Incoming: Losmandy AZ8

[nightfisher]

Sneaks of to google GM8 lol

 

They look nice and not "mega" bucks...........oh for a lotto win 

[Stu]

Looks fab Mike, you naughty boy  

Very tempting to try in future!

Hadn't really looked at these before, kind of similar to the APM AZMaxLoad but better thought out and more complete I would say.

[iPeace]

I'm out and I'm freezing, but I'm having fun...

 

[iPeace]

Now for a bit of lunacy...

[John]

It's looking great Mike

Solid cloud here since the Ercole arrived of course

 

[iPeace]

Back in after a great session, including another instant star party, this time with the local constabulary. Apparently some neighbors had very thoughtfully notified the police of my activities in my front garden. So the local fuzz got a nice look at the Moon.

The AZ8 did a splendid job. I will gather my thoughts on this first use and try to write something coherent for those interested.

The one-liner would be something like: Already the best mount I have used and will get even better as I get more used to it.

[iPeace]

Two nights of clear skies on the trot. Can't be right. Will delay my full report...

 

[iPeace]

DISCLAIMER: buying a nice mount doesn't make me any less of a numpty. Still a fully paid-up, card-carrying member of that collective. I can only write as I find, but I really want to get this right as it seems that I'm somewhat alone when it comes to hands-on experience with this mount and you all deserve to get an accurate picture. Part of my challenge is that I have only a year's experience (and we all know that adds up to a limited number of actual observing sessions) with a limited number of different mounts so it's hard to tell how good things can actually get. This could be the best mount ever made without me knowing it; alternatively, I could think it's the Canis Globulars while you would wonder what the fuss is about. I'm definitely enthused, but your mileage may vary.

Intended audience is the visual, manual, alt-az mob. Probably refractor users. All comers welcome, but you won't find anything motorized, equatorial or go-to here.

So...what to say?

Height

With the tripod legs fully extended, the mount is at a nice medium height. At just over six feet (and shrinking) myself, I have no trouble observing all the way down to the horizon - not that that's what one would want to do. Targets lower towards the horizon can be observed standing upright; further towards the zenith, it's time to pull up a chair. You can, of course, retract the legs for a nice, intimate, sedentary lunar (sketching?) session. If you like to observe at the zenith whilst standing up straight, you'll most likely need to insert another pier; they are stackable and sold separately.

Weight

It's lighter than you would expect given its sturdiness and how solid it looks - the "open air" construction of the pier contributes to this. Significantly lighter than the combo it replaces (Ercole, extension pier, EQ5 tripod). Unloaded, it's a one hand job; all up with a TV85 I can move it about with two hands, but would not carry it any real distance like that. Won't try to move it with a 120ED on it.

Tripod

Very stable, very easy to use. Placement of clutch knobs well thought-out for access during adjustment. Feet have some lateral movement to follow uneven terrain nicely. Legs extend and retract very smoothly and quietly. No need for spreader or any kind of contraption to keep the legs in place. Makes me think I may give up on the idea of a Berlebach... hmmm, still reads like heresy. We'll see.

Clamps

Just plain wonderful.

Mount head

I have never used - or even touched - anything motorized when it comes to astronomical mounts (well, amongst the commercially available, that is). So, it's all manual for me. This is the best I've encountered, very beautifully built. Includes a nice convenient spirit / bubble level. The slow-motion control knob for azimuth is stationary relative to the tripod as the head swivels, so I find myself switching hands to use it as I move around the sky. I don't mind this, but you may prefer to fit flexi cables, which are not included and do require a small bit of DIY - check YouTube for this.

Solidity and stability

Had it out for two nights so far, once with two scopes, the TV85 and the 120ED, and once with the TV85 only. It's very solid and stable, any vibrations settle very quickly. The lighter, shorter TV85 was, as is to be expected, the most stable of the two while the longer, heavier 120ED was certainly as stable is it ever was on the Ercole.

