Skywatcher AZ GTI mount owners thread

[Pixies]

18 minutes ago, mr saddo said:

Hi, all , can you help me with the AZ Gti mount,  when I center on a object either in alignment or go to and it's a few degrees off , I put it on target but  it  keeps moving it back  off,  I have to over run the  target to bring it back in center, it's very hard to get  say jupiter or saturn in a 10mm e.p. I  have   owmed the mount and  scope a few days mak127,  location correct, pointed level north, scope on left side. Its just

Sounds like backlash, where the gears are taking up the slack before starting to drive the scope? When centering, are you finishing on up and right arrows?

[mr saddo]

Hi , yes I'm finishing up and right,  I have pulled  the sliders right  across on the the phone setting,  it does not do it on point and track. Yours Paul.

[Prador]

Does anyone here regularly exceed the 5kg weight limit? My Mak 127 wont be a problem but the AA Starwave 80 might be too much. With all accessories fitted it tips the scales at 5.4kg. I could reduce it a bit by using a 1.25" diagonal and ditching the RDF but still going to be over. The Starwave is a bit lardy for a 80mm scope!

Apologies for adding yet another weight limit question.

[Elp]

 

1 hour ago, Prador said:

exceed the 5kg

My whole imaging train is just under 6kg, so I need nearly 2kg counterweight to balance it. You can usually tell how it's coping by watching the autoguiding graph and how loud the mount is when slewing.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Elp

[Prador]

1 hour ago, Elp said:

 

My whole imaging train is just under 6kg, so I need nearly 2kg counterweight to balance it. You can usually tell how it's coping by watching the autoguiding graph and how loud the mount is when slewing.

Hi Elp and thank you for the advice.

I wouldn't be attaching a wedge and using only in Alt-Az mode if that changes anything.

[Elp]

You might still need a counterweight to:

A. Centre the balance so it won't tip over, this is highly dependent of what tripod you're using.

B. Balance the weight over the azimuth axis so it's better for the mount.

This applies to manual alt az mounts also so I'd say the same applies. It's generally not advisable to be overloading this mount too much as it'll ruin the gears and internal meshing configuration over time.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Elp

[mr saddo]

Hi,  how do you get the skywatcher app on a windows 10 computer?  The down load button his grayed our, it says available for all devices but it's grayed out. Another thing his iam trying to connect to stellarium, says connected using a usb astro link cable from flo, but the scope won't move, it's  on  the correct com port. I can connect via wi fi to cares du ciel. I have read all the posts regarding this, yours Paul.

[Gfamily]

43 minutes ago, mr saddo said:

Hi,  how do you get the skywatcher app on a windows 10 computer?  The down load button his grayed our, it says available for all devices but it's grayed out. Another thing his iam trying to connect to stellarium, says connected using a usb astro link cable from flo, but the scope won't move, it's  on  the correct com port. I can connect via wi fi to cares du ciel. I have read all the posts regarding this, yours Paul.

Are you downloading from https://skywatcher.com/download/software/synscan-app/ ? 

The download button is working for me - it looks grey, but mouseover turns it black 

You should be able to download version 2.0.13 direct from this link https://inter-static.skywatcher.com/downloads/synscanpro_windows_2013_repack.zip 

 

[mr saddo]

21 hours ago, Gfamily said:

Are you downloading from https://skywatcher.com/download/software/synscan-app/ ? 

The download button is working for me - it looks grey, but mouseover turns it black 

You should be able to download version 2.0.13 direct from this link https://inter-static.skywatcher.com/downloads/synscanpro_windows_2013_repack.zip 

 

Nope still won't let me down load, his it because ive downloaded it on the phone? I've read that google apps are not allowed on Windows?

[Gfamily]

8 hours ago, mr saddo said:

Nope still won't let me down load, his it because ive downloaded it on the phone? I've read that google apps are not allowed on Windows?

I've no idea why it's not letting you download the Windows version - of course, you can't run an Android app on a Windows PC (unless you use an emulator of course), but the Windows version should be downloadable and runnable - unless you're using a limited access profile on a PC / laptop provided by your employer or something.  

[Elp]

What are you attempting to download?

