AM5 mount after 6-7 nights: quick review

[AstroPhil]

I’ve had this for around 3 weeks now and although it was shipped with the standard FLO clouds these quickly cleared and I was able to use it around 6-7 times (nights) as of time of writing. I purchased the mount to replace a Skywatcher Az-Gti as it couldn’t quite manage the payload I needed for a rooftop based (the only place I can really see the sky) wide-field imaging project using an Askar FMA230. I am sure it’ll be used with other scopes and also on travels as well. Although the list of things I don’t like is rather long, I would stress they are all minor, don’t affect functionality, and have all been addressed. Overall, it’s an excellent mount (particularly, I believe, for ASI-Air users).

Things I like:
- It really is rock solid, very well engineered, and a counterweight is not needed for my 5Kg wide-field rig. I’m sure it’ll cope with a Williams Optics Zenithstar 71 later on as well. The light weight and stability is just outstanding. I will also use it for outreach, rather than lugging my old Vixen SP and counterweight. All the controls/locks are butter-smooth and precise. The slewing accuracy and mechanics are first class.
- The app (iPhone in my case) is excellent, and works nicely on my iPad as well, whether connected via a home WiFi or through the mounts hotspot. Unlike the skywatcher Az-Gti app, it’s a full featured planetarium program, and very nicely done, very easy to use.
- Personally I like the simple/small handset/joystick rather than the “full featured” controller (which is basically the app). I don’t miss a handset at all.
- Although some folks think the matching TC40 tripod is a bit short I find it perfect for my application - with the caveat that this is currently used for a very compact wide-field rig. Extended, it is high enough for me (just about!), particularly in Alt-Az mode. I have yet to try it visually, but I can see it being just fine.
- Guiding performance hits the spec of 0.5-0.8”, albeit taking a while to get it ’tweaked’ (see below!). As I type this, the mount is getting 0.55” RMS and I have yet to drop a sub tonight. It’s very impressive. UPDATE, a week later, it was tracking at below 0.4”. I think this is outstanding, considering the unit is so light and portable. The screenshot shows early the early sessions - I/it has improved since this.
- Not having a polar alignment scope was going to be an annoyance… but it’s forced me to try out a more modern electronics/software solution (which I have been putting off!), and it’s far easier than I thought. I used Ekos/INDI for this but similar routines are built into Sharpcap, ASI-Air, and other software packages (as I understand).

Things I don’t like (mostly minor/technical):
- The system really tries to lock you in to the ASI-Air ecosystem and, as I have an Atik camera and filter wheel, and other non-ASI gear, it took a lot of time and research to be sure it’d work (thanks to FLO and many others on various websites and fora!). I’ve now gotten it working nicely with Ekos/INDI and I understand there are EQMod and NINA drivers, etc. as well. But, it took some effort.
- There is no manual to speak of. This really is not great and it took an age to read though various websites and fora to track down answers.
- Whilst the hand controller is included, a counterweight bar is not (I use the Az-Eq6 extension bar which is M12 threaded but without a counterweight as I don’t need it). Ditto, a power supply is not included. Although I have many 12v supplies ZWO might have at least thrown in a few cables into the case (they at least included an USB2 cable).
- The 12v power socket is just a simple 2.1mm barrel connector rated 5A maximum: that’s a lot of current for a rather basic socket/connector. It took me a while to find a plug that sat in there firmly as the main socket is not very deep (I was able to “wiggle out” some plugs/leads). This really ought to have been a threaded connector and use a higher voltage to reduce voltage drops. Then again, the mount technically takes 11-15v (buried in an online FAQ somewhere - details that ought to be in the MANUAL). The 12v side connector seems to be simply wired in parallel - rated 3A. Which is odd, as it means either socket can supply power to the mount, and the 3A socket is not an independent “supply output” (run from an internal DC-DC converter, say). If you put in 14v in the main power socket you get 14v out the side (caveat - I don’t have a schematic, but that’s what the multimeter suggested!). The side connector (which is panel mounted rather than PCB mounted) on my unit is extremely stiff - A Lynx astro silicone power cord can’t get in there unless I force it.
- The INDI/ASCOM driver is a bit rough. It took several nights to get it to guide properly (disabling/re-enabling pulse guiding was one solution) and it seems to have to be briefly connected to the ASI app to get time/position data before the INDI software will allow it to GoTo/slew in KStars. And because the WifI antenna is in the hand control this means the hand controller needs to be plugged in to do this: once it it set up it can be unplugged and controlled via software. And unparking the mount via INDI means first pressing “track” then “unpark” rather than just “unpark”. So, there are a few bugs for the non-ASI Air crew to deal with still (well, this one anyway!).

On the guiding, I’d also add that my 30mm/F4 astroessentials guidescope (using an Starlight Express Ultrastar camera) initially didn’t manage an RMS error below ~2-3” but when I swapped it out for a EvoGuide ED50 from my other rig it immediately decreased to around 1” (with 1s guide exposures). Then, with a better polar align, I finally got it down to 0.5” which is where I am now (plus with tweaks to the autoguider settings inside Ekos/INDI). So, it’s on spec, eventually.

Overall, I’d give this 9/10 purely as there are so many easy “tweaks” that can be made to make it better - both for ASI and non-ASI folks. Not to mention improving some of the electronics and connectors (and documentation).

Phil

 

[StevieDvd]

Yes the ZWO only gear is a bane but that's more the Asiair than the AM5. It's probably based on the Apple Mac concept of user our hardware and we don't have to support every other brand combination/drivers etc.

The PA for me with the AM5/Asiair is a dream come true, so easy & quick to do.

Yes, annoying the weights bar is not included given the price of the AM5, but then again a lot of setups won't need weights at all (one od the plus points of a harmonic drive mount).

Welcome to the club and good luck imaging with the new setup it should be easier & more fun.

 

[AstroPhil]

Yep, I don't own an ASIair but so far the AM5 works just fine with INDI/KStars (tweaks+tuning aside). I'm (perhaps) a bit old school when it comes to PA and I do like a standard polar aligning scope (doesn't need a computer/power at least!). But, having said that, the routine in KStars works very well indeed: sounds like the Asiair version is easy too.

The lack of weights bar was less annoying (to me) that a decent manual to be honest, but so far the ease of setup (and light weight) of the AM5 is superb. And the guiding is excellent too. So far so good...

[Martthebass]

Fully agree with your comments on the ZWO ecosystem.  I was already on ZWO cams and ASIair so the move to the AM5 wasn't a major concern.  As Steve says the AM5 plays very nicely with the ZWO stuff and PA is very easy and quick (certainly in comparison to my old AZEQ5 which wasn't bad by any means).

Mine was one of the early ones where the PE plot was a bit larger than the ones that are being reported now but to be honest the guiding seems to be more dependent on the seeing than anything else.  0.6" is pretty typical with 0.4" on the better nights with my <7kg load.  To me the main benefit though has to be the portability; it will be coming with me to a better sky later this month with the little Redcat and it all packs down to 3 small packages.