Mach1gto - first light

A good friend got one of the very first Mach1 mounts, and as luck would have it, he doesn't have the scope he'll be using on it yet, so I am getting to break it in for him.

Last night was first light for it. We put my TMB 115 CNC on it, and since it was a nearly full Moon, I put the ST2k on as soon as I was star synced.

It is a little noisier than the 900 and 1200 mounts. The software for the keypad hasn't been updated to show the Mach1 as an option yet, but it worked fine with the keypad thinking it was an AP1200.

Imaging could become boring with this mount. You set everything up, tell it what to do, and it just does it. Flawlessly.

It's an incredibly nice mount.

I've got mine and it works flawlessly, too...in the house :S I haven't had a chance to get it outside for a shakedown. But it is very portable. It breaks down nicely slews QUICK.
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Mark Holden said:

A good friend got one of the very first Mach1 mounts, and as luck would have it, he doesn't have the scope he'll be using on it yet, so I am getting to break it in for him.

Last night was first light for it. We put my TMB 115 CNC on it, and since it was a nearly full Moon, I put the ST2k on as soon as I was star synced.

It is a little noisier than the 900 and 1200 mounts. The software for the keypad hasn't been updated to show the Mach1 as an option yet, but it worked fine with the keypad thinking it was an AP1200.

Imaging could become boring with this mount. You set everything up, tell it what to do, and it just does it. Flawlessly.

It's an incredibly nice mount.

Attached Image:

Here is a first report, posted on the AP user group, from another customer who has had a chance to test it on the night sky - testing for periodic error and guiding ability. Basically the accuracy is in the Paramount range, and I am quite pleased that they went together so well for us (after almost a year of 120% effort on all our craftsmen involved in its development).

Rolando

Here are the first test results for my new Mach1 GTO SN#18. First
the equipment and software:

AP155 EDFS at f/7
Mach1 GTO w/ flat plate adaptor + two 9lb CWTs (at very end of shaft)
Pier Tech II pier fastened into a 18" x 70" concrete footing
ST-10 XME w/ CFW-8
Pyxis Camera Rotator
Custom Auto Focuser

Software products are: PemPro, Sky, Maxim DL/CCD, FocusMax,
PoleAlign Max, PulseGuide.

I balance both axes (to with a few pounds on RA axis. I need a few
more pounds or an extended shaft for this combo).

I initilized with PulseGuide, then used FocusMax and PoleAlign Max
for accurate pole alignment (about 1 arcminute). The seeing was
about 3/5. I pointed at a star at 0 degree DEC near the meridan to
test the mount's periodic error.

Via PemPro, the periodic error was +1.6/-1.6 arcseconds right out of
the box using the AP155 at 1.27 arcseconds per pixel. With PemPro
and using 2 worm cycles of data and PEC on, analysis showed +.65/-
.65 arcseconds of error with an rms error of .55 arcseconds. I did
not add a second refinement curve.

Conclusion: Excellent product AP guys! Big 'scope festooned with
usual CCD gear on the mid-side mount did just fine.