As an astrophotographer in Hamburg, one faces a particular challenge: increasing light pollution makes observation and astrophotography significantly more difficult. Deep exposures or faint objects can hardly be meaningfully captured under these conditions. Additionally, trees obstruct a clear view of the sky.
This led early on to the idea of moving activities to a remote location. There, under significantly better sky conditions, we can pursue all photographic disciplines of astrophotography with a completely different level of quality.
For such a site, you need a mount that operates reliably without constant manual control: precise pointing, highly accurate tracking, absolute reliability in continuous operation, and flexible remote control. After careful consideration, the choice fell on the new 10Micron GM1000 HPS EP (Enhanced Performance) – a mount that ideally meets all these requirements while remaining compact and capable.
I was already very familiar with the predecessor, the 10Micron GM1000 V2, and impressed with its quality in every respect. The interesting aspect of the new version is the higher payload, the reinforced mechanical components that come with it, and the new electronics that promised a more powerful experience. The stand-alone hand pad with backlight and heater is irrelevant for remote use, but Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and RS-232 interfaces are – and the mount comes with them out of the box.
The higher payload was important to me since it was not yet 100% clear what exactly would be operated remotely, i.e., which equipment would be installed there. A higher payload promised greater flexibility in configuring the setup.
The mount was delivered in a sturdy box, everything included except the counterweights. Mounting it on my pier took only moments, as the dimensions and drillings matched the predecessor exactly. I eagerly awaited the first use. Finally in early September we had some clear skies.
A first and crucial step is the precise balancing of the equipment, consisting of a Celestron 11" EdgeHD, a BAADER APO 95/580 CaF2 Travel Companion, and the full-frame camera Moravian C3-61000 CMOS Camera with Sensor Sony IMX455 Full-Frame (36x24mm). With the original dew shield and the motorized Steeltrack, the total weight was around 31 kg – slightly above the specified maximum payload.
Balancing is supported by a hand controller function under the menu item Drive → Balance → Balance RA / Balance Dec, which theoretically should also make field use quick and straightforward.
In the past, I performed polar alignment with a finder and SharpCap4.0’s polar alignment function, but now the NINA plugin is intended to take over precise alignment. The advantage is obvious: alignment is done with the actual target setup, without switching software or devices.
To use the 10Micron GM1000, the next configuration step is creating a pointing model. The pointing model can be generated excellently within N.I.N.A., and once created, it can be reused for all following nights.
My limited sky view is heavily restricted by trees and neighboring houses, so I loaded my horizon into NINA. These limits are taken into account when generating the pointing model, meaning the mount will not slew to stars in obstructed areas. My pointing model covers only 20 stars due to the limited field of view. Rule of thumb: the more stars, the better the tracking accuracy, especially at long focal lengths.
The subsequent workflow is routine, with control handled entirely via the Advanced Sequencer. Connect and start devices, slew to targets, choose framing, set imaging parameters, start sequence.
The 10Micron engineers and product developers have succeeded with the new GM1000 HPS EP in creating a great product, a targeted further development that once again improves on an already high level. The significantly higher payload of up to 30 kg at nearly the same weight lifts the mount into a higher performance class that could likely even carry a C14 with astrophotographic accessories. The new V3 control box, like the V2 version, is robust, software-wise on the highest level, functional, and ideally suited for all facets of astrophotography.
The mount is easy to handle and delivers excellent results under maximum load, as demonstrated by the M57 image, captured under my Hamburg sky in a small gap between houses and trees.
September 2025, © Peter Bresseler – pixlimit.com
M57: 10Micron GM1000 EP unguided; Celestron C11 EHD, F/10; Moravian C3-61000 with Baader H-Alpha and [OIII] narrowband filters, 60 minutes each, processed as HOO R=[H-Alpha], G=[OIII], B=[OIII] in PixInsight
