counterweights |
Two 9 kg (20 lbs.) counterweights are provided. Additional counterweights can be purchased from Software Bisque. |
Latitude adjustment limits |
Latitude wedge can be adjusted from 15º to 58º altitude (which corresponds to your latitude). Software Bisque sells an optional Latitude Adjustment Wedge that allows the Paramount ME to achieve polar alignment at any latitude (0-90 degrees). |
| Azimuth adjustment limits |
The azimuth can be adjusted plus or minus 4 degrees. |
|
