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IMPORTANT: Our store is located in Canada. All orders that include products manufactured outside of Canada or USA will be subject to tariffs and duties, regardless of the order value. US customers are responsible for all applicable duties and tariffs, and those will be billed by the carrier, except for the Lacerta upgrade kit, for which we collect them at checkout.
Software Bisque Paramount Taurus Model 500 Equatorial Fork Mount Direct Drive

Software Bisque Paramount Taurus Model 500 Equatorial Fork Mount Direct Drive

by Software Bisque
SKU SB10308-01
Sold out
$53,295.00 - $53,295.00
$53,295.00
$53,295.00 - $53,295.00
$53,295.00
Price Match Policy!
  • Equatorial Fork Mount Design
  • Direct-Drive Motors
  • On-Axis Absolute Encoders
  • Horizon-to-Horizon Uninterrupted Imaging
  • Includes TheSky Universal Software Bundle
  • Multi-OS Support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
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  • Description
  • FAQ
  • Specifications
  • Downloads
  • Warranty

  • Software Bisque Paramount Taurus Model 500 Equatorial Fork Mount Direct Drive

    The Software Bisque Paramount Taurus Model 500 is an observatory-class equatorial fork mount engineered for uninterrupted, automated imaging from horizon to horizon. Its direct-drive motors and on-axis absolute encoders deliver silent, high-speed slewing and tracking with negligible periodic error, eliminating the need for autoguiding in many applications. Paired with the included TPoint and ProTrack software, the Taurus 500 achieves professional pointing and tracking accuracy by modeling and correcting for system-wide mechanical and atmospheric errors.

    Horizon-to-Horizon Imaging: The End of the Meridian Flip

    The fundamental advantage of the Paramount Taurus 500's fork design is its ability to track an object continuously across the entire sky. Unlike German equatorial mounts that must perform a meridian flip—a time-consuming and risk-prone maneuver—the Taurus tracks without interruption, ensuring that long-exposure sequences or time-series observations are never lost at the most critical moment.

    Direct-Drive Motors & Absolute Encoders: Silent, Zero-Error Tracking

    At the core of the Taurus 500 are high-performance direct-drive motors coupled with on-axis absolute encoders. This combination eliminates gears, belts, and worms, resulting in zero backlash and virtually no periodic error from the drive system itself. The mount operates silently, slews at high speed, and never needs to be homed, as the absolute encoders always know the precise orientation of the telescope.

    TPoint & ProTrack: Observatory-Grade Pointing Correction

    Pointing and tracking precision are achieved through Software Bisque's sophisticated software. TPoint creates a comprehensive model of your entire telescope system, mapping out and correcting for errors like polar misalignment, tube flexure, and atmospheric refraction. ProTrack then uses this model in real-time to continuously adjust the mount's position, delivering tracking accuracy that goes far beyond what mechanical hardware alone can achieve.

    TheSky Universal Bundle: A Complete Multi-OS Control Suite

    The Paramount Taurus 500 includes a comprehensive software license for TheSky Universal bundle. This professional suite features TheSky Professional, TPoint, and modules for camera control, dome automation, and satellite tracking. Critically, the software provides a consistent user interface across Windows, macOS, and Linux, and the license permits installation on up to six computers, ensuring total operational flexibility for any observatory environment.

    Paramount Taurus vs. German Equatorial Mounts: An Uninterrupted Workflow

    The primary distinction for imagers choosing between a fork mount like the Taurus and a German Equatorial Mount (GEM) is workflow continuity. While a premium GEM can offer excellent tracking, it cannot avoid the meridian flip.

    • Meridian Flips: A GEM must pause imaging, rotate 180 degrees, reacquire the target, and restart guiding. The Taurus 500 tracks straight through the meridian, maximizing data acquisition time on a single target.
    • Automation Reliability: Eliminating the meridian flip removes a major point of failure in automated and remote observatory setups. There is no risk of cable snags or collision during a flip, and no need for complex scripting to manage the process.
    • Simplicity: For long-duration projects like supernova searches, exoplanet transits, or deep-sky mosaics, the set-and-forget nature of the Taurus 500's tracking simplifies the entire imaging process.

  • What is the main advantage of the Paramount Taurus 500's fork design?

    The primary advantage is uninterrupted horizon-to-horizon imaging. Unlike German equatorial mounts, the Paramount Taurus 500 does not need to perform a meridian flip, allowing for continuous data collection on a target as it crosses the sky. This is critical for long-exposure projects and automated observatories.

    How do the direct-drive motors on the Paramount Taurus 500 improve imaging?

    Direct-drive motors eliminate gears and worms, which are the primary sources of periodic error and backlash in traditional mounts. This results in exceptionally smooth tracking with negligible periodic error, silent operation, and high-speed slewing. The on-axis absolute encoders ensure the mount's pointing is always known, removing the need for a homing procedure.

    What is TPoint and why is it essential for the Paramount Taurus 500?

    TPoint is a software tool that creates a detailed pointing model of your entire optical system. It measures and compensates for systematic errors like tube flexure, cone error, and polar misalignment. While the mount's hardware is extremely precise, TPoint's software correction is what enables the Paramount Taurus 500 to achieve its renowned all-sky pointing and tracking accuracy.

    Can I run the Paramount Taurus 500 from a Mac or Linux computer?

    Yes. The included TheSky Universal software bundle is fully cross-platform. It runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux (arm64 and x86_64 architectures) with an identical interface and feature set on all systems. The license allows installation on up to six computers.

    I plan to image the Cygnus Loop (NGC 6960) for an entire night. How does the Taurus 500 help with this?

    The Paramount Taurus 500 is ideal for this scenario. The Cygnus Loop is a large target that will transit the meridian during a long imaging session. With the Taurus 500, you can frame your mosaic and capture data continuously for hours without interruption. A German equatorial mount would force you to stop mid-session for a meridian flip, risking slight shifts in framing and losing valuable imaging time.

    My observatory has a large Cassegrain telescope. Is the Taurus 500 fork mount a good fit for automated operation?

    Absolutely. The Taurus 500 is designed for exactly this purpose. Its ability to track without meridian flips is a major benefit for reliability in automated and remote setups. Combined with the absolute encoders that never get lost and the powerful scripting capabilities of TheSky software, it provides a robust platform for unattended, professional-grade imaging with large instruments.

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  • Software Bisque 2-Year Warranty