Mga 1600
Billi Plancarte
Mountain biking at night can be a magical experience that transforms your familiar trails into an entirely different world. The Countdown 1600 has an easy to read backlit digital display that tells you exactly how many minutes of light remains in each of the 6 power modes.
The 1600 Wall Guard provides superior impact resistance from carts, luggage, and wheelchairs with a continuous impact bumper mounted on a continuous aluminum retainer. Expand coverage with this 6" high profile.
Sysmex-compatible rotors can easily be moved between sample preparation systems, Helmer UltraCW II automatic cell washing system and XF-1600 flow cytometer. Rotors are positively identified to ensure traceability through the laboratory.
Thirty plus years of mount design and building expertise has been employed to engineer and manufacture our new 1600GTO mount into the most robust, high-precision mount in its class. We have enhanced its design and utility by incorporating additional optional features like absolute encoders, sophisticated control systems and a precision polar scope to meet the needs of even the most demanding astro-imager or visual enthusiast.
We offer three versions: 1600GTO, 1600GTO-AE and 1600GTO-AEL. The latter two versions include the Standard Temperature Absolute Encoders or the Extended Temperature Absolute Encoders, respectively. If you order the 1600GTO without the absolute encoders, you will be able to purchase them at a later date to install yourself.
You can take it to the darkest skies and power it with a commonly available 12V battery. In the observatory, we suggest a minimum 5 amp filtered, regulated power supply like our 13.8-volt, 15-amp Power Supply (PS138V15A). For a heavy payload in cold conditions, we offer a 25 Amp Variable Volt Power Supply (PSVPW25A)
The mount will track and guide well past the meridian in either direction if the object is located so that the telescope will clear the pier. This allows the user to set up the mount for a long series of exposures without stopping in the middle to flip sides. One can start the telescope under the mount while pointing at an object in the eastern part of the sky and track it all the way deep into the western sky. This is very useful for long exposure H-alpha or in cases where a large number of individual exposures are needed for stacking. This feature of our GTO mounts has been a real customer favorite for many years.
Our optional Right-Angle Polar Alignment Scope will allow you to quickly zero in on the pole or the polar alignment routine in PEMPro (included) will guide you through the process. You can even align the mount during the day with our clever Daytime Polar Alignment Routine (outlined in the Keypad Manual) for solar observing, viewing the planets at twilight, or just getting a jump start on a long night.
You have your choice of the GTO Keypad (KEYVFK2, optional), which is a full-featured handheld computer, PC computers using a wide variety of software with or without our ASCOM driver, Mac computers or even your mobile smart device (like your iPhone or iPad).
Absolute Encoders on both axes provide error-free tracking, software readable absolute position, and customizable home and limit functions for robotic imaging. This option can be installed when you purchase your mount (order either the 1600GTO-AE or 1600GTO-AEL version) or you can purchase the option as an upgrade kit (16AE-4-KIT or 16AE-4L-KIT) when you are ready to take advantage of its capabilities.
Precise Mechanical Fabrication
Using modern CNC machining techniques, we make all components to a high-precision level, which results in a final package that is solid and accurate in all respects. The critical angles are accurately machined so that the mount is orthogonal to a very high degree. This results in pointing accuracies well below 1 arc minute for a properly aligned mount. Massive thrust bearings and preloaded shaft bearings provide excellent stability under all imaging situations.
Easy to Adjust and Maintain
The design of the 1600GTO is straightforward and easy to maintain. We provide information in the Technical Support section of our website pertaining to typical adjustment issues.
Components are modular.
All electronics including the GTOCP4 control box, motors, gearbox or cables can be removed for servicing. The RA and Dec axes can be shipped separately, if needed.
The GTOCP4 drive system uses a high-quality Swiss DC servo motor controlled by a microprocessor to an accuracy of 0.05 arc-seconds per step. Tracking is very smooth and repeatable from one worm cycle to the next, which enables PE correction to be very accurate. The system can be precisely controlled over a speed range of 4800:1, which allows 0.25x sidereal for manual guiding to 1200x sidereal for 5 degree per second slewing. The circuit draws approximately 0.5 amps when tracking the stars, 2.5 amps with both motors slewing and requires only 12 volts to operate. The servo drive will satisfy the requirements of the sophisticated, advanced astro-imager, yet is easy for the casual, visual observer to use.
