This Software Bisque Paramount MX Series 6 heavy duty robotic German equatorial mount has 90 pound payload capacity and a broad range of advanced features and capabilities that will keep you focused on the Universe and not your equipment.
This Software Bisque Paramount MX Series 6 robotic German equatorial mount has . . .
- 125 lb. (56 kg) instrument capacity; 250 lb. (113 kg) maximum payload capacity (instruments + counterweights).
- Unibody mount design weighs 54 lb. (24 kg) without counterweights or counterweight shaft.
- Includes two 20 lb. (9 kg) counterweights to balance 40-50 lb. (18-22 kg). You may need more for heavier payloads.
- All-sky pointing accuracies at or below 30 arcseconds RMS (see Software Specifications below for details).
- Its standard motor-based encoders provide:
- A maximum peak-to-peak periodic error before correction is seven (7) arcseconds.
- After a one-time PE training, the peak-to-peak periodic error is typically 1 arcsecond or less.
- Belt-driven pulleys with spring-loaded worm gears produce virtually zero backlash.
- No clutches mean the TPoint™ model’s pointing accuracy is maintained.
- For mounts without absolute encoders, the AutoHome™ homing capability ensures the mount always knows its orientation (after performing an initializing process called “homing” which usually takes a minute or less).
- Optional on-axis absolute encoders provide:
- No mount initialization (a.k.a. homing) required.
- No periodic error.
- No backlash.
- Exceptional TPoint™ pointing and tracking results from fewer calibration points which saves time.
- 0.02 arcsecond resolution extended temperature range absolute on-axis encoders operate from –40° C to +80° C. See the FAQ below to find out if absolute on-axis encoders are right for you.
- Its telescope control system motor, power, and electronics cables are conveniently housed inside the mount to prevent snags.
- Ample room to run additional through-the-mount cables.
- Advanced MKS 6000 telescope control system lets you connect via USB-C, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi (MKS 6000 Upgrade Kits will be available for earlier models).
- Three high-power XT60 ports on the Instrument Panel.
- The drop-in dovetail on the Versa-Plate™ (included) accepts most telescopes and makes installation simpler.
- 48V DC power supply and PC-to-mount USB and Ethernet cables included.
- Durable, fade-resistant red powder coating with black anodized finish; external components are machined aluminum alloy.
Heavy duty mount: Every Paramount MX Series 6 is completely custom machined from 6061 aluminum at Software Bisque's own production facility, for consistent quality control of every component. The mount head, less counterweights, weighs only 50 pounds, making the Paramount MX Series 6 truly field portable. The 7.5" 375 tooth aluminum right ascension and declination gears combine with precision brass worms to provide a maximum periodic error of a mere seven arc seconds peak-to-peak - even before periodic error correction is used. When periodic error correction is applied, the resulting peak-to-peak error can be reduced to approximately one arc second or less.
Both the right ascension and declination axes have a simple three position mechanical "switch" to engage the worm during normal operation, disengage the worm from the gear when balancing the payload, or lock the axis during transit. The right ascension and declination axes are supported by 6-inch contact ball bearings. All cables and motors are inside the body of the mount, and through-the-mount access holes allow you to add your own internal cables. A 45 arc minute bubble level is built into the mount for accurate leveling in the field.
A Paramount MX-style Versa-Plate for attaching optical tube assemblies is standard equipment, as is a 16-in. (41 cm) counterweight shaft and two 20 lb (9 kg) counterweights. The Paramount MX can be used over a 10 to 65 degree latitude range. The azimuth adjustment range is +/- 3.5 degrees. The altitude and azimuth polar alignment knobs are calibrated, so that making adjustments using the supplied TPoint Polar Alignment Report software is simple and very accurate.
A universal AC power supply included. It can be used with any 100-240VAC source, from 47 to 63 Hz, and draws a maximum 1.9A. The DC output to the mount is 48V, with a 1.66A maximum draw. The instrument panel has one 12V and one 5V power port on the mount's instrument panel to supply power to your observing equipment. There is a built-in autoguider port and focuser port on the instrument panel.
Two brushless DC servomotors are used to drive the scope. If your mount is used for survey astronomy all night, every clear night, no other type of motor is sufficient. Other commercial mounts use "brushed motors" that don't have nearly the life expectancy of brushless DC servomotors and are not designed to be operated for long periods at the (relatively slow) sidereal rate. The Paramount MX uses single-reduced belt-driven worms to assure backlash so small (typically less than two arc seconds in both axes) that it is difficult to measure. Autoguiding calibration is always a snap with this "no-slop" system. Spur gears and other components that may introduce backlash are not used.
