About this product

The RA and DEC axis knobs on the GM1000 mount were constructed in a manner so that they cannot be hand-tightened with excessive force. This design feature has lead some users to wonder if the mount axes are not be tightened sufficiently. Furthermore, some have found it difficult opening or tightening the RA / DEC axis knobs on cold nights when wearing gloves. Baader Planetarium now have the solution for you.

Baader have developed an RA/DEC-torque wrench for GM 1000 HPS, with which the knob can be operated (opened/tightened) easily. The wrench is produced on Baader’s own 3D printers.

The torque-wrench key is not a fixed shape like a spanner, but has a built-in torque indicator. This wrench is made to enable a opening/tightening of the RA/DEC axes knobs so that they can be operated more easily than with bare fingers, but not as tight as with a heavy spanner.

The image below shows the operation of the torque wrench and the its operation is described below. Note the animation below and, in particular, the position of the thumb in the two recessed grips.