COST INCLUDES CRATING AND SHIPPING

The PlaneWave L-350 is an alt-azimuth, single-fork arm style mount that is capable of carrying a total payload of 45kg/100lbs. This mount therefore can easily carry a PlaneWave or other telescopes up to approx 14" / 350mm in size.

The mount combines versatility, simplicity and affordability by combining all the technology of PlaneWave's Observatory-class telescopes into a compact and stand-alone mount and is a breakthrough in mount design, specification and features for the price.

The L-350 mount uses a direct drive motor system with high resolution encoders on both the RA and DEC axes that results in zero backlash and periodic error. The mount can slew at speeds from 20 degrees to up to 50 degrees per second! It is supplied with a CDK14 compatible clamp on the 'inside' of the 'L'. In addition a second clamp, such as the Optec 'Keller-EZ' can be mounted on the outside permitting a second telescope to be added simply.

The mount is offered in an Alt-Az configuration but can be used Equatorialy with the optional L-350 Equatorial wedge. The Alt/Az configuration is considerably more compact than an equatorial mounted configuration, allowing a larger telescope to fit in a smaller enclosure.  Unlike German Equatorial mounts, no polar alignment is necessary, there are no meridian flips and no large protruding counterweights to create a potential hazard if the telescope is located in a public observatory. However if possible we recommend the use of the mount in EQ mode as this removes many potential issues that imaging in Alt-Az mode with a de-rotator can cause.

When used in EQ mode this configuration of mount provides tracking that is free of Meridian flips enabling data gathering to be done without interruption. The dual mount arrangement provides additional flexibility in the equipment used. The mount is also essentially hollow which permits the bulk of cabling to be housed within the mount keeping things free of wires.

To enhance balance, the L series can be moved laterally so that weight is positioned over the central axis. If this cannot be done with a simple movement, then a counterweight can be added to the base.

In short the L-350 is an excellent choice for a medium capacity observatory class mount that represents excellent value. From August we expect to have an L-350 available for demonstration via our remote hosted demonstration system located at e-Eye in Spain.

Price includes delivery. As with all products supplied by Astrograph, we are happy to offer installation and setup advice including full installation if required. Please ask for details

COST INCLUDES CRATING AND SHIPPING

The PlaneWave L-350 is an alt-azimuth, single-fork arm style mount that is capable of carrying a total payload of 45kg/100lbs. This mount therefore can easily carry a PlaneWave or other telescopes up to approx 14" / 350mm in size.

This is a package including the optional equatorial wedge which allows the mount to operate like a conventional EQ mount. However it retains the advantages of not having to use counterweights and not requiring a meridian flip. When ordering this package the latitude of the installation site must be known as the wedge is ordered with a 6 degree range that allows operation from 12-43 degrees of latitudes.

The L-350 mount combines versatility, simplicity and affordability by combining all the technology of PlaneWave's Observatory-class telescopes into a compact and stand-alone mount and is a breakthrough in mount design, specification and features for the price.

The L-350 mount uses a direct drive motor system with high resolution encoders on both the RA and DEC axes that results in zero backlash and periodic error. The mount can slew at speeds from 20 degrees to up to 50 degrees per second! It is supplied with a CDK14 compatible clamp on the 'inside' of the 'L'. In addition a second clamp, such as the Optec 'Keller-EZ' can be mounted on the outside permitting a second telescope to be added simply.

When used in EQ mode this configuration of mount provides tracking that is free of Meridian flips enabling data gathering to be done without interruption. The dual mount arrangement provides additional flexibility in the equipment used. The mount is also essentially hollow which permits the bulk of cabling to be housed within the mount keeping things free of wires.

To enhance balance, the L series can be moved laterally so that weight is positioned over the central axis. If this cannot be done with a simple movement, then a counterweight can be added to the base.

In short the L-350 is an excellent choice for a medium capacity observatory class mount that represents excellent value. From October we expect to have an L-350 available of our own available for demonstration via our remote hosted demonstration system located at e-Eye in Spain.