The DC servomotors provide fast slew speeds and consistent torque at all slew rates. The maximum slew and tracking rate is six degrees per second in both right ascension axis and declination (the default slew rate is 5.4 degrees per second). A temperature-compensated internal oscillator with better than 10 parts per million accuracy ensures accurate tracking rates over a wide temperature range. There is also a built-in temperature sensor that allows the slew rate to be automatically reduced when the temperature drops.
The gear-reducer and worm-block design of the Paramount MX are extremely efficient, so that little power is lost between the motor and the telescope drive. Though good balance is always recommended, the Paramount MX has no problem slewing or tracking even when several foot-pounds out of balance. You'll spend less time fiddling with the telescope and more time acquiring data with the Paramount MX Series 6.
Advanced electronics: The Paramount MX Series 6 includes Software Bisque's fourth generation dual axis telescope control system.
The position of the motors is monitored 3333 times each second to ensure optimal tracking accuracy and smooth, consistent slewing at all rates and all times. Tracking and "in progress slews" are immediately stopped in the event the mount's payload encounters a fixed object, such as the side of the pier. Slewing and tracking rates can be configured with 56-bit precision. That means that the right ascension and declination motors can be rotated at 0 to 4000 revolutions per minute and virtually anywhere in between. This provides very precise tracking and slewing, with the ability to track comets, asteroids, and even fast- or slow-moving objects such as low earth orbit satellites or any object that moves above or below the sidereal rate.
The supplied hand control features an integrated mini-joystick control and configurable rate, a five-position switch that allows single-handed mount control, an integrated bright red LED flashlight, a sturdy "hang anywhere" cable loop, and a 15-foot coiled hand control to mount cable.
Programmable periodic error correction with "seeing agnostic" periodic error curve fitting is built into TheSkyX Professional Edition software supplied with the Paramount MX. AutoHome homing capability (to better than one arc second resolution with built-in sensor circuitry on each axis) ensures that the mount always knows its orientation (after an initialization process called "homing"), even after power failure. There is a configurable park position for operation in a remote location dome. There is a soft "reboot" capability. This means that the control system can be restarted through software and does not have to be manually turned off, then on.
Supplied software: The Paramount MX Series 6 comes with the world's best and most powerful astronomy suite of astronomy software.
- Paramount’s unsurpassed pointing and tracking performance is made possible by its integrated TPoint™ modeling and ProTrack™ technologies. For more information about why accurate pointing is non-trivial, click here.
- By employing TPoint’s calibration and telescope modeling tools, you’ll enjoy all sky pointing accuracies below 30 arcseconds RMS. Nothing outperforms that — and that’s without on-axis absolute encoders.
- Operating in conjunction with TPoint™, ProTrack™ continuously updates the mount’s position in both axes to correct system-wide tracking errors including tube flexure, atmospheric refraction, polar misalignment, harmonic errors caused by evenly slightly misaligned encoders or the main gear, and more.
- On-axis absolute encoders alone cannot correct those errors which exist with all telescopes. A properly applied telescope model is required to achieve superior tracking.
- Even without on-axis absolute encoders, 5-to-10-minute unguided exposures are common with many enjoying up to 20 minutes.
- For more information about the differences between motor-based and on-axis absolute on axis encoders, please see the FAQs.
- The included TheSky™ Universal Bundle (retail $1,095) is an integrated easy-to-use, application consisting of TheSky™ Professional, TPoint™, Cameras+, Domes, Multi-OS+, and Weather modules. Enjoy the simplicity of controlling your cameras and astrophotography devices with one application.
- TheSky’s Accurate Polar Alignment feature does not require pole visibility and helps achieve exceptional polar alignment.
- Compatible with Windows™, macOS™, and Linux (ARM64 and x86_64 processors).
- TheSky’s user-interface is consistent across all operating systems. You can install TheSky on multiple operating simultaneously on up to six computers per OS. Why paint yourself or your institution into a corner?
Capable of backyard observatory, field portable, or remotely-located robotic operation via the internet, the Software Bisque Paramount MX will provide the advanced astrophotographer or dedicated visual observer with truly professional-grade heavy-duty performance in a compact package.
