Skywatcher AZ GTI mount owners thread

[licho52]

I did the ghetto dumbell thing for a while but these were smaller and easier to store and transport.  The 2 weights basically covered the weight of a Redcat+Asiair with 2600MC and a zwo filter drawer.

[CHR15]

17 hours ago, Elp said:

Most of this is sourced via eBay, if you're lucky to have a local fastener shop around they may even give you this stuff for free depending on your relations with them. Search for large M12 washer, sort filtering to lowest price plus postage and filter to UK only to filter out the cheaper eastern prices. The washer is approx 50mm OD and 14mm ID and around 1.5-2mm thick. The flanged nuts are the serrated type so there's some metal texture to grip onto. You could add sticky backed foam onto the washers to grip the weight better but I haven't seen a need to, just make sure the OD of the washer is larger than the centre hole of the weight. If you're really picky, you could fashion a bush/nut to fit in the centre of the weights clamped to the bar to reduce their side to side movement when assembled. My all threads are 300mm long, any longer like 400mm and you may get lateral movement as there isn't enough thread engagement from the azgti to the all thread when screwed in (you can always buy longer and cut it down, but can't go the other way if it's short). Some photos of the dslr bar I use for reference:

The cost of buying potentially 2 counterweight kits to making my own makes the decision easy, especially as I already have 2×1kg dumbell weights

[happy-kat]

Checked the version on the mount, 3.36 (released Oct 21) so updated just now to 3.40 not EQ mode though as want to test it in az pure to start. Update went smoothly.

[AstroNebulee]

17 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

Checked the version on the mount, 3.36 (released Oct 21) so updated just now to 3.40 not EQ mode though as want to test it in az pure to start. Update went smoothly.

I'm still running 3.36 on my AzGti in EQ. I found with mine if it ain't broke don't fix it. I'm pleased to hear the update went smoothly and you have a good experience with update 3.40 😊

Lee

[happy-kat]

unfortunately the experience didn't go so well, tracking was pretty much none existent so first step as nothing to lose flashing the eq version and using in altaz, I will see how that goes before fishing around for the next resource to try as holding off for now opening it up as free movement is a bit tighter/stiff then I think it should be

the AZ3 tripod accessory tray mount worked great very stable

 

[AstroNebulee]

6 hours ago, happy-kat said:

unfortunately the experience didn't go so well, tracking was pretty much none existent so first step as nothing to lose flashing the eq version and using in altaz, I will see how that goes before fishing around for the next resource to try as holding off for now opening it up as free movement is a bit tighter/stiff then I think it should be

the AZ3 tripod accessory tray mount worked great very stable

 

Sorry to hear your experience didn't go well with your session. Hopefully the eq flashed version goes well. If not maybe try the 3.36 eq version. As you say the stiffness in the movement might be causing the issue but try all other avenues first. 

Lee

[photon08]

On 05/04/2023 at 00:14, koen said:

By the way, how's the flexing of that whole assembly mounted on the camera flash shoe?

On my DSLR that's not something I'd want to mount a guide scope on...

I agree that it's far from ideal. My guiding accuracy is ~ 2" (instead of sub-arcsec I've seen many achieve).  If there were an alternative, I'd go with that, but I couldn't figure out one.  

 

I have FMA 180 and mounting options for that scope with DSLR + guidescope is pretty limited, I'm afraid.   With a newer version (pro version) of the same scope (FMA 180 pro), it's much easier, I think although I'm not sure a DSLR can be attached to FMA 180 pro (finder shoe at the top of the  FMA 180 Pro may interfere with the prism of my DSLR, Canon EOS 605D/T4i).  

[Elp]

There are multiple ways in which to assemble a lens, asiair and guidescope as I've done it in a number of different ways depending on what I'm imaging with. This include mounting a guidescope or asiair underneath the dovetail in clearance around full RA rotation. For mounting flexibility invest in longer or more than one dovetail bar or dslr cheese plates for infinite flexibility and adjustment.

