Rowan AZ100 Mount Owners Thread

[parallaxerr]

17 minutes ago, John said:

I have a Uni 28 and an EQ6 2 inch steel tube tripod. They seem to be about as stable as each other but the Uni 28 goes a lot taller. The EQ6 is still a good height but you need the legs fully extended with a long refractor on board. The Uni 28 legs don't need to be  anywhere near fully extended to get the mount to a decent height. The only reason you might want to use a pillar extension with the Uni 28 is to ensure that a long scope clears the tripod legs all the time, not for additional height.

I have the 8 inch pillar extension with the EQ6 tripod but I don't find that I really need it.

An EQ6 tripod plus the 8 inch pillar might be a lower cost alternative to a BB Uni / Planet for the AZ100. It does not have the looks but it is a stable tripod.

My T-Rex mount is similar in bulk and weight to the AZ100 but does not use counterweights.

 

Thanks John, shame I moved the old Celestron CG5 2" tripod on. I did so though because my setup all got too heavy, ironically here I am moving towards a heavier setup again but I accept it more now having realised that the smaller setup I went with didn't give me the views I wanted.

Tripod clearance was always my reasoning behind using extensions, I think it's needed with the current refractor but the 8" should suffice, the 16" is a bit excessive. If the Uni 28 is as stable as the 2" steel, then I may go for that but use it collapsed with the 8" extension fitted.

[parallaxerr]

13 minutes ago, andrew s said:

What could this be? Regards Andrew 

Exciting times.....Enjoy the flo-pack 🙄

[JeremyS]

14 minutes ago, andrew s said:

What could this be? Regards Andrew 

I see you are trembling with excitement again, Andrew!

Or maybe just moving quickly

🙂

 

[Split Zygote2]

Hi Jon

I have just taken my HEQ5 tripod outside with mount and spreader fitted (to get some grip from the patio) and twisted it  in the horizontal plane by grabbing the two nearest legs. Doing the same to the Uni 28, I found that the Berlebach is noticeably stiffer but not overwhelmingly so -  the HEQ5 is pretty solid. However if you tap the HEQ5 with a knuckle it resonates and rings rather beautifully like a bell OR RATHER IT DID before I tightened up the spreader.

I am not qualified to speculate, but I can offer two or three bits of anecdotal evidence:

In his series of instructional books Ansel Adams (you may know of him - if not an American Landscape photographer) was of the opinion that the best tripod was a block of granite (cement can't remember which) with a 3/8 inch bolt in the top. The problem for photographers before the advent of digital when using slow film was longish exposures with long lenses.  Adams found that at certain shutter speeds his most massive tripod with certain camera combinations produced the most blur due to resonance.

Other photographers when faced with the same issues e.g. Bjorn Rorslett use/used video tripods costing many thousands which do not have a centre column extension.

I personally find that an extension to a tripod is very necessary for my usage as I have 3 longish refractors but I know that  it is a tradeoff. I think that going with the shorter extension is the way that  I would myself initially go before incurring any other expenditure. If you look at the Astro-physics website under Portable Piers you will see that the diameters of the piers which are stayed are mostly either 8 or 10 inch which gives me paws for thought.

 

Michael

[John]

Hardwood tripods dampen any vibrations that do occur very well - that's the joy of them (as well as their looks) and also why ash wood is used for hammer and pick axe handles

I'm still tempted to get my T-Rex onto a Berlebach just for the way the setup looks, as much as anything else

 

 

[andrew s]

Yes too much excitement. Ordered the counterweight bar without clamp as I did not realise it screwed into the clamp or dovetail bar. Back to FLO for a clamp.

Also no mounting plate for the DCS not sure about that.

Regards Andrew 

Edited June 25, 2020 by andrew s

[johninderby]

The worst for vibration I found was the Skywatcher pillar Tried it with a Skytee and it resonated and vibrated so much soon replaced it with a regular tripod.🙁

[parallaxerr]

Pretty sure you should have the DSC mount plate @andrew s. Looks like you got a manual though, which I didn't. Maybe they haven't quite nailed the packing lists for the various combinations yet!

[parallaxerr]

2 minutes ago, johninderby said:

The worst for vibration I found was the Skywatcher pillar Tried it with a Skytee and it resonated and vibrated so much soon replaced it with a regular tripod.🙁

There's definitely a pattern forming John. Any sort of piers or extensions are prime candidates for vibration issues apparently, that SW Pier being the longest of them all!

 

[John]

30 minutes ago, parallaxerr said:

There's definitely a pattern forming John. Any sort of piers or extensions are prime candidates for vibration issues apparently, that SW Pier being the longest of them all!

 

I try and do without pillars wherever possible for this reason.

I have the 8 inch for the EQ6 but I've yet to use it.

The AZ100 is already a reasonably tall mount. The Bray Tablet was very squat as is the APM Maxload. Very different approaches to the AZ100 though:

[Split Zygote2]

Thanks for the info on the SW Pillar John, I have on many occasions been almost seduced by its charms as it reminded me of my first Newtonian on a similar pillar topped off with a  Fullerscope Mk.3 mount. Glad I didn't jump. Still and off topic (soggy) I still feel, even after more than a few refractors, a Mak  and a Dob,  that the only proper looking telescope is a big Newtonian on an equatorial pillar. So Sad!

