Great series. I appreciate all of the hard work you do in helping beginners like myself to understand the hobby and some ideas about the various equipment types. Much appreciated.
The Avalon mount is gorgeous! Expensive perhaps but if you buy the right mount, you buy it once. Many a beginner had bought the wrong mount and had to trade up, like me.
That beautiful Avalon mount is clearly not a toy to begin with! Thank you for the amazing content you provide to the astro community! Even though I’m no longer a beginner in the hobby, I can’t watch any of your videos without learning something!
Hello Sasha. It is always a pleasure to watch your videos. I would like to insist on the tripod issue: harmonic mounts are now mostly commercialized with a carbon fiber tripod, generally based on the TC-40 from ZWO. While it is adequate for light loads (small refractors), it is clearly insufficient for heavier ones (newtonians, SCTs 8 inches or larger for instance). If you plan to use this kind of telescopes, be sure to choose a mount for which such beefed up tripods are available
Hey Sascha, I was just wondering about compatibility if you mix and match components. For example, there is a lot of scuttle-but on RUclips that if you use ZWO that you have to stay within their ecosystem or you can run in to trouble. I am not sure if you cover this issue in this series or not but, I would be interested in your thoughts on this. BTW that is one sexy mount. Cheers and thanks for another great video.
I will cover this in part 6 - computers. But it is very easy: If you buy an ASIAir you are fully locked into the ZWO ecosystem. If you go with a mini computer and an open system like NINA, you can mix and match however you like.
There are more to mount drives: direct drive and friction drive. They both are superior to hormonic drives. Interesting, you didn’t mention trailblazing mounts from AP, Paramount, 10 micron, ASA and PlaneWave.
Agreed. Perhaps because this series is directed towards beginners, direct/friction drives were intentionally omitted due to their significantly higher prices/capabilities.
With the German Equatorial mounts it is generally accepted that only half the stated payload is recommended when imaging but does this same rule apply for harmonic drives? I have watched many reviews, and it is never stated clearly whether this also applies to these harmonic drives. Another question I have yet to find a clear answer is if there is a difference between installing the mount on a tripod verses a concrete pier? It would seem to me that a head mounted on a concrete pier would be much more stable and common sense says it should be able to carry more of a payload and still maintain the accuracy needed for imaging. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
I far as I know it applies less for a Harmonic Drive, but not maxing it out is always advised. About the Pier I see the appeal, but quite frankly, unless you have something huge and heavy - it does not make a huge difference. Perfect balancing, polar alignment and generally guiding accuracy (which are not influenced by a pier) are much more important. It reallly needs a huge focal length that there fine vibrations prevented by a pier start to matter.
i have really learned a lot from you, thank you!
Great series. I appreciate all of the hard work you do in helping beginners like myself to understand the hobby and some ideas about the various equipment types. Much appreciated.
The Avalon mount is gorgeous! Expensive perhaps but if you buy the right mount, you buy it once. Many a beginner had bought the wrong mount and had to trade up, like me.
While I understand also the attractiveness of harmonic drive mounts, the Avalon will always be my crown jewel...
That beautiful Avalon mount is clearly not a toy to begin with! Thank you for the amazing content you provide to the astro community! Even though I’m no longer a beginner in the hobby, I can’t watch any of your videos without learning something!
No, it is surely not. But I still had to mention it as this is one of the most asked question I get what this red mount is... 😉
Hello Sasha. It is always a pleasure to watch your videos. I would like to insist on the tripod issue: harmonic mounts are now mostly commercialized with a carbon fiber tripod, generally based on the TC-40 from ZWO. While it is adequate for light loads (small refractors), it is clearly insufficient for heavier ones (newtonians, SCTs 8 inches or larger for instance). If you plan to use this kind of telescopes, be sure to choose a mount for which such beefed up tripods are available
I agree 100% - great point!!!!
Hey Sascha, I was just wondering about compatibility if you mix and match components. For example, there is a lot of scuttle-but on RUclips that if you use ZWO that you have to stay within their ecosystem or you can run in to trouble. I am not sure if you cover this issue in this series or not but, I would be interested in your thoughts on this. BTW that is one sexy mount. Cheers and thanks for another great video.
I will cover this in part 6 - computers. But it is very easy: If you buy an ASIAir you are fully locked into the ZWO ecosystem. If you go with a mini computer and an open system like NINA, you can mix and match however you like.
There are more to mount drives: direct drive and friction drive. They both are superior to hormonic drives.
Interesting, you didn’t mention trailblazing mounts from AP, Paramount, 10 micron, ASA and PlaneWave.
Agreed.
Perhaps because this series is directed towards beginners, direct/friction drives were intentionally omitted due to their significantly higher prices/capabilities.
With the German Equatorial mounts it is generally accepted that only half the stated payload is recommended when imaging but does this same rule apply for harmonic drives? I have watched many reviews, and it is never stated clearly whether this also applies to these harmonic drives. Another question I have yet to find a clear answer is if there is a difference between installing the mount on a tripod verses a concrete pier? It would seem to me that a head mounted on a concrete pier would be much more stable and common sense says it should be able to carry more of a payload and still maintain the accuracy needed for imaging. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
I far as I know it applies less for a Harmonic Drive, but not maxing it out is always advised. About the Pier I see the appeal, but quite frankly, unless you have something huge and heavy - it does not make a huge difference. Perfect balancing, polar alignment and generally guiding accuracy (which are not influenced by a pier) are much more important. It reallly needs a huge focal length that there fine vibrations prevented by a pier start to matter.
@@viewintospace Thank you for replying.
Why you didn't tolk about Celestron mount?
Because their mounts have an extremely bad reputation - Celestron should really stick to their SCTs where the have not a quasi monopoly….