Clutches

Very easy to adjust, very easy to fine-tune to get the exact amount of tension for using the mount in Ercole mode. For me, does the Ercole thing even better than an Ercole. Smooth and steady. Absolutely lovely-jovely.

Slow motion control

Very, very nice. This is the feature most people will be curious about, and the one I must take the most care in describing accurately. This is also the feature requiring the most attention from the user in order to get maximum performance. Get your assembly properly balanced; we can't blame a mount for what Newton came up with. Furthermore, it's easy to get the idea that it's not so great if you use it in the wrong way; don't use it to slew! Trying to cover larger distances in shorter time with slo-mo - basically, moving the scope about with fast twists of the knobs - will introduce jerkiness that will make your wallet twinge with after-pain. It's not meant to work that way. Switch to Ercole mode by loosening the clutches, slide around to acquire your next target - using it in "periscope mode" is a lot of fun with the right eyepiece - tighten up the clutches again and you're ready to track using the slo-mo controls. With the clutches tightened, the slo-mo is very smooth and precise, enabling effortless micro-nudges at high power. The tiniest of niggles would be that every so often, I notice that the worm gear is continuous (at least, I think that's it) because of a tiny "gap" in the action. Easily forgiven. I can make much (much much) smoother and smaller adjustments than I ever could with my GSO mount (which holds only a single, smaller scope). Perhaps as a result of it being able to so smoothly provide for slow, small adjustments, when you try to rush it you immediately realize it's not designed to be rushed.

Which brings me to another realization, perhaps more of a personal thing. In use, this mount is continuously providing feedback as to how I'm doing. If I'm paying sufficient attention to what I'm doing, the mount disappears; if I forget about balancing, neglect proper clutch tension, etc. I immediately get a gentle, unambiguous and intuitive reminder. Short of a - perhaps imaginary - mount that will handle any amount of ignorance on the part of the user without a squeak, it doesn't get any better than that.

So...?

It's expensive. Yes. Not the budget option. Let that sink in for a moment. Good.

For that outlay, you get an excellent tripod, a riser pier, two premium clamps and an alt-az mount that - IMHO - outperforms an Ercole and is at least as well made. Then you get slow-motion control which, if properly used, is absolutely dreamy, and probably as good as it gets without spending even more than this on the mount head alone (if you can indeed find any such thing, as it seems the T-Rex is, sadly, definitely out of production). And - less relevantly, perhaps - it's absolutely yummy to look at. Less relevant indeed; you could paint it the least attractive shade of glossy, fresh-spring-horse-dung olive with suspicious-looking 3-D butterscotch speckles and I'd still prefer it.

I'm sure humanity can do better than this. But for now, I'm done looking.

I like it very much. Can you tell?

Thanks for reading.

Edited February 14, 2017 by iPeace

[Tonynexevo925]

Excellent write up Mike. I have forbidden myself any new purchases for the near future but maybe when I sell some things I might have a look at one of these ??

[Stu]

Fab review Mike, just like an old veteran  

Same as Tony, no purchases for a while, I need to get more use out of my AZEQ5, but it is definitely on the 'shiny, want one' list  

[nightfisher]

Mike, superb write up, i still want one but cant justify it, and still looking into getting a bespoke alt az mount made at some stage, but it wont be as nice as the AZ8

[John]

Excellent report Mike !

The most detail I've read on this mount since it was launched.

I can see that Losmandy might just go on to be a big name in mounts

 

[iPeace]

1 minute ago, John said:

I can see that Losmandy might just go on to be a big name in mounts

Who knew?

[nightfisher]

I think you should loan it to.me for a second opinion on this mount   or bring it to my little star camp at Usha gap 

[iPeace]

5 minutes ago, nightfisher said:

I think you should loan it to.me for a second opinion on this mount  

Yes, I should.

6 minutes ago, nightfisher said:

bring it to my little star camp at Usha gap 

Sounds great! A stone's throw from a village named "Muker", what could possibly go wrong?

Honestly, if it weren't for the North Sea... but that applies to several current issues, I imagine.

