deepspace productsmount enhancements · noworries,applyingheatdidthetrick,and, 66 astronomy...

When you decide to step into the arenaof astrophotography, one concept is veryclear: the performance of the mount is crit-ical. Beyond that, everything else is a con-glomeration of conventional “wisdom” andquasi-relevant anecdotes. Jump in blindly,and you’re very likely to be disappointedwith the outcome. Conversely, reading toomuch will lead you to the obvious conclu-sion that only a $20,000 mount will dowhat you need. For the average backyard as-tronomer, jumping in blindly is the closerof those two alternatives that we’re likely tosee.

My own journey began with a humbleCG5-ASGT. After describing my optics,guiding and imaging gear, I was all but as-sured by the imaging crowd that I was des-tined for failure. “Too much weight!” theycried. “Too erratic periodic error!” theyscreamed! “Get a bigger mount!” theybegged. But then there were the supporters,quietly offering advice from the back-ground. They didn’t chime in nearly asmuch, as if they were too busy outside ac-tually using their gear.

I’d be lying to you if I didn’t acknowl-edge that they, all of them, were right. I gotgreat results, but it came at a cost. I spent agreat deal of time tweakingmy imaging rig.Polar alignment had to be nearly perfect.

Balance had to be spot-on. Autoguiding washit or miss. Some nights it was brilliant,while others it was just a lost cause.

I spent hours and hours getting thingsright, only to tear it down before morning.If you askme today, I’ll still tell you that theCG5 was and is a fantastic mount. I’ve stillgotmine, and I credit it with gettingme im-

mediate success at a fraction of the cost ofother mounts. It also helped me hone myskills in drift alignment, balance, and curs-ing. It’s not that this mount wasn’t great, justthat something was missing.

For me, those missing componentswere consistency, usability and connectivity.Don’t get me wrong, the CG5 performed

Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY 61

By Austin Grant

Image 1 – The Trifid Nebula, composed of 25 x 90-second subs at ISO 1600, calibrated withdarks, flats and dark flats. Captured with BackyardEOS, shot with a HyperCams-modifiedfull-spectrum Canon T2i with an Astronomik L Clip-In filter, an 8-inch f/4 Newtonian andthe HyperTuned Atlas. Stacked and processed in Images Plus 5.0.

Deep SpaceProducts MountEnhancementsTricking Out a German Equatorial Mount

62 Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY

admirably, but I was never confident that Icould just start an imaging session and walkaway. In fact, it’s become something of a

joke at our local astronomy club that an im-ager will, at any time, just walk off mid-con-versation whilemumbling something to the

effect of “let me go check mine.” I wantedto know that my gear would work as in-tended, unattended.

This notion really started to grow onme once I purchased and installed my ownSkyShed POD. The ability to open theclamshell and be imaging in minutes wasreal, but not with the constant, obligatorytweaking to all components of my imagingsystem. I needed immediate usability, some-thing that I could quickly startup and berunning.Thismeant that I neededmore ca-pacity headroom, smoother periodic error,and trouble-free autoguiding. Finally, Iwanted more connectivity. I wanted theability to connect and easily run every com-ponent from my PC.

As I researched my options, I keptbeing drawn back to the Atlas-class ofmounts. Call it what youwant, but I’m gen-erally talking about a mount in the neigh-borhood of $1500-dollars with around a40-lb payload capacity. One of thesemounts, I thought, would surely be the so-lution I was searching for. I ended up not

DEEP SPACE PRODUCTS MOUNT ENHANCEMENTS

Image 2 – M33, composed of 54 x 300-second subs at ISO 800, calibrated with darks, flatsand dark flats. Captured with BackyardEOS, shot with a Canon 60Da, an 8-inch f/4 New-tonian and the HyperTuned Atlas. Stacked and processed in Images Plus 5.0.

only purchasing an Atlas-class mount, butan actual Atlas. I picked up an older usedone, and was ready to wave goodbye to myimaging problems. And I did wave goodbyeto some of them, but it just happened to beat the same time that I waved hello to moreof the same.

Don’t get me wrong, the mount was inalmost every way superior to the smaller,less-expensive CG5. Unfortunately, afteryears of use, it exhibited many of the sameissues, only to a lesser degree. My problemswere not entirely solved.

