Some clarifications since the video was posted: Cost! In the video starting at 07:38 I note the cost difference is $1,200 to $1,500AUD. I’ve since looked on a couple of American astro gear sellers, and the difference is next to ZERO! Australia tax strikes again ☹ Curiously though, a quick look at a couple of UK astro sellers and the difference is about £900. W to T actual F? Payload. I never mentioned it, but both mounts are rated to a 20kg/44lbs payload which is why people often think of the two. The AM5 requires no counterweight from 0-10kgs/22lbs, recommend a max 5kg/11lbs counterweight for payloads between 10-13kg, and must use a max 5kg/11lbs counterweight above 13kg/29lbs. The counter weight is not to balance the head, it’s to balance the rig not tipping over. The EQ6-R Pro requires counterbalancing at any payload because it is the mount head being balanced. Drive differences. If you’re looking at this video you probably already know it, but the AM5 is a harmonic drive, and the EQ6-R Pro is a belt/worm drive.
In USA, it's a no brainer really what to get, both having the same price. The people skipping the older /heavier mounts and going straight for the AM5, since it has a similar performance.
The EQ6 r pro is a belt drive, it also comes with a polar scope, it is also a solid monster stable platform that never disappoints. Heavy, yes, affordable, much more so, it’s built for a pier for sure, I leave mine up year round. Polar Aline every 3 months just to be sure.
I love my EQ6r pro as well, I leave it on my pier year round, it’s clearly not designed to be portable, wrong application, wrong comparison completely.
I just bought one . No regards The extra weight makes everything a lot more stable. The last thing I need is my dog pushing over my telescope. I know that with all attached this is close to 80 pounds so the dog won't push it by accident.
I’ve been using my ZWO AM5 for about 3 months now, it is an EXCELLENT mount and has met/surpassed all of my expectations. I purchased it for roughly $1600 USD which is comparable to the EQ6R pro. When trying to decide between the two the AM5 was a brand new mount so there was not much in terms of reviews or comparisons. I pulled the trigger and purchased the AM5 and am happy I did. The EQ6R pro is a long lived legend and has proven to be reliable, I’m sure it’s a fantastic piece of kit but my AM5 leaves nothing to be desired. I use four scopes of 180mm FL, 525mm FL, 1250mm FL, and 2350mm FL. They all track and guide very well under 0.8.
Yeah since posting the video I found that in the US the two mounts are neck and neck in price - just us in Australia and the UK (at least) getting gouged 😞 Still no ragrets though 🙂
Thx, well done! I am really thinking of getting one of those „big boy pants“ 😊! On the other hand you pointed out the pros and cons of each one so well that it only added to the dilemma 🤣 …
@@GlennMartinPhotography I want to keep it simple and portable, on the other hand I don't want much computer-stuff involved, just mount my 6''-SC-telescope on it with my daily DSLR behind it, no guiding, no dedicated astro-camera, just a solid mount. My mighty StarAdventurer GTi works perfect with the camera and different lenses, but struggles with the telescope - although it did work out sometimes! Any suggestions? AVX?
@@stefanschneider3681 I had the same experience with the Star Adventurer (non GTI). Focal length up to 100-200mm it would go ok, but beyond that was definitly a case of diminshing returns. Honestely once you start getting into the "next level" of things, while not mandatory, but guiding and a control system like a laptop or ASIAirPro makes life sooooo much easier. And this is regardless of the mount that you get.
