Looking forward to your full review. I purchased the smaller HAE29 (non-EC) a few months ago (for very similar reasons to what you outlined in your video), and I have been very pleased with the quality and performance so far.
My experience with iOptron has also been positive, with similar experiences with their techs. Agreed about making the schematics and code open source-it would really help, especially with older mounts out of warranty.
I've had this mount for about six weeks and have been out with it about 3-4 nights (weather, go figure). Much lighter than my CEM70G and I'm getting nice, round stars with my 8" EdgeHD. You'll definitely want to use the variable exposure delay in PHD2 for good guiding, otherwise it's just fighting the encoder.
Awesome overview! I do love checking mounts from minor manufacturers like WarpAstron (the WD20 ended up replacing my AM5) and I'm now checking the UMi 17 Lite. And might check out a mount from an even more unknown manufacturer. Competition is good! I'll be very interesting to see if the mount with encoders suffers from the infamous SDE (which gets worse at the celestial equator btw for a nice stress test). Looking forward to part 2!
Thanks, Cuiv! I would be scared to recommend a mount from an unknown manufacturer on this channel. What would happen if the mount is bad? Does the unknown manufacturer have customer support? Will they honor the warranty? Do they even have a warranty? Too stressful for me 😅 Hey, btw, I might be in your neck of the woods in the coming weeks (I have to travel to south Korea for a business trip, and I might spend a day or two in Japan) 😁 Clear skies!
Je serai peut-être de passage à Tokyo le weekend du 1er Juin. Rien n’est prévu (tout se fait à la dernière minute, comme d’habitude…) C’est 2 heures de vol depuis Seoul, donc faisable pour le weekend.
Great to see reviewer looking at this mount; looking forward to part 2 of the review. I've been an early adopter and been overall happy with it (though I have the "vintage" A-version that doesn't come with the USB-C connection). I've put my SCA260 on it WITHOUT counterweight and still get pinpoint stars. Just for that it is awesome and and worth the admission price. A few comments: -I've had the same challenge with the Askar dovetail. I've fixed the issue with very inexpensive nilon washers. I've had a chat with iOptron on this, so it's a shame this wasn't fixed on later models. -I've had not so great backlash on the DEC. I can't say if it is the tension in the DEC belt or more complex mode conversion from the RA PE (aka before the encoder correction). I've tried to play with the belt tightness but didn't have the proper hex key for the job. I still get round stars so I'm adopting a 'not broken, don't fix it' attitude for now. I'll need to look at this in more details when I finish updating my Nina PC -iOptron has been pretty good in my opinion, but I feel I've needed to contact them a bit too much. The previous CEM70 I've tried had issues and went back to AgenaAstro at my cost. Conversely my AM5 has been flawless... Ioptron does get a win cause no other mount offer the same payload in the Strain-Wave category
What is your playload? And what is your total guiding RMS? Do you use a tripod or a tri-pier? .. Can't wait to receive my HAE69EC, which will arrive in a month or so 😁
@@Bakrybaso94 The SCA260 OTA alone is 32lbs. So the payload is probably around 36lbs. I'm using the tri-pier and RMS is 0.5-0.7" (which is most likely seeing limited). I've only used the ASIair with it so far, so guiding may be better in PHD2.
That is a pretty big payload to use without a counterweight, and if you get nice round pinpoint stars, I would say that you have a great mount! Yes, iOptron products are not perfect, far from it, but they offer a fairly good value as long as you make sure that your sample does not have any defect. I will emphasize how I test my mounts in part 2, and I hope this will help people with their purchase. Thanks!
@@darkskygeek you got to challenge these manufacturer claims haha. On the other side I also tested the fra400 and the lunt40 (lol) and got great guiding unsurprisingly
Thanks for this review! Hopefully, you can test it with the ASIAir since many astronomers are curious about this combination. Also, please hold up a ruler or Coke can or some other familiar object next to the mount so we can see how big it is since it's hard to tell when it's by itself. Also, what tripod or pier (and pier extension?) are you using? I'm looking forward to the next video!
Hi! I do not have an ASIAir, so I will not be able to test that, unfortunately. Also, I use an iOptron tri-pier (not the 360 version). And I do use an extension so that my long refractor does not hit the tri-pier legs. CS!
