Stu1smartcookie

Not sure I can be of much help but , last night I took off the wedge and reverted back to the original firmware for the AZ-GTi… apart from having to rearrange the dovetail bar to accommodate fitting the scope on the left of the mount instead of the right , the whole system worked so much better . I had excellent views of Jupiter , considering its elevation, with my 130pds and even saw what looked like one of the moons transiting the planet . At least using the AZ-Gti in its original form worked for me . I never had much success with the wedge and using the updated firmware . I think the tripod is too lightweight for the mount and a couple of times the scope would "drop" and my heart would stop beating for a second .

1 minute ago, Steve Clay said:

I normally say got it used only 20 quid🤣🤣 astroboot have the V4 for£90  new

Lol I will use that line , maybe once ! … I have decided that I am going to get an eq3 pro goto mount … I feel that it will cope if only a bit better with additional weight such as a camera .

I suppose I am not alone in changing my set up … especially trying to find the "sweet spot" of equipment owned . I could have bought part of the Hubble with the money ive spent so far.

11 hours ago, Steve Clay said:

I use the synscan handset with mine. Far easier to use thsn the app and wifi.

I would prefer to use a handset ….but … that's another £100 spent if I do ! … I think I'm getting into "my wife will kill me territory " as it is lol

59 minutes ago, Steve Clay said:

Hi regarding left / right placement of the OTA. Are you saying that even if you initialise the mount as AZ the scope needs to be placed on the right? Can you point me to where this is documented.?

Cheers

Steve

2 hours ago, Space Oddities said:

Note that since you upgraded the firmware, in Alt-Az mode, the telescope must be placed on the right side. With the old firmware (no EQ mode), it should be placed on the left side. Which might not be convenient for some scopes (especially SkyWatcher's Maksutov telescopes, where the finder ends up at the bottom).

I also have the 130 PDS, and it's indeed a bit heavy for this mount. I just purchased a counterweight (the one for the Star Adventurer), and an adapter that fits the AZ-GTi. I'll see if that helps balance the mount, despite being over the weight limit.

There's a very long thread on Cloudy Nights regarding this mount. The general consensus is that there is a fair share of faulty copies. For some people, Go-To doesn't work very well. And for some other users, everything is perfect.

I'm a happy customer! There's no better mount for grab and go, setting it up takes 5 minutes, and everything can fit in a backpack. I often take it to show my friends the planets and the Moon  

My only advice: make sure the mount is perfectly level when you set it up, that helps!

Hi Space ... the 130 pds is quite a light scope though and ive seen many reports of people using it on this mount ... i too have a counter weight , its a really good set up ...when it works .I will be upgrading the tripod ..The current one really isnt up to holding everything steady . i'm also conscious that the total money spent on this mount is actually nearing the cost of a Skywatcher Eq3 goto mount or an ioptron Smart EQ ...Which are both fairly portable mounts and have similar payload abilities . And they have the avantage of the synscan handset . i actually prefer that to using a mobile to connect to the az-gti . 

Thanks to all of you for your help... one more question ... i have a wedge which i now use as the firmware is updated ti use in EQ mode ... when setting up ,should i set up just as i would a normal EQ mount , ie udjust the latitude, 51 degrees in my case , and literally point the scope towards polaris ? i will have the scope level and balanced of course . I am also using this mount at present with batteries .. i think they could be causing an issue as when they are running down the power is probably not consistent , therefore maybe its affecting the slewing to the desired location . Maybe i am wrong here , it was just a thought .

Many thanks Cornelius for the confirmation . 

Having decided small refractors and a light weight small refector is my way forward in astronomy i have some questions about the az-gti mount . 

1; i cannot get the mount to accurately "goto" its intended target .. The instructions for this mount are incredibly lite and give no real indication of setting up and alignment. Its an alt azimuth mount primarily so can anyone give me any tips here... Should the scope be mounted so it faces front on the right side of the mount or faces front on the left side ( sorry if this doesn't make sense ..i know what i'm trying to ask but its not easy to write it lol)

2: i upgraded the firmware from the skywatcher website and i started to use the az-gti as an EQ mount ( i bought a skywatcher wedge ).. i found this set up to be a bit "sloppy " so , am i right in thinking that i can reverse the firmware upgrade by downloading the original firmware onto the mount ? The mount seemed ok with everything tightened but in reality i think its a bit lightweight for my 130pds , although ideal for my wo zs61... any thoughts would be most welcome . 

On ‎10‎/‎03‎/‎2014 at 13:23, Uranium235 said:

Just a few of the goodies ive had from the 130pds over the past few months:

 

 

 

 

 

 

In awe of all the images on here … I am just getting started with astrophotograhy and still don't understand the finer points … and also having trouble with focussing issues , but seeing images like this  inspires me so much . Just got my 130pds (17/7/2019 ) and waiting for a clear night . I already own a small refractor but I chose the 130pds for visual use as well as imaging . What I particularly like about this scope is its weight .

Wow , I've just got my Z61 and I will be imaging (hopefully ) for the first time tonight . I looked at the SW 72ED and was almost swayed but I fell in love with the compactness of the WO Z61 , and visually it gives  fantastic views. We are truly blessed to have these small refractors to choose from and whatever you chose I'm sure you are delighted . I will use the AZ GTI as recommended by Heliumstar … after all these scopes are designed to be ultra portable and a clunky mount really serves no purpose in this case .

By the way , Hennyvenom , that image alone is worth buying the scope for . Hope I can produce a photo as cool as that !

I had this scope before i stupidly sold it !!! ( it will honestly be one of my lifes regrets) , im back with WO though in the shape of a z61 . I thought your review was spot on ..its really good to read actual in depth reviews such as this . I never got to image with my 73, but i cant wait to use the 61 for this purpose . One things for sure , the build quality on WO gear is absolutely fantastic .

Just seen this thread and , just in case it’s still relevant , I have a 102 , which I bought about 6 years ago . It didn’t get too much use at the time but I’m completely hooked on astronomy now and , although I’ve bought another refractor (wo z73) which is ultra portable , I still use my 102 , with its goto az mount . I think this  scope is one of the most practical I’ve used . Good for DSO and planets (despite the ca) ... i purchased an eq5 mount which now aids stability , I agree about the focuser , mine seemed to “jump” a bit which can be annoying . I also thought about dropping in a Crayford , but , as I now have the z73 I don’t think it’s going to happen . 

A great review