Advanced Telescope Supplies
Australia's Premier CCD and Astro-Imaging Experts
Software Bisque Paramount ME
For the ultimate in Robotic Telescope mounts, look no further than the Bisque Paramount ME.
The Paramount ME was built from the ground up with Robotic Observing in mind. It requires a PC running The Sky to access the numerous and powerful tracking capabilities of the mounting.
Software Bisque have literally redesigned every component of the original Paramount, to create the "ME". This system will optimize your efficiency, productivity and enjoyment while observing.
In order to create the ME, Software Bisque have assembled a world-class mount production and manufacturing staff at our facility in Golden, Colorado to create an astronomical survey machine that actually blurs the line between professional and amateur astronomy.
The Paramount ME's superior design stems from the integration of engineering, software and control system.
The cost? $US 13,950 FOB Colorado USA, converted to $A plus GST & customs charges...Delivery time, depending on Software Bisque's stock at little as 2 weeks.
We provide local support and southern-hemisphere set-up knowledge to our customers as we are also Paramount ME users!
Control System
The Paramount ME's control system uses brush-less DC Servo motors. If your mount is used for survey astronomy all night, every clear night, no other type of motor is sufficient. Note that the life of the brush-less DC servo motor is limited to the service life of the bearings. This translates to about 100,000 hours under normal operating conditions. On the other hand, the life of brushed DC Servo motors is limited to the life of the carbon brushes, which is anywhere from 4,000-10,000 hours according to the manufacturers specifications.
Brush-less motors also do not "cog" at any rate. This ensures a smooth, constant output when tracking at the Sidereal rate.
The Paramount's control system boasts state-of-the-art electronics for unmatched performance.
 |
| Pictured Above, The G-8 (hardly a "small mount") and Paramount Compared. |
MKS-4000 Features/Specifications
- Brush-less DC-servo motors ensure long life and smooth operation.
- Field upgradeable flash RAM permits easy, immediate software updates.
- Fast slew speeds and consistent torque at all slew rates. A maximum rate of five degrees per second in right ascension and seven degrees per second in declination gets you to the object, fast.
- Virtually unlimited selection of tracking and slew rates.
- AutoHome™ capability (to better than one arcsecond) with built-in sensor circuitry on each axis ensure that the mount always knows its orientation (after a one-time initialization), even after power failure.
- Software controlled "hard limits" prevent the mount from tracking or slewing into itself.
- User-defined parameters can be stored to on-board flash RAM.
- Numerous safety features critical to remote operation including current-limit protection, encoder-error limits, acceleration ramping, and user-definable maximum slew speeds.
- Joystick, TheSky for Windows or TheSky Pocket Edition control.
- Programmable and updateable Periodic Error Correction.
- Intelligent German Equatorial flipping eliminates unnecessary long slews.
- The MKS-4000 control system can track at true lunar, solar, minor planet or comet, NEO or LEO satellite rates, or at almost any user-defined rate (when used with TheSky). No other commercially available control system can make this claim.
- TheSky has been updated to provide many new capabilities that were previously not possible. Some examples of these new features include: display a graph of the periodic error of the worm gear; track a low-earth satellite by clicking on the object on the Sky Display.
Software
TheSky Astronomy Software or TheSky Pocket Edition pumps life into the Paramount and is the heart of the mount. TheSky supplies the onscreen control panel for operating the mount, and unleashes the power of your personal computer or mobile device, thereby increasing your productivity in data acquisition. In addition, TheSky's seamless integration with other astronomical hardware and software enables even first-timers to achieve impressive results!
The Paramount's mind becomes even more powerful when coupled with the TPoint Telescope Pointing Analysis Software. Providing repeatable pinpoint pointing accuracy, TPoint does the thinking so that you don't have to. TPoint learns the quirks and idiosyncrasies of your mount and your optical system, and it makes automatic pointing adjustments to help eliminate these inherent flaws. With TPoint, you no longer have to recalibrate, realign, or "re-synchronize" each time you point the telescope to a new part of the sky or change a piece of equipment!
Introducing ProTrack™
The Paramount ME incorporates the world-renowned TPoint "pointing kernel." This technology (which is used on the 8-meter Gemini telescopes, too) permits professional-quality tracking capabilities to amateur astronomers.
TPoint uses the telescope modeling data that makes the telescope point better to also make the mount track better. Five to fifteen minute unguided images, with pin-point stars at 100-inches of focal length, are possible.
The Paramount ME also excels at tracking objects that are not moving at the Sidereal rate. This includes comets, minor planets and man-made satellites. See below for some examples.
The Paramount ME can be slewed to the minor planet and the necessary dual-axis tracking rates computed and automatically set by TheSky to follow a rapidly-moving near earth asteroid, comet or even low earth orbit satellite. Can your telescope system do this?
Engineering
The Paramount ME's genius is revealed in its form and function. Every integrated component is engineered to make the mount as strong, lightweight and appealing to the eye as possible. The brawn of the Paramount can be found in its high-strength, all anodized aluminum construction. The mount can accommodate up to 45 kg (125 lbs.) of equipment (optical tube assembly, CCD camera, color filter wheel, focuser, etc.). All external parts are made of stainless-steel or anodized aluminum to ensure their longevity, even in brackish environments.
A summary of some of the Paramount's more impressive features are listed below:
Integrated Electronic Control Panel
- Multi-port input panel to run all your equipment.
- Telescope serial port
- CCD camera power
- Two auxiliary serial ports
- Parallel port
- Focuser port
- Autoguider input port
- Two additional auxiliary power ports.
- The Paramount ME has a large conduit to run additional cables through the mount.
- The electronic panel has an easily removable panel to access fuses, and electronic switches for Flash RAM control system software upgrades.
User-Friendly Polar Alignment Adjustments
- Entire mount is situated on an "azimuth bearing." This allows adjustments to the mount's azimuth during polar alignment without disturbing the mount's altitude. This makes the polar alignment process much more straightforward.
- The altitude adjustment "jacking screw" allows you to make very fine adjustments in to the mount's altitude, again, making polar alignment simpler.
- Altitude markers are inlaid into the wedge.
- Altitude adjustment
Counterweights
- Ergonomic design - all edges are smooth for easy handling.
- Stainless steel custom made locking knob will not break.
- The locking knob can be tightened with a hexagon key (or socket set screw, Allen wrench) for absolute security of the counterweight (changes in temperature will not affect the knob's grip).
- Spring-loaded, captivated brass plunger ensures a tight grip and easy adjustment on the counterweight shaft. Also, the brass plunger is always retracted, so that the counterweight easily slides on the counterweight shaft, regardless of its orientation.
- Tri-grip™ counterweight bore grips the counterweight shaft on three contact points. With three contact points, once tightened, the counterweights will not slip.
- Adjustment screw is recessed and will not get damaged or bent inadvertently.
Gears
- Research-grade 11.45-inch right ascension and 7.45-inch declination gears drive the Paramount. The right ascension gears guaranteed to have 5 arcseconds or less peak-to-peak periodic error.