Astronomy Specialist

10 MICRON GM1000 HPS

$16,649.00 AUD $18,499.00
SKU: 10M1000

10Micron

Equatorial

Payload: 25 kg

Encoders: Absolute on both axes

Vixen/Losmandy

19.5 kg


 

Testar Australia is a technical assistant dealer for 10 Micron. Our staff has been trained at the 10 Micron factory to provide assistance, repairs and maintenance on their products.

 

The GM1000HPS mount is built for the demanding observer using photographic instruments up to a weight of 25kg (counterweights not included). Movements are driven by two servo brushless motors, with timing belt reduction having zero backlash. Both axes feature a classic worm – wormwheel pairing. The wormwheels are made of bronze (B14), with a diameter of 125mm and 250 teeth, while the worms are built of alloy steel with a diameter of 20mm. The axes are made of 30mm diameter alloy steel for the maximum rigidity. The double dovetail mounting plate guarantees the maximum compatibility with many telescope manufacturers.

The electronics are housed in an independent control box which are easily removable. The connections of motors, encoders and hand pad feature security lock screws. The mount can be controlled by using the included hand pad, without connecting an external PC. The keypad is built in order to maintain the maximum readability in all lighting conditions. Both the display and the ergonomic keys, allowing for the use of gloves, feature a red backlight. A heater keeps the display warm for usage below freezing temperatures.

The mount can be controlled using the most common software packages by connecting it to a PC with the RS-232 serial port or the Ethernet connection, via the proprietary 10Micron ASCOM driver or the Meade compatible command protocol. Further, a dedicated software (also included with the mount) can be used to create a “virtual hand pad” exactly replicating the functions of the physical hand pad. The RS-232 port can also be used to control an external dome. This flexibility makes the GM1000 HPS an ideal mount for observatories and remote observing sites. The object database contains many star catalogues and deep sky objects up to the 16th magnitude. Solar system objects can be tracked so that their motion is compensated with respect to the stars. You may load orbital elements of comets, asteroids and artificial satellites into the mount, so that these objects can be tracked directly by using the hand pad (without any external PC).

Pointing is made accurate through the use of a model containing up to 100 stars, which allows for the correction of the classical polar alignment and conic errors as well as the most important flexure terms of the optical tube. In this way it is possible to obtain a pointing accuracy up to 20 arcseconds RMS. The same model can be used to obtain the maximum tracking accuracy, compensating also for the atmospheric refraction (depending on the local atmospheric pressure and temperature). A series of auxiliary functions are provided to help the user for a quick alignment of the mount to the celestial pole. You may save and recover the alignment data of different observing sessions. This function is very useful if you have many instruments in different setups, each one requiring different flexure corrections.

Tracking through the meridian, a typical problem with German mounts, is solved to allow for tracking of up to 30° past the meridian (configurable) in both directions. In this way any object can be tracked for at least four hours.
The tracking accuracy makes auto-guiding not necessary for many uses. The absolute encoders on both axes allow to obtain a typical tracking error below 1 arcsecond. It is possible to auto-guide anyway by using the ST4-compatible port or through the serial/Ethernet connection, with a guide rate configurable from 0.1x to 1x. The guide rate can be automatically corrected for the declination of the target so that there is no need to recalibrate the auto-guide when observing at different declinations.

 


Designed for field use, the GM1000 HPS is easily transportable. The main body of the mount, without the counterweight shaft, has a weight of only 19.5 kg.

Other functions of the mount are designed to obtain the maximum flexibility in the heavily used conditions. The mount can be switched on and off by using the dedicated connector on the control box panel. You can use the electronic balance functions in order to balance your instrument without unlocking the clutches. The mount can be parked in different user-defined positions. An external dome can be controlled via the RS-232 serial port, avoiding the need of using a dedicated external PC. Once configured with your instrument parameters, the firmware is able to make all the calculations required for positioning the dome slit in front of your optical tube, for almost all instrument configurations.

Tracking through the meridian, a typical problem with German mounts, is solved to allow for tracking of up to 30° past the meridian (configurable) in both directions. In this way any object can be tracked for at least four hours.

The tracking accuracy makes auto-guiding not necessary for many uses. The absolute encoders on both axes allows to obtain a typical tracking error below 1 arcsecond.

 

 

It is possible to auto-guide anyway by using the ST4-compatible port or through the serial/Ethernet connection, with a guide rate configurable from 0.1x to 1x. The guide rate can be automatically corrected for the declination of the target so that there is no need to recalibrate the auto-guide when observing at different declinations. Designed for field use, the GM1000 HPS is easily transportable. The main body of the mount, without the counterweight shaft, has a weight of only 19.5kg. Other functions of the mount are designed to obtain the maximum flexibility in heavily used conditions.

The mount can be switched on and off via the dedicated connector on the control box panel. You can use the electronic balance functions in order to balance your instrument without unlocking the clutches.

The mount can be parked in different user-defined positions. An external dome can be controlled via the RS-232 serial port, avoiding the need of using a dedicated external PC. Once configured with your instrument parameters, the firmware is able to make all the calculations required for positioning the dome slit in front of your optical tube, for almost all instrument configurations.