Regarding open source, Have you looked at the JTW mounts? They run on OnStepX, have dual axis encoders, and are friction drives. I own one and they are absolutely incredible. Not portable at all though but they have new ones that are 13kg with 50kg payload
Hi Apoorva! I am aware of the JTW mounts, and they do look amazing … for an observatory! 😅 Since I only review equipment I am interested in using / owning, I would not consider reviewing a JTW mount (unless I get the mount for free 😁) Clear skies!
Hello from east Texas! I have enjoyed watching Cuiv the Lazy Geek for quite awhile, now; and Cuiv recently suggested his viewers check out your channel after meeting you in his location, Japan. So, here I am! I have subscribed, and will come back to visit here in the future. You came highly recommended, and Cuiv is very credible. See you, soon, and I am certain to enjoy your videos and learning from your expertise! All the best!
I have not had the chance to test out the WarpAstron WD-20, and I did see Cuiv’s video. I would be scared to buy such an expensive mount from AliExpress and such. What happens if the mount has a problem? Do they even have customer support? Will they honor the warranty? (Do they even have a warranty? 😅) I honestly don’t know, and I would not feel comfortable recommending that on my channel. Thanks!
Last I heard they were close to announcing a US based dealer. When they do you’ll get your warranty support through them. I’m waiting too. But that mount is 1/2 the weight of the one you’re looking at and almost the same capacity. It’d be perfect for anyone who has to setup/take down every night like me 😂
I talked ro Cuiv about the WarpAstron WD-20 on Saturday night, when we met up in Tokyo, and he confirmed privately everything he said publicly: he loves that mount! CS!
I have an HAE43EC and its not been a perfect experience, but its been pretty freaking good. The HAE69EC is the one to get for sure since it has a power saddle.
Great review man, on RUclips there arent many other guys who post their opinions w ioptron and personally im an owner of one too, tbh i always had a great time with the assistance, instead i had to tweak a bit with the mount, since i didnt have an exceptional tracking, and now its around 0.5" even tho my rig is 8kg and the payload capacity of the gem28 is 12.7, even here i like the quirks that ioptron does to it's mounts, nice alle screw specific areas where to keep it and very good gears and bearings if you tweak a bit, however some other things should be taken away, i dont like the fact that if you loosen the altitude screw you have an altitude while if you tighten it again you have a different one.
Finally, a comprehensive review of this mount! Excellent job! I just ordered the same mount yesterday. It will be an upgrade from my EQ6-R Pro to use with my EdgeHD 9.25" scope and ASI2600MM camera. Do you think I'll need to use the counterweight since my altitude is only about 23 degrees and I'll use it on the LiteRoc tripod (Hopefully I'll get the Tri-Pier in the future)? Looking forward to your next video-hope you share it soon!
I would use a 10 lbs counterweight for this setup, just to be safe, even if the mount can handle your equipment without a counterweight. But that’s just me. Try it and let us know!
I have the next smaller unit but still EC. I found on power up, you must first “find zero”. Next, using he app on my iPhone, I send location data from the iPhone to the handset. Really handy since I always am portable. One annoying thing was I found the ST4 guiding port was disabled (I think only on RA). I guess they assume with encoder mounts that you don’t need it. Well I’ve been using it for solar during the day. I use the Hinode guider for solar that uses the ST4 port which didn’t work. Eventually I found a software option to enable this port so that I could guide. (The Hinode is a stand alone box designed for the sun with no pulse guiding). Something I haven’t tried is does enabling the ST4 disable the encoders. If so, that’s bad. My Astro-Physics Mach2 has encoders and ST4 port although I’ve not tested the AP mount with Solar. My HAE43EC uses a handset and that’s where the USB plugs for ASCOM interface so you have to use a handset. I don’t see that as a problem as it’s still only one cable to the mount but some skywatcher people I talk to really find that unacceptable and dismissive of my point that it’s not bad and still only one cable but you have to sit the handset somewhere. I think it’s fiddly to swap between Alt/Az and EQ. I had to buy a screwdriver as my existing screwdrivers didn’t fit. I leave this driver in the box but as they supplied the Allan key and have a place to mount it, so they should with the screwdriver.
