Rowan AZ75 Mount

[Alan White]

1 hour ago, josefk said:

i'm waiting for two ram mount parts as i type so by the weekend i can make the same move 🙂

 

Does the AZ75 have the three unassigned (i.e unused) tapped holes at the base of the mount like the AZ100? Perfect location for ram mount fittings.

 

Cheers

If I knew what a RAM Mount was and what holes we were talking about, I might be able to reply, sorry.
A picture paints a thousand words as they say.

[AdeKing]

50 minutes ago, Alan White said:

If I knew what a RAM Mount was and what holes we were talking about, I might be able to reply, sorry.
A picture paints a thousand words as they say.

RAM mounts are heavy duty device holders for mountain bikes, quad bikes, 4x4, boats, etc I think.

RAM produce a really good modular system, for attaching almost any device to almost anything but quite bulky I seem to remember when I had one to hold a GPS on my mountain bike.

https://www.ram-mount.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=203_205

I'd guess that the holes in question are the ones either side of the threaded hole that the DSC Shelf ball joint screws into if that makes sense.

Edited May 9, 2022 by AdeKing

[josefk]

Hi Alan,

Apologies - its a multi-purpose system for mounting things to various surfaces and locations  (like phones and tablets and sat navs etc).

This is just the ball mount component fitted to my AZ100. I don't have a picture of other components attached to mine to hand (but i attach my phone here to date on a short extending arm and from this weekend will be attaching an iPad in a similar way). You can attach whatever you like to the ball with  arms and cradles and jaw clamps.  All sorts really. 

The AZ 100 has three tapped holes front and back here on the mount. The middle one on each side is 3/4 threaded. Perfect 🙂

Cheers

 

Joe

[josefk]

you beat me to it @AdeKing 👍

[AdeKing]

14 minutes ago, josefk said:

you beat me to it @AdeKing 👍

I'd completely forgotten about my RAM mount until you'd mentioned it and I wouldn't have thought about using it to connect something to my AZ100.

I tend to use the Nexus DSC and then connect Sky Safari to that, but you've given me the idea to use the second hole with a RAM mount to connect a larger screen.

Just need to work out where I've stored all of the RAM mount parts now 🙂

[josefk]

37 minutes ago, AdeKing said:

I'd completely forgotten about my RAM mount until you'd mentioned it and I wouldn't have thought about using it to connect something to my AZ100.

I tend to use the Nexus DSC and then connect Sky Safari to that, but you've given me the idea to use the second hole with a RAM mount to connect a larger screen.

Just need to work out where I've stored all of the RAM mount parts now 🙂

Thats exactly what i do. Saves needing somewhere to keep putting the phone or whatever down and out of the way and then i have my phone (iPad shortly) facing out to the side away from the eyepiece area (makes sense if you saw how i used it) so its not in my eyeline when using the EP.

Cheers

[Stephenstargazer]

I am quite lucky as all text on DSC is OK for me. The Sky Safari night screen is harder (on an 8 in tablet)  but have found it best in * inverse monochrome*. 

Really glad not to be messing with reading glasses at the scope which I can need with paper sky Atlas. Prefer an illuminating magnifyer for that, in red of course! Less stray light than a torch.

BTW the 3 mounting holes, front and back, on AZ 100 are 1/4 in unc photo thread in middle and M6 on sides. As well as RAM stuff there are some pretty cheap Magic Arms from camera suppliers which will hold a phone or moderate tablet.

Edited May 9, 2022 by Stephenstargazer

[Alan White]

Good to see folks posting that the AZ75 are arriving and they like them so far, a relief after all the testing that went on.

I am still using the test one set on my pier and it’s rock solid and still working flawlessly, you just use it and get on observing, which is what you want from a quality mount after all. 

I will make this my last post on the thread as it’s no longer about a mount in testing.

Wishing every new owner of AZ75 lots of enjoyable and hassle free observing……makes all the testing and feed back worth while. 
I have really enjoyed the process and working with Rowan.

Signing off now Alan.

Edited July 2, 2022 by Alan White
typos, typos, typos

[RobertI]

Is there a separate AZ75 owner’s thread or are folk posting on the AZ100 thread?

[johninderby]

You might want to check out.

 

[Alan White]

Ok, not the last post,

perhaps an AZ 75 owners thread is exactly what’s needed as asked…..

[Alan White]

OK so no one picked up an AZ75 owners thread!