[powerlord]

With the hens teeth like rareness of clear nights recently, I set the azgti up again last night, so imaging with 3 setups all at same time. This time with redcat and 6d. Shot 7822 all night.well..and some trees as pretty low. Wee azgti did a good job, rms under 1". The biggest pita with it is the rubbish ioptron wedge I have..takes ages to pa everytime. But then it run like clockwork.

My tips for guiding are:

-Don't calibrate above 60° or so, pick something lower.

-don't be afraid to up the aggressiveness to 80-90.

-have your max guide pulses in the 8000 range.

-guide interval around 2 or even 3 secs.

 

 

[Elp]

That takes some doing. I usually stand firm at setting up two only, yday did my dual SY135 azgti, still needs some refinement to get the second lens pointing centre but I think it's nearly there. Lextreme data however was awful. The O3 however was good. Considering how windy it was and getting RMS of 4-5 I'm surprised I managed to stack more than 50pc of subs okay.

[CHR15]

Following on from the diy counterweight...the official counterweight costs £35. I already had a dumbell weight so the overall cost of making my own was £10.91!

Once you've set up your rig, do you leave it fully assembled or break it down?

 

[Elp]

Always setup and breakdown unless a few days good weather is forecast.

[AstroNebulee]

4 hours ago, CHR15 said:

Following on from the diy counterweight...the official counterweight costs £35. I already had a dumbell weight so the overall cost of making my own was £10.91!

Once you've set up your rig, do you leave it fully assembled or break it down?

 

Looks great. I hope first light for your CW bar set up goes well.

For my imaging rig I leave it set up and a couple of dust sheets over it, rightly or wrongly. 

Lee 

[CHR15]

This maybe a bit of a silly question but as a total newbie to eq mounts, when polar aligning, is it the mount that needs to be pointing towards polaris (the threaded bar of the counterweight pointing towards it) rather than finding polaris in the eyepiece in the telescope (what I usually do before laying the telescope horizontal and doing a north level alignment in alt az mode).

I also have asiair plus which has polar alignment on it. If the camera takes photos to determine where it is pointing, obviously it won't be pointing at polaris. Is this correct? How does polar alignment work?

[powerlord]

no, camera should be pointing at polaris in north. bar pointing at angle into ground to north . the azgti power port facing ground, same as bar.

So basically the bit that rotates around the bar becomes your RA, and the bit that rotates around the base becomes the DEC.

stu

 

Edited April 21, 2023 by powerlord

[CHR15]

46 minutes ago, powerlord said:

no, camera should be pointing at polaris in north. bar pointing at angle into ground to north . the azgti power port facing ground, same as bar.

So basically the bit that rotates around the bar becomes your RA, and the bit that rotates around the base becomes the DEC.

stu

 

Thanks. That's how I set mine up yesterday afternoon. I was watching a video last night about how to polar align without seeing polaris. I guess it's just another way rather than just being one way.

[powerlord]

yes, if you enable that in asiair you can point it somewhere else, but it must still be setup exactly as above. It's just that then to polar align you could rotate it to point at something you can see - venus, etc.

stu

[Apprentice]

Does anyone have and use the skywatcher "heavy duty" 1.75 steel (with 3/8 screw) tripod for the gti?

 

I bought one, and seem to have issues with screwing the mount with extension pier to it. I can only get like 5 full rotations on the screw and then it becomes impossible to screw it any further. But the extension is not snug on the tripod and you can still rotate the entire mount with extension around its axis.

Also bought the skywatcher counterweight kit, which doesnt seem to fit the counterweight shaft on the mount. Kinda bummed out with this.