When you started talking about the CEM70 mounting on the TriPier I would have been very disappointed if you did not mention what a pain it is for mobile setup users. Also, almost as big a complaint for me is the carry case. I really like the type of foam they use, it is very durable, but it is a pain having to reset the DEC axis to 0 to get it to fit in the box. Of course I realize it would be very expensive to customize each person's case, but maybe have the box slightly larger so you can keep the DEC axis at your preferred position.
Thanks for the review, however, it seems there will be no HAE69EC offered by iOptron moving forward, only HAE69B iMate. Luckily, looks like iMate is easy to bypass, so your review is still perfectly valuable. Looking forward to part 2!
Where did you get that information about the HAE69EC? I still see the HAE69C and HAE69C EC as available everywhere. Anyway, yes, the internals of the mount are the same between the two models.
@@darkskygeek in private comms with ioptron. There're two flavors of HAE69 with precision encoders - HE694A and HE694C, the former is discontinued, the latter is the one you're reviewing, to be discontinued, timing is uncertain, backordered at the moment. Also, the smaller sister model with precision encoder HAE43EC (HE434PA) is discontinued. IOptron's part numbering scheme is a mess, I don't know why they introduced so many different models. And then there's HE694B, which is basically HE694C with iMate.
I checked in on this with iOptron, and it seems like this is not the case. What iOptron confirmed is that the early version of the HAE mount, which relies on the 8409 handset to communicate with the mount, is going to be discontinued. HAE B and C are new designs, and they are here to stay. With these new designs, the handset is optional. Hope this helps!
@@darkskygeek it repeats what I was told with the difference of the C, so it just makes me take the old email and go back to them to explain the discrepancy. But it's great news if C is in fact not in line for discontinuation.
I have the non-EC version of the HAE69C. I don't think the extra €1000 is worth it to be honest. My guiding is excellent at ~0.30" at all times. I love this mount. I bought it because i have had enough of the CEM70G and the annoying 3D balancing stuff. I will never use a CEM design again. I use AsiAir Plus, and since this is a harmonic drive mount, the guide settings are different than a standard EQ mount. My current settings are as follows: Calibration step: 1000ms Guide exposure length: 0.5 - 1.0s (Gain 200-300) Max Ra Duration: 600ms Max Dec Duration: 600ms Ra Aggression: 55% Dec Aggression: 35%
First thing I noticed was that adding a counter weight only increased the capacity 10 lbs where most other strainwave drives I have looked at almost double the capacity. What's up with that? I would think adding a weight to this mount should at least get you to 100 lbs easily! (I have an OTA that weighs about 90 lbs and was really drooling over this... oh well)
Usb3 has been a problem in the past for connections. Ive been out of AP for some time, so im not sure if the problem has been rectified? I have a cem70g with usb3 and the only resolution was just to use usb2 cables.
@@darkskygeek is there an aftermarket replacement or do i have to contact ioptron again? Its not a big deal really, the transfer speeds of usb2 for the purpose of still pics is plenty fast. Usb3 i would assume is more for video, which i dont use. I mean, perhaps one day i could use it for the moon, but im not into planetary AP, yet, lol. By the way, do you have a link for the FFT software the cloudy night users made? Is it paid software? And thanks for video and quick response.
The INDI driver is NOT an iOptron product. If you want to use INDI then you are on your own if there are issues. My experience with iOptron support over the past 15 years has been positive. They are not going to answer the phone but all my emails have been responded to quite quickly.
you cant purchase the imate module separately, its literally its own mount and cant even be controlled by nina or anything external. i wish they'd just cancel imate altogether.
4:29 foldable wheels on a tripod solves this issue as does having it in a dedicated spot, let's face it if you have that much money laying around you definitely can afford one of those solutions.
I have the HAE43ec variant. While it's a great mount there are 2 main points that make me not love it. 1 is that you are required to use the hand controller to control the mount. This is the dumbest design ever, I hope the HAE69ec doesn't have this point. Second is that the dec plate sits so close to the RA head that I can't use even a short refractor with a filter wheel at zenith without hitting the pier. That's even with a pier extension. End up losing like 30 mins of zenith out of fear of collision. Their software also is not so intuitive on trying to avoid this.
