Paramount User Guide
67
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P a g e
mounts, the
machined arrow pointing to a star
means the optical tube should be mounted such that the
light gathering end of the telescope should be closest to the machined star.
If the optical tube assembly is attached to the Versa-Plate such that the OTA’s
direction of incoming light does not align with the direction of incoming light for
the declination axis, homing the mount will result in the optical tube pointing
somewhere besides hour angle 2 and declination 0. Remove both the OTA and
the Versa-Plate to ensure both are mounted properly.
To change the orientation of the Versa-Plate from the standard to the wide configuration:
1.
Remove the six 1-inch ¼-20 3/16 socket head cap screws on the top of the Versa-Plate.
2.
Rotate the Versa-Plate 90 degrees. The top of the declination axis has “indentations” to
accommodate the Instrument Panel-specific and custom through the mount cabling.
3.
Align the mounting holes on the Versa-Plate with the mounting holes at the top of the declination
axis and replace four of the six screws. Only four socket head cap screws are used in the wide
orientation.
4.
When mounting the OTA, make sure that the direction of incoming light for the OTA corresponds
with the required direction of incoming light for the declination axis as described above.
Mounting the Paramount M
Y
T’s Versa-Plate in the wide orientation reduces the
cross-sectional area for cabling to pass through on the top of the declination axis
by about one-third. There is still sufficient space for the standard cables and a
few custom cables, be aware that there is less “wiggle room” compared to the
standard orientation.
A simple litmus test to make sure the OTA is mounted properly is to home the mount. Once the homing
process is completed, if the telescope is not pointing at hour angle 2 and declination 0, the OTA mounted
incorrectly. To correct this situation,
1.
Remove both the OTA and the Versa-Plate.
2.
Double-check the orientation of the Versa-Plate with the top of the declination axis.
3.
Double-check the direction of incoming light of the OTA with the orientation of the three holes
on the top of the declination axis (Paramount MX) or the machined arrow on the top of the
declination axis (Paramount ME II and Paramount MX+).
4.
Rotate the OTA and/or Versa-Plate and remount them so that these three components are
properly aligned. If necessary, home the mount with no payload and no Versa-Plate attached,
then appropriately reattach both.
Versa-Plate Cable Spacers (Paramount ME II only, Optional)
Software Bisque offers optional spacers that can be used when the Paramount ME II Versa-Plate is
mounted in the wide orientation. When mounted to the top of the declination axis, the spacers create a