Skywatcher AZ GOTO Mount

[FLO]

This will please a lot of people

The portable Skywatcher AZ GOTO mount is now available on its own, without OTA, so you can add GOTO functionality to your existing telescope.

Suitable telescopes include 4-inch short-tube refractors and 5-inch Newtonians and Maksutovs.

For up-to-date pricing and specification please see our website.

[moondog]

Steve - looks good bit of kit for people who want to take their scope abroad on holiday.

How much does it weigh and what's the size when collapsed? Presume the head can be taken off the tripod?

MD

[Lee]

That's a reasonable price too, all things considered. A good move from SW.

Lee.

[FLO]

How much does it weigh and what's the size when collapsed?

8kg and 88cm

Presume the head can be taken off the tripod?

Yes

HTH

[moondog]

Thanks Steve.

It's a bit too large and heavy to take on a plane. Pity as it's a good price.

MD

[cjh2007]

Hi steve, my dad has a skywatcher 130pm, am i right in thinking i could plonk the tube straight on this mount??

[FLO]

You will need a dovetail bar, otherwise 'yes'

[digitaldave]

Steve,

That looks like it'd take a Televue TV85, don't you think?

Dave.

[FLO]

Yes, I reckon so

[Doc]

I agree just imagine a TV85, LOMO , or a TAK60 on it. Would be pretty impressive.

[vlebo]

Hi Steve

Would a Equinox 120 be to heavy for the mount ?

[FLO]

Unfortunately yes, the Equinox 120's weight/length would be too much.

[sxinias]

Steve,

I'm interested in putting a Celestron C6S on the Skywatcher AZ goto mount. While the mount should take the scope's 4.2 kg weight, I am concerned what impact the scope's 150 mm diameter will have on the mount's center of gravity.

Joe

[FLO]

That would be at the limit of what we would recommend but it will be okay, it certainly won't come to any harm.

Having said that, the SCT is a high-power telescope so would benefit from a larger mount (at high magnifications the slightest vibration is noticeable).

HTH

[sxinias]

Steve,

Thanks a bunch for the information.

You are correct about the advantages of a larger mount for the C6S. I have mine on a CG5 mount with an iOptron Nova GoTo kit installed. This combination works great at the house but weighs a ton.....movable but not portable, at least for my definition of portability.

I also want a lightweight goto mount that that will not cost a fortune to buy and that is easy to carry around for trips out in the country side where the skies are darker. Such a mount would be used for viewing only. The Skywatcher AZ goto mount appears to offer that capability. Now to find someone who will ship to Greece.

Joe

[FLO]

Now to find someone who will ship to Greece.

That might prove a challenge, sending large goods from the UK to Greece is expensive and can at times be unreliable.

Good luck

[Stars in Their Eyes]

Hi Steve,

"You will need a dovetail bar, otherwise 'yes'" ..........can you tell me a little more about this please because i also have a Skywatcher Explorer 130pm and am very interested in this GoTo mount. Thanks

[FLO]

The main features are listed HERE on our website, is there anything in particular you would like to know?

[Stars in Their Eyes]

Hi Steve, I particularly need to know about the Dovetail bar. I don;t know what this is or how to attach it to my OTA. I currently have an EQ2 mount that has "O" rings, so I wondered how my existing OTA can be attached to this.

[FLO]

Your 130pm is inside two tube-rings which are bolted to the top of your your EQ-2 mount. You will need to unbolt the rings and remove the telescope from the mount. Then, using the same bolts, you attach the tube-rings to a dovetail bar, one each end of the bar. The dovetail bar is bevelled along both sides so when it is fitted into the AZ GOTO mount's saddle and clamped, it cannot fall out.

This is much easier to do than it is to explain. It really is very easy to attach your 130P to an AZ GOTO mount

I'll see if I can find a picture later this evening.

[Stars in Their Eyes]

Thanks Steve, that's really helpful and I appreciate your advice. I'm sold!!!! Will be looking to get one of these in the next couple of weeks!!

[FLO]

[wingman]

Just ordered one of these for my 130PM. I'll let you know how it goes (not the ordering I don't mean, that was as painless as usual with FLO)

[sxinias]

Just ordered one of these for my 130PM. I'll let you know how it goes (not the ordering I don't mean, that was as painless as usual with FLO)

I purchased a SkyWalker SynScan alt azimuth goto mount a couple of weeks ago. I also know of a couple of others that either have the goto version or the automatic tracking version of the mount and tripod. One common comment is the mount’s very wobbly tripod.

