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As my old mount didn't fulfill my expectations anymore I decided to get me a new mount. Main criteria where that the mount could easily handle more than one OTA in the 25cm class, that it should be portable and that it was equipped with the latest drive and GOTO systems. After some investigation I purchased the not yet in the market known "Mesu Mount". The main reason to buy this mount was that I was very closely involved in the design from the start onwards. The mount is based on a friction drive system which is very stiff and efficient, find more info here, driven by a ServoCAT servo motor system from StellarCat (USA). For GOTO functionality StellarCat advised the sophisticated ArgoNavis GOTO controller (Australia). The mount, in this configuration, can also be controlled by a planetarium program. The mount is made by Mesu Optics (Netherlands). |
| Mount specifications | ||
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Drive system Gear ratio Payload Meridian flip Backlash Pointing accuracy Periodic error GOTO speed Mount control Portability Power consumption |
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Friction wheels driven by Servo motors Gearbox reduction motor = 1:60,5 and friction wheel reduction = 1:150 (1:9075 in total) 2 x 65kg No No < 0,5' ± 4,0", not yet confirmed by measurement (will come ASAP) 6 - 8 °/sec. ArgoNavis hand controller and/or PC (planetarium program) The mount divides in two parts of about 25kg each Average is 400mA (when the mount guides for 90% of the time) |
 The Mesu Mount |
 The Mesu Mount disassembled |
Telescopes
| At the moment I have three telescopes which I mainly use for astrophotography. |
| This are : |
William Optics 72mm Megrez APO 150mm F/6,3 Newton Meade 250mm Schmidt Cassegrain F/10 |
 The Newton and SCT on the Mesu Mount |
 The WO 72mm Megrez APO |
Camera's
| Planetary Webcam |
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SONY ICX098BQ CCD chip (Type 1/4”) Chip size is 4.60mm x 3.97mm Image area is 3.87mm x 2.82mm ~ 325.000 Effective pixels (659 x 494 pixels) 5.6µm x 5.6µm pixel size |
| Modified Astro Webcam SC3a b/w Rawmod |
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| SONY ICX424AL CCD chip (Type 1/3”) Chip size is 5.79mm x 4.89mm Image area is 5.12mm x 3.73mm ~ 325.000 Effective pixels (659 x 494 pixels) 7.4µm x 7.4µm pixel size |
| ATIK16IC CCD camera |
  The ATIK16IC Monochrome CCD Camera |
| Sensor | : | Type CCD - Sony ICX-424AL |
| Distance sensor to T2 threat | : | 13 mm |
| Resolution | : | 659 x 494 pixels |
| Pixel Size | : | 7.4 µm x 7.4 µm |
| ADC | : | 16 bit |
| Electronic gain | : | 0,25 e-/ADU |
| Readout Noise | : | 7 e- |
| Dark current | : | ~0,01 e-/sec. @ 25°C* |
| CCD Linearity (see graph below) | : | until 50.000 ADU (~12.500 e-) |
| CCD full well capacity (see graph below) | : | 52.000 ADU (~13.000 e-) |
| Interface | : | USB |
| Power | : | 12v DC 0.55A |
| Exposure Length | : | 1/1000 sec - Unlimited |
| Guide Port | : | ST-4 compatible |
| Cooling | : | Thermoelectric with dT=-20°C |
| Weight | : | approx. 350 gr |
| Modified Canon 10D DSLR |
 The Canon 10D DSLR |
| Sensor | : | Type CMOS |
| Distance sensor to bayonet | : | 43,5 mm |
| Sensor dimension | : | 22,7 x 15,1 mm |
| Resolution | : | 3072 x 2048 pixels (6,3 megapixels) |
| Pixel Size | : | 7.4 µm x 7.4 µm |
| Modification | : | Infrared blocking filter removed |
| ADC | : | 12 bit per channel |
| Electronic gain | : | 2,4 e-/ADU |
| Readout Noise | : | 14,9 e- (ISO 400) |
| Interface | : | USB and RS232 |
| Exposure Length | : | 1/4000 sec - Unlimited |
| Weight | : | approx. 790 gr |