@@GlennMartinPhotography thanks a lot - I know ... we'll see, luckily there are just many other fun things going on in my life (family, new job, my sportsteam) that I have to balance my time and energy ☺
Hi Clem. Love the video! I live in an appartment and go up to the roof too. I went down this same upgrade route about 6 months ago (I started getting recurring back trouble from lugging my classic EQ6). The camping cart is now half the load (67.3kg -> 34.4Kg) it used to carry. Setup is very much easier and about 20 minutes quicker. A warning though! All this saved "weight" means much less "inertial mass" which plays a big role in damping. Compared with an EQ6, the AM5 PE200 TC40 combo is terrible at absorbing vibrations that can be caused by any slight mechanical flexure in the rig. Every telescope has flexure, and it can be quite significant with bigger payloads (particularly large APO's). For photography it can be a show stopper if there's any wind at all. I was completely unaware that I had a issue when running my EON 130 APO on the EQ6. When unboxing the AM5 it was immediately obvious that I was in big trouble. One tap of the finger and the whole OTA started to buzz. My dealer was a dick about it too, so I was on my own. I tried various mitigations (tripod feet upgrade for the TC40; putting 10kg counterweights + 2kg battery into the TC40's hammock; switching the vixen dovetail for a losmandy item; and removing the optional counterweight in case it was 'ringing'). None of these fixed it for me. While the rig could perform OK on windless nights, the polar alignment and focussing stubbornly remained tediously slow, annoying, and unpleasant. The first (auto) exposure was always a useless throw away whenever I needed to touch the scope. In the end I replaced the TC40 with the EQ6 tripod. It's actually very easy to replace the tripod's central screwthread with a piece of 3/8" 16 TPI rod and some knobs (from amazon) and fit the PE200 up there (I leave it attached all the time). I find this is MUCH BETTER with heavier payloads and I'd recommend you don't choose the TC40 if you go above (say) a 8" SCT or a 4" refractor. Although these legs are 5kg heavier, you dont need 10kg of ballast so you still win out on weight. Longer legs slightly extended are much more stable and this way it feels planted and SAFE to run without the counterweight (I'm right on the limit at about 12.5kg). I've ordered an AM3 and FF80, ASIair mini, and a 2600 duo to go on the TC40 and I'm working on some ideas to make this into a real (one trip one hand) grab and go rig for wider targets where I don't need the reach of the EON.
Thanks so much for the extensive reply! Unfortunately I haven't had a lot of sky time since I got mine, because clouds. But will definitely be keeping an eye on things as the payload increases over time
I'm with you all the way. I have the same equipment as you, the EQ6 r Pro and also the AM5. At my age, 67 spring young, portability is very important, but for my Newton, I prefer to use my SkyWatcher mount.
The AM5 is a forever mount for portable astrophotography rigs. I get between .3-.5 rms with 30mm scope, 120mm on phd2 1 sec subs, 25 aggressiveness ra/dec and pec training on auto. All the same with my 10lbs scope, 15lbs scope and 20lbs scopes (135mm,600mm,1500mm.) This is one of ZWO's finest products.
I have the similar AZ-EQ6 and as you say, it's a hell of a load to lug around! Luckily I live in a rural area with a sufficiently spacious backyard so I don't mind continuing to use it. I am however considering either the AM5 or AM3 (leaning more towards the AM3 because of the lighter load) as a portable setup. Being able to possibly fit it in a carry-on bag with 1 or 2 lenses for air travel is a very appealing idea to me. Great video by the way and greetings from south Victoria!
I own 2 EQ6-R-Pros [both set up permanently on my driveway] and I also own the AM3 and AM5, which I use for remote work. However, the guiding on my 2 EQ6s at times is .2 arc seconds, and I have been able to guide successfully at over 2000 mm focal length with a 60 mm guide scope [no OAG]. They are absolutely the best as they are so heavy that wind doesn't touch them and vibrations tap down quickly. Oh, as if it sounds like a joke [it's not], I have a 3rd rig set up for wide field imaging with my 16 year old Orion Sirius EQ mount that guides at .6-.8 arc seconds! Love them all!
Hi, I am wondering which of the two mounts would be a better fit for my SCT 8inch from Celestron. The alt-az stock mount is terrible with tracking. Which one you think would be a better choice for my f/2000 telescope slightly heavier.
