Instruction/ maintenance manual of the product GTOCP2 Socket
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ASTRO-PHYSICS 1200 GERMA N EQUA TORIA L WIT H GTO SERVO MOTOR DRIVE Model GTOCP2 February 26, 2002.
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3 ASTRO-PHYSICS 1200 GERMA N EQUA TORIA L WIT H GTO SERVO MOTOR DRIVE MODEL 1200GTO PARTS LIST – MODEL GTOCP2 5 FEATURES AND SPECIFIC AT IONS 5 INTRODUCTION 6 W hy Polar Alignm ent is Impor tant 6 C.
4 MOUNT MAINT ENANCE AND AL IGNMENT 1 9 TROUBLESHOOTING 19 INSTAL L ATION OF ENCODERS AND ENCODER HOUSINGS -1 2 00 MOUNT 21 Fitting Declination Encoder Housing 21 Fitting Right Ascens ion Encoder Hous.
5 ASTRO-PHYSICS 1200 GERMA N EQUA TORIA L WIT H GTO SERVO MOTOR DRIVE MODEL 1200GT O P A RTS LIST – M ODEL GT OCP2 1 Polar axis assembly (right ascension-R.
6 INTRODUCTIO N The 1200 German equatorial w as designed to meet the needs of the advanced observer w ho requires a mount with maximum strength and rigidity and minimum weight. The ex cess material in both axes has been carved out w hile retaining a heavily ribbed structure for internal strength and rigidity .
7 A SSEM BL Y INSTRUCTIONS Please read all instructions before attempting to set up your 1200 mount. The M odel 1200 is very rugged, how ever like any precision instrument, it can be damaged by improper use and handling. Please refer to Diagram 2 for an illustration of the mount.
8 Before You Leave Home Since most of us must set up our instruments in the dark, in the cold or while battling mosquitoes, a bit of preplanning and organization is important. There are few simple things that can be accomplished in the comfort of your home before heading outside.
9 6. Determine the latitude range that you need (refer to Diagram 3) and position the hole that is marked “A” in Diagram 5 at that location. Note that this hole is located at the rounded part of the altitude bar. 7. Attach two of the screw s (one on either side of the adjuster bar), but do not tighten.
10 Assemble Polar Axis Assembly to Pier or Tripod In order to track the motion of astronomical objects, the polar axis must be positioned so that an imaginary line drawn through the center of the axis points tow ard the celestial pole. At this stage of the assembly process, you want to position the mount so that it points roughly north.
11 Assemble Declination Axis 1. Do not have your telescope or counterw eights connected to the Dec. ax is assembly for either assembly or disassembly of the Dec. and R A axes. 2. Position the R.A. ax is as shown in Diagram 7 with the pocket "A" at the top, opposite the altitude adjuster knob.
12 Attach Mounting Plate (purchased separ ately) Several mounting plates are available for the 1200 mount. If y ou own more than one instrument, you may need more than one plate. Follow the appropriate directions for the plate(s) that y ou have. 18" FLAT MO UNTING PLATE (FP1800) This plate is 18" long and 7.
13 Attach Mounting Rings (pur chased separ atel y) Our flat and ribbed plates are constructed with key hole slots at the location where your mounting rings attach.
14 OPERA TION OF THE MOUNTING R.A. and Dec. Damper Knobs The R.A. and Dec. damper knobs are not intended as ax is locks. They should be tightened w ith light finger pressure so that a slight resistance can be felt when pushing an unclutched ax is by hand.
15 3. Position the R.A. ax is so that the counterweights are in their "lowest" position i.e. the declination ax is assembly is in the meridian (this is the usual way that German equatorials are depicted, as shown in diagram 2.) 4. Loosen the tube mounting rings and slide the tube up and down for balancing.
16 SER VO M OTOR DRIVE GTO Control Box – Model GTOCP2 The GT O control box contains all of the circuitry to driv e the two servo motors and the logic required to navigate the sky. It will be operational and track at the sidereal rate w hen connected to both motors of the mount and a power source.
17 RS-232 Connectors These serial port connections are used to connect your mount to y our PC computer. You must provide your ow n straight- through (non-crossing) cables with a 9-pin (DB9) male connector to interface w ith the GTO panel. W e have provided the locking posts to secure the cable firmly.
18 Prevent the Cables from Tangling The movement of the mount across the meridian during slew ing functions is calculated so that the cables will not tangle if they are set up properly. In addition to the motor and pow er cables that are provided with the mount, you may have additional cables for other accessories.
19 MO UNT M A I NTENA NCE A ND A LIGNM ENT Under normal operating conditions, minimal maintenance is required. Every 12 months the clutch knobs (4 for D ec. and 4 for R.A.) should be removed and 1 or 2 drops of light oil (3 in 1 household oil) should be put in the ex posed hole.
20 Recommended Reading from our Staff: The Backyard Astronomer' s Guide , Terence Dickinson and Alan Dyer, Camden H ouse Publishing, 1991 The authors, both former editors of Astronomy magazine, offer practical insight into astronomical equipment, finding your way around the sky, polar alignment, using setting circles, and astrophotography.
21 INST A LLA TION OF ENCODERS A ND ENCODER HOUSINGS -1200 M OUNT 1200ENC (purchased separately) Parts List: 1 Right Ascension (R.A.) Encoder housing (black anodized) 1 Declination (Dec.) Encoder housing (black anodized) 1 R.A. Ax is Adapter (clear anodized - silver colored), labeled R.
22 Fitting Right Ascension Encoder Housing If the encoders were purchased w ith the 1200 mount, it is likely that the right ascension axis adapter and encoder housing have already been installed. Please continue to read these directions since y ou may need to remove and reinstall the encoders if you use a polar alignment scope.
An important point after buying a device Socket GTOCP2 (or even before the purchase) is to read its user manual. We should do this for several simple reasons:
If you have not bought Socket GTOCP2 yet, this is a good time to familiarize yourself with the basic data on the product. First of all view first pages of the manual, you can find above. You should find there the most important technical data Socket GTOCP2 - thus you can check whether the hardware meets your expectations. When delving into next pages of the user manual, Socket GTOCP2 you will learn all the available features of the product, as well as information on its operation. The information that you get Socket GTOCP2 will certainly help you make a decision on the purchase.
If you already are a holder of Socket GTOCP2, but have not read the manual yet, you should do it for the reasons described above. You will learn then if you properly used the available features, and whether you have not made any mistakes, which can shorten the lifetime Socket GTOCP2.
However, one of the most important roles played by the user manual is to help in solving problems with Socket GTOCP2. Almost always you will find there Troubleshooting, which are the most frequently occurring failures and malfunctions of the device Socket GTOCP2 along with tips on how to solve them. Even if you fail to solve the problem, the manual will show you a further procedure – contact to the customer service center or the nearest service center