Price includes delivery. As with all products supplied by Astrograph, we are happy to offer installation and setup advice including full installation if required. Please ask for details

Evolving perfection. The GM2000 HPS II mount, now in the new M2 version, is built for the demanding observer using photographic instruments up to a weight of 50kg – 110 lbs (counterweights not included). Movements are driven by two servo brushless motors , with timing belt reduction having zerobacklash. Both axes feature a classic worm – wormwheel pairing. The wormwheels are made of bronze (B14), with a diameter of 172mm and 215 teeth, while the worms are made of alloy steel with a diameter of 24mm. The axes themselves are made of 50mm diameter alloy steel, for the maximum rigidity.

The electronics is housed in an independent control box, easily removable. The connections of the mount and keypad feature secutiry lock screws. The mount can be controlled using the included keypad, 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. An 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 10micron ASCOM driver or the Meade compatible command protocol. Furthermore, a dedicated software (also included with the mount) can be used to create a “virtual keypad” replicating exactly the functions of the physical keypad. The RS-232 port can also be used to control an external dome. This flexibility makes the GM2000HPS an ideal mount for observatories and remotized observing sites. The object database contains many star catalogs 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 using the keypad (without any external PC).

Pointing is made accurate through the usage of a model containing up to 100 stars, which allows for the correction of the classical polar alignment and conic errors, and also of the most important flexure terms of the optical tube. In this way it is possible to obtain pointing accuracies of the order of 20 arcseconds RMS. The same model can be used in order 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 is provided to help the user for quick aligning the mount to the celestial pole. You may also 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 allowing for tracking for 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 autoguiding unnecessary for many uses. The absolute encoders on both axes allows to obtain a typical tracking error below 1 arcsecond.

It is possible to autoguide anyway, 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 of recalibrating the autoguide when observing at different declinations. Among the other functions, you will find the electronically-assisted balance and the ability of parking the mount in different user-defined positions. Designed for field use, the ultraportable version is easily divided into two parts. All electrical connections are made automatically when assembling the mount. The biggest piece has a weigth of only 15 kg – 33 lbs

Crux mounts feature Harmonic Drive / Strain Wave Gear Tecnology. This tecnology gives Crux mounts the following advantages over traditional drive systems for astronomy applications;

 - The mounts have zero backlash and therefore pointing and guiding can be very accurate

 - They have very high torque. This makes it ideal your use with all loads. For instance the length of a refractor normally requires a much more powerful mount than a typical weight capacity suggests. The load limits for Crux mounts are for all types of telescopes and also for imaging

 - The motor is very compact and therefore allows a small form factor, resulting in less bulk and weight.

 - Harmonic Drive motors are very responsive and therefore react instantly to guiding commands. When combined with the zero backlash this allows for extremley accurate tracking. There is none of the high frequency oscillation normally associated with traditional drive systems.

 - The high torque of the motor permits use without a counterweight, further reducing the overall weight. If a counterweight is added, the load capacity can be increased significantly. Note that this counterweight is not used to balance the telescope in the normal way. It is simply helping the drive system and making the load safer.

Please see the short video below for an explanation of how the Harmonic Drive system works.

​The Crux 320HD is a highly accurate, medium capacity mount (60kg) that is compact and weighs only 25kg. It is a fully GoTo enabled system which includes a 12000+ object database. Without any counterweight the mount has a load capacity of 23kg, enough for a significantly sized telescope. By adding a 15kg of counterweight, the maximum capacity is increased to 60kg. This capacity is rated for imaging and for difficult loads like a large and long refractor
 
The '320HD', as with all Crux mounts is provided with a mounting point for a QHY Polemaster. No adapter is needed. This makes polar alignment using the built in Altitude and Azimuth controls very simple.
 
Supplied with all Crux Mounts is the Titan TCS Controller. This provides GoTo functionality and all other mount control and connectivity. It is based on the LX200 protocol and is therefore fully ASCOM and INDI compliant. It also features wireless connectivity in the form of Bluetooth, with WiFi being added shortly. Thus is allows easy integration with Tablet applications such as Sky Safari.
 