I don't have experience with that scope (or any scope other than my William Optics), but it probably comes down to whether you feel the need to be more portable or not. There is some information suggesting the AM5 isn't great above 1,000mm but like everything online there seems to be enough people countering it saying their big scopes are fine - so you'd need to satisfy yourself with research there. You will want to be consious of balance though as the centre of gravity would move out a bit, so if you got the AM5 and tripod definitly weigh the tripod down and/or get the additional counterweight for the head.
I have just restarted my astrophotography hobby after around a 40 year hiatus. So I was at the same cross roads of debating over the EQ6-R Pro or the AM5. My reason for going with the EQ6 was because of economics and I might want to put in observatory with a more weightier telescope (a lotto job, I dream big!). But the AM5, is now on my wish list so I am saving my pennies.
Depending on where you are in the world, the price difference is either nothing (USA in particular) or substantially more as I showed in the video (Australia and UK at least).
@@GlennMartinPhotography I am in Melbourne so there was a big difference. I ended up with two rigs a Redcat 51 III on a Sky-Watcher Star Adventure GTI and ZWO FF107 on the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro.
It would be interesting to do a side by side comparison on a windy night to see if there is a tracking difference. The idea of the battery underneath is a great idea to add stability. Cheers.
I did see one video that suggested the harmonic drive would be better in wind compared to a worm drive where the mount has the potential to bounce back and forth because of backlash. But yes, no question from a weight perspective you would assume the EQ6 would handle winds better that the light packout of the AM5
One thing I've had in my mind about these new generation of harmonic drive mounts - the way they work is by constantly flexing a thin steel cup. I wonder about how that holds up against metal fatigue and work hardening over the years. Not to mention the big temperature cycles astro gear goes through. I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes a big issue maybe about 5 years from now. Yes, material design and material choice has been looked at for sure. Do we know for sure what materials ZWO is using, and if they are doing this on the cheap? I can't get away from worrying about that thin-walled flex spline being constantly under elastic deformation.
And now a year later, ZWO releases the AM5N ( N = New? ) mount with a slightly higher payload capacity w/o a counterweight and significantly lower RA Periodic Error and thru-the-mount USB & 12v Power.
You've about nailed it there. In your position I would go with AM5 too. As I have the luxury of of being able to have my mount semi permanently set up in my back yard, I'll be sticking with the EQ6-R for the foreseeable future as it works just fine.
The MAJOR issue of the AM5 for me is that it can only go to -15°C in the winter while the EQ6-R can work easily to -25° (yes i did it). So I kept the EQ6-R for real man Canadian winter imaging 😉
Precisely. I also live in Canada. The best shooting is in winter (still air and virtually no humidity), but intense cold. The SW EQ6R handles it better.
That's true, but in my country many astrophotographers disassemble am5, and change lube. After that, It's allow to use am5 under -30 C* without any doubts
Ive gone down almost the same path with mounts, started with a cheaper reflector on an alt-az mount, switched to a star adventurer 2i and now I have an EQ6R pro and its been a journey learning all the ins and outs of this. Looking to get a better camera next and then maybe a better scope
Hmm, some valid points, but they are not the same. Try to put a 6 inch refractor for visual use on both mounts... and see how long vibrations last when manually focusing. For high resolution, there is no alternative but some mass in the mount.
You made things clear within the first two minute, heavy is going to be more stable yet not as portable, i reken you'll get lower ark second wobbles with the older eq 6
I have the EQ6R and been reliable for over 3 years now and I am quite happy with it. I have been considering a smaller mount for smaller/wider field refractor setup, since I usually shoot with Newtonians, but sometimes I want to skip the ritual I do with those and just put a scope outside and image something. So the AM5 is nice, but I'm waiting to see how the upcoming AM3 will do, because it would only have to carry light setup, and that would save me some money, since it'll be cheaper than the 5.
