AZ3 for 40 euros?

[Ags]

TS have a special offer of the AZ3 for 40 euros instead of the usual 60 euros. The catch is it does not come with its (plastic?) equipment tray / spreader. Is the equipment tray worth 20 euros?

The mount is for my ST80 for my holiday in Nepal next month. I assume the AZ3 uses a standard dovetail...

[John]

I bought one of those for that price a while back (they have had the offer on for quite a long time !). It worked fine without the tray for my purposes - it's pretty easy to make a plywood replacement if you feel you need a tray.

The AZ-3 does not use a standard dovetail though - to mount an ST80 you need one of these:

SkyWatcher AZ3 Photo Tripod Thread Adaptor Plate

[Ags]

Confused... If it doesn't use a standard dovetail and you need to buy an adaptor, what can you use the mount for without the accessory?

[John]

The problem is that the tube of the ST80 is just too short to get the correct separation on the tube rings to allow them to bolt straight onto the saddle plate of the AZ-3. An ST102 is fine though. If this sounds like I know this "issue" quite well it's because I do - I ended up making my own adapter to fit my ST80 onto the AZ-3. It was rather frustrating !.

[Ags]

OK - save the euros on the plastic tray and spend them on the adaptor... :-(

Makes sense getting the adaptor as I've claimed the tripod can be used for our camera too...

Has your username changed recently?

[John]

Yes - several of the Moderation team have had name changes recently. My old one (jahmanson) was rather odd and I can't even recall why I picked it originally !.

The AZ-3 adapter does assume that you have a photo tripod mounting point on the scope by the way.

[Nibor]

Confused... If it doesn't use a standard dovetail and you need to buy an adaptor, what can you use the mount for without the accessory?

I think you will find that tube rings are the way that most OTA's are attached.

I have just mounted a 80mm short tube refractor on an AZ3 I recently purchased and initially used tube rings. I wish I had known about the adapter!!

SkyWatcher AZ3 Photo Tripod Thread Adaptor Plate

There are some threads on the subject and AZ3 mounts in general eg:-

Help - AZ-3 Dovetail Conversion [Archive] - Stargazers Lounge

http://stargazerslounge.com/discussions-mounts/165809-az3-friction-bolt-issue-can-anyone-please-advise.html

I was eventually able to attach the scope using the supplied dovetail adapter which just so happened to bolt onto one of the drilled holes on the base plate!!

Hope this helps

[Ags]

OK, I've looked at my ST80 and the OTA itself does not have any camera-thread hole. One of the tube rings has a camera bolt and the other seems to have a camera thread hole.

So it looks like I would need to attach the photovisual adaptor to a single toob ring. Do I comprehend correctly?

Will this mount be suitable for astrophotography?

JOKE!

[John]

At the risk of trying your patience further, there is another adapter that you can get:

SkyWatcher Multi Function Mount Plate

That would enable you to use 2 tube rings and then attach the scope to the photovisual adapter.

It really should not be this difficult I know

[Ags]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

OK, so I've gone from 40 euros to 90 euros now - are there perhaps any other mount I could be looking at, ones that are maybe compatible with reality?

[Ags]

THanks for the advice everyone - I will go with the AZ3 special and the photo adaptor.

[damnut]

Hi ags,

I used to have a SW short 70mm on an az3 it worked fine with the std sw rings and mount, did not have to change anything.

I have now fitted a steel plate made by STEELFIXER to which I have bolted a dovetail joint onto the AZ3.

Link below has the spreader tray for £2.50!!

AstroBoot

Cheers

[Ags]

Just to conclude, I got the Celestron equivalent at my friendly local Astro shop and it seems to hold my ST80 well enough, so it will also manage to hold the camera steady for some simple widefield shots. I found the ALT axis really stiff and loosened the bolt by a quarter turn.