NYX101 Harmonic Mount + Saddle Powerbox + Carbon Tripod + Half Pier + Adapter
Experience next-level astrophotography and observation with the NYX101 Harmonic Mount. This innovative mount delivers precision, reliability, and portability, making it ideal for advanced stargazing setups.
Key Features:
- NYX101 Harmonic Mount: Powered by advanced harmonic drive technology, the mount ensures smooth tracking and incredible load capacity without the need for counterweights.
- Carbon Tripod: Lightweight yet robust, the carbon fibre tripod enhances stability and portability for outdoor use.
- Half Pier: Perfectly suited for improving telescope clearance and providing flexibility in your setup.
- Adapter: Ensures seamless integration between the components, offering a hassle-free user experience.
Technical Specifications:
| Mount Type | Harmonic Drive |
| Payload Capacity | 20kg without counterweights |
| Tripod Material | Carbon Fibre |
| Pier Height | Half Pier, 12 inches |
| Total Weight | 7.5kg |
| Compatibility | Standard Vixen and Losmandy dovetails |
Why Choose the NYX101 Harmonic Mount Package?
Whether you're capturing breath taking astrophotography or exploring deep-sky objects, this package offers a premium solution for amateur and professional astronomers alike. With its portable design and cutting-edge harmonic drive technology, the NYX101 is perfect for both home and remote setups.
What’s Included:
- NYX101 Harmonic Mount
- Saddle Powerbox
- Carbon Fibre Tripod
- Half Pier
- Adapter
Order Now:
Enhance your stargazing experience today! Take advantage of this comprehensive package for unmatched performance in astronomy and astrophotography.
Nyx, the ancient Greek goddess of the night, enlightened us to design and produce a high-performing, high payload mount that can easily carry imaging equipment up to 20 kg without needing a counterweight or shaft.
Strain wave drive on RA and DEC movement ensures a backlash-free operation with high torque at high payloads. A fully CNC machined aluminium alloy 6061 body, black and blue anodized, and a selection of branded parts (stepper motors, strain wave gear) inside the mount, ensure that Nyx-101 will perform flawlessly for many years. Mount includes an electronic brake on the RA axis to prevent backsliding when power is off as well as safety limit stops during slew or tracking.
Meet NYX-101
Our High Payload Harmonic Geared Mount
High precision strain wave gears
Harmonic Gears on both axes ensure high payload and a smooth,
backlash-free operation.
A hybrid combination of a stepper motor & belt system along with sophisticated electronics can drive the RA axis down to 0.10 arcseconds of resolution.
Counterweights are not required for weights up to 20Kg.
(counterweights can be installed for higher photographic loads)
Lightweight Design
Lightweight Design, compared to the payload of weight the mount can lift
CNC-machined aluminium alloy AL6061 used for aircraft makes the mount an excellent choice for your setup. Mount weights 6.4 Kg
From a small refractor to a fully loaded SCT 11-inch telescope, NYX-101 can easily handle the payload
Equatorial or Altazimuth Mode
Mount can be used as a German Equatorial mount or as an Altazimuth, more suitable for visual observations
The mode can be switched from our PC or Mobile Application
Built-in Wireless & USB Control
NYX-101 supports wireless and USB 2 connectivity out of the box.
Both technologies can work simultaneously.
Compatible with ASCOM Alpaca, LX200 protocol and Sky Safari for mobile interaction
Power Off Brake
A safety power-off brake is installed on the RA Axis and provides an instant safe stop during a planned or unplanned power interruption.
Additional Key Features
DC 12 Volts Battery Operation
The NYX mount requires only 12V for smooth operation, allowing you to use a standard 12V battery without additional converters. The mount consumes less than 0.6 amps during tracking and up to 2 amps during slewing.
Universal Saddle Plate
The NYX mount includes a low-profile and rigid universal saddle that accepts Vixen and Losmandy 3-inch dovetails.
Integrated ST-4 Autoguiding Port
An ST-4 port is available, compatible with our dedicated NYX hand controller or an ST-4 guiding camera.
