Solid as a rock! A really BIG rock! This is the ultimate solution for imaging with large instruments or with setups that employ multiple instruments with a combined weight that would be excessive for smaller mountings. Please note: Although you might be tempted, Astro-Physics does not recommend rapelling off the side of this mount!

Why a 3600GTO ?

• Large, robust, rugged, simple modular design that is easy to fix if something should go wrong
• The design encorporates the same underlying principles as our smaller mountings and uses time-proven components that have withstood the test of time under all conditions
• Extremely smooth and accurate dual servomotor-worm gear drive, designed for all astro-imaging situations
• Machining craftsmanship and beautiful mechanical design second to none
• Ability to carry very large and heavy scopes comfortably
• Will have many options for enhancing the operation and accuracy of the mount for remote imaging
• On-going development of the software and hardware to upgrade older mountings to bring them up-to-date
• Simple mechanics make adjustment easy and accurate
• Feature loaded software is intuitive and powerful
• Intensive support via direct communication with our technicians to fix a problem or help you to get the most out of your mount
• Over 30 years of experience in making precision equipment for the amateur and professional astrophotographer

Easy alignment for non-critical viewing.
Can align with a polar alignment scope to quickly zero in on the pole for most non-critical observing or to get close before tweaking in for CCD. Our built-in software routine allows polar alignment in the daytime for solar observing, viewing planets at twilight, and drift alignment on bright stars before nightfall.

Components are modular.
All electronics including the GTOCP3 control box, motors, gearbox or cables can be removed for servicing. The RA and Dec axes can be shipped separately, if needed. The mechanical design of the mount is extremely simple and straightforward, allowing easy adjustment by anyone - no need to have a mechanical engineering degree to service the mount.

Through-the-mount cabling capability. We designed this mount to allow cabling to be run through the axes shafts for tangle and clutter free operation. Cables from cameras, guiders, dew heaters and the mount's own servo drive cables can all be run through the mount's cavernous 4" shafts where they are out of the way and where they won't ever get caught or tangled during your imaging session. Ports have been included for the mount's servo cables. Custom cabling will be available for a variety of accessories.

Massive and sturdy telescope mounting platform.
The telescope attachment system of the 3600GTO was custom designed for strength, rigidity and flexibility. A robust optional dovetail system was engineered for the mounting that allows for accurate balancing with a huge variety of instrument configurations. The dovetail plate's four clamps will grip the largest instrument solidly. Safety slots coupled with the sliding bar's safety stop will help keep accidents from happening. The dovetail system can be set up for tip-in or slide-in of the dovetail sliding bar. For permanent installations, a series of matching through-holes in the dovetail and sliding bar allow the setup to be bolted into its final position once adequate balance is achieved. This system provides the convenience of a dovetail with the security of a fixed mounting plate. As an added feature, the dovetail plate offers a plate on the eyepiece end that you can customize as a cabling port. This will allow you to take full advantage of the large cable path that goes through the mount.

External computer not needed.
The keypad is a handheld computer with all of the features, functions and databases you need to tour the universe night after night. The vacuum-fluorescent display with a temperature range of -40 degrees F (and C, they are the same in this instance), allows hardy observers to use this mount on cold winter nights.

• PulseGuide by Ray Gralak (included with the 3600GTO) Note: a new, more robust remote control software is currently under development
• Software Bisque's suite which includes TheSky Astronomy Software, CCDSoft CCD Astronomy Software, TPoint Telescope Pointing Analysis Software and Orchestrate Scripting Software.
• Starry Night Pro by Imaginova
• Earth Centered Universe (ECU) by David Lane of Nova Astronomics
• SkyMap Pro by Chris Marriot
• ACP Observatory Control Software by DC-3 Dreams - Robert B Denney
• Any software that is ASCOM compliant.

Serial to USB connectivity has been simplified by the addition of Keyspan Serial-to-USB devices to our product line. Please review the products on this page to determine which one will work best for your set-up.

Precise Mechanical Fabrication.

