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AstroTrac 360 User Manual

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User Guide
1
Revision 1.0

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Summary of Contents for AstroTrac 360

  • Page 1 User Guide Revision 1.0...
  • Page 2 Tracker or a two axis Single Arm or German Equatorial mount to suit your imaging needs. Each AstroTrac 360 Drive has built in WiFi, and a web server which sends the device independent control interface to a web browser running on your favourite WiFi enabled device.
  • Page 3 360 Drive Overview Encoder GEM Configuration Status Led Dec Link Dec Drive Interface 12 V DC and Location Dowel Tracking Jack Socket Status Led (centre +ve) ST-4 Guide Port 3x Electronic Polarfinder Mounting 2x Dovetail Rail Stop Screws 2x Counterweight...
  • Page 4 Configuring your AstroTrac 360 When using your AstroTrac 360 for the first time, you may find the below table useful as a starting point for choosing an AstroTrac 360 configuration suitable for your camera and lens/telescope: Focal Length Recommended Instrument...
  • Page 5 Your AstroTrac 360 RA drive attaches to your Wedge with 2x Front three M4x12 mm socket head cap screws. Alternatively, Azimuth Rear Azimuth you can use the 360 Quick Release Kit which is available Lock Knobs Lock Knob separately. 2x Azimuth...
  • Page 6 360 Edition Wedge Levelling Polar alignment is made easier by leveling the Wedge with the built in Bubble Level. Adjust the tripod leg lengths until the bubble is centered in the Bubble Level circle when viewed from directly above. Aligning North...
  • Page 7 Release the Latitude Lock Lever Plate Locate and loosen the Latitude Coarse Adjust Set Screw (accessible through hole in side plate) Rotate the 360 Drive Mounting Plate until the Latitude Scale pointer is indicating your latitude: Latitude Lock Lever Latitude...
  • Page 8 3x M4x12 mm socket head cap screws Use the 3x M4 mm socket head cap screws and hex wrench to attach your AstroTrac 360 RA drive to the 360 Drive Mounting Plate. (hint: adjusting the Wedge latitude to the equator zero...
  • Page 9 Locate the 2x M4x12 mm hexagon socket head Stop Screws to prevent the OmniClamp sliding off the Dovetail. Attach the OmniClamp to the 360 Drive Wheel with 4x M5x10 mm hexagon socket countersunk screws. Slide the OmniClamp onto the Quick Release Kit...
  • Page 10 Tracker Configuration Mount your AstroTrac 360 Drive on your Wedge with the Chassis vertical (to reduce risk of gear falling off!) Release the OmniClamp Lock Knob and slide your ⅜-16 stud OmniClamp onto the Dovetail Rails. OmniClamp Lock knob Screw your ball head firmly onto the ⅜-16 OmniClamp stud.
  • Page 11 Drive Clamps Drive Clamps 3x Drive Clamp Lock Screws The Drive Clamps are used to mount the Dec Drive to the RA Drive in the Single Arm and German Equatorial configurations as follows: Rotate the RA Drive so its vertical. Close the Clutch and ensure the 2x M3 hex socket head Rail Stop screws are in place to prevent the Dec Drive accidentally sliding off.
  • Page 12 Single Arm Configuration Rotate the RA Drive so it’s vertical and attach a pair Instrument Mounting of Drive Clamps to the RA Drive (see Drive Clamp OmniClamp horizontal section), leaving the Drive Clamp Lock Screws a little for Dec balancing loose.
  • Page 13 German Equatorial Configuration Mounting the RA Drive Mount a 360 Drive on your Wedge with the Chassis vertical (to prevent the Dec Drive accidentally sliding off whilst you are mounting it). Screw both Counterweight Bars into the M10 threads at the Polar Scope end of the RA Drive Chassis.
  • Page 14 German Equatorial Configuration Mounting the Dec Drive Attach a pair of Drive Clamps to the RA drive (see Drive Clamp section), leaving the Drive Clamp Lock Screws a little loose. Drive Interface Location Dowels Position the Drive Clamps so they are protruding a little from the GEM Interface end of the RA Drive.
  • Page 15 German Equatorial Configuration Balancing the RA and Dec Drives Place the RA Drive and Counterweight Bars into a Place Counterweight Bars vertical position and close the RA Clutch (page 13). horizontal and slide Counterweight to balance RA Place the Dec Drive OmniClamp in a horizontal position and close the Dec Clutch (this page).
  • Page 16 ST-4 autoguider) and guided tracking (with ST-4 autoguider), you will need to align your AstroTrac 360 RA Drive’s axis of rotation with the axis of rotation of the sky. This process is known as polar alignment and achieved by adjusting your Objective Lens Tube Wedge in azimuth and altitude.
  • Page 17 360 Polar Scope Installation Adjust the three Polar Scope Thumbscrews so they Polar Scope Slot are protruding into the Polar Scope Slot by no more than 0.25 - 0.5 mm. Locate the Polar Scope Washer in the slot and push until there’s a click.
  • Page 18 For accurate polar alignment, the Polar Scope Reticle must be centered on the Polar Scope’s optical axis: Mount your 360 RA Drive on your Wedge and install the Polar Scope as described in the previous section. Look through the Polar Scope and identify the central...
  • Page 19 Rotate RA Drive through 180 degrees Mount your 360 RA Drive on your Wedge and install the Polar Scope and centre the reticle as described in the previous sections. Align the reticle centre on a distant object. Use a point like feature during the day, such as the tip of a pylon, or a star at night.
  • Page 20 360 Polar Alignment Northern Hemisphere With one eye looking through the Polar Scope at the Ursa Major and Cassiopeia reticle marks, and the other eye looking directly at the sky, rotate the Polar Scope until the Ursa Major and Cassiopeia reticle marks are roughly aligned with the sky (neither constellation will be visible through the Polar Scope).
  • Page 21 360 Polar Alignment Southern Hemisphere With one eye looking through the Polar Scope at the Southern Cross and Alpha Eridani reticle marks, and the other eye looking directly at the sky, rotate the Polar Scope until the Southern Cross and Alpha...
  • Page 22 Powering Up Power Supply Your AstroTrac 360 Drives require a 12 V DC power supply capable of providing approximately 0.25 Amps per Drive for several hours. A 7.2 Ah lead acid gel battery is ideal. If you are using an AC-DC converter, please ensure you use a regulated switch mode model with an inline fuse rated at 1 A.
  • Page 23 (and to a minor degree, axis non-perpendicularity, misalignment of telescope optics and atmospheric refraction). Your AstroTrac 360 Drive has an autoguider port into which you can plug an ST-4 compatible autoguider (RJ11 connector).

  • Page 24: Wifi Control

    Power up the RA and or Dec Drives (as described in the Powering Up section) Your AstroTrac 360 Drives will show up as WiFi networks (‘ hotspots’) on your WiFi enabled smart phone/tablet/computer. The 360 Drive WiFi network names are formatted as...

  • Page 25: User Interface

    User Interface Settings Page Home Page Home Page Maximise This is the main page for controlling your AstroTrac 360 Button Drives during an imaging session. Slew (not iOS) Buttons Virtual Handpad The North, East, South and West Slew Buttons move the telescope at the speed set by the Slew Speed Slider.
  • Page 26 360 Drive’s memory and will be automatically re-loaded when the drive is next powered up. This allows you to use your AstroTrac 360 Drives without a computer. Polar Scope LED The Polar Scope Leds are built into the Drive Chassis and illuminate the Polar Scope Reticle, eliminating the need for a separate Polar Scope illuminator and batteries.
  • Page 27 User Interface Tracking Rate Use Sidereal rate when tracking the stars, Lunar rate for tracking the moon, and Solar rate for tracking the Sun. 0.5x rate can be used for nightscape photography, blurring both the foreground terrestrial and background celestial subject matter equally.
  • Page 28 User Interface Maintenance All maintenance functions work over WiFi and do not require a cable to be connected to your AstroTrac 360 Drives. The firmware is the software which runs in your AstroTrac 360 Drive. The User Interface is the software which runs in your web browser on your WiFi device.

  • Page 29: Troubleshooting

    'https://www.websocket.org/echo.html'. alignment software. Check that your WiFi device is connected to the ● Check the 360 Drive Encoder Status Led is green. correct AstroTrac 360 Drive WiFi network. Check that you have entered the corrected AstroTrac Tracking Status Led Flashing 360 Drive ip address (see WiFi Control section).

  • Page 30: Specification

    Astrophotography equipment payload 10 kg (excluding counterweights) Weight See next page Power requirement 12 V DC, approximately 250 mA per 360 Drive Maximum slew speed (v1.0 software) 3 degrees per second Tracking rates (v1.0 software) Sidereal, Solar, Lunar, 0.5x, Off Autoguiding rates (v1.0 software)
  • Page 31 Specification Component Weight 360 Drive 1.85 kg 360 Edition Wedge 0.68 kg OmniClamp 0.14 kg Counterweight Bar with End Stop (each) 0.14 kg Middle Counterweight 2.90 kg Drive Clamp (each) 0.14 kg Polar Scope 0.10 kg Configuration Weight Tracker (1x Drive, Wedge, OmniClamp, Polar Scope) 2.77 kg...

  • Page 32: Safety Warnings

    360 Drive Wheels when the 360 Drives are slewing as Never look at the sun or extremely bright light source there is a risk of pinching or crushing as the 360 Drive through a camera, lens or telescope. Doing so may Wheels rotate.
  • Page 33 DO NOT remove the protective pcb and gearbox covers Your AstroTrac 360 Drives contains precision electronic or alter your AstroTrac 360 Drives in any way as this will circuitry. Never attempt to disassemble yourself. void your warranty. If you have a problem, please email support@astrotrac.com...