This is the synscan app for windows latest version I can see, downloads perfectly fine:

https://skywatcher.com/download/software/synscan-app/

[Jules Tohpipi]

Potentially a bit of a daft question here.

I have 8x AA Eneloop batteries inside my AZ-GTI. Would they need to be removed if using an external 12V power supply? Or will the mount automatically default to using the external power supply - if one is detected?

 

[Elp]

I would just remove them to be safe. I doubt the mount has the sophistication of power management like a laptop or mobile phone.

[mr saddo]

On 13/11/2022 at 18:49, Elp said:

What are you attempting to download?

This is the synscan app for windows latest version I can see, downloads perfectly fine:

https://skywatcher.com/download/software/synscan-app/

I've had to buy another laptop top! Windows 11, got it now the sync scan apps on .

[SzabiB]

I started to regret to buy this mount. 

At the beginning everything was fine, than trouble arrived. 

Last night it went absolutely crazy.

- done the alignment and the mount just started to move suddenly and pointing random places (for example South Pole... which one was obviously under me)

- than during other try of aligning , started to spin 360-s on the Alt axis 

- clicking got super loud and when I managed to set it up and tried to track Jupiter, it was very shaky and gave zero good views (the whole mount shakes with every click)

- the last stunt was when I was trying to observe Mars, flipped itself perfectly 180 degrees on the Az axis and pointed in my face (the machines are coming for us....) than cut out

 

Everything is up to date and it runs from an Anker PowerHouse so deffo no firmware or power issue. 

It was -1 degrees outside, but I guess the mount should handle this kind of temperature with no problem.

Any suggestion? (I purchased it a month ago, so emailed FLO about it this morning)

[LaurenceT]

1 hour ago, SzabiB said:

I started to regret to buy this mount. 

At the beginning everything was fine, than trouble arrived. 

Last night it went absolutely crazy.

- done the alignment and the mount just started to move suddenly and pointing random places (for example South Pole... which one was obviously under me)

- than during other try of aligning , started to spin 360-s on the Alt axis 

- clicking got super loud and when I managed to set it up and tried to track Jupiter, it was very shaky and gave zero good views (the whole mount shakes with every click)

- the last stunt was when I was trying to observe Mars, flipped itself perfectly 180 degrees on the Az axis and pointed in my face (the machines are coming for us....) than cut out

 

Everything is up to date and it runs from an Anker PowerHouse so deffo no firmware or power issue. 

It was -1 degrees outside, but I guess the mount should handle this kind of temperature with no problem.

Any suggestion? (I purchased it a month ago, so emailed FLO about it this morning)

That's certainly bizarre behaviour, have you updated the firmware to the latest version?

[Pixies]

5 hours ago, SzabiB said:

I started to regret to buy this mount. 

At the beginning everything was fine, than trouble arrived. 

Last night it went absolutely crazy.

- done the alignment and the mount just started to move suddenly and pointing random places (for example South Pole... which one was obviously under me)

- than during other try of aligning , started to spin 360-s on the Alt axis 

- clicking got super loud and when I managed to set it up and tried to track Jupiter, it was very shaky and gave zero good views (the whole mount shakes with every click)

- the last stunt was when I was trying to observe Mars, flipped itself perfectly 180 degrees on the Az axis and pointed in my face (the machines are coming for us....) than cut out

 

Everything is up to date and it runs from an Anker PowerHouse so deffo no firmware or power issue. 

It was -1 degrees outside, but I guess the mount should handle this kind of temperature with no problem.

Any suggestion? (I purchased it a month ago, so emailed FLO about it this morning)

I had something similar and reinstalling the firmware fixed it. Which version are you running?

You've some problems with it. Perhaps it's worth trying to get FLO to send a replacement.

Edited November 21, 2022 by Pixies

[SzabiB]

1 hour ago, Pixies said:

I had something similar and reinstalling the firmware fixed it. Which version are you running?

You've some problems with it. Perhaps it's worth trying to get FLO to send a replacement.

Current firmware is 3.40 on it. 

I am in conversation with Chris from FLO, so we are working on the solution

 

[TerraC]

Mine has done this too. After 3 star alignment. Went bonkers pointing downwards. Had to remove power. Restart and realign and its not happened since. Done it just the once in the last 18months. 