So to announce, I as of next week will own an AZ75 mount.
I had trialled other mounts since my testing and to be honest the AZ75 is the right mount for me.

So perhaps this can continue as an owners thread?

 

[Alan White]

I have adapted the way of fittig my Nexus DSC shelf to the AZ75 I have been trialling.
It will be same way fitted, once I own the mount.

So no ballhead, just a screw straight into the tapped hole on the mount and it holds it nice and flat.
This works for me and is again simple, I like simple.

The mount will no longer fitted or tied to a pier again and will be mounted on a tripod, 
A Skywatcher 1.75" for now, but a wooden one lies in the future.

 

Edited November 25, 2022 by Alan White

[Hans Joakim]

Me too! I have an AZ75 with the Nexus DSC Pro and the shelf incoming from FLO some time next week. Needless to say, I am super excited about it! 

I currently use a GEM45 as my only mount, and that is serving me very well for both visual and astrophotography. It does take some commitment to align and setup properly, however, so plan to use the AZ75 as my grab-and-go setup. Will make sure to post photos once the lovely Rowan is here.

[Alan White]

1 minute ago, Hans Joakim said:

Me too! I have an AZ75 with the Nexus DSC Pro and the shelf incoming from FLO some time next week. Needless to say, I am super excited about it! 

I currently use a GEM45 as my only mount, and that is serving me very well for both visual and astrophotography. It does take some commitment to align and setup properly, however, so plan to use the AZ75 as my grab-and-go setup. Will make sure to post photos once the lovely Rowan is here.

Hello Hans,

I am sure you will love it.

And please do post pictures showing your new pride and joy.

[Hans Joakim]

Thanks Alan! And thanks to you and Stu for the excellent test reports. It is safe to say that you had no small part in my decision to go for the AZ75!

[paulastro]

2 minutes ago, Hans Joakim said:

Thanks Alan! And thanks to you and Stu for the excellent test reports. It is safe to say that you had no small part in my decision to go for the AZ75!

No pressure on Alan and Stu then, 😆

[Alan White]

9 minutes ago, Hans Joakim said:

Thanks Alan! And thanks to you and Stu for the excellent test reports. It is safe to say that you had no small part in my decision to go for the AZ75!

Hans, it was more helping with the final edevlopment and a few tweaks only a user can find.
So I am most pleased with how it has turned out.
I always believed that a simple push to but well engineered mount had its place and this mount does not dissapoint.

 

[Hans Joakim]

1 hour ago, paulastro said:

No pressure on Alan and Stu then, 😆

Well, regardless of how it all turns out, I promise I will not mention the lack of slo-mo knobs. Scout's honor.

Edited November 25, 2022 by Hans Joakim

[Neil P]

Hi, I have had the AZ75 for a little while now and love it, so light and portable and the Nexus dscs are very accurate and easy to use. I don’t miss the slo mos at all and find it easy to nudge with the handle. 
 

I have it on a Uni tripod and one thing I was wondering is if anyone knows if Rowan intend to bring out risers for it in the same way they did for the AZ100? I would like to lift it up a bit more from the Tripod.

[Stu]

1 hour ago, Neil P said:

I have it on a Uni tripod and one thing I was wondering is if anyone knows if Rowan intend to bring out risers for it in the same way they did for the AZ100? I would like to lift it up a bit more from the Tripod.

My understanding is that the AZ100 risers work with the AZ75. I don’t think Rowan intend to produce smaller ones. I’ll pop the AZ75 onto the riser and post a picture up.

[Stu]

@Neil P Here you go, AZ100 and AZ75, both go on nicely and easy to swap round. You loosen the screws on the pillar and rotate it slightly and it just lifts out. Swap the top section onto the other mount and pop it back in again. The top plate is designed to take both mounts.

[Neil P]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

@Neil P Here you go, AZ100 and AZ75, both go on nicely and easy to swap round. You loosen the screws on the pillar and rotate it slightly and it just lifts out. Swap the top section onto the other mount and pop it back in again. The top plate is designed to take both mounts.

Thanks Stu, I never even tried that, I have the riser for my AZ100 so I will that for the AZ75.

[Alan White]

@Neil P what Uni tripod are you using?

 

[Neil P]

20 minutes ago, Alan White said:

@Neil P what Uni tripod are you using?

 

It is the Uni28 with the heq5 top, I have the AZ100 on a planet.