Skywatcher AZ GTi with ADM Dual Dovetail Adaptor installed

[alanjgreen]

I received the new ADM saddle for my AZ GTi this morning (direct from ADM). I have now fitted it to my AZ GTi mount and my Borg 107FL is now a million times more secure than it was before - its a great upgrade!

Here are the parts received from ADM... The new saddle is longer and chunkier than the feeble standard offering.

Here is the AZ GTi mount before I start the upgrade..

Remove the centre circular cover which is stuck on with a sticky pad underneath. I used a small flat head screwdriver to lift the edge of the tin cover then pulled it off with some pliers (there are the remains of the sticky pad underneath to be cleaned off afterwards)....

Remove the 4 black screws and then the standard saddle pulls off...

Re-use the four screws to secure the ADM adapter plate to the mount...

Use the supplied 2x 1/4×20 SHCS screws to secure the ADM dual dovetail saddle to the ADM adapter plate... (You will need an imperial Allen key)

Test it out with the Borg 107FL...

The leftover standard parts...

This looks a great upgrade, my scope's ADM dovetail fits very securely into the ADM dual saddle and my peace of mind is restored!

Alan

Edited March 19, 2019 by alanjgreen

[JeremyS]

Brilliant Alan!

If you have a chance please could you measure the distance between the screw hols

[Paul73]

Good upgrade. A no brainier when you picture your lovely scope crashing to the ground ??

ADM must make a fortune out of Skywatcher upgrades.

Paul

[GavStar]

Looks very nice - mine is still negotiating uk customs!

@alanjgreen have you got a safety screw on your Borg dovetail bar?

[Mark at Beaufort]

Great upgrade Alan and the photos show the procedure if anyone has any doubts. Brilliant.

[adyj1]

12 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Great upgrade Alan and the photos show the procedure if anyone has any doubts. Brilliant.

I agree - thanks for showing the detail, Alan.

[FLO]

On 12/03/2019 at 10:07, alanjgreen said:

I received the new ADM saddle for my AZ GTi this morning (direct from ADM). 

Also available here in the UK 🙂

ADM Dual Dovetail Adaptor for AZ GTi

Steve

[JeremyS]

8 minutes ago, FLO said:

Also available here in the UK ?

Just sent order ?

 

[jadcx]

Great -  because my FLO wish list was getting too short ? 

[Star Struck]

I just could not resist ordering one....

Honestly, you know it makes sense.

[JeremyS]

3 minutes ago, Star Struck said:

you know it makes sense

Absolutely!

[Star Struck]

Mine arrived from FLO the next day. Easy to fit.

I recommend it to everybody.

 

Tony

[heliumstar]

Looks like worthwhile upgrade. Ordering one

[BGazing]

I've sourced mine from the US (prior to the mount delivery) and the fastening knob is not the nice silver one you have, but rather a puny-feeling and scrumpy-looking one on their website...?

https://www.admaccessories.com/product/vpa-azgt-v-series-dovetail-adapter-for-skywatcher-az-gti-mount/

 

[BGazing]

@JeremyS, that was my reaction, too. I could swear the picture on the website was like the one on FLO when I ordered...

[FLO]

3 hours ago, BGazing said:

I've sourced mine from the US (prior to the mount delivery) and the fastening knob is not the nice silver one you have, but rather a puny-feeling and scrumpy-looking one on their website...?

So far all the ones we have seen and sold have had the silver machined metal knob. 

Steve 

[BGazing]

On 29/03/2019 at 14:46, FLO said:

So far all the ones we have seen and sold have had the silver machined metal knob. 

Steve 

Now when I look at it, you are selling a dual Vixen-Losmandy version...I have ordered the Vixen one. Hence the difference, Vixen version gets no bling, I hope clamping power is the same.

[FLO]

28 minutes ago, BGazing said:

Vixen version gets no bling, I hope clamping power is the same.

I am confident you will be pleased ? 

ADM doesn't really do bling. Bling is more a EU thing. We like colourful anodising and shiny surfaces. By comparison, ADM's kit is quite dour. Well engineered and highly functional, but dour. I remember years ago when FLO approached Anthony (ADM is Anthony Davoli Machining) about becoming a stockist. He was concerned his products might not be "pretty enough" for the EU market. Fortunately his products have sold well in the EU, which is good because I don't think (shiny knobs aside) he has made any attempt to pretty them up. 

Steve 

[grjsk]

On 12/03/2019 at 11:07, alanjgreen said:

I received the new ADM saddle for my AZ GTi this morning (direct from ADM). I have now fitted it to my AZ GTi mount and my Borg 107FL is now a million times more secure than it was before - its a great upgrade!

peace of mind is restored!

Alan

Hi there! Are you still happy with the upgrade? No sign of any dust, dirt og moisture getting into the mount head since it is more exposed?

[SuburbanMak]

Thanks @alanjgreen  - made this modification yesterday, makes an amazing difference to stability.  Your post was helpful and reassuring - especially the part where you have to bite the bulllet and rip off the plastic cover! 

[alanjgreen]

On 22/09/2020 at 07:38, grjsk said:

Hi there! Are you still happy with the upgrade? No sign of any dust, dirt og moisture getting into the mount head since it is more exposed?

Nope, still going strong.

[astrojon77]

I just took delivery of the AZ GTi ADM dual saddle upgrade from FLO and it has been, well, upgraded! 

The adapter plate is now a little cap/cylinder that nicely covers the exposed areas of the mount and so the chance of dust ingress should be much reduced over what was shown by Alan.

Nice to see companies care enough to make improvements to their products 

Sorry about the clouds tonight 😆

Jonathan
 

 

[badhex]

On 11/11/2021 at 18:36, astrojon77 said:

I just took delivery of the AZ GTi ADM dual saddle upgrade from FLO and it has been, well, upgraded! 

The adapter plate is now a little cap/cylinder that nicely covers the exposed areas of the mount and so the chance of dust ingress should be much reduced over what was shown by Alan.

Nice to see companies care enough to make improvements to their products 

Sorry about the clouds tonight 😆

Jonathan
 

 

This is great. I wonder if ADM will let you purchase just the new version of the puck? Maybe @FLO figure something out with them? 

[AstroNebulee]

On 13/11/2021 at 00:44, badhex said:

This is great. I wonder if ADM will let you purchase just the new version of the puck? Maybe @FLO figure something out with them? 

Just what I was thinking with owning the original puck, be nice to cover the whole workings 

[JBadger]

3 hours ago, AstroNebulee said:

Just what I was thinking with owning the original puck, be nice to cover the whole workings 

What I did with mine was drill holes for the bolts into a plastic lid from a jar of hot chocolate powder & sandwich that between the two metal parts. This provides the same 'cup' over the exposed bearing and doesn't take up more than a couple of mm of thread on the bolts.