Back to the drawing board, I quicklycame across a website called Deep SpaceProducts. Research showed that it, and theowner Ed Thomas, were highly recom-mended among the imaging community.With that knowledge, I called Ed to discussmy new, same-old issues. As we spoke, it waslike he had received a copy of my list be-forehand. On that list, I had: (1) both axesa bit stiff making it hard to balance payload,(2) stiffen the tripod, (3) autoguiding con-sistency, (4) no Losmandy-style dovetail, (4)improve altitude adjustment, and (5) reducebacklash. As I read the list, I wondered atthe care my used Atlas had received fromprevious owners. Ed reassuredme that therewere solutions to each issue on my list.

Before we tear into how Deep SpaceProducts saved my sanity, let me fill you inon how Ed got started in this business. In2007, Deep Space Products opened shop asa small, family-owned business. Ed beganbuilding cooling solutions for the MeadeDSI line of cameras and quickly saw successin modifying and improving existing as-tronomy products. In 2009, Deep SpaceProducts acquired rights to the popularHy-perTune products and service, which is fo-cused on gettingGerman equatorial mounts(GEMs) to reach their peak performanceabilities. From there, Ed decided to addressall aspects of thesemounts, andDeep SpaceProducts now carries various products linesthat will address any issues that a Hyper-Tune doesn’t cover. It truly is a one-stopshop for completely overhauling a mount.

When it was time to make some deci-

sions on my mount, I had some questionsbefore sending it off. One of the first issuesI wanted to address was the tracking andguiding. My periodic error, right at 17-arc-seconds peak to peak, was actually pretty

fantastic for this class of mount. The prob-lem is that it wasn’t smooth and, therefore,not easily guided out. After years of use, themount also had backlash issues, so anychange in direction could potentially wreak



Image 3 – All mounts that receive the Hypertune service earn this distinctive plate.

havoc. Ed assured me that, while it likelywouldn’t do much for my already-low peri-odic error, a HyperTune would certainlytame my guiding and backlash issues.

We also discussed the stiff axes, and theresulting difficulty in balancing the mount.To give you an idea of how stiff the axes hadbecome, when the mount was loaded, Icould move 22 pounds of counterweightsover 3-inches before seeing any rotation.This didn’t instill confidence in my balanceand couldn’t have been good for the steppermotors. No problem, Ed said, as the Hy-perTune service is geared directly at coun-tering these issues.With nomore questions,I shippedmymount to Arizona for theHy-perTune treatment.

It’s not hard to describe exactly what aStandard HyperTune is and does, becausetheDeep Space Products website has a list ofwhat takes place. Though it’s impossible todescribe the finesse that Ed has for rework-ing thesemounts, I’ll try to describe the pro-cedure. (1) Complete inspection anddismantling of the equatorial head. (2) In-

spection and cleaning of each telescopemount part – removal of all metal burrs,shavings, thick grease and foreign objects.(3) High-resolution sanding and polishingof moving internal parts, resulting in a mir-ror-like finish and a “glide like” performancefrom themount. (4) Inspection and adjust-ment of motors and encoders. (5) Reassem-bly using high-grade synthetic grease. (6)Resetting the worm gear meshing and ad-justing backlash in both RA and DEC.

As if that weren’t enough, there are sev-eral options available to improve mountperformance beyond a Standard Hyper-Tune. Customers can have Ed replace stockworm gear bearings with ceramic hybridball bearings, add a latitude adjustment up-grade, and even have Aeroquest High Preci-sion gears installed. I chose to go with theceramic bearing and latitude adjustmentupgrades. Ed informed me that it would bearound a 2-week turnaround formymount,and that was just enough time forme to pullthe trigger on some other upgrades thatDeep Space Products is offering.


Image 4 –DSP’s Latitude AdjustmentUpgrade installs three large thumb boltsthat firmly lock a pressure plate at thelatitude hub.


