10) Introduction
Dome tracker has been designed with Cyril Cavadore to automatise your dome or roll-roof
movement. It is an electronic with associated software which fits between your telescope computer
control and your motor power drive. It can manage opening and closing sequence including
emergency closure driven. It can enslave your telescope and dome movement by synchronizing both
during GoTo or tracking phases through software control. Dome Tracker can be used on a pre-
existing installation or a brand new one.
Dome Tracker is powered with 12V and controls the motor drives through internal relays, ensuring a
good electrical isolation of your equipment.
Dome Tracker is controled directly in PRISM software (not provided) or using ASCOM driver which
works in most other cases. A test software is provided to help you during the installation to test the
electrical setup as well as finding the proper parameters.
The Dome Tracker can work either in DOME or ROLL-ROOF configuration. This is the same base
module but different cables and sensors.
In DOME mode, the position of the dome is actually fed back with an angular sensor and a proximity
sensor provides a zero position. The shelter is managed through short or long impulsions.
In ROLL-ROFF mode, Dome Tracker will manage the end-of-line sensors to stop the motors at the
right position.
In both configuration, emergency closure can be driven through hardware/relay. The Dome Tracker
can be complemented with a Sentinel astronomical weather station – see Shelyak Instruments web
site for more details on this product.
We wrote in this document everything you should need to install and use your Dome Tracker. We
sincerely hope that your Dome Tracker will help you to improve your astronomical observations. Do
not hesitate to contact us to share your experiences and provide us with comments on your Dome
Tracker.
Shelyak Instruments team,
Olivier Thizy & François Cochard
Guide Utilisateur / User Manual - Dome Tracker– DC0007C 33 / 60
