Socket Mobile GTOCP2 manual Attach Mounting Rings purchased separately, Fine Polar Alignment

Attach Mounting Rings (purchased separately)

Our flat and ribbed plates are constructed with keyhole slots at the location where your mounting rings attach. This feature enables you to partially loosen the screws on your rings just enough to insert them into the larger part of the keyhole, then slide the rings to the narrow part and tighten them with a hex key. You can even accomplish this with the rings on the scope, although this maneuver may be difficult to accomplish with a large, heavy instrument.

We prefer this keyhole method to the standard way of completely removing the screws and dropping them in the grass.

Fine Polar Alignment

For casual observation, you may skip this section and move to “Operation of the Mounting” (tighten your altitude locking knobs (2) and pier knobs first). If you plan to use any of the go-to functions of the 1200GTO or do astrophotography, you must polar align.

Methods for fine polar alignment

•Polar Alignment Scope – Our optional polar scope (PASILL2) will allow you to quickly align your mount on the pole stars. The reticle was designed for use in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Even users of the GTO computerized mounts will find these polar scopes useful, particularly if your telescope is not orthogonal to the mount (please refer to the keypad manual for a discussion of orthogonality). If you have a polar alignment scope, please read the instructions sheets that come with it.

•GTO Keypad – Please refer to the instruction manual for the GTO Servo Drive and read the section describing the startup sequence.

•DigitalSky Voice computer program – Please read the corresponding manual.

•JMI Digital Setting Circles – Please read the instructions included with your JMI unit. You must have the encoders installed on your 1200 mount (part #1200ENC). Refer to the section of this manual entitled “Installation of Encoders and Encoder Housings –1200 Mount.

•Star Drift method – Traditionally, this has been regarded as the most accurate method of polar alignment, however it is also the most time consuming. If you are planning long exposure astrophotos, we suggest that you use the polar axis telescope, then tweak the final polar alignment by star drifting. Please refer to the “GTO Quick Star Drift Method of Polar Alignment” procedure in the GTO Keypad Controller Manual. By using these instructions, you can use modern methods to star drift more rapidly.

Altitude and Azimuth Adjustments

1.Loosen the altitude locking knobs (2) and pier knobs (4) and refer back to the section on “Altitude and Azimuth Adjustments - Rough polar alignment”.

2.Follow one of the methods of polar alignment mentioned above.

3.When polar alignment has been achieved, tighten at these locations (note that the polar axis pivot screws should have been tight throughout the fine polar alignment process):

Altitude locking knob (2) - hand tighten Pier knobs (4) -hand tighten

4.For a permanent installation, all knobs in step 3 above may be firmly tightened with the assistance of a hex wrench.

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