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Using the Drive • 37
Figure 5-1
The CI-700 electronic console.
Powering Up the
Drive
USING THE DRIVE
The drive system uses a 5.625 diameter bronze gear with 180 teeth for incred-
ibly accurate tracking. One of the most unique features of the drive is the
Periodic Error Correction (PEC) function. This feature allows the drive system
to “learn” the characteristics of the worm gear, and as a result, improve the
tracking accuracy even more. This typically reduces the periodic error to 30
percent or less of the original error. The amount of improvement varies depend-
ing on guiding skill, atmospheric stability, the characteristics of the worm gear,
and the accuracy of polar alignment.
Following is a brief discussion of each feature.
In order to activate the drive, you must first plug it into an external power
source. To supply power to your Celestron CM-1100, plug your Car Battery
Adapter or optional AC Adapter into the outlet on the electronic console
labeled “12 VDC.” Then, plug the other end of the adapter into the appropriate
power source (i.e., either AC or DC depending on the adapter used).
Next, plug the R.A. and DEC cables into the electronic box. The DEC cable
has a modular phone jack connector on each end. Plug one end into the DEC
Motor receptacle on the electronics console and the other end into the declina-
tion motor. The R.A. cable has a modular phone jack connector at one end
and a 5-pin connector at the other end. Attach the 5-pin connector over the 5
pins at the top of the electronics module (labled R.A. Motor), and then plug the
phone jack connector into the R.A. motor.
Once plugged into the proper power source, activate the drive by placing the
ON/OFF switch in the “ON” position. Once activated, the drive begins tracking
at sidereal rate, the default tracking rate. The LED next to the sidereal rate
icon will illuminate.