AZ3 and SkyGuider Pro

[JPearson]

Hi there everyone!

 

I was curious if anyone has tried or has any feedback on using a skywatcher AZ3 in place of the wedge base that comes with the SkyGuider Pro. I'm currently living in Northern Ireland, not my home Country of Canada so I don't have it on hand to check if it has a mounting thread on the bottom. I know the supplied wedge leaves a lot to be desired and thought I could even temporarily sub in the AZ3 from Skywatcher as a wedge base, it does have the fine adjustments and I recall them being reasonably smooth. My end goal is to someday buy the William Optics wedge and extension for the counterweight bar but I figured it doesn't hurt to ask/try (when I get home in a couple months) to use something that I already own to improve my stability for imaging as I am adding an auto guiding setup when I return in june.

 

Thanks everyone,

Jordon P

 

Included is an early attempt from when I got the Skyguider Pro before I moved, if memory serves its 20 lights, darks, flats and bias frames, about 2 min each from a Sony A7III with 70-200mm F4, unguided. processed in Siril and Photoshop. 

[happy-kat]

I know of a member who uses the celestron equivalent az3 mount as a wedge for their star adventurer (that mount has heavier legs but the head is the same) and as you already own the az3 there is nothing lost in trying. 

[JPearson]

Thanks! I'll give it a try then, after the investment in auto guiding equipment I want to hold off on any more upgrades for a few months hehe

[happy-kat]

Theoretically setting your latitude is not going to place your mount at an elevation that might cause the setup to droop as you might see if observing at or around zenith.

Edited May 4, 2021 by happy-kat

[JPearson]

I try to always keep a wrench handy for tightening down the mount just in case haha