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Alt-Azimuth
Accessory Products
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 Train-N-Track™
Motor Drive for Meade LightBridgeMeade LightBridge
Dobsonian 8" / 10" / 12" / 16"
The Train-N-Track (TNT) system is a basic
alt-azimuth motor drive system with adjustable or trainable tracking. A
simple 30-second training procedure allows the scope to track for 10 minutes or
more.
The TNT motor drive system includes adjustable speeds on both axes, high speed
centering and one-touch re-positioning of the altitude tangent arm.
(Current data indicates that the TNT slews the LightBridge 12" at about 7x to
8x.) The azimuth friction drive also allows you to move the telescope
around by hand without unlocking any clutches. You just let go and the
drive takes over. With a little practice, objects can be kept in the
eyepiece for 10 minutes or more. Power comes from a battery pack with 8 AA
batteries or a 110vAC/60Hz adapter. Using a 220vAC/50Hz power source will
require a converter upgrade (see
below). The current units include an improvement over the original
circuitry allowing up to 5 hours of use for four or five nights.
The TNT system does not interface with any other products including our
MAX guiding computers.
Installation requires drilling nine small mounting holes (for #4 screws) in the
rocker box. You must supply the LightBridge telescope. If you wish
to include a LightBridge in your purchase from JMI, please see our LightBridge
with TNT product below. Drop-in brackets make removal and
re-installation short and simple.
A
Special Note Regarding
Train-N-Track
(TNT) for the
Orion SkyQuest XT
We have had many requests
for Train-N-Track for the Orion SkyQuest Dob's. At
this time it doesn't look good because the Orion Dob's don't have
a ground board "lazy Susan" mechanism which is
required for TNT. We may need some time to think about a new
design.
Jim Burr
President
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Train-N-Track
Motor Drive
and
pre-drilled
Meade LightBridge Dobsonian 10"
LB10TNT
$1,199*
Purchase
from Farpoint |
Train-N-Track
Motor Drive
and pre-drilled
Meade LightBridge Dobsonian 12"
LB12TNT
$1,499*
Purchase
from Farpoint |
Train-N-Track
Motor Drive
and pre-drilled
Meade LightBridge Dobsonian 16"
LB16TNT
$2,519*
Purchase
from Farpoint |
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Train-N-Track™ Motor Drive
including
Pre-drilled Meade
LightBridge Telescope
Meade LightBridge
Dobsonian 10" / 12" / 16"
This product is a Meade LightBridge
Telescope outfitted with a TNT system. The Train-N-Track (TNT) system is a basic alt-az
motor drive system with adjustable or trainable tracking. A simple
30-second training procedure allows the scope to track for 10 minutes or more.
Click here for more information on the TNT system
(above).
Mounting holes have been pre-drilled in the LightBridge rocker box x at no
charge to you. All you need to do is assemble the product. You will receive three packages from JMI, two boxes holding the LightBridge
telescope and one for the Train-N-Track Motor Drive (part of the TNT system may
be assembled on the LightBridge).
* Telescope prices do NOT include Shipping and
Handling Charges. The online
order processing system allows you to request
a shipping quote which you must then approve before the product is
shipped. Prices are subject to change based on telescope price
changes from Meade.
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NOTE |
In the picture at left, the
telescopes are (from left to right) the Meade LightBridge 10",
12" and 16". All are equipped with the TNT system.
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Transporter
Storage Kit for Meade LightBridge Meade LightBridge
8" /
10" / 12" / 16"
This kit solves two problems:
1) Adds counterweights for offsetting heaving equipment at the eyepiece
(DELUXE VERSION ONLY)
2) Aids in compacting/packaging the scope for transportation to another
location
The DELUXE Transporter Storage Kit Includes:
1) One Truss-Rod Holder for securing the truss rods to the rocker box
2) Three Nose Tabs for securing the nose assembly directly to the
mirror tub
3) Two Dual-weight Counterweight Clips
for counterbalancing
heavy equipment (total approx. 4 lbs)
The DELUXE version fits the 10", 12" and 16" (NOT the 8") LightBridge
The STANDARD Transporter Storage Kit Includes:
1) One Truss-Rod Holder for securing the truss rods to the rocker box
2) Three Nose Tabs for securing the nose assembly directly to the
mirror tub
The STANDARD version fit the 8", 10", 12" and 16" LightBridge
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Counterweights
for Meade LightBridge Meade LightBridge
10" / 12" / 16"; Zhumell Z12 Dobsonian
These counterweights help counterbalance heavy equipment at the
eyepiece or on the nose assembly. The clip-style mounting brackets attach to the bottom of the
mirror tub by sliding the clip onto the mirror cell support. There are two counterweight clips in a
set with each having two weights (approx. 1 lb ea) for a total of approximately 4 lbs. With each clip you can use a single weight or stack the two
weights together. These counterweights are included with the DELUXE Transporter Kit (above).
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NOTE
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These counterweights will not work on the
8" LightBridge.
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This picture shows one counterweight clip
with two stacked weights attached to a 12" LightBridge.
There are two clips, with a total of four weights, in
each set (approx. 4 lbs). |
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This picture shows the
two weights, of one clip, separated from each other. |
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Train-N-Track™
Motor Drive for Astro-Tech Voyager
Astro-Tech
Voyager Mount
The Train-N-Track (TNT) system is a basic
alt-azimuth motor drive system with adjustable or trainable tracking. A
simple 30-second training procedure allows the scope to track for 10 minutes or
more.