Ed had addressedmany ofmy concernswith the HyperTune, but there were stillother issues that needed to be addressed.First, I added an ADMdual-saddle upgradeto my cart. My Atlas came stock with a 2-bolt Vixen-style saddle, which marred mydovetails and left me no option for using themore-sturdy Losmandy-style rails. Thedual-saddle will carry either, andwon’t dam-age them in the process. Anthony Davoli,the owner and driving force of ADM acces-sories (www.admaccessories.com), has a so-lution for nearly any mountingconfiguration you can imagine. In fact, if hedoesn’t currently offer what you need, anemail can probably make it happen. Hisproducts are second to none, and DeepSpace Products offers the full ADM lineup.

With the saddle issue resolved, the onlybox left on my checklist involved that tri-pod.Now, don’t get mewrong, the Atlas hasa neat little tripod. In fact, I’d become veryfamiliar with it while usingmyCG5, as theyare essentially identical.What I’d hoped forin upgrading mounts was to also be up-grading tripods. The sturdier the better,right? Enter Telescope Performance Im-provements (www.tpiastro.com), hereafterTPI.

TPI is the product of Dave Yates andGary Bennett, self-described “consummatetinkerers,” who set out to improve uponwhat comes from the factory. Gee, whywould Ed team up with these guys? Dave isthemechanical genius behindTPI products,being an expert AutoCAD designer andmachinist extraordinaire. Gary is the Prod-uct Development guy, brilliant at evaluat-ing mount issues and conjuring upsolutions. Oh, and both of them have dayjobs, describing TPI as mostly a labor oflove.

They got started by making improve-ments to the fork-mounts with whichthey were imaging.This evolved into severalvery helpful and well-read DIY projects,and it wasn’t long before they moved onto GEMs. At this point, they have somany projects either in production or onthe horizon, it won’t be long before they get

a standalone article.With TPI up and running, the much

shared tripod for the Atlas(EQ6)/CGEM/CG5 was a perfect candidate for

improvement. While most tripods have alower spreader to prevent the legs from col-lapsing outwards, these tripods feature a“hard stop” at the leg hinge point. As a re-

Image 5 – The ADM Dual Saddle upgrade allows use of either Vixen-style and Losmandy-format dovetail rails without marring the finish on either.



sult, a spreader isn’t required to stop the legsfrom collapsing, but it can be used to ex-ploit that “hard stop.” What the TPI

spreader does is force the legs to spread tothe point where the steel legs actually bowout. When you step on the center puck of

the spreader, it forces the legs to spread. Bydoing that, the hinge point at the top of theleg has somuch pressure on it that it cannotbudge, thus eliminating the typical tripod“wobble.” I ordered this spreader, and theoptional heavy-duty battery tray.

While browsing the TPI products, Icame across something that was too cool topass up. They offer a set of tripod leg level-ers. These offered a solution to a problemI’d experienced with the CG5 and Atlas, buthad forgotten to mention to Ed. Leveling astock tripod just doesn’t work well. Even forimaging, with the tripod in its lowest posi-tion, the procedure for leveling it is a choreat best. What’s most annoying is the gamewhere you loosen one tripod leg, take thefull weight of the mount as you raise thesetup to lengthen the leg, then set it down tocheck the level. To “win” this game, youhave to be able to level the mount in threetries or less. I’ve never won, and either way,when you have to pick up your entire as-sembled mount, everybody loses. The TPItripod levelers, milled from solid aluminumwith solid pads and easy to grip knobs,would surely remedy this chore. I put a setin the cart and eagerly anticipated this com-pletely overhauled mount to arrive.

About two weeks after sending mymount to Ed in Arizona, several boxes weredelivered to my door. Not only was this ajoyous day, but the weather was perfect andit was going to be a clear night. I opened theboxes, and was completely blown away bythe quality of the aftermarket parts. Everysingle detail of both the TPI and ADMparts was simply beautiful. If there was everan example of fine craftsmanship, each ofthese components would be it. The fit andfinish was simply marvelous.

With the delusion that I could actuallyhave these parts assembled and ready fortesting on the day of delivery, I began put-ting everything together.Tomy surprise, as-sembling the TPI products and installingthe ADM saddle only took a couple ofhours. The hardest part of the entire opera-tion was removing the original tripod feet.Noworries, applying heat did the trick, and,


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Image 6 – TPI’s unique spreader/tray assembly ensures absolute rigidity of the tripod by cre-ating four large tensioned triangles. The tray is sturdy enough to support a full-sized fieldbattery and is beautifully machined and finished.


before you know it, the accessories were in-stalled.