The heart of this mount is a precision gearbox using custom high-quality fine-pitch gears, coupled to a highly accurate worm and worm wheel. These parts are manufactured and assembled at our facility and individually tested to meet or exceed our periodic error specification of 5 arc seconds (+/- 2.5 arc sec.) before introducing any periodic error correction. The PE is smoothly variant with extremely low ripple or moment to moment error. In contrast, mounts that use commercial gearboxes have very small spur gears with tiny teeth and too few of them. This generally causes ripples in the tracking rate which are difficult to guide out.
Each mount is rigorously tested on our specialized periodic error tester. Only mounts that provide an accuracy of 5 arc seconds or better will pass this inspection. If the mount exhibits greater error, the substandard part is identified, replaced and the mount is retested.
As mentioned above, the spec of 5 arc seconds (+/- 2.5 arc sec.) is the maximum native mechanical error inherent in the mount's RA axis WITHOUT any software correction. In order to optimize performance even further, we generate a unique PE curve for each mount that we program into each GTOCP4 Control Box. Simply use the optional Keypad or your Astro-Physics software (ASCOM V2 driver or APCC) to turn the PE Correction "on" and you will see results significantly better than our published 7 arc second spec without additional PEMPro runs! However, you may use PEMPro to further refine your PE, if you chose to do so.
1600GTO-AE or 1600GTO-AEL: If you purchase either of these versions that feature absolute encoders, the final in-house PEM correction run will utilize the corrections of the absolute encoders and the values will be stored in the GTOCP4 Control Box.
The GTOCP4 Control Box offers multiple connection options to suit your requirements including Wi-Fi, ethernet, USB and serial ports. In addition to all the features carried forward from previous control boxes, the GTOCP4 applies safety slew logic to all slew commands. Future firmware updates will be available via downloads from the Software Updates tab of our website.
The GTOCP4 contains all of the circuitry to drive the two servo motors and the logic required to navigate the sky. It can be easily removed from the mount, if required. The 1600GTO uses the same GTOCP4 Control Box as the 1100GTO and Mach1GTO. In fact, the control boxes for all three mounts are interchangeable with one another in an emergency. However, the absolute encoder function is only available in the control boxes sold with the 1100 and 1600 mounts with encoders installed.
The Keypad (KEYVFK2) is a self-contained computer that allows you to control all essential telescope functions and includes an extensive database of objects. Many people do not want to bother with a computer in the field and like the handiness of the Keypad and its ability to operate in very cold temperatures. The Keypad is an ideal choice for these users.
We have designed the interface and firmware to be as intuitive and easy to use as possible, while filling it with terrific features to make your observing session productive and pleasurable.
As this chart shows, there are many options available for controlling your mount. Take a few minutes to link to descriptions of the varied software and devices that are available. You will be able to link to a full-sized view of this chart.
APCC-PRO provides advanced mount control features useful for local or remote operation of your Astro-Physics GTO mount. It was developed by Ray Gralak, the author of PEMPro, in collaboration with Astro-Physics. This software package features a dual-pointing model for both normal and counterweight UP orientation, dual-axis tracking rate correction for RA and Dec, APPM application to acquire pointing and tracking model data, many safety features and much, much more. Please refer to the APCC-PRO webpage for more information.
The 1600GTO mount has been designed and engineered to accommodate the use of extremely precise Absolute Encoders. We invite you to review the technical information regarding the encoders and find out what they can do for you.
Absolute Encoders allow the mount to know its exact location regardless of accidental software errors and will allow its recovery. This is particularly important in remote setups. Furthermore, they virtually eliminate periodic error, reducing it below 0.2 arc seconds in our tests.
If you order the 1600GTO-AE or 1600GTO-AEL, the R.A. and Dec. encoders will be installed and fully tested with the mount prior to shipment. However, if you purchase the 1600GTO without encoders, you may purchase the Absolute Encoder Kit (16AE-4-KIR or 16AE-4L-KIT) at some point in the future and install them yourself. Please note that the price and availability of the encoder kits may change over time.
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