The TNT motor drive system includes adjustable speeds on both axes and high
speed centering. The friction drives also allow you to move the telescope
around by hand without unlocking any clutches. You just let go and the
drive takes over. With a little practice, objects can be kept in the
eyepiece for 10 minutes or more. Power comes from a battery pack with 8 AA
batteries or a 110vAC/60Hz adapter. Using a 220vAC/50Hz power source will
require a converter upgrade (see
below). The current units include an improvement over the original
circuitry allowing up to 5 hours of use for four or five nights.
The TNT system does not interface with any other products.
Installation is easy. You must supply the mount.
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Hand Control |
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Hand Control |
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Hand Control |
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Train-N-Track™
Motor Drive for Vixen Porta Mount
Explore Scientific Twilight I Mount; Vixen
Porta Mount, Porta II Mount
The Train-N-Track (TNT) system is a basic
alt-azimuth motor drive system with adjustable or trainable tracking. A
simple 30-second training procedure allows the scope to track for 10 minutes or
more.
The TNT motor drive system includes adjustable speeds on both axes and high
speed centering. The friction drives also allow you to move the telescope
around by hand without unlocking any clutches. You just let go and the
drive takes over. With a little practice, objects can be kept in the
eyepiece for 10 minutes or more. Power comes from a battery pack with 8 AA
batteries or a 110vAC/60Hz adapter. Using a 220vAC/50Hz power source will
require a converter upgrade (see
below). The current units include an improvement over the original
circuitry allowing up to 5 hours of use for four or five nights.
The TNT system does not interface with any other products including our
MAX guiding computers. It does not interfere with the MAX computer
encoders and hardware.
Installation is easy. You must supply the mount.
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Hand Control |
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TNT installed
on an Explore Scientific Twilight I Mount |
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Zoomed-in
view on an Explore Scientific Twilight I Mount |
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What
is Train-N-Track?
The Train-N-Track (TNT)
system is a basic alt-az motor drive system with adjustable or trainable
tracking. With alt-azimuth mounts, the motor speeds will vary
greatly depending on what area of the sky you are viewing. In some
situations, the altitude motor will run very fast and the azimuth motor
will run very slowly. In other areas of the sky, the opposite will
be true. Completely computerized alt-az systems will track
automatically in any part of the sky. The TNT, however, requires
that you adjust the motor speeds for your position.
The adjustment, or training, is very simple. Once you become
familiar with the process it can be accomplished in about 30 seconds and
tracking will continue for 10 minutes or more without noticeable
drifting. At that point you will need to do another simple
training adjustment. Quick slewing can be accomplished, without
adjusting the tracking speed, by simply pressing one key. This
feature allows for re-centering an object without changing the carefully
adjusted tracking speed. Manual movement is possible at any time,
in both altitude and azimuth, without releasing any clutches.
Train-N-Track (TNT)
for the LightBridge |
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What is an
Alt-Az Mount?
The Meade
LightBridge Dobsonian telescope includes an altitude-azimuth mount.
Altitude-azimuth is sometimes abbreviated as alt-azimuth or just
alt-az. An alt-az mount moves in altitude (up and down) on a
horizontal axis and in azimuth (left and right) on a vertical axis
like a gun turret on a tank. By comparison, an equatorial
mount is essentially an alt-az mount that is tilted to match your
latitude, allowing a telescope to track the stars with the
addition of a simple clock drive. Both types of mounts have
their advantages. Which one is best for a particular
situation depends mostly on how one intends to use the telescope. |
What is a
Transport Storage Kit?
A transport kit supplies
accessories for transporting and using your Alt-Azimuth telescope more easily and
effectively. The kit for the Meade LightBridge includes a bracket for
storing the truss rods and brackets for securing the nose assembly to the
mirror tub, both intended to ease the job of transporting the scope.
Mirror tub counterweights are included for counterbalancing equipment placed
on the nose assembly (on a scope that is already nose heavy without extra
equipment). |
Customer
Comments
"I'm very happy with my TNT and we can
do some good photography with this system. Moon and planets are very
easy targets and some bright objects like M45 too. I expect a
productive winter with my new JMI TNT" (L. C.) |
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Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ)
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| Q. |
Can I
use the Train-N-Track for Astrophotography? |
| A. |
The TNT is not
designed for astrophotography or for long-term tracking. Rather, it
is designed for easy viewing without having to constantly move the scope
to keep up with the rotation of the earth. |
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| Q. |
Why
can't the Train-N-Track continue to track all night? |
| A. |
With an
altitude-azimuth (alt-az) mount (see definition of Alt-Az
Mount above) the speed of movement in altitude and azimuth varies throughout
the entire movement of an object across the sky. With the TNT, you
are the one who varies the speed. The Train-N-Track system is
designed to be an affordable alternative to more expensive computerized
tracking systems, which calculate the exact speeds needed in all parts of
the sky. TNT continues in the tradition of the Dobsonian telescope
which was designed to be the most affordable way to get a large-aperture
telescope. |
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| Q. |
Is the
Train-N-Track compatible with your other products for the LightBridge? |
| A. |
Yes, the TNT is
compatible with our MAX computers, encoders and hardware as well as our
Wheeley Bars. That is, they do not mechanically interfere with one
another. The TNT does not interface with any other products. |
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| Q. |
How easy
is it to separate and reassemble the scope and rocker box with
Train-N-Track installed? |
| A. |
Technically, the
scope can be lifted off of the rocker box without doing anything to the
TNT. However, we recommend that you remove the thumb nut on the
tangent arm and separate the tangent arm from the bearing and lead
screw. This can be accomplished very easily and quickly. Reassembly is just as quick and easy. |
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