Rowan AZ100 Mount Owners Thread

[Telescope40]

25 minutes ago, Steve Clay said:

AZ100 adjustment plate which scope left or right?

Scopes fitted to Az100 = Ed120 and CC 6.

as I like the pan / tilt handle on the left side the adjuster plate will need to go on the right.

My thoughts are to mount the CC6 left and the Ed 120 right. The reason being the Ed 120 much greater FOV so less adjustment required to match the scopes. What's your thoughts please, or am I over thinking it?

Steve

Hello @Steve Clay

The tilt/ pan handle. A good buy considering the cost of it. I can’t make my mind up. LOL 🤣🤣 John 

[JeremyS]

8 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

Do you bino’s? I can only use the SXP2 in GEM mode, I can imagine the bino’s coming into contact with the half pillar.

Yes I’ve used binoviewer on the TSA 120 in EQ mode, no pillar

[JeremyS]

2 hours ago, HollyHound said:

@JeremyS Not AZ100 related (directly) but I’m curious if you find any difference in the smoothness of tracking (for visual) between your AZEQ6 running in driven AZ vs driven EQ 🤔

Can’t say I’ve noticed a difference. Really smooth either way.

[Steve Clay]

20 minutes ago, Telescope40 said:

Hello @Steve Clay

The tilt/ pan handle. A good buy considering the cost of it. I can’t make my mind up. LOL 🤣🤣 John 

It is, saves you grabbing the diagonal to move the scopes.

[AdeKing]

6 hours ago, Steve Clay said:

AZ100 adjustment plate which scope left or right?

Scopes fitted to Az100 = Ed120 and CC 6.

as I like the pan / tilt handle on the left side the adjuster plate will need to go on the right.

My thoughts are to mount the CC6 left and the Ed 120 right. The reason being the Ed 120 much greater FOV so less adjustment required to match the scopes. What's your thoughts please, or am I over thinking it?

Steve

I think the general Rowan recommendation is for the heavier OTA on the left and the then the instructions for the plate suggested that it should be used with the lighter OTA.

I have pan handle on the left side and the adjustment plate on the right side which works for me.

[mtminnesota]

On 14/08/2021 at 03:46, johninderby said:

With a Trchnosky 125 no counterweight needed for accurate tracking so find the CN opinion a bit baffling. I use a planet tripod though.  Derek of Rowan said that a counterweight is only needed when stability of the tripod is an issue.

Derek's comments above were an answer to my specific question asking "if I needed a CW with my TSA-120 at a maximum weight of 20 lbs".  He wasnt speaking in a general sense.

[johninderby]

From experience by many users it doesn’t need a CW and Derek has mentioned that a few times so not based on one comment.

[mtminnesota]

3 hours ago, johninderby said:

From experience by many users it doesn’t need a CW and Derek has mentioned that a few times so not based on one comment.

Yes, I just wanted to offer a word-for-word quote from Derek instead of my opinion, with the caveat that it applies only to the question I asked of him.  He also attached a CAD drawing with calculations showing where to place the counterweight on the shaft. 

But I realize that unless our tripod falls over we'll probably never notice an out-of-balance condition with our AZ100s on Planets, whatever scope we mount.

[AdeKing]

Finally, several months since ordering it, my iOptron EQ6 Pier Adaptor has arrived.

This means I can finally put the AZ100 where it deserves to be, that is mounted on top of my Berlebach Uni18 tripod.

This tripod is set up for my AZ Pro mount and I didn't want to faff with swapping the legs to. Different top plate when I wanted to use the AZ100 so I got the adaptor instead.

Here are a couple of shots.

 

 

Edited August 25, 2021 by AdeKing

[Stu]

Looks great @AdeKing, very solid! 👍

[JeremyS]

Nice job @AdeKing 👍🏻

[AdeKing]

6 hours ago, Stu said:

Looks great @AdeKing, very solid! 👍

Thanks Stu, I'm very pleased with the outcome and it is reassuringly solid, though not exactly lightweight.