Highly accurate mechanics. Using modern CNC machining techniques, we make all components to a high precision level, which results in a final package that is solid and accurate in all respects. The critical angles are accurately machined so that the mount is orthogonal to a very high degree. This results in pointing accuracies well below 1 arc minute for a properly aligned mount. Our machinists are among the most skilled available anywhere, and the pride they take in their work should be an example to all who work in manufacturing. Our mount assembly is directed by a life-long astronomer with 20 years of experience here at Astro-Physics!

Worm gear accuracy.
Critical worm gear accuracy is maintained by special machining techniques developed at Astro-Physics after extensive studies, actual field operation and many years of experience making precision mounts. Our worm accuracies are second to none and are guaranteed to be 5 arc seconds or less, peak-to-peak. The periodic error of each mount is verified during our extensive testing procedures. We optimize performance further by characterizing the error using a special version of PEMProAP and downloading the appropriate correction into the mount's GTOCP3 before it leaves Astro-Physics. With good alignment and PEM training with the Keypad or PEMPro, it is quite practical now to achieve unguided CCD images with today's hi-resolution cameras coupled to a large telescope.

Easy to Adjust and Maintain. The design of the 3600GTO is straightforward with modular construction and no complicated internal wiring. We will provide information in the Technical Support section of our website pertaining to typical adjustment issues. If the electronics ever need servicing, the GTOCP3 control box can be easily removed and returned. Polar alignment is extremely precise due to the heavy-duty adjusters for both altitude and azimuth. The system locks down with zero alignment shift for an unprecedented ability to achieve that "perfect dead on" polar alignment that is so critical to the best imaging and the most accurate goto's.

Mechanical Features

• All machined mounting made from aluminum bar stock and stainless steel. All fasteners are stainless steel.
• Motors and all electronic components are enclosed.
• Polar and declination axes come apart with relative ease for manageable transport.
• Fine altitude and azimuth adjustments for quickly and accurately zeroing in on the pole in the field.
• Base fits into 12 " diameter pier with 0.25" wall thickness.

Servo Motor Drive

The drive system uses TWO high-quality Swiss DC servo motors for each axis controlled by a microprocessor to an accuracy of 0.05 arc seconds per step. Tracking is very smooth, noticeably smoother than any stepper motor drive or inexpensive servo drive. The dual motor system smoothes out the drives even further by applying an averaged power curve to the drive system. In preliminary testing this has resulted in PE curves that are noticeably smoother than the already phenomenal curves on our 1200GTO mounts. The system can be accurately controlled over a speed range of 4800:1 which allows 0.25x sidereal for guiding to roughly 720x sidereal for 3 degrees per second maximum slew rate. The circuit draws well under an amp when tracking the stars, 3 to 5 amps with both axes slewing and requires only 12 volts to operate (15 volts is recommended). This servo drive will satisfy the requirements of the sophisticated, advanced astrophotographer, yet is easy for the casual, visual observer to use. Please refer to GTOCP3 Control Box and Keypad for Servo Drive for additional information.

Integrated Pier Adapter

The pier adapter for the 3600GTO has been integrated into the mount's design and incorporates the design principles of the Precision Adjust Rotating Pier Adapters and in an innovative twist, puts the Super Heavy Duty Azimuth Adjuster UNDER the BACK of the mount where it is both conveniently located for fine polar alignment and remains out of the way. Polar alignment is smooth and easy, and the system locks down tight with no unintended movement.

PulseGuide™ Software

Please note: Ray Gralak, the author of PulseGuide, is currently working on a new piece of software that will combine the Astro-Physics ASCOM driver, all the features of PulseGuide, plus additional features. The new software will have a new name befitting its vastly increased capabilities, and will replace PulseGuide when it becomes available. In the mean time, here's the lowdown on the existing PulseGuide software:

PulseGuide is a stand-alone Windows (98, ME, 2000, NT4, XP and Vista) utility that provides complete remote control of Astro-Physics 400GTO, 600EGTO, 900GTO, 1200GTO and 3600GTO mounts. It derives its name from its most distinctive feature, pulse guiding, which can improve unguided tracking. Specifically, it can help correct tracking errors caused by polar misalignment and atmospheric refraction. You can also train PulseGuide to track objects moving relative to the stars, such as asteroids, comets, and the moon. In addition to pulse guiding, PulseGuide also has many useful utility features. With just a few exceptions, it supports the entire serial Astro-Physics command protocol. More ....