5:39 Small remark: the Skywatcher adapter doesn't have 3/8 thread but M10. With that adapter the AM5 fits very nicely onto the Avalon T-pod series. The T-pod is heavier and bigger than the TC40, however it's still extremely portable and significantly more stable. An added benefit is that Avalons red is almost identical to ZWO's. 😄
I just bought my first mount.. The AM5 was on the short list but the ER6 won out because of $$$.. Your review pretty much sums up what I found... the added expenses of the AM5 were kind of a deal breaker.. The AM5 seems to be a superior mount but it has its own baggage :)
I wish someone would do an in-depth review of the AM5 or other strain wave mount with a SCT at focal lengths greater than 1400mm. A 71mm refractor probably guides well on an AVX mount which is what I have with my C8.
You might have trouble finding one for the AM5 as ZWO state up to 900mm focal length is as much as they would recomend for the AM5: www.zwoastro.com/product/zwo-am5/
whenever I look for such videos about new mounts, they are mostly (over 90%) irrelevant in my case, because they waste so much time always talking about the weight and mobilty etc. But I have an observatory. I don't care about the weight. I care about how GOOD the mount is, i.e. the quality, tracking, guiding ...
Nice video! I have one on my channel too (albeit in Dutch - with subtitles though). I am loving it. About the power cable issue you mentioned, you later on in the video show your scope, camera and ASIAIR. Especially the ASIAIR comes with a motherload of cables. I have my AM5 running on a powerbrick though. The ASIAIR I run through the power output on the AM5. My other mount is the CEM40 and I am considering replacing it with a second AM5 at some point. By the way, the timings in the video description are a bit off. Love the outtakes. So recognizable! ;)
Thanks so much for the feedback. And yeah, even with the ASIAirPro I still didn't have enough cables and had to go out and source a couple extra. Thanks re the timing of the chapters, since this video has taken off today I have cut some of the dead wood so I've now updated the chapter timings. Really appreciate your input 🙂
I have the AM5. It's incredible and compact. I brought it out on a semi-last minute 9 hour trip out to West Texas. It was super portable, gave me NO heartburn with setup and use, and just simply gets the job done - polar alignment, finding your target, and tracking. If you have the money, and you're one of the those "Do you know what? Let's do Astrophotography last minute!" Type people. It's worth the investment. Spend once, cry once. My ONLY gripes: You kinda need to buy the ZWO tripod (which is expensive and exclusively made for the AM5), and it doesnt come with the power cable... Both are annoying, but relatively inexpensive.
Hi Name Is Jerry Fox I really liked you information. I am a novice sky watcher. I am retired and now have time to do more star gazing. So I have been thinking about a setup with the ZWO equipment. A I feel me being the age I am (70) I think the AM5 would be the much better unit for me. All though from some of the research I have done shows that the tripod for the ZWO AM5 may have some drawbacks as to the stability of it. That is why I like a heavier and maybe less wobbly tripod. But all your information was great. Thank you,
Wow! the Cost is much hither in your location. Overall I am replacing my EQ6-R Pro with an AM5 Mount. I have two AM5 Mounts and the are great and work I think much better than the EQ6-R Pro mounts. I also have the CEM40/60/70 Mounts and would pay the extra over the EQ6-R Pro any day. Thanks for a great review.
I get PA via an ASIAirPro. If you were using a QHY PoleMaster you would either need to rig up some sort of bracket so it could face forward, or maybe at the least use velcro pads and stick it to the front face of the mount
Hi i just found your channel. I just subscribed. As you see i also have a astro channel. Great video i just wish they made either AM3 or 5 without goto for us viual only people that need tracking. Maybe both kinds one with goto for those that want that and for rest of us only tracking no goto. Anyway great video. Joe
@@GlennMartinPhotography well if someone that’s been in the hobby for 31 years now a lot of people like myself just point my equatorial mount north and then start looking sometimes that go to feature takes up to 15 minutes which it’s much longer and I’m already observing Second, I think there’s a huge population of people that lives in the cities and then all they’re gonna see is the planets and there’s no need for go to only a drive system But let me ask you this though if you don’t align the procedure then is it going to track? Most go to mount if you don’t align it then the tracking doesn’t engage. Thanks.
