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I would not push the AM5 too far, it is not such a cheap item as that!
I have used my AM5 with smallish triplet refractors in the 102mm area, a 140mm triplet and I have done a little imaging with the C11. Had no issues with the refractors. Had a test run on Saturn with the C11 at f10 plate solving limited a bit by the moon. My XL C11 being fitted with a lomandy dovetail up top and a light guidescope weighing in still around 15kg, not counting the counterweight.
Then as I tried for f15 with a planetary cam, I had slippage a few nights ago even with a 5kg counterweight after a meridian flip. I heard high pitched whining and reversal of the drive with the scope being headbutted into the tripod leg and I could not get the scope to a horizonal level using the controls of either on the ASIAIR or the mount software without it again reversing into the mount. At the time I had the counterweight high up on the shiny low friction pole ZWO sells for the AM5. I reported the incident to TESTAR and they just assured me it was likely a balance issue. I guess that time will tell and I am going to keep the counterweight at the far end and see if that avoids such issues.
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