 

   

Type

German Equatorial Mount

Weight

19.5 kg

Payload Capacity

25 kg

Latitude range

0° – 82° (90° optional)

Azimuth fine adjustment range

± 7.5°

Counterweight shaft

30 mm diameter, stainless steel, weight 1.7 kg

Axes

30 mm diameter, alloy steel

Bearings

Pre-loaded tapered roller bearings
Roller thrust bearings

Worm wheels

250 teeth 125 mm diameter, B14 bronze

Worm

Diameter 20mm, alloy steel, grinded and lapped

Transmission system

Backlash-free system with timing belt and automatic backlash recovery

Motors

2 axes servo brushless

Power supply

24 V DC

Power consumption/p>

~ 0.5 A while tracking
~ 3 A at maximum speed
~ 4 A peak

Go-to speed

Adjustable from 2°/s to 15°/s

Pointing accuracy

< 20” with internal multiple-stars software mapping

Average tracking accuracy

< ± 1" typical for 15 minutes (< 0.7" RMS)
with multiple-stars software mapping and compensation of flexure and polar alignment errors

Security stop

± 30° past meridian in r.a. (software)
± 45° past meridian in r.a. (mechanical)

Communication ports

RS–232 port; GPS port; auto-guide ST-4 protocol port; Ethernet port

Database

Stars: by name, Bayer designation, Flamsteed designation, Bright Star Catalogue, SAO, HIP, HD, PPM, ADS, GCVS. Deep-sky: M, NGC, IC, PGC, UGC limited up to mV = 16. Solar system: sun, moon, planets, asteroids, comets, artificial satellites. Equatorial and altazimuth coordinates. User defined objects, fast slewing positions.

Firmware features

User defined mount parking position, 2‑stars and 3‑stars alignment function, up to 100 alignment stars for modeling, correction of polar alignment and orthogonality errors, estimate of average pointing error, storage of multiple pointing models, sidereal, solar and lunar tracking speed adjustable on both axes, declination-based auto-guide speed correction, adjustable horizon height limit, pointing and tracking past meridian, assisted balance adjustment, manual or GPS based time and coordinates setting, dome control via RS-232, configurable atmospheric refraction, network settings, comets and asteroids filter, multi-language interface. Remote assist via Internet connection.

PC control

Remote control via RS-232 or Ethernet; proprietary ASCOM driver or Meade compatible protocol; update of firmware and orbital elements of comets, asteroids and artificial satellites via RS-232 or Ethernet; virtual control panel via RS-232 or Ethernet. Wi-Fi included to control the mount via tablet, smartphone etc.

SKU

10M1000

 

 

  • GM 1000 HPS mount with built-in precision absolute axis-encoders
  • Control box with on-board intelligence (Linux-processor), stand alone system (no PC required, V.2 – HPS version firmware)
  • Professional hand control unit with graphic display and temperature control – 10M5030
  • Cables
  • Counterweight bar
  • Pier adapter for tripod / column – 10M1090
  • Strong transport carton-box with shaped foam – 10M1066
  • Allen key set
  • WiFi option included

 

 

GM1000HPS Full Specifications

Download

HPS Mount Comparison Chart

Download

GM1000 HPS Accessories Diagram

Download

GM1000HPS Sizes

Download

HPS Mount Scale View

Download

Customer Reviews

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B
Brendan Kelly
A truly quality mount

Well, I finally got outside and had a go with the new mount. I have to say, it was amazing. Such good fun. The quality you can feel. To be able to just move the scope around manually and for it to know where it was. Its so rock solid too, wind wasn’t affecting it like the old setup.

It took me less than 40 minutes to set it up from scratch but would be quicker next time. Polar alignment was easy, used Sharp Cap and then also Polemaster just to try it – both worked fine off the central axis, no problems.

I created a mask for my home site by just slewing around using the HC and holding a laser and then adding the mask points. Took about 20 minutes but then realised I could have done it manually, just pushing the scope around instead of slewing it with the HC as the scope position shows up on the mask. Could have done it in less than 10 minutes. Next time.

Then I created a 34 point model with MC2. Slewed around for about 20 minutes maybe less and it was done. I then chose a variety of objects in Stellarium and got the scope to slew there, took a 30 second photo and each time smack in the cross hairs, amazing, no plate solving at all. I cant believe the pointing accuracy based on this simple model.

I then took some photos unguided doing nothing more. 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes. Pretty good, round stars to the naked eye at 100% zoom in SGP although not perfect when fully zoomed in.

I didn’t have the UTC data updated or earth rotation and Ive only got the auto refraction data and guessed barometric pressure so maybe that had an effect. I have bulk light pollution where I took these from. Anyway Im very pleased.

10 MICRON GM1000 HPS.

10 MICRON GM1000 HPS

$16,649.00 AUD $18,499.00

Optical design

Image circle

Focal ratio

Aperture

Focal length

Optical thickness

Threads

Cooled

Colour or Mono

Pixel size

Sensor dimensions

Resolution

Sensor diagonal

Quantum efficiency

Read noise

Fullwell capacity

Bit depth

FPS

Camera backfocus

Filter size

Filter size

Bandpass (FWHM)

Bandpass (FWHM)

Glass thickness

Mount type

Equatorial

Payload capacity

25 kg

Latitude range

0° – 82° (90° optional)

Dovetail saddle

Vixen/Losmandy

Slew speed

15°/s max

Encoders

Encoders: Absolute on both axes

Periodic error correction

Not needed

Counterweight shaft

30 mm

Azimuth adjustment range

+/− 7.5°

Internal diameter

Illuminated diameter

Compatible telescope external diameter

Weight

19.5 kg

Length

Width

Height

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