Built-in Electronic Leveller
Mount has an electronic leveller (tilt and pitch) which allows you to easily level the mount on ALTAZ or elevate mount to your site latitude on EQ mode.
Refraction Compensation
NYX-101 includes a barometric / pressure sensor allows mount to perform refraction corrections consulting site barometric pressure, altitude.
DC Output
An extra DC (GX-12) output provides up to 8A to your equipment.
Reverse Voltage Polarity Safety
NYX mount has been designed with reverse voltage polarity protection. A saver if you accidentally reverse voltage or battery polarity during the night.
Optional Counterweight support
The mount does not require counterweights for up to 20Kg of payloads. However, if you need to install counterweights for heavier payloads, there is a compatible M12 threaded shaft hole at the end of the DEC axis.
Auto Home Slew
The automatic home position feature is implemented with encoders on both axes.
ASCOM & INDI
The mount fully supports ASCOM 7, ASCOM Alpaca and INDI framework. Sky-Safari is also supported allowing you to control the mount through your mobile device.
LX200 Compatibility
LX200 protocol is fully compatible with the NYX-101 mount. Any device that support LX200 such as Sky-Safari works out of the box with the mount.
Mobile Control
A mobile application for IOS and Android platforms allows you to control both axes of the mount, slew to installed catalogues of thousands of night sky targets and do a rough polar alignment through an electronic polar assistant.
Safety limits on RA axis
Safety limit encoders on RA Axis prevent internal cable snag or collision with the tripod.
Firmware Upgrade
An easy firmware upgrade process allows you to stay up to date with bug fixes and the latest features of the mount.
ASCOM Alpaca Native Support
ASCOM Alpaca outshines classic ASCOM drivers with its platform independence, modern web standards, streamlined installation, remote control capabilities, extensibility, and open-source options. This ensures superior compatibility and user-friendly performance, making it the preferred choice for advanced astronomy applications.
The NYX-101 comes equipped with an integrated web server that seamlessly communicates with Alpaca clients natively. This integration enhances the user experience by providing easy and driverless access to mount control through ASCOM Alpaca.
Modern imaging software like N.I.N.A. automatically identifies native Alpaca devices and lists them for immediate use.
Feature List
-
Expandable to 4 + 2 x 12V DC Power outlets for your equipment.
(A single channel to switch all four outputs ON/OFF via software and Dew Heater outputs can be switched also to constant 12V) -
10 Amps (120W) of total distributed current
-
Built-in powered USB3 Hub (2 x USB3.1 Ports & 2 x USB2 Ports available).
(USB3 ports are backward compatible with USB2 devices)
-
USB Ports can deliver up to 3Amps – Suitable for Raspberry PI 3/4 power.
-
Integrated ambient temperature and humidity sensor.
-
2 Channels PWM Dew Heaters – 2.1mm outputs.
(Adjust power levels via software).
Pair of cable adapters from DC 2.1 to RCA is included in box. -
Automatic adjusment of Dew Heater outputs.
-
Power, current, and input voltage meter.
-
Reverse Polarity Protection.
-
USB / PC Controlled or Standalone Operation out of the box.
-
Losmandy and Vixen Clamp.
-
Available pucks for popular 3rd party mounts. (RST, EQ6, AM5)
Monitor your electric power
An Amp-meter placed after the DC input reports the total electric current and voltage levels. This allows you to easily monitor your equipment’s detailed and overall power consumption.
More than 10A of total electric current
Device is designed with careful consideration of the total current requirements of astrophotography equipment. It can output up to 10 Amps of electric current and offers multiple output channels, each with a specified current rating, allowing users to safely power a variety of devices simultaneously. Whether it’s your telescope mount, cameras, filter wheels, or other accessories, this powerbox ensures that the total current drawn does not exceed its maximum capacity, thereby preventing overloads and potential damage to your valuable equipment.
The powerbox has been designed to output up to 10 Amps of electric current. Please note that a typical backyard astrophotographic setup requires 5-7 Amps
Built-in USB3.1 Hub – 2 x USB3 & 2 x USB2 Ports
USB High Power Outputs
USB Port s provides up to 3 Amps of current. You can connect any device that requires 5V. E.g a Raspberry PI 3/4 or Intel Compute Stick M3/M5 can receive power from this specific port.
