SW AZ5 slow motion

[dexter77]

Hi, today I've received my SW AZ5 on steel tripod. It looks very good and I'm going to use it with Mak 127. 
I've noticed that slow motions are working in strange way, could you tell me is in normal or should I adjust something?

1. Azimuth Slow Motion.
I've noticed that I can use slow motion only when I really tighten azimuth clutch. When I loosen it a little bit then slow motions are not working. Is it normal?

2. Altitude slow motion.
Slow motion is working very smooth whenever I loosen or tighten clutch.

I've recorded video, you can see it here, is it normal work of azimuth slow motion in that mount?

 

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by dexter77

[mikeDnight]

With my AZ5 i could gently tighten the azimuth locking nut until it allowed both the slow motion to work, and sill allow me to push the head round with the scope attached. But if the locking nut was loose the drive didn't engage. From what I saw in your video the mount seems to be working ok. You may feel the need to fine tune the tension on the worms by adjusting the grub screw on the drives. Often these Chinese mounts are not factory adjusted, they are just assembled and shipped out.

[dexter77]

7 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

With my AZ5 i could gently tighten the azimuth locking nut until it allowed both the slow motion to work, and sill allow me to push the head round with the scope attached. But if the locking nut was loose the drive didn't engage. From what I saw in your video the mount seems to be working ok. You may feel the need to fine tune the tension on the worms by adjusting the grub screw on the drives. Often these Chinese mounts are not factory adjusted, they are just assembled and shipped out.

Thanks Mike, I've adjusted a little bit screws from bottom and mount works better now, I don't need to lock azimuth to max if I want to use slow motion.

But...

I had more time yesterday and I've decided to took apart it. I've noticed that worms in altitude behave in different way, even if this is the same construction. I mean, I see that azimuth worm turns with the axis when you pull azimuth manually. 
And when you pull manually altitude, then worm doesn't turn, it is always in the same position. 
So in my opinion you need to adjust worm inside azimuth mount. 
This part:

It should be in the same position when you turn azimith. Then slow motions will be working always.

Azimuth slow motion should work in the same way as altitude - no difference if you loosen or tighteen clutch (in my opinion this is just brake like in az4, not clutch ).

I saw some videos of this mount, and slow motion in azimuth works whenever you use brake or not.

So as you said, I need to adjust everything and add more grease. I will get back when I finish  

Edited September 1, 2020 by dexter77

[dexter77]

@mikeDnight do you still have this mount? Do you agree that slow motion azimuth and altitude are working in a different way? (altitude slo mo works with loosen and tighten clutch and azimuth slo mo only with tighten clutch?)

Edited September 1, 2020 by dexter77

[mikeDnight]

I nolonger have the AZ5 and can't remember if the azimuth behaved like yours does. I do remember that I had to make some adjustments to the azimuth. I even had to strip it down and regrease it, as the drive was dry and squealed when in use. It made me think that the Chinese factory just assembles them rapidly without too much care, and its upto the purchaser to iron out any minor issues. I do remember the mount ran smoothly once I'd finished fine tuning it.

[paulastro]

16 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

With my AZ5 i could gently tighten the azimuth locking nut until it allowed both the slow motion to work, and sill allow me to push the head round with the scope attached. But if the locking nut was loose the drive didn't engage. From what I saw in your video the mount seems to be working ok. You may feel the need to fine tune the tension on the worms by adjusting the grub screw on the drives. Often these Chinese mounts are not factory adjusted, they are just assembled and shipped out.

My experience with this mount is the same as Mike's.  'Fine-tuned',  both axis can be adjusted so that you can use both slow motion or just push the mount into position on either axis.

In the manufacturers defence, I can forgive any variation on adjustment upon delivery. In terms of value, the only mount I know that equals it is the AZ4.

I admit a bias, as the happy owner of 1 x AZ5 and 2 x AZ4s  🙂.