@@JoeJaguar got it. I'm strictly astrophotography with my setup. I'm reasonably sure you can tell the app to track in sidereal at any point (not sure about planetary). But due to the nature of the strain wave drive you do need to direct it via a controller or the app as opposed to just being able to point the head with your hands..
For apartment living am5 is must. For that rig, anything below 1.5” rms is also fine. Do you worry that someone could get you rig ? It is so lightweight.
@@GlennMartinPhotography Yeh. Astrophotography is very challenging, when someone lives in apartment. I have skipped it then, and waited “good” time. Waited 15 years. 10 years of 15 used 8” cheap dob. However, when I started astrophotography, I didn’t mess around with “beginner scope, mount, etc.”. Just drove right to point 10 micron, Tak, TEC, etc.
Nice video. New technoligies are always great and mostly user friendly. I am just about to buy new EQ6-R Pro. I have done some research on both of them, and have decided to go with EQ6 even though both are available at almost the same price. I wanted to have something that is stable and can last longer. Research shows that the Harmonic drives have 6000 hours of life, while steppers with belt drives can last more than double. With EQ6, if any thing breaks, one just need to replace stepper motor/belt (extremely cheaper), while its too costly to replace the harmonic drive (I believe). I am going to mount EQ6 on permanent pier, so weight of the head is not an issue at all.
Hi, I am just updating you that I finally bought a 3 years used (in a good condition) EQ6-R Pro on 7th April 2024 from a local private observatory (for $800 USD). Later, I disassembled it and cleaned all the bearings, gears, and re-greased them. Its works like a new or even better than the new one 😊. I just have to carry it from my backyard door to the upper deck (5-6 feet) with telescope removed, and axes unlocked - not a big deal for now. Thanks to you and all the othe viewers for their comments helping me to make the decision 👍. I also have AZ-EQ5 which works great too, and easy to carry to my lower deck (8 stairs up-down). SUBSCRIBED 🌻
Good video. Thx. Maybe you can help me. I have a homemade 10” f/8 that weighs around 28kg and I need a mount with tracking. Can you recommend one? Thx!
Well you're definitly beyond the recomended payload for these two mounts. I don't have any recomendations personally but you're into the next teir of mounts so would be looking at something like a Sky Watcher EQ8 and its competitors.
I've found the tracking to be on par between the two. Mind you I've had 2.5 years of the EQ6-R Pro and only had the AM5 out around 5 times, but for my payload of just over 9kg pretty much of a much.
I am considering the am3 mount, however I need to know on this mount , do I need a computer to move the mount, is there a hand controller. Sometimes I just want to view, I am just starting astrophotography.
There is a hand controller with the AM3. You don't *need* a computer or ASIAirPro, but at least having a smartphone that you can connect wirelessy to the AM3 you will be able to have an easier time telling it what targets you want it to point to.
The AM5 hand controller is just a joystick. So, you have to know your sky and have the usual finder hierarchy (Telrad and correct image finder for me). So, is not go-to just follow-me.
@@cliffhalliwell9955true, on it's own the hand controller is a follow-me, but once you connect the handcontroller wirelessly to a smart phone with the ASI Mount App it has full go-to functionality.
I have the AM5 and the AM3. The AM3 is now my go to travel mount - it has similar tracking to the AM5 for a light rig. The scope/camera/mount all fits into a bag all assembled and ready to go. Minutes of setup, and that suits me just fine :-)
For anyone wanting a more lightweight and portable set up, it's a no brainer. However, I leave mine set up outside on the legs and cover it over with protective sheeting etc...I do have cameras and security to protect it, however if I was a thief I know which set up I'd prefer to steal. Trying to run away with 35kg of kit vs 9kg is a lot harder!