4 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Nice job @AdeKing 👍🏻

Thanks Jeremy, these AZ100s deserve to be on a Berlebach so I'm glad that mine is finally able to be mounted where it deserves to be.

[JeremyS]

7 minutes ago, AdeKing said:

Thanks Stu, I'm very pleased with the outcome and it is reassuringly solid, though not exactly lightweight.

Thanks Jeremy, these AZ100s deserve to be on a Berlebach so I'm glad that mine is finally able to be mounted where it deserves to be.

Match made in heaven Ade 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[BGazing]

Any news on the motorized version?

[johninderby]

3 minutes ago, BGazing said:

Any news on the motorized version?

Still waiting for the beta testing units but looks like a bit of a hold up with the testing software. Hopefully not much longer. 🙏🏼

Then there’s going to be months of testing before the final software is ready I would expect. 

[BGazing]

19 hours ago, johninderby said:

Still waiting for the beta testing units but looks like a bit of a hold up with the testing software. Hopefully not much longer. 🙏🏼

Then there’s going to be months of testing before the final software is ready I would expect. 

Thanks for the update. I was under the impression that the beta testing units were shipped a while ago, probably misread.

So realistically at least 9 more months, if not more...

[AdeKing]

2 hours ago, BGazing said:

So realistically at least 9 more months, if not more...

That'll give me plenty of time to save then 🙂

[BGazing]

45 minutes ago, AdeKing said:

That'll give me plenty of time to save then 🙂

Life is short and that mount is not light to carry around the older one gets. 😁

[Alan White]

But as this is the AZ100 thread,
should the other mount not have business conducted under its own thread guys?

[Steve]

25 minutes ago, Alan White said:

But as this is the AZ100 thread,
should the other mount not have business conducted under its own thread guys?

Indeed it should.

I am not sure if we can easily move off-topic posts into the other thread so will simply remove them from this discussion. 

[Deadlake]

38 minutes ago, Alan White said:

But as this is the AZ100 thread,
should the other mount not have business conducted under its own thread guys?

I think they're will always to comparisons from one mount to another. This one posted here looks like a fit to the rumoured/wanted so called AZ50 mount, AZ100 smaller version. 
Cannot see a hard and fast rule.

[Alan White]

7 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

I think they're will always to comparisons from one mount to another. This one posted here looks like a fit to the rumoured/wanted so called AZ50 mount, AZ100 smaller version. 
Cannot see a hard and fast rule.

I would love a smaller brother to AZ100, perhaps the AZ75, and I do agree comparisons are good.
 

 

[Deadlake]

I have a AZ100 (thanks @garryblueboy) and need a tripod for it. Primary use will be LZOS 130/F6 (11.5 kg) and a Vixen SD103S (6 kg). So far usual tripod suspects: 

• Uni 18 (weight 8 kg, £470)
• Planet ( weight 11 kg, £655)
• T-Pod 130 ( weight 6.9 kg, £750, direct from Avalon)

The Uni 18 is the cheapest option and close in weight to the T-Pod, but would not be as stable.

However do I need the extra capacity of either the T-Pod or Planet, would I be over buying?

Before some people start, wood is great however alumium is lighter.

Do take the point about wood not freezing your hand off at the end of the night.

Added: Do I need to think about a riser or pillar for any of the above tripods. I know Rowan will make a shorter pan handle if requested.

Thanks

Edited September 20, 2021 by Deadlake

[JeremyS]

@Deadlake. I wanted a lightweight option for my AZ100, so I leave it permanently on my BB Uni tripod. I can carry the combo from the garage to the observing area. I then just add the TSA 120. No pier/riser.

The Berlebach Planet is beefier, but a bit too heavy to carry with the AZ100 in place.

I’d never go back to ally having tried BB tripods 

[Deadlake]

1 minute ago, JeremyS said:

I’d never go back to ally having tried BB tripods

No frozen hands at the end of the night?