Mounting scope on AZ 4

[Caldwell 14]

I now know how attach the tube rings to the dovetail for my newly arrived Tal 100RS (when my dovetail arrives) but I can't see how I am going to slide it on my AZ 4 as there will be two large nuts in the way. Do I leave the dovetail on the mount and mount the tube on the rings each time? A bit tricky with an AZ 4 I would have thought.

[John]

I leave my dovetail bars attached to the scope rings, which are on the scopes, permanently. To mount a scope I lift the scope / rings / dovetail bar assembly up to the mount head, slot the dovetail bar into the dovetail slot on the mount and tighten the clamping screw down onto the dovetail bar. As you say, the nuts at each end of the dovetail bar stop it sliding in.

[Caldwell 14]

I leave my dovetail bars attached to the scope rings, which are on the scopes, permanently. To mount a scope I lift the scope / rings / dovetail bar assembly up to the mount head, slot the dovetail bar into the dovetail slot on the mount and tighten the clamping screw down onto the dovetail bar. As you say, the nuts at each end of the dovetail bar stop it sliding in.

OK I did not realise you can slot it in without sliding it in from one end! Right then so I just need to loosen it all up then and it will fit....great.

Cheers John (again)

[andrew63]

Just remember thats a long tube so always double check things are secure!

[RikM]

I've just been playing with my new AZ4 tonight and it seems a lovely mount. You don't have to loosen the clutches much to get an easy movement. I was a little worried that it would be easy to loosen them too much and have the scope drop off.

[John]

In the past I think the AZ-4 was rather underrated. Skywatcher did not really make much of it when it was launched and yet it was quite a significant mount in many ways - the major step up from the venerable AZ-3 that many of us had been waiting for and yet reasonably priced as well

[GazK]

I now know how attach the tube rings to the dovetail for my newly arrived Tal 100RS (when my dovetail arrives) but I can't see how I am going to slide it on my AZ 4 as there will be two large nuts in the way. Do I leave the dovetail on the mount and mount the tube on the rings each time? A bit tricky with an AZ 4 I would have thought.

I had a similar problem with my mak on the AZ4, but due to the very short dovetail the bolt was actually clashing with the clamp. Or I could have an unbalanced scope. Solution? I countersunk the dovetail and bought some countersunk allen bolts. No problemo!

[brantuk]

Glad to read this thread cos I have an AZ4 winging it's way to me as we speak

[Caldwell 14]

Well I love mine. I have mine on the lawn as I type with my Tal 100RS on board and its just perfect, very solid and very, very smooth, I love it! It is of course cloudy so I can't actually use it, although I had a quick look at Venus and Jupiter at the totally unsuitable time of 5.30 this evening, I am crackers!