ASTRO-PHYSICS Mach1GTO, Руководство пользователя, Страница: 15 / 31

Optional 10.7” x 1.875” Counterweight Shaft
The optional 10.7” total length x 1.875” diameter Counterweight Shaft offers some additional
capabilities and considerations. The shaft installs in the same way as the standard shaft, but
instead of a S
AFETY
K
NOB AND
W
ASHER
, this shaft uses the One Piece Washerless Safety
Stop (M12676) at the end of the shaft. For safety, you
MUST use this Safety Stop! There are two main
reasons why a person might choose the Optional
Counterweight Shaft over the standard 14.5” x 1.125”
shaft:
1. Owners of 900 or 1200 series mounts might
prefer to purchase the optional shaft because it
uses the same 10 lb. (10SCWT) and 18 lb.
(18SCWT) counterweights that those bigger mounts use. These counterweights
have larger 1.875” diameter center holes. Please note that this shaft weighs in at
a hefty 7.7 lbs. including the safety stop. To facilitate lighter instruments, we
have added a 5 lb. counterweight (5SCWT) to the product line to join the other
two weights with the larger center holes.
2. Owners who plan to use their Mach1GTO for long-distance travel may wish to
purchase this shaft for a more compact fit in a travel case. The 10.7” shaft was
specifically designed to fit inside the hollow declination shaft and screw into the
C
OUNTERWEIGHT
A
DAPTER
from the back side. When fully screwed into the
adapter, and with the Safety Stop in place, the whole thing only protrudes
about 3/4” from the face of the D
ECLINATION
H
UB
P
LATE
. To prevent you from
accidentally getting the shaft stuck inside the dec axis, we added a socket
head screw to the end of the
shaft. Simply use your 1/4” hex
key to break it loose if needed.
Keep in mind that the combined
weight of the equatorial head
and shaft will be 36.2 lbs. not
counting the GTOCP3 control
box, keypad, cables or the travel
case itself. With the mount’s two axes separated, and the shaft thus stored, it will all fit neatly into a case that should fit
into an overhead luggage compartment, but you still have to be able to lift it up that high! You must also be aware of all
rules and regulations regarding weight limits and allowable case sizes, not to mention potential security problems.
Please do your homework before trying to take a trip with your valuable astronomical equipment. We have designed
the mount to be portable, but we cannot guarantee that you will be allowed to carry it with you.
One final caution: This is a “really cool” feature, but remember, you will need to remove the mounting plate to take
advantage of this capability. It will be great for long-distance travel, but you may not want to store the shaft inside the
dec axis for trips to and from your favorite local dark site.
Attach Mounting Rings
(purchased separately)
Flat and ribbed plates: constructed with keyhole slots at the location where your mounting rings attach. This feature
enables you to partially loosen the screws on your rings just enough to insert them into the larger part of the keyhole, then
slide the rings to the narrow part and tighten them with a hex key. You can even accomplish this with the rings on the scope,
although this maneuver may be difficult to accomplish with a large, heavy instrument.
We prefer this keyhole method to the standard way of completely removing the screws and possibly dropping them in the
grass.
Astro-Physics or Losmandy Dovetail Plates: Attach the mounting rings to the male dovetail plate (sliding bar).
Fine Polar Alignment
For casual observation, you may skip this section and simply start observing. Don’t forget to tighten your A
LTITUDE
L
OCKING
L
EVER
and A
ZIMUTH
L
OCK
K
NOBS
and make sure both of your A
ZIMUTH
A
DJUSTER
K
NOBS
are snugged against the A
ZIMUTH
A
DJUSTING
P
IN
. Move the telescope manually or by using the N-S-E-W buttons of the keypad. The keypad and GTO Servo
Control Box will function as soon as they are plugged in. That means that the R.A. axis will be tracking up to the limits of
your polar alignment. However, if you plan to use any of the go-to functions of the
Mach1GTO or do astrophotography, you
must perform a more accurate polar alignment.
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