![]() This vertical orientation is critical to the alignment and function of the GOTO but it is all but omitted in the instruction manual. There is a bubble level built into the mount’s base.Īs mentioned, the default set-up position is the mount facing south (base is marked ‘South’), and the tube has to be pointing vertical. Get the base as level as possible by adjusting the tripod legs. No balancing is necessary in the Azimuth axis. Loosening the Altitude lock allows easy tube balancing by sliding the OTA back and forth in the dovetail. I understand from various user groups that the tripod is one of the first upgrades available from iOtron on their more expensive mounts. Some may cry foul, but I can assure you that the ‘Cube’ benefited from this upgrade. The whole setup can be easily carried outdoors in one piece without any heavy breathing.Īfter deliberating on the wisdom of trying to use the iOptron tripod without a spreader, I decided to mount the ‘Cube’ on the tripod from my aforementioned CG1 mount, which by comparison, is quite substantial. Spread the tripod, plunk the ‘Cube’ on top, thread the center hold down bolt up through the base, and install the spreader on the lower half of the bolt, plug in the controller and you’re done. The larger upper part of the tripod legs are only 1” and they reduce down from that on the lower half.Īfter testing the tripod without the spreader, I decided it was hopeless and adapted a tripod from an old CG1 mount I had lying around. Even allowing for the fact that the spreader was missing, I cannot say that it would have dramatically improved matters. There is an optional AC adapter available to provide 12Vdc from household current. There is a battery access door which reveals a tray which takes 8 x ‘AA” batteries. The user manual hints at this possibility, but doesn’t explain it, and the firmware version (8402) on my mount did not match the manual’s menu structure. These all turn with the upper part of the mount, so cord wrap is a potential issue if you are not using the batteries. Below the altitude friction lock knob there are ports for the std hand controller, a remote controller, 12Vdc in and an on-off switch. The base is marked in one position with ‘South’. The Azimuth axis is similar to other GOTOs in as much as it rotates on its base. The ‘Cube’ has its altitude axis passing horizontally though the upper 1/4 of the cube, with a Vixen style dovetail receptacle on one side and a clutch/lock knob on the other. Fit and finish are on par with any piece of Chinese consumer electronic gear these days – which is to say, very good! The basic ‘kit’ includes the ‘Cube’, hand controller, tripod and spreader/tray (which I unfortunately managed to discard with the packaging…) and operating manual. ![]() However, it has more heft to it than its shape and pastel color scheme suggests. When you are first presented with the cube, it looks pretty much like its pictures in the ads. It did not arrive in factory packaging, so I cannot comment on this aspect of the product. ![]() So I decided to take the plunge and bought a nearly new Ioptron GPS ‘Cube’ off Astromart. What I really wanted was a light, GOTO grab-and-go set up. I had a C5 OTA that needed a mount, and an old CG1 mount from my Astrojunk just wasn’t up to the task. And like many people I was also frustrated by the lack of any real information or reviews on this product. Like many people, I was intrigued by the iOptron ‘Cube’ when it debuted a while back. The opinions expressed in this article are mine alone. I am not affiliated with any Astronomical company. (providing they didn’t cost more than my car…). I formed and ran Talscopes in N.America for a couple of years, and have owned and used many of the commercially available telescopes. All 4 tracking rates work in both northern and southern hemispheres.My name is Malcolm Bird and I have been in and around the Astronomical community for the last 15 years. The SkyTracker Pro features four tracking rates, 1X or sidereal, 1/2X for sky and landscape, solar and lunar. Using with our smart phone app, quick and accurate polar alignment is just a joy. The improved precision polar scope maintains a fine engraved reticule, now features adjustable illumination with eight brightness levels. Upgraded from SkyTracker, the Pro is more compact, small enough to fit on your palm, better precision, silent tracking, it even has a built-in rechargeable power source that runs for up to 24 hours of continuous operation. Introducing The SkyTracker Pro - iOptron’s next generation camera tracking device!
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