I'm kinda sick of all these mounts being released that only the rich or professional can justify buying, I get it there are a lot of whales in that segment but there are also many more people in the sub 1k budget range that need a mount for their scope, there is no need to be fancy with the looks, no need to be light just make it do it's job and be affordable.
There are mounts available in all segments of the market. This one is definitely priced at the higher end of the market. However, iOptron and other brands do supply more reasonably priced mounts for folks who are not able or willing to spend this much money. At the end of the day, everybody should be able to find what they need at a price they can afford 😉
I've been checking your channel every day to see if you've uploaded part 2 yet. Still waiting! 😂🙏🏼
Hey, thanks! I’m on a business trip in south Korea and Japan right now, so part 2 of this video probably won’t be out until early-mid July. CS!
Looking forward to your full review. I purchased the smaller HAE29 (non-EC) a few months ago (for very similar reasons to what you outlined in your video), and I have been very pleased with the quality and performance so far.
My experience with iOptron has also been positive, with similar experiences with their techs. Agreed about making the schematics and code open source-it would really help, especially with older mounts out of warranty.
I've had this mount for about six weeks and have been out with it about 3-4 nights (weather, go figure). Much lighter than my CEM70G and I'm getting nice, round stars with my 8" EdgeHD. You'll definitely want to use the variable exposure delay in PHD2 for good guiding, otherwise it's just fighting the encoder.
Thank you for the great tip! Will try it out. Thanks!
My father has this mount, on a solid pier. We consistently get
I'll be very interested in seeing how it guides for you. Most of the people I know with ioptron ec variant mounts ran into problems with phd2.
Will most definitely share this in the next video. Thanks, James!
Awesome overview! I do love checking mounts from minor manufacturers like WarpAstron (the WD20 ended up replacing my AM5) and I'm now checking the UMi 17 Lite. And might check out a mount from an even more unknown manufacturer. Competition is good! I'll be very interesting to see if the mount with encoders suffers from the infamous SDE (which gets worse at the celestial equator btw for a nice stress test). Looking forward to part 2!
Thanks, Cuiv! I would be scared to recommend a mount from an unknown manufacturer on this channel. What would happen if the mount is bad? Does the unknown manufacturer have customer support? Will they honor the warranty? Do they even have a warranty? Too stressful for me 😅 Hey, btw, I might be in your neck of the woods in the coming weeks (I have to travel to south Korea for a business trip, and I might spend a day or two in Japan) 😁 Clear skies!
@@darkskygeek yep, I understand the feeling! Woohoo, let me know if you end up making it to Japan for a couple of days!
Je serai peut-être de passage à Tokyo le weekend du 1er Juin. Rien n’est prévu (tout se fait à la dernière minute, comme d’habitude…) C’est 2 heures de vol depuis Seoul, donc faisable pour le weekend.
Great to see reviewer looking at this mount; looking forward to part 2 of the review. I've been an early adopter and been overall happy with it (though I have the "vintage" A-version that doesn't come with the USB-C connection). I've put my SCA260 on it WITHOUT counterweight and still get pinpoint stars. Just for that it is awesome and and worth the admission price. A few comments:
-I've had the same challenge with the Askar dovetail. I've fixed the issue with very inexpensive nilon washers. I've had a chat with iOptron on this, so it's a shame this wasn't fixed on later models.
-I've had not so great backlash on the DEC. I can't say if it is the tension in the DEC belt or more complex mode conversion from the RA PE (aka before the encoder correction). I've tried to play with the belt tightness but didn't have the proper hex key for the job. I still get round stars so I'm adopting a 'not broken, don't fix it' attitude for now. I'll need to look at this in more details when I finish updating my Nina PC
-iOptron has been pretty good in my opinion, but I feel I've needed to contact them a bit too much. The previous CEM70 I've tried had issues and went back to AgenaAstro at my cost. Conversely my AM5 has been flawless... Ioptron does get a win cause no other mount offer the same payload in the Strain-Wave category
What is your playload? And what is your total guiding RMS? Do you use a tripod or a tri-pier? .. Can't wait to receive my HAE69EC, which will arrive in a month or so 😁
@@Bakrybaso94 The SCA260 OTA alone is 32lbs. So the payload is probably around 36lbs. I'm using the tri-pier and RMS is 0.5-0.7" (which is most likely seeing limited). I've only used the ASIair with it so far, so guiding may be better in PHD2.
