AZ4 - first impression

[Joseki]

Just received my early birthday present from my wife (that I chose, found, paid for and waited in for) - a used AZ4 mount (steel legs) from ebay.  

I'm very happy with it, especially as the buy-it-now price was 50% the new price and it was in such good condition it looks new (it even came with all the original packaging and tools) .  I was already planning to buy the AZ4 anyway in a couple of months and I bought it within about an hour of it being listed - obsessive ebay repeat searches finally paid off.  Enough smugness.

It could be me but I do think websites should point out that the black mount head, which looks like it could be cheap plastic over a metal chassis - is solid metal (SOLID METAL).  Sort of a head slapping moment, in a good way, slap .. grin...  Superficially the AZ4 head looks like the Skywatcher AZ goto head, so I just assumed and I guess a lot of other people do too.   

Unfortunately it could be a while before I use it properly ( ) but setting up a small 114mm newt with rings and dovetail the movement was very nice and a massive improvement on a small diy mount I've been using.  By that I mean it felt very sturdy and the movements were good.  As long as you stay within the weight limit for this mount I find it hard to imagine anyone not being happy with it.

   I had in mind to use it for binoculars as well as small telescopes but as it is, it's not really tall enough for me to use for that purpose (standing) as far as I can tell (I'm about average height I guess, 5' 10") - I had the lower leg sections extended and was using the supplied L-bracket and a binocular adaptor.  For the £90 for an extension pier to solve this (but it's still a big mount for bins) I can get a nice manfrotto monopod and trigger grip head (following Steve's suggestion on Binocular Sky), though I may knock out a sturdy wooden base to raise it up a little as a cheap short term solution (since I've already got the scrap wood I need to do it).

  I'd quite like to make an equatorial platform in the near future, so it would be very tempting to build it to fit the AZ4 as well (and I'm still happy I went for an AZ mount rather than EQ).

  If there was a problem with this mount at all I'd say it was the fact that I know it will happily take a number of nice scopes I'd love to try out - but really that's my problem and between me, my wife and my bank account.

[Joseki]

I just spotted this DIY binocular parallelogram

http://www.spogastro.co.uk/?p=221

using an AZ4 mount tripod - so it might be useful for bins in the end. (if I was up to making one).

[Naemeth]

You're right, you might need an extension pier to use with binoculars for standing height, but as standard the eyepiece height can get pretty high with the tripod at full extension for a Newt .

I bet you're looking forward to some clear skies right about now, unfortunately even used gear is often packed with clouds.

[russ]

Great mount the AZ4. I used mine with an 8" f4.5 newt, absolutely brilliant. Have fun with yours.

[John]

Nice to see Russ on the forum again 

I've had an AZ-4 for a couple of years and I agree that it's a great mount. The only thing I don't find useful is the long handle that screws into the mount to move it - in my case it gets in the way of scope I'm using so I've taken it off.

I've had scopes up to an Intes 6" mak-newtonian and my ED120 refractor on the AZ-4 and it has handled them pretty well.

[russ]

Thanks John   Easing myself back into an astro frame of mind.

[Pig]

John,

This is great news to me as I have ordered one and I am anticipating delivery this morning   I like the problem you describe, if only all problems were that enjoyable.

[faulksy]

John,

This is great news to me as I have ordered one and I am anticipating delivery this morning   I like the problem you describe, if only all problems were that enjoyable.

has it come yet

[JonF]

I use mine with some pretty big scopes, inc a 120/100 frac, and it copes really well, although it does have an extension. I bought it to replace a CG5 GT (bought, conincidentally, from Russ). The CG5 just took too long to set up to fit in with my busy life, whereas the AZ4 is ready to use in about two minutes. As a result it's used about ten times more than the CG5 was.

[Pig]

I will use mine with a Pronto 70mm and a T31

It will look like Elton John with his big spectacles and huge boots

[Joseki]

I set it up last night to show the Mrs.  It got the seal of approval though she thought it would look better with a bigger scope , so I may have less problems that I thought... - as a sign of appreciation of her niceness I have already started collecting Celestron X-Cel LXs  - well one secondhand 25mm (which is looking lonely) - she has a strong glasses prescription and has had problems with the cheapo eps I have (I also like the X-Cels).

First thoughts for an upgrade are not hugely original - either 150 F5 newt or skymax 150.  The Mak is about half the length I think but 4 times the price and perhaps it's longer focal length is wasted on the magnification possible with the AltAz mount.  I'd do more research if I was in a position to buy, but it would be interesting to know how the views compare at, say x200.  I like the hands on nature of newts though.  Either way, it's probably time to stop shopping for a while and get some use out of my kit - when the weather improves or catch up on my reading.  A couple of days ago the forecast was clear tonight where I am, now of course it's clouds again.

[ronin]

Just received my early birthday present from my wife (that I chose, found, paid for and waited in for) - a used AZ4 mount (steel legs) from ebay.

You wife appears to have the buying of presents well organised. :rolleyes:

Cannot see a flaw in her approach. :grin: