Who has standard and who has encoder AZ100?

[Alan White]

Evening All

My quest towards the much coveted AZ100 is nearing completion, subject to a few more sell off's.
I am sure many of you have seen my many adverts.

So from the gang of owners, who has the Non-Encoder version and who has the Encoder version?
And why did you do that please?

I am torn between a non-encoder and going all bells and whistles, its aim is to be a lifetime mount going forwards.
Also the notable extra cost, which is most justified by the way is swerving my mind on this.

 

[johninderby]

Alan, glad to hear you are getting close to finaly getting your AZ100. 🥳🥳🥳

I’m still not sure about getting the encoders but if I do add them would be going for the Nexus-II instead of the Nexus DSC. Just prefer being able to use a planetarium app. Bit cheaper as well. 👍🏻

Edited June 5, 2020 by johninderby

[Stu]

The loan unit I’m using has encoders fitted as you probably know Alan. I can only say, if this is to be a lifetime mount then go for it! Push-to is such an easy thing to setup and use, and makes finding tougher targets such as doubles or fainter DSOs very easy whilst doing without the noise and power requirements of a Goto Mount. Slews are much quicker than Goto too, and the assistance is either there if you want it or not if you don’t.

I would probably save the money on the Nexus DSC and just use a Nexus II as John says. You can either use the DSC as a stand alone unit, or can connect it to Skysafari if you want to so it is very flexible and powerful. It is handy if you want to quickly setup without having to connect to a phone then the DSC is great, but overall I think just using Skysafari is the best option.

Will you be getting dual saddles or just a bar and counterweight?

[Alan White]

I would like dual saddles, but as the dual saddle type, perhaps one at first, then another.

[johninderby]

Strangely enough just ordered another dual saddle from FLO today. 😁

Want a cheap counterweight bar mounting flange? 🙂

 

[omo]

I have the encoders and Nexus unit, primarily due to being inexperienced and wanting the additional help in finding things. Have only used the nexus with a phone so far, so tend to agree with Stu and John that a Nexus 2 would have been the way to go originally.

I would at least get the mount fitted with encoders to either save having to strip it down or return it to have them fitted later 👍

[bsdsgl84]

13 hours ago, Alan White said:

Evening All

My quest towards the much coveted AZ100 is nearing completion, subject to a few more sell off's.
I am sure many of you have seen my many adverts.

So from the gang of owners, who has the Non-Encoder version and who has the Encoder version?
And why did you do that please?

I am torn between a non-encoder and going all bells and whistles, its aim is to be a lifetime mount going forwards.
Also the notable extra cost, which is most justified by the way is swerving my mind on this.

 

Hello, 

Good to hear from you., 

I got my AZ-100 with encoders. I am a visual-only observer and my main mount is a GoTo GEM that carries a Celestron C-14. I do have a few other scopes and having recently sold off my other GEMs, I wanted a simpler, alt-az mount of excellent mechanical quality with above-average payload capacity. 

I elected to go with the encoder version because I wanted the option to quickly set up and be able to swiftly move onto observing. I am still working full time (from home like most), and its hit and miss what chances I get to observe, so I want to be able start quickly and not be dealing with any additional power needs other than that for perhaps dew control and the Nexus meets this quite nicely in my situation. 

Hope this helps., 

Best.,

bsdsgl84 

 

 

Edited June 6, 2020 by bsdsgl84

[Alan White]

11 hours ago, johninderby said:

Strangely enough just ordered another dual saddle from FLO today. 😁

Want a cheap counterweight bar mounting flange? 🙂

 

That might tempt me John, pondering your quip for the minute.
 

[johninderby]

14 minutes ago, Alan White said:

That might tempt me John, pondering your quip for the minute.
 

No hurry to sell it so if you want it when you’ve decided to order the AZ100 just let me know. 

