Paramount Taurus 400

Introducing the new Taurus 400 Series 6 equatorial fork.

Taurus equatorial fork mounts allow uninterrupted horizon-to-horizon imaging and accommodate Schmidt-Cassegrain or open-truss telescopes up to 17 inches (0.4 m).

The Paramount Taurus 400 includes the advanced MKS 6000 telescope control system which lets you connect via USB C, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi.  Its instrument panel includes high-power XT60 connectors and a pass-through Ethernet port.

Hardware Specifications

• 150 lb. (68 kg) instrument capacity.
• All sky pointing accuracies at or below 30 arcseconds RMS (see Software Specifications below for details).
• No meridian flips or dangling counterweights.
• Tracks objects up to six (6) hours beyond meridian.
• Maximum seven (7) arcseconds peak-to-peak periodic error before correction.
• After a one-time training, periodic error is 1 arcsecond, peak-to-peak or less.
• Optional 26-bit Renishaw encoders eliminate periodic error and the need for homing and operates in temps as low as –40° C.
• On-axis absolute encoders can be installed in the field.
• All electronics and through-the-mount cables are housed inside the mount with ample room for additional cables.
• Advanced MKS 6000 telescope control system lets you connect via USB C, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi.
• Three high-power XT60 ports on instrument panel.
• Belt-driven gears with spring loaded worm gears produce virtually zero backlash.
• Durable and fade-resistant red powder coating and black anodized finish; components are aluminum.
• Integrated azimuth and elevation polar-alignment adjustments.
• Counterweight system corrects imbalances from asymmetries in the optical tube and imperfect centering between fork tines.
• Clutch-free design helps maintain its TPoint™ assisted pointing accuracy.
• AutoHome™ homing capability ensures the mount always knows its orientation (after performing an initializing process called “homing” that typically takes less a minute or less).
• Exceptionally comfortable access to eyepieces.
• Power supply and PC-to-mount cabling included.
• Includes Hand Controller for manual mount operation.

Software Specifications  

• Paramount’s unsurpassed pointing and tracking wouldn’t be possible without its TPoint™ and ProTrack™ software.
• By employing TPoint’s calibration and telescope modeling tools, you’ll enjoy all sky pointing accuracies at or below 30 arcseconds RMS. Nothing outperforms that — and that's without on-axis absolute encoders.
• Operating in conjunction with TPoint™, ProTrack™ continuously updates the mount’s position across both axes to correct system-wide tracking errors including tube flexures, atmospheric refraction, polar misalignment, harmonic errors from mis-centered encoders, and more.
• On-axis absolute encoders alone cannot correct such errors which exist with all telescopes. A properly applied telescope model is necessary to achieve superior tracking.
• Without those encoders, 5-to-10-minute unguided exposures are common with many enjoying up to 20 minutes.

• Its included software is integrated into a single, easy-to-use, application consisting of TheSky™ Professional, TPoint, Cameras+, Domes, Multi-OS+, and Weather modules. Enjoy the simplicity of controlling your cameras and astrophotography devices with one application. The included TheSky™ Universal Bundle represents a $1,095 value.

• Its Accurate Polar Alignment feature does not require pole visibility.
• Compatible with Windows™, macOS™, and Linux (arm64 and x86_64 processors).
• TheSky's user-interface is consistent across all operating systems. You can install TheSky on multiple operating simultaneously on up to six computers per OS.
• Why paint yourself or your institution into a corner?