Snapping the tripod spreader into placeresulted in a rewarding “click” that indicatedthere was certainly some tension on this badboy. It is without a doubt significantly morestable than before, and I’d bet it would givea pier a run for its money. The battery trayis perfect for use in the field, or as an extraplace to store accessories. It supports mydeep-cycle marine battery with ease, butcurrently plays a perfect role of organizingmy camera gear, focusing mask, and eye-pieces. The levelers were immediately ap-preciated, and I’ll never have to lift the entireassembly again.The ADM saddle just plainworked, without tearing upmy dovetails orleaving me wondering if everything wassnug.

The only thing left to evaluate was theHyperTune. A cool and unexpected featurewas the Inspection/Service Checklist thatwas returned with my mount. It remindsme of a doctor’s charting, and it’s just asthorough. It details stiffness and signs of usebefore the HyperTune, as well as any othernoticeable peculiarities of themount.Then,it details all inspections and upgrades. Afterreading over that, I checked out the latitudeadjustment upgrade.This mod installs threeknobs that hold a pressure plate where thelatitude adjustment is made. It allows youto remove the locking bolt at the front ofthe mount, and simply make adjustmentswith the rear bolt. When alignment is per-fect, you snug the three knobs. No morethrowing off alignment as you try to tighteneverything down.What a great idea!

Next, I installed my imaging gear andcounterweights, and tried to balance themount. Here, for the first time, is where Icame to appreciate just what had been doneinside this mount. Both axes were able tospin with the greatest of ease. I was able toeasily see a balance change with only a quar-ter of an inch of counterweight movement,where before it took over 3-inches. Unbe-lievable! And the best part is that it set thetone for all my subsequent evaluations.

While Ed was correct and my periodic

error didn’t drop, it did smooth out. I wasable to effortlessly autoguide in any part ofthe sky, for any length of time. Backlash wasalso controlled, and by that I mean virtuallynonexistent. I just can’t believe that this isthe same mount. I’m finally able to set animaging run and just let it go. For the firsttime in years, I’m able to do some visual ob-serving with my Dob as the images roll in.

I’ve always heard the phrase “If it ain’tbroke, don’t fix it.” In this case, that’s theworst advice youwill ever get. I honestly be-lieve that everymount in this class, as well asmany costing thousands more, will benefitfrom a HyperTune. Ed believes it too, somuch so that he offers a HyperTune Do-It-Yourself Kit for those reluctant to send offtheir mounts. If you are at all handy, youshould have no problem competently han-dling a HyperTune. In fact, I know you cando it because I’ve done it. I had Ed send aHyperTune Kit so that I could see for my-self exactly what this overhaul entails.

The Standard kit includes a completebearing set, appropriate hex wrenches andscrewdrivers, sandpapers, polishing com-pound, thread locker, cleaning brush, razor,lubricant, electronic versions of photos anda step-by-stepDVDof the process.We usedthe kit on a local clubmember’s mount, an-other Atlas, and, as with my mount, the re-sults were night and day. I won’t say it’s assmooth as mine, because Ed is the master,but it’s silky smooth compared to before.

The bottom line is that Deep SpaceProducts will improve your astro-imagingexperience. The HyperTune service, either

full or DIY, will get you rounder stars. Theaftermarket products offered will make yourmountmore stable andmore usable.What’seven better is that no matter what, Ed willbe there for support. Whether you havequestions before sending a mount for serv-ice, or after you’ve started a DIY Hyper-Tune, Ed is easy to contact and will makesure that you get things figured out. If youhave a consumer-grade mount, or even onea bit more specialized, the only way you willgo wrong is if you don’t have it HyperTunedand given the Deep Space Productstreatment.


Image 5 – TPI tripod leg levelers allow fineadjustment of tripod level without having tolift a leg to extend it. Once fine adjustmentis completed, the levelers lock rigidly.


deepspace productsmount enhancements · noworries,applyingheatdidthetrick,and, 66 astronomy...

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