Understanding Your Mach2Gto; Ra And Dec Clutch Knobs - ASTRO-PHYSICS Mach2GTO Manual

UNDERSTANDING YOUR MACH2GTO

Your new Mach2GTO Universal Robotic mount sets a new standard for portable telescope mounts. It is so easy to use that
you will be up and running in no time at all and the mount will simply disappear into the background. No fuss, no bother.
This section will introduce you to some features and fundamentals that will enable you to set up and use your mount
quickly.
Universal Robotic means that Mach2 fulfills all of the requirements of a robotic mount for automated operation for imaging,
satellite tracking, comet tracking, star survey work and others. In addition, the clutches allow it to be used manually for
star sweeping. It is so easy to use that it can be set up quickly in the field with minimal effort and no complicated startup
routines. The encoders keep track of the axis positions at all times whether parked, unparked, power on or power off.

RA and Dec Clutch Knobs

WARNINGS!
● Be careful when moving the mount with the clutches. A severely out-of-balance scope may make an unexpected and
perilous swing.
● Before carrying or transporting your mount, be sure all clutch knobs are locked to prevent an axis rotation and weight
shift in your hands.
You can balance the Mach2 nicely with the clutches. The motion is smooth and accurate and quite sensitive. Simply
loosen the clutches, swing the scope around to any part of the sky, tighten the clutches and the mount has kept track of
where you went, down to the arcsecond. No need to sync or recalibrate (ReCal) on a star when you have finished moving
the scope manually.
What do they do?
The four RA and four Dec clutch knobs have the function of connecting the RA
and Dec axes to their respective drive worm wheel gears. Their function is
progressive, from light tension (axes free to move – as required during correct
balancing of the telescope) to a completely locked state. Please note that the
clutches have no bearing whatsoever on the worm drive itself. They are simply
the mechanism that marries the worm wheel to the axis. The worm gears are
never taken out of mesh when the clutches are loosened.
As shipped, all Mach2GTO mounts have all four RA and Dec clutch knobs
firmly hand tightened. This will give you a good idea of the maximum tightness
(clutch action) that can be achieved by hand effort alone. Normally all four
clutch knobs on each axis (RA or Dec) should be tightened evenly with the
same tension. The clutches can be set by hand for light telescope loads, or the
can be fully tightened with an Allen key for heavier loads. You can temporarily
tighten just one knob during balancing; it is not necessary to always have equal
tension during such operations.
When properly balanced, you can move the scope around the sky manually
with clutches loose, or slightly tensioned, for sweeping the Milky Way or looking
for deep sky objects with your telescope. The mount will keep track of where
you are pointed and will resume tracking when you stop moving the scope. The
mount will always know where you are pointing, even with fully loosened clutches.
How tight can the clutch be and can you do any damage by over-tightening them?
These clutches can be tightened as much as needed. There is no danger of over-tightening. You will see that each clutch
knob has a 3/16" hex socket for tightening with an Allen key. Using the provided hex key, you can lock up the clutches so
that only the worm drives are able to move each axis. Fully locking the clutches only requires snugging the knobs with the
hex key...remember, the knobs are not the lug nuts of your car tire!
You should NOT attempt to push your scope by hand against a fully locked clutch, or undue stress will be placed on the
worm wheel, worm gear, and bearings. Also note that locked clutches provide no safety factor for your equipment should it
hit the pier!
Most users will never need to use a hex key on their Mach2GTO's clutches. However, if you are heavily loaded, if your
system is out of balance, or if you are doing critical long exposure astrophotography, you may wish to have the extra clutch
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