PEMPro v. 2.0 Software - FULL Version!

PEMPro (Periodic Error Management Professional) is a Windows software application developed by Ray Gralak that makes it easy to characterize and reduce periodic error. While the periodic error of your 3600GTO will be 5 arc seconds or less, you can reduce it even further to maximize performance without auto-guiding. PEMPro v. 2.0 is the latest version of PEMPro and includes exciting new features like the "Polar Alignment Wizard" to quickly, accurately and easily dial in your polar alignment. The software will be included with all new 3600GTO mounts. More ...

Current Installations
The first two mounts have been in service since the Fall of 2007.

Antarctica

The very first 3600GTO was installed at Dome C at Concordia Station in Antarctica in the Fall of 2007. It was designed to carry a large telescope that will be used for scientific studies by the Laboratoire Universitaire d'Astrophysique de Nice (LUAN). As you can imagine, the Antarctic is the most severe environment on the planet. Maintainance is extremely difficult due to the extreme low temperatures and dangerous wind conditions that prevent technicians from working outdoors. The mount must be a reliable performer and function flawlessly 24 hours per day for the entire polar night lasting 6 months..

Our smaller mounts have proven themselves in these frigid Antarctic conditions since 2003. We have had a number of 900GTO and 1200GTO mounts running continuously at Dome C in Antarctica, and they have shown themselves to be winners. In fact, they are some of the few things that actually work under those conditions, where the temperature is so cold that optics shatter and paint falls off tube assemblies like skin shed from a molting snake. The same design philosophy that has overcome these harsh conditions has made the 3600GTO the finest large mounting available. (Follow this link to see photos from Antarctica. On the linked page click on Photo Gallery and then scroll down to Astro-Physics place; click on Turbulence Monitoring; and click on Summer 2003: First Seeing . . . )

Astro-Physics

The 3600GTO was introduced to astro-imagers at the Advanced Imaging Conference in San Jose, CA in late October 2007. As imaging trends lean towards larger scopes requiring sturdier mounts, we felt this was an excellent venue to introduce the 3600 and get some initial feedback from the astronomers most likely to use it. Pictures of this informative event are available here. The mount has been under test in our observatory at Astro-Physics. Walter Piorkowski, head of our mount department, generously allowed us to use his large 16 inch f/5 Newtonian-Cassegrain to which we added some additional stainless steel stock on the mounting plate to reach 250 lbs. We feel that the mount can handle additional weight quite easily. This second prototype will ship to the Laboratoire Universitaire d'Astrophysique de Nice (LUAN) in Nice, France in early June 2008. It will be used to test the new telescope that has been designed and built for the 3600GTO that is currently in at Dome C. The telescope is scheduled to be installed in the Fall of 2008.

Click to enlarge

Support

All Astro-Physics mounts are supported by a dedicated staff who will assist with any issues that may arise. You can talk to a real person in a timely manner. Astro-Physics staff also participate the ap-gto user groups in the Yahoogroups forum. The user group is comprised of GTO owners who are willing to share their wealth of experience using their mounts as well as imaging strategies and other concerns of advanced amateurs.

Recommended Accessories

• 15V 10-amp (PS15V10AC) Regulated Power Supply with Cigarette Adapter
• Serial to USB Computer Connectivity Products from Keyspan
• Santa Barbara Instrument Group All CCD Star Tracker/Imaging Systems
• Cable for SBIG Autoguiders and CCD Imaging Cameras - available from SBIG
• Stainless Steel Counterweights - Weight sizes to be determined for new 2.5" diameter shaft - tentatively 25 lbs. each
• Mounting Rings

Pricing for this mounting will be determined soon.

Copyright © 1999-2008, Astro-Physics, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
This page was last modified: July 24, 2008

Astro-Physics, Inc.
11250 Forest Hills Road, Machesney Park, IL  61115, U.S.A.
Phone: 815-282-1513   Fax: 815-282-9847