That is a pretty big payload to use without a counterweight, and if you get nice round pinpoint stars, I would say that you have a great mount! Yes, iOptron products are not perfect, far from it, but they offer a fairly good value as long as you make sure that your sample does not have any defect. I will emphasize how I test my mounts in part 2, and I hope this will help people with their purchase. Thanks!
@@darkskygeek you got to challenge these manufacturer claims haha. On the other side I also tested the fra400 and the lunt40 (lol) and got great guiding unsurprisingly
Thanks for this review! Hopefully, you can test it with the ASIAir since many astronomers are curious about this combination. Also, please hold up a ruler or Coke can or some other familiar object next to the mount so we can see how big it is since it's hard to tell when it's by itself. Also, what tripod or pier (and pier extension?) are you using? I'm looking forward to the next video!
Hi! I do not have an ASIAir, so I will not be able to test that, unfortunately. Also, I use an iOptron tri-pier (not the 360 version). And I do use an extension so that my long refractor does not hit the tri-pier legs. CS!
I agree with your wish list and am looking forward to Part II to see how this stacks up. Thanks for the great content!
Regarding open source, Have you looked at the JTW mounts? They run on OnStepX, have dual axis encoders, and are friction drives. I own one and they are absolutely incredible. Not portable at all though but they have new ones that are 13kg with 50kg payload
Hi Apoorva! I am aware of the JTW mounts, and they do look amazing … for an observatory! 😅 Since I only review equipment I am interested in using / owning, I would not consider reviewing a JTW mount (unless I get the mount for free 😁) Clear skies!
Hello from east Texas! I have enjoyed watching Cuiv the Lazy Geek for quite awhile, now; and Cuiv recently suggested his viewers check out your channel after meeting you in his location, Japan. So, here I am! I have subscribed, and will come back to visit here in the future. You came highly recommended, and Cuiv is very credible. See you, soon, and I am certain to enjoy your videos and learning from your expertise! All the best!
Thank you so much!
Your comment about the paint hits a nerve. All my iOptron equipment scratches really easily. Tri pier, CEM70, etc. it makes it seem aged, really fast.
Have you also looked at the WarpAstron WD-20 mount? Cuiv, The Lazy Geek loved it and bought it as his new mount.
I have not had the chance to test out the WarpAstron WD-20, and I did see Cuiv’s video. I would be scared to buy such an expensive mount from AliExpress and such. What happens if the mount has a problem? Do they even have customer support? Will they honor the warranty? (Do they even have a warranty? 😅) I honestly don’t know, and I would not feel comfortable recommending that on my channel. Thanks!
Last I heard they were close to announcing a US based dealer. When they do you’ll get your warranty support through them.
I’m waiting too. But that mount is 1/2 the weight of the one you’re looking at and almost the same capacity.
It’d be perfect for anyone who has to setup/take down every night like me 😂
Well what do you know. Wait a minute and you can get your wish!
AgenaAstro is now an official dealer for WarpAstron!
I talked ro Cuiv about the WarpAstron WD-20 on Saturday night, when we met up in Tokyo, and he confirmed privately everything he said publicly: he loves that mount! CS!
Astroworld Telescopes is also a new US dealer for WarpAstron.
(Also pretty amazing you and Cuiv could meet in Tokyo!)
Fanstastic news, now I can look forward to seeing some great deals on secondhand CEM70 mounts.
I have an HAE43EC and its not been a perfect experience, but its been pretty freaking good. The HAE69EC is the one to get for sure since it has a power saddle.
Curious what were the issues you encountered?