[Split Zygote2]

Hi,

I can only comment in reference to using my particular sample, bearing in mind my limited experience of the unit  and my limited experience in general for although I bought  my first Newtonian in 1971, I only seriously  started observing 6-7 yrs ago with the aquistion of a South facing garden and a  relatively unobstructed horizon. I have now used the mount fairly intensively for just over 3 weeks for sadly no clouds were to be found in the box although I did search most carefully . AND also bear in mind that what is a deal breaker for me might not be of the slightest relevance or interest to you or  others. 

I bought the mount together with the encoders and the full Nexus device with the display.  Initially I considered purchasing without the encoders and I contacted FLO to see if these were available for retro fit after purchase. Steve @ FLO replied on April 30th

"Yes, no problem. It will be possible to have encoders retro-fitted by ourselves or Rowan Engineering (nobody has requested this service yet so we don't have prices, but it can be done)

In the event I decided with all the current uncertainty just to buy the mount with the encoders fitted.

As to  Nexus vs. Nexus ll - I thought about this but decided I would prefer a stand alone system to hopefully future proof myself against any operating system/software incompatibilities that may or may not arise in the future. For example my very favourite app for quickly displaying the amount of astronomical darkness on a calendar so a glance was enough to see the trend over a month or two became non functional with an iOS upgrade, and as for using Nikon's latest Raw Converters with  Windows 10 - I don't even want to go there!! Note I have read of an impending revision of the Nexus unit.

I have had experience  of and still posses several alt az mounts and the ones with encoders or setting circles are the ones I use. I enjoy hunting for double stars that challenge my scopes' resolution and with my often fairly turbulent seeing it is comforting to know that in all likelihood I am actually staring at the correct stars.  

Notwithstanding my comments above I find that the Nexus unit and my iPad (original iPad air now operating  iOS 12 something and likely soon to die as the Lightening socket is hanging on to existence by the merest thread) running SkySafari 4 Pro  to be almost seamless in their integration and so far much less hassle than using SkySafari with Sky Wire or the Sky Watcher dongle to control my AZ EQ6. Note according to my son (an unbelievably ultra  techie) I am a complete Muppet when it comes to anything that exists in the digital domain and even I found the instructions clear, complete and easy to follow without phoning my son who in any case evidently believes in using tough love in such situations!

In use I do a two star alignment using Nexus  connect it to the iPad's Wi-Fi  (I think there is the option to align using SkySafai but I don't) open SkySafari  click on the connect to scope it goes ping and I am off to the races; the cursor on SkySafari showing me where the scope is pointing. Additionally you can choose the option on the Nexus unit "Find using Planetarium" which allows you to use the SkySafari interface  to select objects , perform searches or access your observing lists - I do  not know if Nexus ll  has this functionality it may well have but if it is important to you it might be worth checking. (Additionally my Nexus unit has a lot of catalogues which may facilitate a resolution  when the Search function on SkySafari fails; doubtless it knows about the object but not under the pseudonym you are using). Having selected the object with SkySafari following the above procedures the main Nexus unit then displays arrows showing you which way to move the scope to find the object and does a countdown in degrees arriving at zero when the object is centred. When I have done my initial alignments well enough I find that my pointing error is about 1/10 of a degree. Looking at the specs for the encoders I feel that this could be improved upon by upgrading the support for the mount (currently a Berlebach Uni 28 with a SW extension for long refractors which is where I feel  most of the flexing occurs).  Lastly if I choose the lock screen option on SkySafari the representation of the night sky locks to the telescope's pointing so that as you move the scope the map moves underneath the cursor (scopes position) and you don't sail off the edge of the chart to where the dragons live.

Finally (almost!) the ability to rebalance the scope without losing a precise alignment is a great boon - this did not resonate with me before purchase - yes my AZ EQ6 can do this but only when the less accurate auxiliary encoders are enabled which they never are.

For me  (and I emphasise the for me) the excellent  engineering of the mount together with high resolution encoders and the Nexus unit  form a system capable of much precision where the  whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. 

