The M-zero HQ motion transmission technology is based on pulley-tooth belt without play,
while its peculiar geometry makes easy the imaging at the meridian crossing regardless the
typical problem affecting the classic German Equatorial Mounts, for both the risk of touching
the tripod and the need of waiting for the object cross the meridian.
Moreover, considering that at the meridian the sky is less subject to light pollution and to
atmospheric turbulence, the M-zero HQ is the ideal tool to shoot deep-sky objects in their best
conditions, close to the meridian, especially when the time is short and the sky is not so dark
and clear.
The M-zero HQ is mainly designed for astro-imaging with medium-short length tubes (such as
SC-Maksutov, RC up to 6-8″ aperture and 10 kg (22 lb) weight, according to the tube length). It
is possible to use the M-zero HQ even with refractors (400-500 mm), with a piggyback or
parallel guidescope that can act also as an active counterweight.
The larger overhang of the single arm system will allow a greater pointing angle compared to
the classic German Equatorial Mounts.
Another M-zero HQ basic advantage is that it doesn't need heavy counterweights, nor the long
bar. Its declination axis can be quickly balanced like in an equatorial mount, while, for the RA
axis, it is possible to fix the arm on six possible positions and to make the fine balance using a
very small counterweight.
The use of pulleys and toothed belts has allowed to obtain several advantages: a really steady
motion without play (no backlash) and sudden peaks, factors of paramount relevance for long
guided exposures and during high magnification visual observations. These features are of
particular relevance especially for the declination axis motor that can now quickly reverse the
motion without breaks to recover the plays: from here the mount name FAST REVERSE. The
toothed belts used in the M-zero HQ have the structure made of special material with steel
strands to avoid any deformation, elongation and stress, much better than those used in the
automotive engine distribution system (which are generally made of rubber with nylon strands).
Considering that the service time for the automotive toothed belts is around 100.000 km
(60.000 miles), assuming a medium regime of 2.000 rpm and thermal stress from 0 to 90°C (30
to 195 F) in a few minutes, we can think that the life cycle of the M-zero HQ toothed belts
will be extremely long! It is important to underline that in the gear-worm systems the motion
transmission has only one tangent point of contact, any errors on each of the two components
will, sooner or later, result into a tracking errors. On the contrary, in the pulley-toothed belt
system, no direct contact occurs between the pulley and the motion is transmitted by the belt
engaging from 50% to 90% of the girth surface. Consequently any error, eventually present, is
averaged among the cogs, moreover soft, greatly reducing the tracking error.
No wearing effects since no relevant frictions occur. In fact, all the pulleys and the axes rotate
on roller bearings, 13 for the RA axis and 13 for the DEC axis that allow to reduce the total
friction almost to zero.
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