Software Bisque Paramount 6 Series - Protrack Minimum Requirements; Getting Started with Protrack

Paramount GEM User Guide
161 | P a g e
moderate to long focal lengths, with pinpoint stars, are simply not possible without TheSky Professional
software, Paramount control system hardware and MKS 5000 firmware integration.
ProTrack works best with a Super Model that is created from an extensive set of pointing calibration
samples (100-300). However, ProTrack can provide useful tracking corrections using a smaller number of
pointing samples, making it useful for semi-portable or mission critical portable setups.
ProTrack Minimum Requirements
ProTrack requires the following minimum hardware and software.
• A Paramount MYT, Paramount MX, Paramount MX, Paramount ME, Paramount ME, or MKS Series
Software Bisque Telescope Control System (Bisque TCS).
• TheSky Professional.
• TheSky Professional’s TPoint module (included with the Paramount mount).
• A telescope with a mechanically fixed mirror. (Errors due to mirror flop make high accuracy
tracking nearly impossible.)
• An extensive set of TPoint modeling data (100 to 200 stars or more recommended for Paramount
mounts that do not use on-axis absolute encoders).
Getting Started with ProTrack
Here are the keys to getting excellent ProTrack results:
• Make sure every component of the imaging system is robust, from the pier mounting to the
camera mounting and everything in between. Loose mechanics, or even poorly mounted cabling
can introduce random errors that cannot be corrected by TPoint and therefore degrade ProTrack’s
performance.
• Use the Telescope, TPoint Module, Calibration Run, Automated Calibration button to obtain an
accurate pointing calibration data set.
• Calibrate the mount using a TPoint Super Model that is based on 100 or more pointing calibration
samples.
Activating ProTrack
1. From TheSky Professional, choose the Connect command from the Telescope menu to connect to
the Paramount.
2. Turn on the Activate ProTrack checkbox on the ProTrack tab of the TPoint Module window to
view a table of ProTrack corrections that will be applied to tracking.
3. Turn on the Enable Tracking Adjustments checkbox to apply the corrections to the mount’s
position while tracking.
Details about the ProTrack tab on the TPoint Module window can be found in the TheSky Professional
User Guide.