Ultima 9
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4
and Ultima 11 Manual 38
USING THE DRIVE
The Ultima drive is a state-of-the-art motor drive system designed specifically for the Ultima telescopes. The entire
system is a self-contained unit built into the drive base. The clock drive is powered by a 9-volt rectangular battery
which can run the telescope for up to 35 hours. The system can also run off of an AC power or external 12-volt DC
power with optional adapters. The hand controller, which comes with the telescope, allows you to use the drive for
astrophotography. The hand controller is NOT required for unguided visual observing.
One of the most unique features of the new drive is the Periodic Error Correction (PEC) function. This feature
allows the drive system to learn the characteristics of the worm gear and, as a result, improve the tracking. This
typically reduces the periodic error to 30 percent or less of the original error. The amount of improvement will vary
depending on guiding skill, atmospheric stability, the characteristics of the worm gear, and accuracy of the polar
alignment.
The following is a brief discussion of each of the features.
Figure 5-1
Cover plate on the Ultima Drive Base
POWERING UP THE DRIVE
The ‘ON/OFF’ switch supplies power to the drive motor. Each time the drive is turned on, it defaults to sidereal rate
(i.e., the rate at which the stars move across the sky). All LEDs illuminate, but the LED for the tracking rate selected
is brighter than the others so it is discernible in the dark. If the battery is low, the LED indicating the tracking rate
will blink.
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