[happy-kat]

The star adventurer is an M8 thread you'll want an M8 to M12 adaptor, perhaps someone has a link to one to add to the post (az-gti hole you thread to is M12)

The extension needs a full size bolt UNC 3/8 to fit the extension thread, I don't know what size is on your tripod

 

Edited April 24, 2023 by happy-kat

[Apprentice]

It's the 3/8, but ehen screwing the extension on the tripod, i can only screw it so far, then it becomes to stiff despite best efforts. Like the bolt becomes too wide or the thread too narrow. Not sure if I am explaining this right

[happy-kat]

Oh I see, I'm assuming your tripod bolt still has a way to thread in, as a stop gap while identifying if the issue is with the extension thread or the tripod thread you could pad the gap with a washer or two to see if that is then firm fixing. (Just as temporary test/fix while identifying where issue is)

Edited April 24, 2023 by happy-kat

[AstroNebulee]

6 hours ago, happy-kat said:

 

quoted wrong person can be deleted mods please..... Sorry...... These may be of use to you for converting M8 to M12. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385562826991?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ms3bzdwrsze&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=Fo3Iht4XRKy&var=653390210053&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Regarding your tripod bolt have you tried screwing a 3/8 bolt into the extension tube to check how far it screws in and also tried the tripod bolt on your AzGti to see if it screws in ok.

Maybe the tripod bolt has a bit if swarf or thread damage part way on it. If a local engineering place is bear you, you could ask them to thread the tripod bolt again for you. 

 

Lee 

Edited April 24, 2023 by AstroNebulee

[AstroNebulee]

6 hours ago, Apprentice said:

It's the 3/8, but ehen screwing the extension on the tripod, i can only screw it so far, then it becomes to stiff despite best efforts. Like the bolt becomes too wide or the thread too narrow. Not sure if I am explaining this right

These may be of use to you for converting M8 to M12. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385562826991?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ms3bzdwrsze&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=Fo3Iht4XRKy&var=653390210053&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Regarding your tripod bolt have you tried screwing a 3/8 bolt into the extension tube to check how far it screws in and also tried the tripod bolt on your AzGti to see if it screws in ok.

Maybe the tripod bolt has a bit if swarf or thread damage part way on it. If a local engineering place is bear you, you could ask them to thread the tripod bolt again for you. 

 

Lee 

 

[Zermelo]

On 07/03/2023 at 15:39, SuburbanMak said:

Yes it works perfectly well with the original AZGTi pillar. Its supplied with a shorter one, 60mm. 

I've just bought an AZ-GTiX with a SW 1.75" leg 3/8" bolt tripod.

When I fitted the supplied mini extension between tripod top and mount base, I noticed some sag when I added the OTA.
I tightened everything up as much as I dared (there are warnings about over-tightening the thread into the base of the mount) but no different.

I happen already to have the aluminium extension tube supplied with the AZ-GTi, so I tried that instead of the shorter one. Lovely and solid.  The problem is, the lower face of the extension is painted metal, as is the top of the tripod. When I turn the mount manually in Az (which I will do, as I use the FreedomFind) the extension itself can turn on the tripod, which is going to kill the alignment.

I notice that the top face of the extension has a nice rubber washer, moulded to fit into recesses in the extension body. The lower face has nothing, which seems to be a problem. There isn't much overlap radially between the base and the tripod top, because of the central well in the latter, so I would need to find/make something of a suitable size.

Before I start turning the loft upside down looking, has anyone else hit this problem?  I'm not sure if the tripod bundled with the AZ-GTi(X) has the same profile on top.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Zermelo

[Zermelo]

An update to my previous post.

I found a used rubber washer with exactly the dimensions I needed (extracted and retained from some previous plumbing job ... "I might need something like that one day").  The extension pillar is now rock solid at both ends.

 

The tube is made of aluminium, and I was slightly concerned that the threaded hole at the base was being stripped by the steel threaded rod rising from the tripod, during my experimentation. I wouldn't like to keep making and breaking those joints with each session, but fortunately the design of the extension allows me to disconnect the top part, by loosening three lock screws, so I can leave the main body attached to the tripod and the top part attached to the mount.

I'm surprised that the extension only ships with a washer at one end. Actually, the sales pic doesn't even show that: