General Information that Applies to all German Equatorial Mounts
Latitude Dimension Calculator for Current Mach1GTO, 900GTO, 1100GTO, 1200GTO, 1600GTO and 3600GTO Mounts (10-22-2012) - Excel Spreadsheet for determining certain critical dimensions and choosing an appropriate pier height for your system; now includes metric dimensions and centimeter/inches calculator.
Quick Start & Workflow Guide - PDF document summarizing physical and software setup for all Astro-Physics GTO mounts.
Drift Alignment R.A. Correction Method - PDF document providing a step by step method to achieve high precision alignment within 45 degrees of the zenith. This method provides quick alignment for the prime imaging area. A CCD camera and guide software are required.
1100GTO with GTOCP4 Control Box (05-30-18) - PDF document - Current Version for mounts shipped starting in June 2016 and all previous 1100GTO mounts produced. We strongly recommend that ALL 1100GTO owners adopt this version as their manual (note that some aspects may not apply to earlier versions of the mount). Owners of older 1100GTOs can benefit from all that we have learned over the years by using this manual. Information on accessories, the servo system and polar alignment will be of particular value. See page 3 for more information about this manual. Note that the Astro-Physics GTO Servo Drive System has been given its own separate manual - see below.
1600GTO with GTOCP4 Control Box (05-30-18) - PDF document - Current Version for mounts shipped starting in July 2016 and all previous 1600GTO mounts produced. We strongly recommend that ALL 1600GTO owners adopt this version as their manual (note that some aspects may not apply to earlier versions of the mount). Owners of older 1600GTOs can benefit from all that we have learned over the years by using this manual. Information on accessories, the servo system and polar alignment will be of particular value. See page 3 for more information about this manual. Note that the Astro-Physics GTO Servo Drive System has been given its own separate manual - see below.
3600GTO with GTOCP3 Control Box (05-31-11) - PDF Document - Current Version for mounts shipped starting in September 2010 and all previous 3600GTO mounts produced. Owners of 3600GTO mounts from the first production run may wish to download this manual even though there are some differences between the two production runs. Keep the old manual as an added reference. New information on accessories, the servo system and polar alignment will be of particular value. See page 3 for more information about this manual.
3600GTO with GTOCP3 Control Box (03-03-09) - PDF document - For mounts shipped starting in December, 2008 - Beginning with serial number 36003
Mach1GTO with GTOCP4 Control Box (05-22-18) PDF document - Current Version for mounts shipped starting in May 2018 and all previous Mach1GTO mounts produced. We strongly recommend that ALL Mach1GTO owners adopt this version as their manual (note that some aspects may not apply to earlier versions of the mount). Owners of older Mach1GTOs can benefit from all that we have learned over the years by using this manual. Information on accessories, the servo system and polar alignment will be of particular value. See page 3 for more information about this manual. Note that the Astro-Physics GTO Servo Drive System has been given its own separate manual - see below.
Mach1GTO Auto-Adjusting Gearbox - No More Worm Meshing! (05-30-18) PDF document - For mounts with serial # M10803 and later. **Use this document for worm mesh information instead of the Gear Mesh page in printed manuals dated before February, 2017.**
Astro-Physics
GTO Servo Drive System - Model GTOCP4 (11-01-18) PDF document
- Current Version for all mounts with GTOCP4
Servo Control Boxes. We strongly recommend that all owners of Astro-Physics
and OEM GTO mounts with GTOCP4 control boxes adopt this manual as
their primary reference for the GTO Servo Drive System. Owners of
older GTO mounts may also find useful information in this manual,
but be aware that not all the information will apply to the older
servo control systems. This is an ongoing project that we will try
to keep updated with all the latest developments. Please check back
often and compare the date following the link to the date on your
copy of the manual to stay abreast of the latest developments.
WiFi
Poll for GTOCP4 and GTOCP5 Ethernet Application to
find current IP addresses and other network information.
It also can open the GTOCP4 or GTOCP5 webpage in IE. Requires AP
V2 ASCOM Driver and a serial or USB connection to the control box.
NOTE: We had removed the link to this .exe file earlier since it
had caused a problem with firewalls and anti-virus programs. It
is now back on the website as an encrypted ZIP file, and is in
a restricted area of the website. Both the download and the zip-extraction
will require the same password that you use for downloading Keypad
firmware. Normal Windows extraction is fine. A purchased copy of
WinZip is NOT required.
Default IP Address Calculator This calculator will take the CPx serial number and return the default IP address for the device. While the WiFi poll and FindMounts look at your actual system and find devices, this only does a basic calculation without looking into your computer. If the FindMounts or WiFi poll fail to detect a mount, this is a good fallback and was intended for use in tech support to quickly get a customer's default address without making a math mistake.
Find Mounts Java Applet to find current
GTOCP4 IP addresses and other network information. Works for any computer - Windows, Mac or Linux running Java. Requires the Java Runtime Environment from Oracle (already found on many computers) This also was placed on the website as an encrypted ZIP file, and is in a restricted area of the website. Both the download and the zip-extraction will require the same password that you use for downloading Keypad firmware. Normal extraction is fine. A purchased copy of WinZip should NOT be required.
Mount Troubleshooting - For additional troubleshooting
tips, check the mount and keypad manuals.
Declination Axis Backlash Tests - PDF document. These instructions
explain how to use Maxim
DL software as a tool for characterizing any problems with the Declination
axis movements of your mount. However, Ray Gralak's PulseGuide
software offers an easier and more extensive evaluation procedure. PulseGuide
is available as a
free download.
Diagnosing a Motor Stall (06-22-10) - PDF document. This is the text from a post to the ap-gto users group that outlines a sytematic approach to diagnosing a motor stall in an Astro-Physics GTO mount.
Polar Alignment Telescope (PASILL3) (09-24-02) - PDF document. This is a previous model, shipped from August 2002 until July 2005. Why doesn't my polar alignment scope look like the one illustrated?(Click here)
