• When balancing the declination axis (page 63), this internal
shaft can rotate freely, and may do so with a high angular
velocity when the mount’s payload is even slightly out of
balance.
In both cases, the rotating internal shaft creates a potentially
dangerous pinch point with the outer declination axis assembly
that can cut, crush, or sever fingers.
Always keep fingers clear during mount slews and use extreme
caution when routing cables through the mount or aligning the
declination shaft’s “through-hole” during polar scope alignment.
The Paramount is designed for custom cables to be passed through the mount, entering at the cable
conduit through the hour angle and declination axis up to the top of the declination axis and out to the
Instrument Panel. Routing cables through the mount has many advantages, particularly during remote
operation.
Many imaging systems have multiple cables draped from somewhere near the telescope to the
observatory floor. These cables are prone to snag on “something” as the telescope slews from one part
of the sky to another and often cause problems that require human intervention. Running the cables
through the mount mitigates these and other cable-related issues.
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