[dexter77]

5 minutes ago, paulastro said:

My experience with this mount is the same as Mike's.  'Fine-tuned',  both axis can be adjusted so that you can use both slow motion or just push the mount into position on either axis.

In the manufacturers defence, I can forgive any variation on adjustment upon delivery. In terms of value, the only mount I know that equals it is the AZ4.

I admit a bias, as the happy owner of 1 x AZ5 and 2 x AZ4s  🙂.

So altitude slow motion works in your mount also only with the clutch tighten?

[paulastro]

Yes that's correct. I tighten it until the slow motion works, though not so tight that I cant also just push the mount up and down if I want to.  

The same for azimuth.

 

 

 

 

On 01/09/2020 at 00:47, mikeDnight said:

With my AZ5 i could gently tighten the azimuth locking nut until it allowed both the slow motion to work, and sill allow me to push the head round with the scope attached. But if the locking nut was loose the drive didn't engage. From what I saw in your video the mount seems to be working ok. You may feel the need to fine tune the tension on the worms by adjusting the grub screw on the drives. Often these Chinese mounts are not factory adjusted, they are just assembled and shipped out.

My experience with this mount is the same as Mike's.  'Fine-tuned',  both axis can be adjusted so that you can use both slow motion or just push the mount into position on either axis.

In the manufacturers defence, I can forgive any variation on adjustment upon delivery. In terms of value, the only mount I know that equals it is the AZ4.

I admit a bias, as the happy owner of 1 x AZ5 and 2 x AZ4s  🙂.

[dexter77]

My AZ5 yesterday started to make noise like in @mikeDnight video 😮 I have to add more graese! 

[mikeDnight]

[dexter77]

Something similar

[laudropb]

I have not had these problems with mine. Guess I just must have been lucky.

[dexter77]

41 minutes ago, laudropb said:

I have not had these problems with mine. Guess I just must have been lucky.

Which exactly problems? Noise or slow mo?

[laudropb]

None of them. It’s very smooth in action. No backlash and no noise.

[jcj380]

Wow.  No noise with mine, although it's relatively new.  The clutch adjustments seem finer than those on my Twilight 1.  I can set the clutches to allow hand slewing and slo-mo at the same time on the AZ5.   There are those little access hatches - I imagine you could clean out the gears and regrease easily.  I'll have to take a closer look.

 

[banjaxed]

Not had any problems with mine either, clutches work fine and completely silent.

[dexter77]

4 hours ago, jcj380 said:

Wow.  No noise with mine, although it's relatively new.  The clutch adjustments seem finer than those on my Twilight 1.  I can set the clutches to allow hand slewing and slo-mo at the same time on the AZ5.   There are those little access hatches - I imagine you could clean out the gears and regrease easily.  I'll have to take a closer look.

 

Hmm I cannot use azimuth slow motion with azimuth clutch totally loosen. It must be a little tighten, but in that position it allows me also easily push with hand. Noise is gone Today I've received my Mak, it looks stable with steel tripod:

Now I'm waiting for TS binoviewer and good weather

Edited September 2, 2020 by dexter77

[Richard N]

I have a new AZ5. On the elevation it's not that smooth using the slo-mo drive. Any thoughts on adjustments? I don't want to return it and I suspect it's easy to improve?

[John]

2 minutes ago, Richard N said:

I have a new AZ5. On the elevation it's not that smooth using the slo-mo drive. Any thoughts on adjustments? I don't want to return it and I suspect it's easy to improve?

What scope do you have on it ?

If the tube is quite long, fore and aft balance is quite important to getting smooth elevation (altitude) adjustment.

 

[Richard N]

2 hours ago, John said:

What scope do you have on it ?

If the tube is quite long, fore and aft balance is quite important to getting smooth elevation (altitude) adjustment.

 

ST80. Light, short and balanced. It feels the same way without a scope attached. 

Edited August 13, 2021 by Richard N