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Avalon M-zero obs Instruction Manual

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M-zero obs
Observatory
(Made in Italy)
INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Version 1.0.7 April 2021
All the pictures and contents here included are property of AVALON INSTRUMENTS. The contents cannot be
reproduced, published, copied or transmitted in any way, including the internet, without the written permission of
AVALON INSTRUMENTS.

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Summary of Contents for Avalon M-zero obs

  • Page 1 INSTRUCTION MANUAL Version 1.0.7 April 2021 All the pictures and contents here included are property of AVALON INSTRUMENTS. The contents cannot be reproduced, published, copied or transmitted in any way, including the internet, without the written permission of AVALON INSTRUMENTS.

  • Page 2: Safety Standards And Warnings

    SAFETY STANDARDS AND WARNINGS  Read the manual carefully before installing and using the mount.  To make the document easier to read in the field, we recommend to copy all documentation files from the supplied USB drive to a smartphone or, even better, to a computer or tablet.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    2 Mount Description............................7 3. Initial M-zero obs Setting........................9 3.1 Altitude Range Setting........................9 3.2 Pier Mounting..........................11 3.3 Installing the M-Zero obs on the Pier....................16 3.4 - StarGo box installing........................17 3.5 Motor Cable Connections........................20 3.6 Optical Tube Mounting........................21 3.7 Choosing the Telescope........................22 4 Telescope Balancing Operations......................26...

  • Page 4: Technical Specifications

    Technical Specifications Type Equatorial Single-Arm mount with Fast-Reverse technology Weight 17,6 kg (38,8 lbs.) Load Capacity One Telescope setup 8 kg (17.6 lbs.) – Double telescope setup 12,9 kg (28,6 lbs.) Transmission Four-step reducer via pulley-toothed belt system on ball bearings, with no play in the axis Construction Anodized aluminum, machined...

  • Page 5: Foreword

    This manual describes the mounting, operation and correct setup of the M-zero obs, including the proper installation of a suitable optical tube. Please read this manual carefully to guarantee that you can use the M-zero obs mount in complete safety and with the maximum satisfaction.

  • Page 6: Packing Content

    Packing Content Open the box and take out all the contents. Remove all the components from the small cardboard box and from the mount bag side pocket, and place them on a clean, flat surface. Component List Aluminum Pier Polar scope with support StarGO control box Power cable Motor’s connecting cable...

  • Page 7: Mount Description

    SC-Maksutov, RC up to 6-8″ aperture and 10 kg (22 lb) weight, according to the tube length). It is possible to use the M-zero obs even with refractors (400-500 mm), with a piggyback or parallel guidescope that can act also as an active counterweight.
  • Page 8 (60.000 miles), assuming a medium regime of 2.000 rpm and thermal stress from 0 to 90°C (30 to 195 F) in a few minutes, we can think that the life cycle of the M-zero obs toothed belts will be extremely long! It is important to underline that in the gear-worm systems the motion transmission has only one tangent point of contact, any errors on each of the two components will, sooner or later, result into a tracking errors.

  • Page 9: Initial M-Zero Obs Setting

    These values correspond to the three latitude setting holes on the underside of the mount. Altitude Range Setting As previously stated, the M-zero Obs can be used in a range of latitudes starting from 0° to 70°. The total amplitude of the operating range is about 70°, subdivided into 3 sub-intervals as...
  • Page 10 Remove the screws numbered 1, 2, 3 and 4 from the side plate. Remove the plate to expose the brass plug. Unscrews the two screws and remove the brass latitude adjustment plug. Place the brass latitude adjustment plug over the set of holes (1, 2 or 3) corresponding to the needed latitude range as described on the previous page.

  • Page 11: Pier Mounting

    1, 2, 3 and 4, previously removed. Next, replace the two screws previously removed from under the mount NOTE: The Alt/az configuration is not available in the M-zero obs mount. Pier Mounting To allow a safe shipping, the pier comes completely disassembled, protected with a special packaging foam.
  • Page 12 As a first operation it is suggested to screw the feet on the pier leg, as shown in the pictures below. © All Rights reserved...
  • Page 13 The pier leg can be assembled in two different configuration, with a distance of 100° or 120° between each leg. In both the configuration the leg pointing the north must be assembled by using the two holes circled in yellow in the pictures below. Configuration A: leg distance 120°...
  • Page 14 Flange B side Flange A side After the choice between the Configuration A and Configuration B has been made and the correct flange side has been set, it is possible to go forward with the pier assembling as shown in the following steps: By using the provided 6x16 screws, attach one by Flange one the leg on the pier base flange, taking care to...
  • Page 15 After having assembled all the three legs on the pier base flange, the pier will look as the picture on the right, if placed upside down. At this point, when all the three legs are assembled on the pier base flange, it is possible to place the pier in the correct side.
  • Page 16 © All Rights reserved...

  • Page 17: Installing The M-Zero Obs On The Pier

    After the pier has been completely and safely assembled, by simply following the procedure shown below, it is possible to install the mount on it. The following procedure is the same for both the M-zero obs standard version and for the M- zero obs with the Optional Motorized Polar Alignment kit.
  • Page 18 M-zero obs M-zero obs with Optional Polar Alignment Kit © All Rights reserved...

  • Page 19: Stargo Box Installing

    3.4 - StarGo box installing With the M-zero obs the StarGo box can be assembled in two different positions on depending on the setup used by the user. When a single telescope setup is equipped it can be more comfortable to place the StarGo box on the bottom side of the DEC arm.
  • Page 20 At this point it is possible to adapt the StarGo box directly on the pier. © All Rights reserved...
  • Page 21 This operations can be made thanks the special StarGo Quick clamp that comes provided with the mount. In order to allow the Quick Clamp to be comfortably attach to the M-zero obs lower side of the DEC arm, it is required the replacement of the knob with a 6x20 screw provided StarGo Quick Clamp with the knob to be attached on the M-zero obs pier.
  • Page 22 This kit is composed of two parts: a male dovetail adapter plate and a female dovetail clamp. In order to ship the mount in the most safe conditions, the male dovetail adapter plate comes already assembled on the bottom side of the DEC arm. In order to attach the StarGo box on the male dovetail adapter, the female dovetail clamp must be assembled on the StarGo box rear surface.

  • Page 23: Motor Cable Connections

    Motor Cable Connections Once the mount has been installed on the pier, it is necessary to connect the electrical cables from the StarGO to the motors and to the polar scope illuminator (if one is being used). The StarGO is provided with two RJ11 female connectors for DEC and RA motors and a pin jack socket for the polar scope illuminator.

  • Page 24: Optical Tube Mounting

    M-zero StarGo DEC pin DEC pin connector connector M-zero RA pin connector StarGo RA pin connector Optical Tube Mounting The optical tube to mount on the M-zero must be provided with a male Vixen-type dovetail bar (standard width 50 mm) to fit the M-zero mounting saddle. ...

  • Page 25: Choosing The Telescope

    Choosing the Telescope The M-zero obs is an extremely versatile mount and can carry several varieties of telescopes, it can be set for continuous operation without the need to perform the “meridian flip”. This can be facilitated by the appropriate choice of a telescope.
  • Page 26 Secondary Vixen Saddle kit components Avalon X-Guider kit components The following table illustrates the M-zero obs possible configurations (operating mode and telescope type): Telescope type Picture Note This setup allows the use of any telescope type (within the allowable weight limits).
  • Page 27 In this setup a secondary Two parallel tubes: An 8” f/10 SC optical is mounted on weighting about 7 kg and a 70 the optional X-Guider, mm secondary refractor permitting precise weighting about 3 kg. alignment of the two optics. A DSLR camera can be installed on the M-zero mount, allowing it to...

  • Page 28: Telescope Balancing Operations

    Telescope Balancing Operations. To correctly balance the telescope it must be free to move manually around both rotational axes. A significantly unbalanced mount can cause the telescope to drop quickly with potential damage to the tube or to the mount itself. To prevent this from happening when using the mount in Equatorial mode, be sure to hold onto the tube with the hands before loosening the clutch knobs if the telescope has not been balanced, especially in the DEC axis.

  • Page 29: Right Ascension Axis Balancing

    Right Ascension Axis Balancing: The M-zero LHQ mount has a system of RA axis balancing which is different from that of German Equatorial Mounts but still very simple. The balancing is performed in two phases, approximate and precise. The approximate balancing, which is performed less frequently, requires some working on the mount and it is better to carry it out at home.
  • Page 30 These positions can be used depending on the setup assembled by the user. T The dovetail adapter plate, when used on the M-zero obs bottom side of the DEC arm, can works both, as a counterweight adapter or as a StarGo box adapter.

  • Page 31: M-Zero Obs Alignment

    NOTE: additional counterweight shaft is optional When the telescope balancing doesn’t require many counterweights, and the M-zero obs works ina single telescope setup, the StarGo box can be comfortably placed on the bottom side of the DEC arm by using the StarGo quick clamp that comes provided with the mount.
  • Page 32 declination axis points exactly to the celestial North Pole. To perform such an adjustment, the actions necessary to set the altitude and the latitude of the mount to those of the observation site are described here. For more precise alignment, the polar- scope provided with the mount (or a different type of optional polar-scope) is used.

  • Page 33: Azimuth Adjustment

    30 StarGo User Manual and APPENDIX A of the M-zero OBS User Manual) NOTE for the M-zero obs with the Optional Motorized Polar Alignment kit: In order to allow the mount free rotation on the Azimuth, being at the same time firmly assembled on the...

  • Page 34: Alt-Az Polar Alignment

    5.3 - Alt-Az Polar Alignment The following table shows the amount of rotation for precise Alt-Az alignment of the Avalon Linear, M-Uno, M-Zero and M-Zero LHQ mounts. Each full turn of the Altitude and Azimuth knobs moves the mount in the exact amount, shown in arc-minutes, for the particular mounts listed.

  • Page 35: Polar Alignment With The Provided Polarscope

    The M-zero LHQ comes provided with a Celestron Polarscope. The picture below shows the polarscope reticle. For an accurate polar alignment with Avalon Instruments mounts it doesn’t matter for the constellation position. The reference point it will be the small circle that represent the Polaris position or a defined degree in the graduated circle.
  • Page 36 Celestron polarscope reticle It is well known that the Polaris is at about 40 arcmin distance from the Celestial Pole and therefore it orbits around the pole at that distance every about 24 hours. The cross in the reticle center indicates the position of the Pole. The circle around it represents the orbit of Polaris. The small circle on the orbit represents the variable Polaris position.
  • Page 37 Azimuth rotation, while still keeping it safely on the tripod. 2. Slightly loosen the black knurled side knobs to allow the Latitude (altitude) movement. 3. Once you are confident that the polar scope is correctly oriented, use small movements of the Azimuth and Altitude adjustment knobs to place Polaris exactly in the center of the classical reticle’s corresponding small circle in or in the defined hour position for the newer type reticle.

  • Page 38: External Programs For Finding Polar Position

    5.4.3 External Programs for Finding Polar Position Many apps exist to determine the position of Polaris compared to the exact position of the celestial North Pole. Only two of these apps are discussed in this section. However the same concepts described here are applicable to all other existing apps. “Polar Scope Align”...

  • Page 39: More Modern And Precise Approaches To Polar Alignment

    different brands. This app and others that can be downloaded are able to accurately reproduce the reticle of the M-zero’s polar-scope as well as the reticle of the optional Losmandy polar- scope. The “Polar Finder” app is flexible and able to replicate a variety of the more common reticles suitable for use in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, including the types of reticles available for the M-zero.
  • Page 40 The Avalon Instruments has also developed a special software that, among several others functions, has a tool to perform a precise polar alignment using the “plate solving” algorithm which is shipped together with all other software for the StarGO included in the supplied USB pendrive.
  • Page 41 StarGo AUX2 port must be connected with the LAT motor connector via Rj cable. In order to be as much as intuitive possible, the M-zero OBS comes provided of two couple of Rj cables, each couple is composed by one white cable for the AZ motor and one black cable for the LAT motor.
  • Page 42 This tool allow to move the selected motor with the ArcMin unit, allowing also to perform GoTo by simply typing the choosen value in ArcMin and pressing on the GOTO button. © All Rights reserved...

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