A powered MTT (Multi Transaction Translator) USB3 Hub at the back of the device provides:
- 2 x USB3 SuperSpeed Ports.
- 2 x USB2 High-Speed Ports.
The new SuperSpeed hubs operate in parallel with the USB 2.0 controller, so 5 Gbps SuperSpeed data transfers are not affected by slower USB 2.0 traffic.
USB Port Configuration under PPBADV Gen2
- USB Port1 supports USB2 & USB3 devices
- USB Port2 supports USB2 & USB3 devices
- USB Port3 supports USB2 devices
- USB Port4 supports USB2 devices
Pegasus Carbon Fibre Tripod
This is the Pegasus Carbon Fibre Tripod for NYX-101 Harmonic Drive Mount (PEG-TRPD101).
The tripod legs are rigid and lightweight, made from carbon fibre. We strongly suggest using this tripod with imaging equipment for up to 15 kg.
- Length Retracted: 65 cm
- Max length: 120 cm
- Weight: 2000 gr
- Max Load Capacity: 50kg
- Angle of Legs: 35° Fixed
In the box:
- Carbon Tripod
- Carbon Tripod Adapter
- Carry / Store bag
- 2 x Alen Hex Keys
- Metallic (3 pcs) spikes to replace rubber shoes
Half Pier Extension 180mm
A pier extension (+18 cm / 7” is available). The pier can be easily constructed by purchasing the three (3) following parts:
- EQ6 / Universal adapter
(PEG-ADAPT101-EQ6) -
Aluminium Standoffs – 3 pcs
(PEG-ADAPT101-STDOFF) - Carbon Tripod Adapter
(comes along with our Carbon Tripod)
PEG-TRPD101).
Note 1: If you do not own the carbon tripod then the EQ6 / Universal Tripod Adapter can be doubled to assemble the half-pier extension.
Note 2: Three (3) additional standoffs can be purchased to increase pier stability
(Half Pier accepts up to 6 standoffs).
Adapters
NYX-101 Carbon Tripod Adapter
(Included in Carbon Tripod)
NYX-101 EQ6 / Universal Adapter
PEG-ADAPT101-EQ6
*Note: The azimuth dowel installed in the photos above is included in the mount package.
Half Pier with 3 or 6 standoffs.
(Mouse hover to view)
Assembly / Usage Scenarios
Note: You also have the option to discard the pier extender and place the NYX-101 directly on a tripod/pier by using only the Universal /EQ6 Adapter (PEG-ADAPT101-EQ6)
This scenario is most appropriate when you have a small refractor setup that does not require a pier extender
NYX-101 with Pier Extention on an Aluminium (EQ6 Compatible) Tripod
This is a classic example of using your Aluminium EQ6 Tripod with our Half Pier Extension along with 2 x PEG-ADAPT101-EQ6 adapters.
The real deal!
We tested four (4) different NYX-101 mount setups on the target NGC 5906 on the same night, under the same sky, using an IMX571 CMOS sensor. The telescopes employed were as follows:
1. Sky-watcher Esprit 120
2. Lacerta 8” Newtonian
3. Custom 10” Newtonian
4. Askar 120 APO
All setups achieved an exceptional guiding RMS, consistently close to 0.30 arcsecond.
Moreover, we tried the extreme scenario and loaded our Celestron EdgeHD 11”with imaging equipment. (Prodigy Micro focuser, QHY268M, QHY-OAG, QHY 5III Guiding camera Pegasus Indigo 7 pos Filter Wheel) in our backyard. The total payload is 18Kg and the focal length remains default at 2800mm.
- An image from NINA with unguided results from an 120-sec exposure at 2800mm. (however due to strain wave periodic error the mount requires proper guiding for optimal overnight results)
- PHD2 guiding graphs from the OAG guider. The guiding exposure interval is every 2 seconds.
Unity Platform
NYX-101 mount is controlled and fully configured through our Unity Platform via USB or Wi-FI channel. The included ASCOM driver supports multiple clients.