Great review man, on RUclips there arent many other guys who post their opinions w ioptron and personally im an owner of one too, tbh i always had a great time with the assistance, instead i had to tweak a bit with the mount, since i didnt have an exceptional tracking, and now its around 0.5" even tho my rig is 8kg and the payload capacity of the gem28 is 12.7, even here i like the quirks that ioptron does to it's mounts, nice alle screw specific areas where to keep it and very good gears and bearings if you tweak a bit, however some other things should be taken away, i dont like the fact that if you loosen the altitude screw you have an altitude while if you tighten it again you have a different one.
I have been waiting for a video like this, congrats on being the first!
Finally, a comprehensive review of this mount! Excellent job! I just ordered the same mount yesterday. It will be an upgrade from my EQ6-R Pro to use with my EdgeHD 9.25" scope and ASI2600MM camera. Do you think I'll need to use the counterweight since my altitude is only about 23 degrees and I'll use it on the LiteRoc tripod (Hopefully I'll get the Tri-Pier in the future)?
Looking forward to your next video-hope you share it soon!
I would use a 10 lbs counterweight for this setup, just to be safe, even if the mount can handle your equipment without a counterweight. But that’s just me. Try it and let us know!
Mount weight 12kg, astrophotography capacity 35kg, no guiding, accuracy 0.02”/min. Do you like it?
You’ll have to watch the next video to find out 😉
I have the next smaller unit but still EC. I found on power up, you must first “find zero”. Next, using he app on my iPhone, I send location data from the iPhone to the handset. Really handy since I always am portable. One annoying thing was I found the ST4 guiding port was disabled (I think only on RA). I guess they assume with encoder mounts that you don’t need it. Well I’ve been using it for solar during the day. I use the Hinode guider for solar that uses the ST4 port which didn’t work. Eventually I found a software option to enable this port so that I could guide. (The Hinode is a stand alone box designed for the sun with no pulse guiding). Something I haven’t tried is does enabling the ST4 disable the encoders. If so, that’s bad. My Astro-Physics Mach2 has encoders and ST4 port although I’ve not tested the AP mount with Solar. My HAE43EC uses a handset and that’s where the USB plugs for ASCOM interface so you have to use a handset. I don’t see that as a problem as it’s still only one cable to the mount but some skywatcher people I talk to really find that unacceptable and dismissive of my point that it’s not bad and still only one cable but you have to sit the handset somewhere. I think it’s fiddly to swap between Alt/Az and EQ. I had to buy a screwdriver as my existing screwdrivers didn’t fit. I leave this driver in the box but as they supplied the Allan key and have a place to mount it, so they should with the screwdriver.
I would be interested to know how it would work with heavy equipment such as my Edge 14 and CDK 14
When you started talking about the CEM70 mounting on the TriPier I would have been very disappointed if you did not mention what a pain it is for mobile setup users. Also, almost as big a complaint for me is the carry case. I really like the type of foam they use, it is very durable, but it is a pain having to reset the DEC axis to 0 to get it to fit in the box. Of course I realize it would be very expensive to customize each person's case, but maybe have the box slightly larger so you can keep the DEC axis at your preferred position.
Yeah, as soon as I rob the next bank, I'm going to consider this one! 😂
Thanks for the review, however, it seems there will be no HAE69EC offered by iOptron moving forward, only HAE69B iMate. Luckily, looks like iMate is easy to bypass, so your review is still perfectly valuable. Looking forward to part 2!
Where did you get that information about the HAE69EC? I still see the HAE69C and HAE69C EC as available everywhere. Anyway, yes, the internals of the mount are the same between the two models.
@@darkskygeek in private comms with ioptron. There're two flavors of HAE69 with precision encoders - HE694A and HE694C, the former is discontinued, the latter is the one you're reviewing, to be discontinued, timing is uncertain, backordered at the moment. Also, the smaller sister model with precision encoder HAE43EC (HE434PA) is discontinued. IOptron's part numbering scheme is a mess, I don't know why they introduced so many different models. And then there's HE694B, which is basically HE694C with iMate.
I checked in on this with iOptron, and it seems like this is not the case. What iOptron confirmed is that the early version of the HAE mount, which relies on the 8409 handset to communicate with the mount, is going to be discontinued. HAE B and C are new designs, and they are here to stay. With these new designs, the handset is optional. Hope this helps!
