Pulled the trigger on AM5 and asiair plus. First night out was really impressive. PA so easy, focus easy, goto's ... every one was centre of frame. Guiding, even with patchy high cloud rolling in and out was under 1.0 RMS. Dithering quick and simple to set up.
And the weight... or lack of. Gear takes up so much less space as well.
Managed to get 14 out of 20 120 second frames of NGC2070. Clouds wiped out the other 6.
Whole setup was very stable. Looks good for future.
Just need to sell the old mount now.
Yep, it's a fantastic setup. New people to the hobby really have it easy (okay, easier!) now.
There is discussion ad nauseum about where to mount or not mount the AA+.
In my case I always have it as part of the OTA, that way there is a single power cord running from the AA+ to the AM5, nothing else. Everything is on the OTA, so cabling is/can be neater.
There is discussion ad nauseum about where to mount or not mount the AA+.
In my case I always have it as part of the OTA, that way there is a single power cord running from the AA+ to the AM5, nothing else. Everything is on the OTA, so cabling is/can be neater.
Just setting up my EQ6-R today, and I'd completely forgot how annoying it is to balance all of my gear.
When I'm driving about 17kg, I have to get it perfect, including factoring in being east heavy..
Love the fact that I just eye-ball the Dec on the AM5 and then add a small 5kg counterweight on the RA without ever balancing it. Saves so much time!
Love to see some guiding traces and more importantly images from these harmonic mounts ...
Thanks Chris
I have mine, arrived last Friday and caught me out but I finished it's new pier on the Saturday..... but have to set up the rig ( eight inch, OAG, Mono) and do a few things to the new pier so it will take the new mount...
I get my counter weight rod tomorrow and I have the threaded rod and nuts to fit the mount to the steel extention I have on the new pier...I am going to try and balance it by testing the current draw in each direction when loaded up and adjust things so the amp meter registers the same draw in either direction..on both axis.
No rush no doubt it will be months before I get a clear sky.
Love to see some guiding traces and more importantly images from these harmonic mounts ...
Thanks Chris
as in the logs? Next time I shoot, I'll do it.
Tried to use this mount last night but my dew heater died so I got no images.
I will say this, though. After I wrote my comment above, we went out and enjoyed the awesome skies last night around Sydney. I set the EQ6-R up at first with my Esprit 120 and image train. And had an absolute nightmare experience. Nothing worked. Part of that was down to me (wrong calculations for field flattener), but some of that was the mount. DEC was playing up (likely because I was driving 17kg of gear) and like I mentioned, balancing heavy gear is a huge pain.
Thankfully I took the AM5 as a backup, and what a different experience. It took less time to put together, didn't need balancing, connected well with NINA and I was off polar aligning before I knew it. If the dew heater didn't cause me grief, I'd have had a successful night with the AM5.
I got first light with my AM5 last night. I used a fairly un-demanding rig on it, imaging at 1.94"/px in Ha only but nonetheless, having taken about 45x 3 min subs, I did not need to discard a single one.
Very pleased so far.
Do owners of this mount typically loosen the pitch angle tensioner knobs before storing it?
Do owners of this mount typically loosen the pitch angle tensioner knobs before storing it?
I haven’t heard that being suggested before. I suppose you are referring to the altitude adjustment - and I struggle to see why you would loosen it. Can you explain please?
It's a hangover from needing to loosen the clutches before storing the EQ6-R Wasn't sure if these knobs had a similar requirement, or not. (I realise they aren't clutches.)
no I don't. For the EQ6-R (and any worm gear mount) you're supposed to loosen the Dec and RA clutches to prevent any damage in case the mount is bumped when moving it.
Since you can't loosen those clutches on the AM5, well you can't loosen them!
And the Alt-Az adjustments are fine being locked as their strength/function is from the screws. Loosening them won't make a difference IMO.
no I don't. For the EQ6-R (and any worm gear mount) you're supposed to loosen the Dec and RA clutches to prevent any damage in case the mount is bumped when moving it.
Since you can't loosen those clutches on the AM5, well you can't loosen them!
And the Alt-Az adjustments are fine being locked as their strength/function is from the screws. Loosening them won't make a difference IMO.
I am poised on the brink of a decision - do the virtues of the AM5 justify a price point so far ahead of other conventional mounts?
Does it’s performance measure up to the hype?
Has anyone been using one long enough for a considered opinion?
I've been using the AM5 for just over a month and it has surpassed my expectations. It handles my C9.25 EdgeHD with sub arc second guiding, but I have added the counterweight bar. An Eagle 4S makes a great counterweight.
I have been getting 10 min subs from the first night.
I was concerned about tripod stability, but with a trip to Bunnings and change from $100, I was able to make an aluminium spider that attaches to the tripod legs with 3M double lock tape about 2 inches off the ground. A 12Kg 100Ah battery provides all the stability you could ask for (even with the 200mm ZWO pier extender).
The result is a rig that is as stable as a tectonic plate, guides like a labrador and is super portable.
[QUOTE=pmrid;1574429]I am poised on the brink of a decision - do the virtues of the AM5 justify a price point so far ahead of other conventional mounts?
Does it’s performance measure up to the hype?
The AM5 is super light and can handle big payload. What I factor in when buying a mount is what I plan on doing with it.
For portability and travel.The AM5 is a great mount.
Taking a look at another mount that would cost close to the AM5 and has the same weight capacity is the EQ6 R Pro. I think it has the same weight capacity as the AM5.
In my opinion it would be better to save up for the better mount due to the weight capacity limits rather than getting a less expensive mount now and then wanting to upgrade the mount because you want to get a bigger telescope.
Wasn't sure if these knobs had a similar requirement, or not. (I realise they aren't clutches.)