 

Hope this of some help.

 

Michael

 

searchesYes, no problem. It will be possible to have encoders retro-fitted by ourselves or Rowan Engineering. (Nobody has requested this service yet so we don't have prices, but it can be done). 

[Alan White]

@Split Zygote2, Michael.

Thank you, very much the feedback I am after, most interesting.

You still have the AZEQ6 as well?
Is this for image work or do you just like it?

 

[Split Zygote2]

Hello Alan,  you may have gathered already that I am incapable of any brevity except in moments of extreme crisis, apologies.  

Yes I still have the AZ EQ6 which I use in Alt/Az mode. It sits under foam and 3 layers of waterproofing mounted on a permanent pier fixed with security bolts for now I guess 3 or even 4!!?? years and in all weathers; there is no shortage of WEATHER  here. Further waterproofed with  ACF-50 (a sort of super duper WD-40) it has proved most reliable with almost the only signs of use being a somewhat scarred toe protector, counterbalance end stop thingy, hand nut - that has a death wish!  The mount has had but 2 episodes due to operator error but otherwise has proved faultless in operation once I replaced all the power connectors. I use a large capacity Tracer lithium(?)  battery to ensure an adequate power supply. It mostly puts out a measured at the mount 13.5 volts.

Its pointing (AZ EQ6 ) is generally only to within a degree or so as I don't realign for every use and just use the Park Scope command which remembers sometimes more or sometimes less the  alignment. Used thus things stay in the eyepiece field (100x or so) for 30 mins ish.

I don't do astro-photography. I do and have done terrestrial photography quite extensively (dark room 35mm, medium format and 5x4 cameras) since the mid 80s and although I have moved to digital (much easier imo) I figured a quick way to spend a lot of money given my obsessive tendencies was photographing the sky besides which I wanted a contrast in my activities.  

As to why the AZ 100 when I have the AZ EQ6 (implicit in your question perhaps) ...... Well,  the SW mount takes 8 mins to set up if I am lucky, up to 20 mins  if I am tired or dozy  and longer to put away in the early or not so early hours. It is  something that I only consider if the forecast is very favourable. Here all too often just as you are set up the break in the clouds vanishes. Naturally enough, if you don't set up clear skies are pretty much guaranteed. Therefore flexibility and speed is of the essence. I also have an AZ4, a TeleVue Panoramic Head and an Ercole of which the only one I use is the AZ4 which works well (we have bonded) but it  is at its limit with an Equinox 120 which is by far the lighter of my two refractors. I thought of getting another AZ EQ6 or maybe an iOptron CEM 60 to go on my castor equipped tripod (open the French Doors and roll it out) but both would have involved power supplies and alignment routines. The beauty of the AZ100 for me and I thought long  and hard here  is its flexibility in these circumstances. It can be rolled out for a quick peak no power, no alignment necessary - even I on a good day can generally find the moon and the planets; it is not so heavy that taking it a walk around the garden is inadvisable; it will cope with heavy scopes if you need it to and you can if time permits align to the sky with some precision. Bottom line - I am not constrained in my activity due to an initial early decision when the weather against all expectation improves.

To be clear for my use I find a manual mount for lunar to be less than ideal; I look at a feature, look at the chart puzzle a little and go back to the eyepiece to find that the Moon has unaccountably moved - this is irritating - but  this review of the map and comparing it to the country has got more fluent with experience and is no longer the impediment it once was. However I still prefer to use a driven mount for lunar observation for planets, well maybe..that depends.....? That said I find the AZ100 quite liberating in use. Comparing it to the AZ EQ6 it is not for me a question of "either or" but one of "both" and here I am fortunate.

Again I offer the caveat that what best suits me may not be appropriate for you - I am still in the  honeymoon phase with the AZ100 and this may despite my best efforts colour and inform my obvious enthusiasm.

M