iOptron HEM44A Hybrid Equatorial Mount Head with iPolar, Hand Controller, and Case

iOptron HEM44A Hybrid Equatorial Mount Head
with iPolar, 8409 Hand Controller, and Case

This lightweight workhorse of a mount can handle payloads of up to 44 pounds, while weighing in at a mere 13.65 pounds. That's an impressive weight-to-payload ratio! Such a feat is achieved using a state-of-the-art strain wave drive to control the right ascension (RA), coupled with a lightweight worm drive to handle declination (DEC). Perhaps the most amazing result of this hybrid system? It does it all without the need for counterweights or shafts!

Another great feature of the HEM44A is the electronic friction brake with power down memory. This allows the mount to safely stop and continue tracking or a GoTo slew even after a sudden loss of power--all without having to realign and start from the beginning. Planned or unplanned power outages are not a challenge for this hybrid equatorial mount!

The black, fully metal anodized CNC-machined body of the HEM44A is rugged and built to last.

Complimenting the sleek, no-counterweight design is an integrated cable management system to avoid tangling or tripping.

Additional Information on the HEM44A Hybrid Equatorial Mount

Go2Nova® Hand Controller: Included with your HEM44A hybrid mount is a Go2Nova 8409 hand controller, featuring ~212,000 objects in its database. This allows you to explore the night sky almost indefinitely! A large, 4-line, 21-character backlit screen allows for easy control. The controller features nine control speeds (1x, 2x, 8x, 16x, 128x, 256x, 512x, and Max) to track objects as they pass through the sky. The firmware is upgradeable via USB and can be controlled with ASCOM or PC through USB or WiFi.

iPolar Electronic Polarscope: With the iPolar, accurate polar alignment is simple! All you have to do is place the plus symbol over the graphical representation of the celestial pole's location. When these two symbols are aligned they represent a precise polar alignment, allowing you to get the best performance possible from your HEM44A Hybrid Equatorial mount. The iOptron iPolar™ utilizes an electronic camera that is aligned with both the axes of your mount. The downloadable Windows software processes the camera's images to calculate the true location of the celestial pole (north or south) and then guides you through any adjustments needed to align your mount precisely to the pole. Gone are the days of crouching behind a "through the mount" polar scope! Instead, the iPolar™ facilitates making altitude and azimuth adjustments by just glancing at your PC's monitor. This system needs as few as four stars to locate the pole, and can do so even when the pole location itself is blocked by clouds, tree branches or other obstructions.

Additional specifications include a 270 second gear period, built-in zero-position search and locator, and permanent periodic error correction (PPEC). A dual saddle (Vixen- and Losmandy-style) provides versatility in setup.