Performance Specifications

The Paramount ME outperforms commercial "go to" telescope mounts in the following critical areas.

Critical Area	Paramount ME Specification
Tracking Performance/Periodic Error	The peak-to-peak periodic error for the right ascension gear is seven (7) arcseconds or less, before periodic error correction and without ProTrack. The typical Paramount ME periodic error after periodic error correction is applied is one arcsecond peak-to-peak or less.
Backlash	The spring-loaded worm-to-gear interface has virtually zero backlash in both the right ascension and declination axis.
All Sky Pointing Accuracy	In theory, the Paramount ME can point your telescope to 1/3 of an arcsecond (which is the limit of the control system’s optical encoders). In practice, you should expect to achieve repeatable, quantifiable pointing accuracies from 10 to 30 arcseconds RMS by employing TPoint for Windows Telescope Pointing Analysis software. The bottom line is that the Paramount ME using TPoint for Windows will consistently, accurately, repeatedly point as well as, or typically better than any other commercial mount on the market.
AutoHome Technology/Nightly Initialization	When aligned with the celestial pole (a requirement for all German equatorial mounts), the Paramount ME can be restarted (powered off then on) with the identical pointing and tracking from session to session. With AutoHoming, you will not have to "resynchronize" or initialize the mount each session, or after losing power. No other commercial mount offers this capability.

Understanding Periodic Error

Graph showing amplitude versus peak-to-peak periodic error.

There are two ways to express the periodic error for a mount: as the amplitude of the error, or the peak-to-peak periodic error. The amplitude of the periodic error curve is measured from zero to the peak of the error. The peak-to-peak error is measured from the high point in the y-axis to the low point. Therefore, the peak-to-peak periodic error equals 2 x amplitude.

The Paramount ME's periodic error is specified as the peak to peak periodic error, and not the amplitude of the periodic error.

Understanding AutoHome™

AutoHome is an automated initialization process that slews both the right ascension and declination axes of the Paramount ME to a mechanically fixed position, called the Home Position. The control system must perform this step every time the Paramount ME is turned on so that the mount’s absolute position can be established (to the nearest one-third arcsecond).

AutoHome provides the following benefits:

Once a mount is aligned with the celestial pole, homed and a reliable time base is used, extremely repeatable and accurate pointing can be achieved using TheSky6 Professional Edition and the TPoint Telescope Pointing Analysis software.
After homing, the mount “knows” its orientation and therefore cannot be slewed into the pier. The right ascension limits are approximately 5 degrees past the meridian in each direction (east and west) and in declination the limit is approximately –90 degrees declination.
The periodic error correction (PEC) function uses this information to calibrate the control system’s internal PEC table with the orientation of the worm gear.
You can quickly recover from power loss to the mount or other communication malfunctions.
The Home Position can be used to aid initial polar alignment.