 

[Oxize]

On 21/11/2022 at 10:07, SzabiB said:

I started to regret to buy this mount. 

At the beginning everything was fine, than trouble arrived. 

Last night it went absolutely crazy.

 

Just returned after 10+ years to this forum. I have AZ GTI for 1 year now, and i can say its verry picky on what powerplant you put behind it. 

With normal AA batteries it works okay, but cost alot batteries. So i bought some Car booster with an DC output as powerplant. This booster was a cheap chinese product.

I had all kinds of problems you mentioned above. Even tried an other chinese product solution with 6x 18650 batteries. Didnt work either. The mount had a life on his own. Doing verry weird things. 

 

After that i contacted some powerstation brands which want to help me out with a powerstation. Since i am recovering from a long term illness, i dont have much money. So Ctechi helped me out and pay the 1/2 of their GT200 powerstation and i did the other half. When i used this powerstation i had no problems at all anymore.

 

 

 

 

When you do no autoguiding, the mount has the idea to drift fast. With autoguiding i can guide 3min without trails at 400mm at 0.60 total rms. Be sure the RA gear is meshed good, with no play.

 

My photo from August less than 1 hour exposure with my Canon 60D (Magic Lantern Native ISOs).

 

 

[SzabiB]

Hi @kevroy

Thank you for your answer.

I am using an Anker PowerHouse II 400

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08PCYF3Y4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The mount was working flawlessly in the first 10-12 occasions than problems started. Few days ago I tried a different power bank and displayed the same issues. Even tried a different mobile phone to control it.

After a few email with Chris from FLO (he is very helpful and patient.. hat off), I am sending it back to further inspection. Fingers cross it will be sorted before Mars opposition (otherwise I will have a lots of nudging on my DOB)

Btw, picture is amazing, fingers cross, one day I will be able to take something similar...  

[Elp]

When powering a mount the strength and consistency of the 12v supply is critical, its a bit like a car battery and trying to start a car if there is insufficient voltage and amps the starter motor will not start. It is why I suspect I was getting issues when running the azgti on AA batteries, it would stop slewing, WiFi connection to the app would become unresponsive. As soon as I switched to a Celestron LT power tank which advertises the quality of its sustained 12v connection and it's designed to power telescope equipment, all the issues went away. @SzabiB, your mount shows erratic and random issues however which I think are more internals related.

[SzabiB]

5 minutes ago, Elp said:

When powering a mount the strength and consistency of the 12v supply is critical, its a bit like a car battery and trying to start a car if there is insufficient voltage and amps the starter motor will not start. It is why I suspect I was getting issues when running the azgti on AA batteries, it would stop slewing, WiFi connection to the app would become unresponsive. As soon as I switched to a Celestron LT power tank which advertises the quality of its sustained 12v connection and it's designed to power telescope equipment, all the issues went away. @SzabiB, your mount shows erratic and random issues however which I think are more internals related.

I am thinking forward and if turns out, that both of the power sources were rubbish what I tried (which is hard to believe, but anything is possible)... how do you find the Celestron Powertank? I am not really keen to spend more money at the moment, but if it is a must, it is a must. 

[Elp]

I chose the Lithium LT because it was the smallest one with 12v power so if I were to travel with it, it remains with my scope packaging all in one bag, it can be carried on flights also. It does have a quirk in that you can only use the 12v out or usb out, you can't use both at the same time. If using the azgti in alt az mode I found it powered for 6-8 hours approx, outside temperature does make a difference. In full AP mode powering my asiair with the asiair powering everything else it gets around 3-4 hours, which is also enough if I were to go to a dark site. It fit so many requirements of mine that I bought two, so I can power a second rig if I want, or use it to power dew bands which are very power hungry, I didn't want a bulky heavy battery to lug around, the LT is basically just a bulkier tank like proportion USB power bank.

[thekwango]

afternoon to all the azgti owners......i'm just about to hit buy on this mount to replace the original mount my 6year old SW 127. any one done the same that would care to comment on the sanity of that - is it a worthy upgrade?

i'm also going to be throwing in a telrad finder scope (hate the current one i have) and a Talentcell rechargeable power pack, curious if any one knows does the power pack come with the relevant cable to connect to the mount or should i get one separately?