[Space Hopper]

Great report Mike, thanks, i enjoyed reading it. Very nice mount you have there, from a well respected manufacturer.

We have another local L-AZ8 ; one of my EMS friends has one, and it performs very well with his Esprit refractor.

 

I myself am a lover of Alt-az mounts. Delighted with mine and hopefully a life keeper.

I am currently doing a few mods with my set-up and will post a few pics and write a few words in due course.

[iPeace]

3 minutes ago, Tubby Bear said:

Great report Mike, thanks, i enjoyed reading it. Very nice mount you have there, from a well respected manufacturer.

We have another local L-AZ8 ; one of my EMS friends has one, and it performs very well with his Esprit refractor.

 

I myself am a lover of Alt-az mounts. Delighted with mine and hopefully a life keeper.

I am currently doing a few mods with my set-up and will post a few pics and write a few words in due course.

Thanks, looking forward to it!

[A40farinagolf]

I'm on the market for something like this - Who retails them in the UK? 

[jabeoo1]

2 minutes ago, A40farinagolf said:

I'm on the market for something like this - Who retails them in the UK? 

http://www.orionoptics.co.uk/MOUNTS/losmandyaz8.html

[jabeoo1]

I was only looking at this again today, but I can't justify it over my Berlebach & Sabre mount, I think I will just pretend the AZ8 does not exist

[A40farinagolf]

13 minutes ago, jabeoo1 said:

http://www.orionoptics.co.uk/MOUNTS/losmandyaz8.html

Thanks for the link and I'll have a look, must remember to add VAT to the prices shown.

[iPeace]

59 minutes ago, jabeoo1 said:

I was only looking at this again today, but I can't justify it over my Berlebach & Sabre mount, I think I will just pretend the AZ8 does not exist

After using it a while, I still think it's awesome - and perfect for me, as it's an ideal way to over-mount a TV-85 (a heavy scope for what it is, a mere 85/600 APO doublet).

Anyone considering it should keep in mind that it's basically a reworked GM8 - in other words, think of which EQ  mount you would choose for your scope, a GM8 or a GM11. If the GM8 would suffice, then this is your alt-az mount. If you would really need the GM11 for your scope, then adjust your expectations accordingly. Also factor in your own personal fussiness with regard to how solidly mounted the scope should be; what's fine for some will be marginal or even intolerable for others.

If your Ercole or Sabre or SkyTee is getting it done for you, but you want slo-mo or perhaps less of what the SkyTee occasionally seems to offer, the AZ8 is hard to ignore.

Conversely, if it seems like an extravagance, it probably is. Mine sure seems like one, and it's delicious.

[SonnyE]

You do realize you have doomed yourself to a year or two of bloody awful skies.

Always follows new equipment....

[iPeace]

1 minute ago, SonnyE said:

You do realize you have doomed yourself to a year or two of bloody awful skies.

Always follows new equipment....

I appreciate the sentiment, and there's profound truth to that - but we've done alright, actually. Admittedly a glass-half-full thing, but that's just me.

[John]

16 minutes ago, iPeace said:

...Anyone considering it should keep in mind that it's basically a reworked GM8 - in other words, think of which EQ  mount you would choose for your scope, a GM8 or a GM11. If the GM8 would suffice, then this is your alt-az mount. If you would really need the GM11 for your scope, then adjust your expectations accordingly. Also factor in your own personal fussiness with regard to how solidly mounted the scope should be; what's fine for some will be marginal or even intolerable for others.

If your Ercole or Sabre or SkyTee is getting it done for you, but you want slo-mo or perhaps less of what the SkyTee occasionally seems to offer, the AZ8 is hard to ignore.

 

Thats very useful "rule of thumb" advice Mike

My 130mm F/9 triplet is into GM11 territory I reckon

I still think there is a niche for a manual alt-az that is somewhere between the Ercole / Skytee II / AZ8 and the DM6 / APM AzMaxLoad / T-Rex in capacity terms.