One significant function of the Crux mount and TCS Controller is PEC training. This is where, using a guide system (like PHD2), the drive system is trained. This, once completed permanently (unless reset by the user) lowers the PE of the mount to typically +/- 3 arc seconds for the 320HD. This enhanced error can then be combined with guiding leading to extremely low PE. Potentially as low as 0.1 arc sec. As part of our service, we PEC train each mount before delivery so you receive a mount that is capable of operating at its best, straight out of the box. A copy of the PE test data is also provided.

COST INCLUDES CRATING AND SHIPPING

The PlaneWave L-500 is an alt-azimuth, single-fork arm style mount that is capable of carrying a total payload of 91kg/200lbs. This mount therefore can easily carry a PlaneWave or other telescopes of significant size up to 20"

This is a package including the optional equatorial wedge which allows the mount to operate like a conventional EQ mount. However it retains the advantages of not having to use counterweights and not requiring a meridian flip. When ordering this package the latitude of the installation site must be known as the wedge is ordered with a 6 degree range that allows operation from 12-43 degrees of latitudes.

The mount combines versatility, simplicity and affordability by combining all the technology of PlaneWave's Observatory-class telescopes into a compact and stand-alone mount and is a breakthrough in mount design, specification and features for the price.

The L-500 mount uses a direct drive motor system with high resolution encoders on both the RA and DEC axes that results in zero backlash and periodic error. The mount can slew at speeds from 20 degrees to up to 50 degrees per second! It is supplied with a CDK17 style compatible clamp on the 'inside' of the 'L'. In addition a second clamp, such as the Optec 'Keller-EZ' can be mounted on the outside permitting a second telescope to be added simply.

When used in EQ mode this configuration of mount provides tracking that is free of Meridian flips enabling data gathering to be done without interruption. The dual mount arrangement provides additional flexibility in the equipment used. The mount is also essentially hollow which permits the bulk of cabling to be housed within the mount keeping things free of wires.

To enhance balance, the L series can be moved laterally so that weight is positioned over the central axis. If this cannot be done with a simple movement, then a counterweight can be added to the base.

In short the L-500 is an excellent choice for a high capacity observatory class mount that represents excellent value. From October we can demonstrate the software functionality of the L series via our own L-350 mount via our remote hosted demonstration system located at e-Eye in Spain.

Price includes delivery. As with all products supplied by Astrograph, we are happy to offer installation and setup advice including full installation if required. Please ask for details

PLEASE CONTACT US FOR CURRENT DELIVERY INFORMATION

Evolving perfection. The GM3000 HPS mount is built for observatories with an instrumentation up to a weight of 100 kg – 220 lbs (excluding counterweights). It is ideal for remotized observation sites, and its loading capacity allows for mounting instruments like 200 mm diameter refractors, 300 mm diameter Newton reflectors, 450 mm diameter Cassegrains and so on. Movements are driven by two servo brushless motors, with timing belt reduction having zerobacklash. Both axes feature a classic worm – wormwheel pairing. The wormwheels are made of bronze (B14), with a diameter of 244 mm and 315 teeth in right ascension, and a diameter of 192 mm and 250 teeth in declination. The worms are made of alloy tempered steel with a diameter of 32 mm and 24 mm respectively. The axes themselves are made of alloy steel, with a diameter of 80 mm (right ascension) and 60 mm (declination), for the maximum rigidity. The electronics is housed in an independent control box, easily removable. The connections of the mount and keypad secutiry lock screws. Only one cable runs from the control box to the mount. The axes feature an hole allowing for the passage of instrumentation cables. This effectively solves the problem of entangling cables and damaging instruments, especially for remote observatories. The mount is powered with low voltage, requiring a maximum power of about 100W. This makes possible using the mount even in locations with limited power available. The GM3000HPS can be controlled completely using the included keypad, without requiring any 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. An 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 10micron ASCOM driver or the Meade compatible command protocol. Furthermore, a dedicated software (also included with the mount) can be used to create a “virtual keypad” replicating exactly the functions of the physical keypad. The RS-232 port can also be used to control an external dome. This flexibility makes the GM3000HPS an ideal mount for observatories and remotized observing sites. The object database contains many star catalogs 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.

Pointing is made accurate through the usage of a model containing up to 100 stars, which allows for the correction of the classical polar alignment and conic errors, and also of the most important flexure terms of the optical tube. In this way it is possible to obtain pointing accuracies of the order of 15 arcseconds RMS. The same model can be used in order 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 is provided to help the user for quick aligning the mount to the celestial pole. You may also 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 allowing for tracking for 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 autoguiding unnecessary for many uses.

The absolute encoders on both axes allows to obtain a typical tracking error below 1 arcsecond. It is possible to autoguide anyway, 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 of recalibrating the autoguide when observing at different declinations. The mount has also dedicated function for easy use in the observatory. A dedicated connector on the control box panel is used for remotized switching on and off. The instrument can be electronically balanced, without disengaging the worm from the wormwheel. The mount can be parked in different user-defined positions. The serial RS-232 port can be used to control directly an external dome, 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.

LEAD TIME ON REQUEST

DELIVERY COST IS INCLUDED

The DDM100 is the result of over 15 years of experience working with Direct Drive systems. It is the mount of choice for the most demanding pointing and tracking solutions with loads up to 100kg

To achieve the excellent tracking and pointing performance they are renowned for, ASA Direct Drive systems are equipped with encoders with up to 28bit (0.004 arcsec) high resolution encoders on each axis. After a pointing model is created using the ASA software package, the positioning error is typically better than 5 arcsec RMS, with tracking performance in the range of +/- 0.25 arcsec up to 10min (only guaranteed with ASA telescopes). The ASA DDM100 is the entry into all kinds of research work, including astronomical observation and satellite tracking. Astrophotography is usually conducted without external guiding thanks to ASA's proprietry MLPT (Multi Local Point Tracking) application.

ASA Mounts are supplied with all components needed to operate including Telescope mounting plate (ASA format), counterweights, PSU and cabling.

COST INCLUDES CRATING AND SHIPPING

The L-Series:

Combines versatility, simplicity and affordability by combining all the technology of our observatory class telescopes into a compact stand-alone mount. In its Alt/Az configuration it is considerably more compact than its equatorial counterpart, allowing a larger telescope to fit in a smaller enclosure. Unlike traditional German Equatorial mounts, there are no meridian flips to deal with, and no large protruding counterweights to create a dangerous hazard in a public observatory. Alt/Az is more intuitive to use and no polar alignment is needed. For added flexibility, the L-Series mounts can be installed in either Alt/Az, or equatorial mode with the optional wedge accessory.

L-600 Mount Features:

PLEASE CONTACT US FOR CURRENT DELIVERY INFORMATION

The GM4000HPS mount, now in the new M2 version, is built for observatories with an instrumentation up to a weight of 150 kg – 330 lbs (excluding counterweights). It is ideal for remotized observation sites, and its loading capacity allows for mounting instruments like 300 mm diameter refractors, 400 mm diameter Newton reflectors, 600 mm diameter Cassegrains and so on. 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 330 mm and 430 teeth in right ascension, and a diameter of 244 mm and 315 teeth in declination. The worms are made of alloy tempered steel with a diameter of 32 mm. The axes themselves are made of alloy steel, with a diameter of 85 mm (right ascension) and 80 mm (declination), for the maximum rigidity.

The electronics is housed in an easily detachable housing (control box), mounted above the right ascension axis, in order to obtain the best accessibility of all connections. The connections of the mount and keypad secutiry lock screws. Only one cable runs from the control box to the mount. The axes feature a 60 mm diameter hole allowing for the passage of instrumentation cables. This effectively solves the problem of entangling cables and damaging instruments, especially for remote observatories. The mount is powered with low voltage, requiring a maximum power of about 100W. This makes possible using the mount even in locations with limited power available. The GM4000HPS can be controlled completely using the included hand pad, without requiring any 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. An 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 10micron ASCOM driver or the Meade compatible command protocol. Furthermore, a dedicated software (also included with the mount) can be used to create a “virtual keypad” replicating exactly the functions of the physical keypad. The RS‑232 port can also be used to control an external dome. This flexibility makes the GM4000HPS an ideal mount for observatories and remotized observing sites.

