Paramount ME II In Stock Ready to go
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The table below compares the Paramount ME II and Paramount ME
Component |
Paramount ME II |
Paramount ME |
Control system electronics |
MKS 5000 (Fifth generation) One board includes all ports and control system electronics |
MKS 4000 (gen 4) and Adaptor Panel Two board design; Adaptor Panel includes plug in ports; MKS 4000 board contains the control system electronics.
|
Counterweight shaft |
|
|
Counterweights |
14 kg (30 lb), two included |
9 kg (20 lb), two included |
Declination bearing |
8-in (48 contact points) |
6-in (14 contact points) |
Declination gear diameter |
9.5 in. |
7.5 in. |
Declination housing |
5 in. x 0.5 in. wall 6061 aluminum tubing |
Rectangular aluminum box (6061) |
Declination shaft diameter |
3.0 in. |
2.0 in. |
Declination worm diameter |
1.0 in. |
0.75 in. |
Hours past meridian (track and slew) |
2 |
0.33 |
Maximum slew speed | 4 degrees per second in right ascension and declination | 3.5 degrees per second in right ascension, 5 degrees per second in declination |
Motor diameter |
2.3 in. |
1.7 in. |
Motor torque |
30 in-oz |
11 in-oz |
On axis encoder (optional) |
None |
|
Physical hard stop position |
Configurable |
Fixed |
Power supply |
200 W |
80 W |
Right ascension bearing |
8 in. (48 contact points) |
8.6 in. (18 contact points) |
Right ascension gear diameter |
11.4 in. |
11.4 in. |
Right ascension housing |
7 in. x 0.5 in. wall 6061 aluminum tubing |
Rectangular aluminum box (6061) |
Right ascension shaft diameter |
3.0 in. |
2.5 in. |
Right ascension worm diameter |
1.0 in. |
1.0 in. |
Software included |
|
Bisque Observatory Software Suite |
Through the mount cabling |
Large diameter cable conduits.Cables can be run through the mount without altering polar alignment, removing the optical tube assembly, or altering the polar alignment and no mount disassembly is required.
|
Smaller diameter cable conduits, some mount disassembly required when adding cables. |
USB ports on Instrument Panel |
Two (2) |
None |
Weight (mount body with no payload) |
38 kg (84 lb) |
31 kg (69 lb) |
Weight capacity (total payload without counterweights) |
109 kg (240 lb) |
68 kg (150 lb) |
The Paramount ME II and the Paramount MX
On-Axis Encoder Details
Software Bisque plans to offer optional on-axis encoders for the Paramount ME II in mid-2013. The tentative (and subject to change) details about optional on-axis encoders are below:
- Will be an optional component for the right ascension axis and/or the declination axis of the Paramount ME II.
- Should allow all sky pointing accuracy (with TPoint) to 5 arcseconds or less.
- Essentially eliminate periodic error.
- Axis always knows its orientation (no homing required).
- The Paramount ME II right ascension and declination axes are already designed to accept on-axis encoder hardware and cabling.
- Paramount ME IIs purchased before the on-axis encoders are available must be returned to Software Bisque for on-axis encoder installation.
- Must be installed by Software Bisque and cannot be installed by third-parties.
- Cost an estimated $3,000.00 per axis.
- Software Bisque will email all registered Paramount ME II owners when they are available.
- On-axis encoders will not be available for the Paramount MX Robotic Telescope Mount or the earlier generation Paramount ME Robotic Telescope Mount.
While on-axis encoders have many benefits (see above), they should not be considered the "panacea" for taking long, unguided photos. Fortunately, TPoint's ProTrack (a technology exclusive to Paramount mounts) compensates for flexing OTAs, differential refraction and other external factors that degrade tracking accuracy and cannot be "fixed" by on-axis encoding
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