40
automatically be made using meridian advance and APCC's safety slew logic to place the system in a
counterweight-up position with the scope on the east for uninterrupted imaging through the meridian. The safety
slew logic ensures that all mount movement with the counterweight up is with the RA only. Using the East Limits,
the scope can image through the meridian and on for another 6 hours before the telescope reaches the horizon.
●
A Pier Flip button has been added to the APCC software that will allow an automatic flip to the other side of the
mount when the button is clicked. Provided that you are within the safe limits, you can flip and view the same
object from either side of the pier...either counterweight up or down.
The ability to work past the meridian into the west, or to start ahead of the meridian in the east, has always been a
hallmark of Astro-Physics mounts. Both the Keypad and the earlier PulseGuide program provided the ability to work
beyond the meridian. However, with both of these control methods, the user would want to be present at the mount for
safety. APCC creates meridian limits that can allow the user to safely exceed the meridian without hovering over the
mount to protect the scope and imaging equipment from a potential crash. Remotely controlled observatories can now
also safely image through the meridian (where declination permits it).
Recalibrate and Sync
The concepts of Recalibrate (ReCal) and Sync have caused a lot of confusion over the years. Users familiar with our
previous GTOCP1,2,3 or 4 control boxes will remember that sync and recalibrate represented very distinct meanings for
Astro-Physics mounts and, confusing the two, could send your mount slewing the wrong direction and, in the worst case
scenario, ending with a pier crash. However...no more!
This is no longer an issue with the Mach2GTO mount! The unique encoder-mount design
liberates it from Sync / ReCal concern!
Feel free to use Sync or ReCal interchangeably in Keypad or computer. The effect will be to fine-tune your pointing
accuracy. It will have no affect on your scope / counter weights orientation. Freedom!
Parking Your Mount
There is no need to go to a park position for any of our mounts. You can just remove the power cable (or turn off your
power supply), then next time plug it back in (or turn it on). The mount doesn't care, and that includes the Mach1,
Mach2, 1100, 1600, 900, 1200 etc.
For all of our mounts, except the Mach2GTO, parking simply gives you a reference in case you tear your mount down
and want to build it up again next time close to what you had before and don't want to go thru a lengthy setup routine.
That way you can use a level to set one of the park positions where you last left it and simply resume from present
position.
The Mach2GTO is even easier to operate. It never needs to be told where it is even if you don't put it back the way you
had it before. Simply resume tracking . It remembers the absolute encoder positions and thus, where it is.
For instance, a simple workflow is just this: open SkyX™
and press "Connect Telescope." That's it. Done! The cursor
on SkyX
™
shows where the scope is pointed. Right click on an object that you want to slew to and the mount will move
there. When you are done, leave the scope wherever you want and simply press "Disconnect Telescope" in SkyX
™
.
Then turn off the power.
You can do the above with any of our mounts if you don't loosen the clutches. On the Mach2GTO, you can loosen the
clutches and move the axes without causing any kind of issue for the next setup. It doesn't matter where the scope is
pointing when you click on "Connect Telescope"; the cursor on your planetarium program will show you exactly where
the scope is pointed.
We tried to make this mount, and all our mounts, as easy to operate as possible. The problem is that people go through
all kinds of steps that are extraneous. Parking is nice for certain operations, but it is not necessary.
All of the park positions are illustrated in "Appendix B: Pre-defined Park Positions (Northern & Southern Hemispheres)"