The object database contains many star catalogs 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.

Pointing is made accurate through the usage of a model containing up to 100 stars, which allows for the correction of the classical polar alignment and conic errors, and also of the most important flexure terms of the optical tube. In this way it is possible to obtain pointing accuracies of the order of 15 arcseconds RMS. The same model can be used in order 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 is provided to help the user for quick aligning the mount to the celestial pole. You may also 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 allowing for tracking for 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 autoguiding 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 autoguide anyway, 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 of recalibrating the autoguide when observing at different declinations. The mount has also dedicated function for easy use in the observatory. A dedicated connector on the control box panel is used for remotized switching on and off. The instrument can be electronically balanced, without disengaging the worm from the wormwheel. The mount can be parked in different user‑defined positions. The serial RS‑232 port can be used to control directly an external dome, 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

Crux mounts feature Harmonic Drive / Strain Wave Gear Tecnology. This tecnology gives Crux mounts the following advantages over traditional drive systems for astronomy applications;

 - The mounts have zero backlash and therefore pointing and guiding can be very accurate

 - They have very high torque. This makes it ideal your use with all loads. For instance the length of a refractor normally requires a much more powerful mount than a typical weight capacity suggests. The load limits for Crux mounts are for all types of telescopes and also for imaging

 - The motor is very compact and therefore allows a small form factor, resulting in less bulk and weight.

 - Harmonic Drive motors are very responsive and therefore react instantly to guiding commands. When combined with the zero backlash this allows for extremley accurate tracking. There is none of the high frequency oscillation normally associated with traditional drive systems.

 - The high torque of the motor permits use without a counterweight, further reducing the overall weight. If a counterweight is added, the load capacity can be increased significantly. Note that this counterweight is not used to balance the telescope in the normal way. It is simply helping the drive system and making the load safer.

Please see the short video below for an explanation of how the Harmonic Drive system works.

​The Crux T4000 is Hobym Observatory's ultimate mount and is observatory class. It has a very high payload capacity of up to 180kg. Combined with its extreme torque capability, the T4000 is compatible with all load types be it a large diameter reflector or large and long specialised refractor. It is a split axis design which helps facilitate installation. Total weight of the mount is still only 54kg (32kg for RA, 22kg for DEC)

An option for the T4000 is to have the RA head extended to better locate certain telescopes with reference to the pier position. For specifications of this and additional costs, please contact us for details.
 
As with all Crux mounts, the T4000 is provided with a mounting point for a QHY Polemaster. No adapter is needed. This makes polar alignment using the built in Altitude and Azimuth controls very simple. It is understood however that for a mount of this class, polar alignment will probably be handled via observatory software but the polemaster will allow for very simple initial setup of the mount.
 
Supplied with all Crux Mounts is the Titan TCS Controller. This provides GoTo functionality and all other mount control and connectivity. It is based on the LX200 protocol and is therefore fully ASCOM and INDI compliant. It also features wireless connectivity in the form of Bluetooth, with WiFi being added shortly. Thus is allows easy integration with Tablet applications such as Sky Safari and of course PC based applications.
 
One significant function of the Crux mount and TCS Controller is PEC training. This is where, using a guide system (like PHD2), the drive system is trained. This, once completed permanently (unless reset by the user) lowers the PE of the T4000 to typically +/- 3 arc seconds dependent on the mount. This enhanced error can then be combined with guiding leading to extremely low PE. Potentially as low as 0.1 arc sec. As part of our service, we PEC train each mount before delivery so you receive a mount that is capable of operating at its best, straight out of the box. A copy of the PE test data is also provided.