@@darkskygeek it repeats what I was told with the difference of the C, so it just makes me take the old email and go back to them to explain the discrepancy. But it's great news if C is in fact not in line for discontinuation.
I have the non-EC version of the HAE69C. I don't think the extra €1000 is worth it to be honest. My guiding is excellent at ~0.30" at all times. I love this mount. I bought it because i have had enough of the CEM70G and the annoying 3D balancing stuff. I will never use a CEM design again.
I use AsiAir Plus, and since this is a harmonic drive mount, the guide settings are different than a standard EQ mount. My current settings are as follows:
Calibration step: 1000ms
Guide exposure length: 0.5 - 1.0s (Gain 200-300)
Max Ra Duration: 600ms
Max Dec Duration: 600ms
Ra Aggression: 55%
Dec Aggression: 35%
First thing I noticed was that adding a counter weight only increased the capacity 10 lbs where most other strainwave drives I have looked at almost double the capacity. What's up with that? I would think adding a weight to this mount should at least get you to 100 lbs easily! (I have an OTA that weighs about 90 lbs and was really drooling over this... oh well)
Usb3 has been a problem in the past for connections. Ive been out of AP for some time, so im not sure if the problem has been rectified?
I have a cem70g with usb3 and the only resolution was just to use usb2 cables.
The problem is with the hub. I would not trust iOptron’s USB hub. They are of notoriously low quality…
@@darkskygeek is there an aftermarket replacement or do i have to contact ioptron again?
Its not a big deal really, the transfer speeds of usb2 for the purpose of still pics is plenty fast. Usb3 i would assume is more for video, which i dont use.
I mean, perhaps one day i could use it for the moon, but im not into planetary AP, yet, lol.
By the way, do you have a link for the FFT software the cloudy night users made? Is it paid software?
And thanks for video and quick response.
I suppose you would have to contact iOptron if you wanted to get a replacement hub.
Excellent, Julien! Great presentation--and it helps that you're so charming!
The INDI driver is NOT an iOptron product. If you want to use INDI then you are on your own if there are issues. My experience with iOptron support over the past 15 years has been positive. They are not going to answer the phone but all my emails have been responded to quite quickly.
Nina is good for PA, but I myself find Sharpcap PA to be quicker and more accurate
ZWO has cornered the strain wave mount market.
Yes, and that’s not so great for us consumers. Competition is always a good thing! 😁
you cant purchase the imate module separately, its literally its own mount and cant even be controlled by nina or anything external. i wish they'd just cancel imate altogether.
4:29 foldable wheels on a tripod solves this issue as does having it in a dedicated spot, let's face it if you have that much money laying around you definitely can afford one of those solutions.
Absolutely right. However, if you wish to bring your equipment under darker skies, having a lightweight mount can be a real back saver!
I have the HAE43ec variant. While it's a great mount there are 2 main points that make me not love it. 1 is that you are required to use the hand controller to control the mount. This is the dumbest design ever, I hope the HAE69ec doesn't have this point. Second is that the dec plate sits so close to the RA head that I can't use even a short refractor with a filter wheel at zenith without hitting the pier. That's even with a pier extension. End up losing like 30 mins of zenith out of fear of collision. Their software also is not so intuitive on trying to avoid this.
The HAE69C EC can be controlled by a computer without the need for the hand controller.
I'm kinda sick of all these mounts being released that only the rich or professional can justify buying, I get it there are a lot of whales in that segment but there are also many more people in the sub 1k budget range that need a mount for their scope, there is no need to be fancy with the looks, no need to be light just make it do it's job and be affordable.
There are mounts available in all segments of the market. This one is definitely priced at the higher end of the market. However, iOptron and other brands do supply more reasonably priced mounts for folks who are not able or willing to spend this much money. At the end of the day, everybody should be able to find what they need at a price they can afford 😉
So, you have bought a scope which needs a mount you can’t afford?
@@bronco_fv i built my 127mm refractor precisely because I couldn't afford one large enough to work unguided.
@@darkskygeek I would like to see some kind of video or list on the topic.
Umi17 - direct from China. Perfect mount, runs Onstep.