10Micron AZ2500 DDS Direct-Drive Dual-Telescope Alt-Azimuth Gimbal Mount
Price as Configured: $43,999.00
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10Micron AZ2500 DDS — Direct-Drive Dual-Telescope Gimbal for Satellite Tracking and Research
The 10Micron® AZ2500 DDS is a direct-drive alt-azimuth gimbal mount that carries two telescopes of up to 75 kg (165 lb) each, for 150 kg (330 lb) of total instrument payload. It slews at 40° per second, tracks to 1 arcsecond over 15 minutes, and runs entirely from its own control box and keypad. That makes it a platform for space situational awareness (SSA), laser communication, and research observatories that need fast, repeatable pointing without a gear train. Deep Space Products is the exclusive certified U.S. service and support provider for 10Micron mounts.
Tracking a satellite across the sky asks a mount to do things that deep sky imaging never does. It must accelerate hard, reverse direction cleanly, and hold a small target in a narrow field of view while the target's rate keeps changing. Worm-gear mounts handle sidereal tracking beautifully, but backlash and gear compliance become the limiting factors once the job is chasing fast-moving objects.
The AZ2500 DDS removes the gear train entirely. Its high-torque direct-drive motors couple straight to each axis, and industrial-grade absolute encoders close the loop, so there is no worm, no backlash, and no periodic error to model out. The T-shaped gimbal carries one instrument on each side of the altitude axis. The two payloads balance each other, so you don't need separate counterweights. The result is a compact, rigid platform that 10Micron designed specifically for aerospace and research work.
Direct drive with no gear train
On each axis, a magnetic direct-drive motor turns the axis itself, with no worm, belt, or gearbox in between. Motion is fluid at any speed, and the mount reverses direction without the dead zone that backlash creates in geared systems. Premium large-diameter, high-precision bearings carry the load, and the mount body is built to stay stiff during rapid movements with a full 150 kg payload.
Direct-drive systems need to be tuned to the load they carry. 10Micron's firmware includes a dynamic Auto-Tuning function that calibrates the motor parameters to your specific payload. This eliminates the resonances that a new instrument combination would otherwise introduce. When you change optics, you re-run the tuning rather than re-engineering the servo loop by hand.
Pointing and tracking you can put numbers on
10Micron specifies pointing accuracy of better than 10 arcseconds RMS with an internal 25-star software model. The firmware supports up to 100 alignment stars, and automatic modeling software is available. Ten arcseconds is small enough to place a target near the center of a narrow instrument field of view without a search pattern, which matters when a satellite pass gives you only minutes of observing time.
Average tracking accuracy is 1 arcsecond typical over 15 minutes, or 0.6 arcsecond RMS, with the internal 25-star model, measured on the real sky. The pointing model compensates for polar alignment, orthogonality, and atmospheric refraction. Timekeeping supports UTC–UT1 and leap-second corrections, with synchronization by GPS, PPS signal, or 10Micron's ClockSync software. Accurate time is a requirement, not a luxury, when you are predicting where an orbiting object will be.
Two instruments, one balanced platform
The gimbal is built around a dual-telescope configuration: 75 kg (165 lb) per side, 150 kg (330 lb) in total. Typical pairings include a wide-field acquisition telescope alongside a narrow-field science instrument, two matched optics for simultaneous observations in different bands, or a transmit and receive pair for free-space optical communication. Because the two payloads counterbalance each other, the mount's structure carries the load symmetrically.
If your program only needs one instrument, 10Micron offers a Balancing Kit for the AZ2500 (10M2591). The kit adds an adapter and counterweight shaft so the mount runs as a single-telescope platform. For long-exposure imaging, keep in mind that an alt-azimuth mount rotates the field over time. 10Micron's GO-0 and GO-1 derotators correct this, and the AZ2500 can also be configured as an equatorial mount.
Built for remote, unattended, and cold sites
SSA and lasercom stations often sit at remote, high, or high-latitude sites with no one at the controls. The AZ2500 DDS includes mechanical stops on both axes (azimuth ±235°, altitude −100° to +100°), anti-wrap logic, and an electromechanical altitude brake that protects against unbalance. It also has an unbalance protection system, an audible warning system, and an onboard emergency stop with a safety relay that can be triggered remotely.
The standard version operates from −13°F to 95°F (−25°C to 35°C), with an internal temperature probe for low-temperature compensation. For arctic and extreme-environment missions, 10Micron offers a Polar version certified down to −40°F (−40°C), with specifications tailored to your program. 10Micron DDS mounts are already in service in harsh environments, including the AWIPEV Arctic Research Base on Svalbard.
Control, connectivity, and integration
Like every 10Micron mount, the AZ2500 DDS runs standalone. An enclosed control box with an onboard industrial Linux microserver manages the mount. A rugged keypad with a heated, dimmable graphic display gives you every mount function without a PC.
For automated operation, the mount connects over Ethernet, Wi-Fi, RS-232, and CANopen. It also has a dedicated GPS port that accepts a PPS signal and an ST-4 autoguide port. It works with ASCOM drivers and with LX200- and Meade-compatible command sets. A browser-based web interface provides a virtual keypad, firmware updates, and orbital data management for satellite TLEs, comets, and asteroids. The mount runs on 48 V DC and draws about 10 A at peak.
Support from the exclusive U.S. 10Micron service center
An observatory-class mount is a long-term investment, and support matters as much as specifications. Deep Space Products is the exclusive certified U.S. servicer and support provider for 10Micron. Firmware updates, diagnostics, and service are handled in the United States by people who work on these mounts every day. DSP can also help you plan the complete system, including pier, power, timing, derotation, and observatory automation. If you need a site, DSP can host your system at DSP Remote in southwest New Mexico.
Planning an SSA, lasercom, or research station? Talk to DSP first
Tell us about your payload, orbit regime, and site, and Deep Space Products will help you configure an AZ2500 DDS system that fits the mission. Contact our team to start the conversation.
