Installation Guide of Telescope Drive Master

Encoder-adapter for iOptron iEQ45 mounts

First of all, thank you very much for purchasing our product called "Telescope Drive Master" and congratulation for your decision. This system will improve the tracking accuracy of your iOptron iEQ45 equatorial mount dramatically independently from its original periodic error amplitude because both periodic and aperiodic errors of your mount will completely be eliminated using our real time, ultra high precision correction system, without using conventional autoguider. We guarantee that your tracking error will remain within 2" (two arc-second) range ptv total (or ±1") or less within 95% of your exposure time. It means your mount will have the best tracking ability among the amateur and semipro equatorial mounts all over the world (even if your dome-shutter is closed...).

To achieve this unbelievable result, before the installation of your Telescope Drive Master, you need to complete a very accurate polar alignment process of course. Please find our proposed method to do that on the companion CD ROM or among www.telescopedrivemaster.com website's documents.

TDM controlling system contains two main logical units or parts: a high precision encoder unit (encoder and its mechanical adapter) attached directly onto the RA shaft of the mount and an electronic device (a sort of "black-box" with connectors), which receives the electrical signals arriving from the encoder unit and sends control instructions to the mount's driver via its auto-guider input connector. So you will need to install the mechanical elements and the electronic device as well but do not worry: both of them can be done very easily.

Please find the drawing and description of electronic connections to be set in relevant part of User's Guide because this schematic is the same for every telescope mount. In this document you will find the mount specific instructions for mechanical adapter and encoder installation only.

Before starting it is highly important to emphasize that both encoder unit and its adapter elements are sensitive mechanical parts!!! Do not drop any of them; do not stress them during installation!!! Handle with care! Any damages of these parts can destroy product's accuracy.

Just Allen-wrenches, a Torch screwdriver (size#T9), and a spanner (size#26) will be needed for installation.

Mechanical parts of the adapter have been assembled in one unit before delivery. The risk of any mechanical damage during transportation is much lower in this way but, it means, you need to disassemble them before installation. You just need to remove those screws (with 2mm Allen-wrench) which fix the cover of the encoder unit onto the adapter stator as you can see below.

Before assembling parts during installation, please always check and clean all of the threads and surfaces of the lower end of the RA shaft and encoder adaptor elements if necessary. Use clean clothes (not nylon!) for smooth surfaces and a dry toothbrush to clean the internal and/or external thread(s) of the RA hollow shaft if it is necessary. Only the clean and tight mechanical contact between surfaces will provide correct mechanical coupling and positions.

Step 1:

Remove both parts of the black metal cup of the polar scope and, rotating it in counterclockwise direction; please remove polar scope as well. (If you want to complete rough polar alignment using polar scope, please do it before this step.)

Step 2:

Next step is attaching encoder shaft into the hollow shaft of RA axis. Do not touch the long cylindrical surface of the encoder shaft with any metal tool (e.g. pliers)!!! Use spanner (size 26mm) only, maybe coach-wrench at the root of this part clockwise, as you can see below in the picture, and tighten it well enough. This part cannot have any offset compared to the RA axis. If shaft-threads and connecting surfaces are clean enough, the thread profile-angle will have to be able to centralize geometrical axes without any problem.

Step 3:

Now, screw stator ring into the casting house of the RA shaft completely and fix its position with four fixing screw using four pre-installed worm-screws. It is very important to fix this part against rotation using these screws well because stator cannot move at all.

Step 4:

Now, please release every screw (2x4pcs) of the coupling of the encoder but remove completely two black screws only. In this way you can detach the front part of the coupling.

Step 5:

Now, please check the released clamps on both front and back side of the encoder and push the encoder firmly onto the previously installed and clean steel shaft. Please do NOT apply hammer on encoder!!! You need just to push it on gently by hand.

Step 8:

Using Torch screw (size#T9) tighten two screws well in the clamping ring on both ends of the encoder. You can reach the screw on the front side via one of the gaps created especially for this purpose onto the encoder body.

Step 9:

The main parts of the encoder adapter have been installed so far. Now, please put the cover of the encoder to its place and fix it in proper position (cable slot is down) using the same screws dismounted as the very first step of this installation process. (A small difference in the position of the encoder and cover is not a problem; just push the cable into the empty space between the encoder and its cover.)

Step 10:

Finally, please screw the cap onto the encoder cover for saving encoder against environmental influences.

Congratulation, you successfully installed the encoder onto your equatorial mount and you have finished the most difficult part of the installation process!!!

You just need to create cable connections among telescope electric units according to the relevant part of the User's Guide.

Additionally, please find several useful tips and tricks in the User's Guide of TDM and other documents found on companion CD ROM or visiting www.telescopedrivemaster.com website.