The mount is solid, well built, and I think capable of handling far more than its advertised 5 kg load. It does have a couple of minor issues but that is probably true with all mounts. The electrical power connector is very easy to disconnect... meaning you have to start with the setup all over again. This is not a problem if you use the supplied battery pack as it has a locking nut; however, if you use a larger battery, ac adapter, etc without a locking nut, then be careful. For some reason it has no on/off switch. The electrical connectors between the hand controller and mount can loose proper contact (if your mount starts acting screwy, check to be sure the hand controller connector cable is firmly seated.) The biggest annoyance is the fact that the hand controller has no clock chip….meaning you must input the time and date every time you power up. It does remember your observation site’s latitude and longitude as well as any slewing limits you input.

How accurate is the mount? I frankly don’t know. So far, for me, it is a closeto not a goto. The culprit is not the mount but the tripod that comes with it. HOWEVER I HAVE A 150MM, 4.2 KG TELESCOPE MOUNTED ON IT which is much heavier than and 20mm larger than the largest scopes that SkyWatcher advertises as example scopes for the mount. It is, however, under the advertised weight limit for the mount.

The tripod is basically well designed and could be a grab and go jewel. Its base is made of cast aluminum and is more than adequate for its task. The tripod has 32 mm & 22 mm (1 ¼ inch & 7/8th inch) telescoping stainless steel legs and, instead of plastic clamps, has steel leg tightening bolts and nuts. A folding center brace that need not be removed to fold up the tripod has a removable accessory tray that snaps in place with a rotating motion. The tripod collapses to a length of 673 mm (26 ½ inches) for transportation. Mount heights range from 635 - 1090 mm (25 - 43 inches). The leg spread is more that sufficient to maintain stability with a 5 kg (11 pound), 150 mm telescope. It also has a bubble level THAT IS ACCURATE which is something I can not say for my much more expensive CG5 mount.

However, the tripod has two characteristic that negates all of its excellent design features ….. the plastic used for the tripod’s leg hinges and sockets, the center brace, etc. It is a soft flexible plastic with little rigidity; sort of like the material used by flexible rubber like laundry baskets ……. AND the leg socket tolerances are excessive. What this means is that the tripod is not rigid and easily twists and flexes.

I have a 4.2 kg load on my mount. This clearly is too much for the tripod. I am guessing but, based upon my observations, I think that something around 2 kg is about all the tripod can handle. With a 4 kg load, as the mount rotates around its azimuth axis, the weight of the mount and telescope slightly deforms the tripod’s hinges and the tripod’s legs move in their sockets. The resultant deflection changes the telescope’s orientation to the plane of the earth producing an error in both altitude and azimuth. This deflection is not visible with the eye but can be observed by watching the bubble in the tripod’s bubble level slowly rotate in synchronization with their mount’s movement around its azimuth axis.

Vibration dampening is well over two to three seconds unless you use your hand as an auxiliary dampener. This characteristic may be load dependent and not as severe with a lighter load. This makes fine focusing and eyepiece changes tedious. Once the vibration dies from eyepiece changes or focusing, the tripod functions adequately with no vibration caused when the mount is slewing to or tracking a target.

Is the tripod is usable? Yes with the lighter telescopes that SkyWatcher sells with the mount but not with a 150 mm scope weighing 4.2 kg.

I have examined my tripod very extensively as I do want to use it. I especially like its compact and light weight design. Also, the tripod is very stable from the perspective of surviving bumps in the night, high wind gusts, etc. without falling over …. all attributes important to me. I plan to use some epoxy to stiffen up the center leg brace and leg hinges. I also will use epoxy to firmly seat the tripod’s legs in their sockets. After that, I think that I will have an excellent lightweight grab and go, accurate, “GOTO” mount and tripod for my telescope.

Knowing all that I know about the mount and tripod …. Would I still purchase it? Yes, with no hesitation. I believe you get what you pay for and it’s a great bargain for its price.

BTW, I've attached a photo for the C6S on the SkyWatcher mount and tripod as well as the offending leg hinge and socket. The center brace is also too flexible.

Joe

Sxinias Greece

Meade 2045 LX3 SCT/DS2000 mount

Celestron C6S SCT/SkyWatcher SynScan AZ mount

[Deneb]

mmm, interesting I wonder how a WO 66SD will fit on one of these.