All Astro-Physics mounts can be operated entirely via the hand controller. A PC or laptop is not required.
The hand controller with digital display and separate keyboard is intuitive and easy to use, while also offering great features to make your observation session productive and enjoyable. This "handheld computer", which can withstand even cold winter nights (please contact us if you wish to operate the mount at extreme temperatures below -20° Celsius), is used to control the mount with a variety of functions:
- It has a selection of different correction and positioning speeds. SN-S-O-W buttons allow quick positioning or, when slow speeds are selected, precise positioning of an object in the centre of the field of view or centring of an observation object in the centre of the chip by hand. The assignment of the N-S-O-W buttons to up, down, left and right can be freely selected depending on the position of the telescope (east or west).
- Different speeds for guiding via an ST4-compatible CCD camera can be selected.
- The tracking speed can be selected between Sun, Moon and stars.
- The periodic worm error and gear backlash in right ascension and declination can of course also be programmed.
- Fully automatic positioning of the mount on the object you have selected with a positioning speed of up to 5 degrees per second (1200x). 600x and 900x are also available for large telescopes
- Extensive database with more than 17,000 objects: Messier (110), NGC (7840), IC (5,386), ADS double stars (215), Abell galaxy clusters (2,712), constellations (1,053), common objects (100), planets (8), Moon and Sun. Alternatively, the desired RA/DE coordinates can be entered directly
- Several fixed software routines allow quick and easy adjustment of the polar axis and azimuth. At the end of an observation night, the telescope can be moved to one of three different or any desired parking positions. These parking positions (the motor encoder positions) are registered in the hand controller when the power supply is switched off. This allows fully automatic and precise positioning directly from the parking position, even in the daytime sky or during the next night of observation. Or you can simply switch off the power supply in any telescope position.
- Updating the control software via the Internet is standard. A PC or laptop is not required. If necessary, however, all mounts can also be controlled via the following external software packages: PulseGuide, TheSky, GUIDE, Desktop Universe Earth Centered Universe (ECU), SkyMap Pro, Starry Night Pro, any other software based on the ASCOM platform
The hand controller can be used with all versions of Astro-Physics GTO control boxes: GTOCP1, GTOCP2, GTOCP3 and GTOCP4.
Suitable for the following GTO mounts: GTO-Mach1, GTO-1100, GTO-1600, GTO-3600 and the older GTO-400, GTO-600E, GTO-900 and GTO-1200