[JeremyS]

53 minutes ago, johninderby said:

The worst for vibration I found was the Skywatcher pillar Tried it with a Skytee and it resonated and vibrated so much soon replaced it with a regular tripod.🙁

I don't suppose that wooden decking helped either, John?

[johninderby]

1 minute ago, JeremyS said:

I don't suppose that wooden decking helped either, John?

 

1 minute ago, JeremyS said:

I don't suppose that wooden decking helped either, John?

It was never used on the decking but on the concrete patio. 🙂

[John]

This worked OK:

 

This was pushing the pillar too far:

2 inch steel tube tripod in both cases.

 

[Saganite]

4 hours ago, andrew s said:

Yes too much excitement. Ordered the counterweight bar without clamp as I did not realise it screwed into the clamp or dovetail bar. Back to FLO for a clamp.

Also no mounting plate for the DCS not sure about that.

Regards Andrew 

It would appear that it is an extra. They are listed on FLO's website now, though not sure how long that has been the case.  I ordered the same package as yourself a few days ago and I don't recall seeing it listed then.

I have sent an email to FLO, re my order, asking for clarification.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Saganite

[andrew s]

13 minutes ago, Saganite said:

It would appear that it is an extra, much to my amazement. They are listed on FLO's website now, though not sure how long that has been the case.  I ordered the same package as yourself a few days ago and I don't recall seeing it listed then.

Indeed they are, certainly not before another £25 ka-ching. I have to say I am unimpressed with that and it not being clear if you need the counter weight clamp or not. I am not sure if it is FLO or Rowan who are to blame. While the fit and finish is good the extras to make the mount work are not obvious.

It has taken the shine of getting it somewhat.

Regards Andrew 

PS actually  I am quite cross for the cost of the encoders and DSC to make the mounting plate an extra is outrageous.   In addition it is shown mounted in the advertising.

Also the list of commonly bought with items shows the counterweight bar without clamp. Ok rant over.

Edited June 25, 2020 by andrew s

[johninderby]

They offer the couterweight with and without flange so those buying the extra saddle can buy just the shaft as they don’t need the flange.

Edited June 25, 2020 by johninderby

[andrew s]

1 minute ago, johninderby said:

They offer the couterweight with and without flange so those buying the extra saddle can buy just the shaft as they don’tneed the flange.

Thanks, I know that now but it is not clear that is the case from the product descriptions,  at least as they were when I ordered the mount and components. .

Regards Andrew 

[John]

2 minutes ago, johninderby said:

They offer the couterweight with and without flange so those buying the extra saddle can buy just the shaft as they don’t need the flange.

How does the shaft fit with the extra saddle installed - does it screw into the saddle ?

 

[johninderby]

The dual fit saddle has a threaded hole in the centre for the counterweight bar.

Edited June 25, 2020 by johninderby

[John]

Neat - that was introduced after the early versions that I tried.

 

[johninderby]

They need to update things then. Originally it was only the bar and flange available and they added the bar seperately when the dual,fit saddle was introduced.

Perhaps worth a mention to Steve? 

Perhaps only show the bar on it’s own on the dual fit saddle page to,prevent confusion.

Edited June 25, 2020 by johninderby

[FLO]

1 hour ago, andrew s said:

Indeed they are, certainly not before another £25 ka-ching. I have to say I am unimpressed with that and it not being clear if you need the counter weight clamp or not. I am not sure if it is FLO or Rowan who are to blame. While the fit and finish is good the extras to make the mount work are not obvious.

It has taken the shine of getting it somewhat.

Regards Andrew 

PS actually  I am quite cross for the cost of the encoders and DSC to make the mounting plate an extra is outrageous.   In addition it is shown mounted in the advertising.

Also the list of commonly bought with items shows the counterweight bar without clamp. Ok rant over.

The shelf should have come supplied with the kit - drop us an email if you haven't already and we will double check what's happened here and get one sent out to you.

We were only talking to Rowan earlier this week about the need to update our listings as a number of changes / improvements have been made so our photos and descriptions need to be updated to suit.

[andrew s]

2 minutes ago, FLO said:

The shelf should have come supplied with the kit - drop us an email if you haven't already and we will double check what's happened here and get one sent out to you.

We were only talking to Rowan earlier this week about the need to update our listings as a number of changes / improvements have been made so our photos and descriptions need to be updated to suit.

Thanks, I have asked you , via email, about the self and counterweight shaft clamp.

Thank you for your response to my post and glad you will be updating your information. 

Regards Andrew 

[Saganite]

17 minutes ago, FLO said:

The shelf should have come supplied with the kit - drop us an email if you haven't already and we will double check what's happened here and get one sent out to you.

We were only talking to Rowan earlier this week about the need to update our listings as a number of changes / improvements have been made so our photos and descriptions need to be updated to suit.

Many thanks for the update.

 

I sent an email of enquiry re my order just after 5pm this evening, after your hours of business.

Edited June 25, 2020 by Saganite