Excellent video; I'm just planning to buy the AM5 and I have the same set (OTA/CAM/ASIAIRPLUS/Guidetube) so this video has clarified my doubts on the wight being OK for this tripod + mount. But could you help me a bit? How did you mount the AsiAPlus on one of the sides? I had to put it on top and place the Guide tuve to the AsiAPlus which I don't like it very much, I would like to place the AsiAPlus on one of the sides as your set...any help on the shoe / size of the screws that are needed? The ones that come with the classical ZWO AsiAirPlus shoe are smaller and do not fit the "holes" of the yellow mounting plate of the WOptics 91...thanks for your help and for this video!
Hi, so the thread on the WO FLT91 takes an M6 metric bolt, and you're right it's bigger than the holes in the foot that comes with the AAP. So I just drilled the hole in the AAP foot to 5mm (that's from memory, you will need to double check) and used an M6 bolt from the hardware store to mount it on the side. Check my other video on the AM5 for an unboxing and important info.
Hello, I'm having the same mount and the same scope and wanted to ask you if you ever had bad stars when the system approaches the meridian and slightly after meridian flip?
Good little mount while it lasted. Mine developed problems after a year and a half of occasional use. Still under warranty, ZWO has gone silent after a few "try this, try that " emails. Buyers beware!
Hmmm considering the fact I'm aiming to do outreach programs with lots of kids and parents, I want to say the Skywatcher is probably going to be my go to mount. Heavy sturdy and can take some abuse. Also it keeps my muscles strong 😂
Maybe I missed something, but these mounts are about $100 USD apart from each other, tripod and all. Do you still recommend the Eq6-R Pro in any way if the price difference is marginal?
Yeah after I posted the vid I found lucky us in Australia and the UK (at least) get stung quite hard, yet in the US the mounts are near enough the same price - there's some updates in the pinned comment about that. Having had both now I would go for the ZWO at the same price hands down and it's about the weight and portability. But even if that wasn't the issue, I would still go the AM5 because newer - but this is all assuming it's the first mount. Even storage, it's an overall smaller footprint and it could go in my backpack for example. If I already had the EQ6 and it was on a permenant pier would I want to upgrade, probably not (unless G.A.S.).
Hello, I hope you can help me. I have almost the sane set up : mount, trípod and scope WOptocs 91. I do not have a Filter wheel but I have a filter drawer for my ZWO294 color camera. I realized my stars look a bit elongated in the corners; I have checked the “bubbles” of the mount to be Ok, and a good centered position of the scope. This set up is supposed to get the back focus at 5,4mm right? I have also checked and rechecked this but the stars are still not punctual. I have seen the same setup getting back focus at 6,5 mm, I also tried this but did not work for me. Any tips, advice, help you can give me? Thanks indeed in advance.😊
There's two parts to the backfocus. First is your sensor to the back of the flattener, that should be 55mm - ZWO link below Then there's the 5.4mm of the flattener being adjusted - this does not change what your camera's backfocus is to the flattener Depending on which way your stars are elongating will determin if you need to adjust the back focus of the flatner in or out, see the OptCorp link below and scroll down to the image showing star shapes. That said, with my setup I still haven't been able to completly get rid of misshappen stars in the corners despite getting a CTU and a lot of faffing around. So you may not get it perfect and the BlurXterminator tool for Pixinsight has alieviated a good part of the issue for me. astronomy-imaging-camera.com/tutorials/best-back-focus-length-solutions-55mm/comment-page-3/ optcorp.com/blogs/deep-sky-imaging/how-to-set-the-correct-back-focus
Thks for your fast answer, I really appreciate it. Well, I will closely see the link in detail and steps to see if I can improve the shape of the stars; I guess I’m starting to miss the pinpoint stars I would get with my previous WOptics Z73 (which I still have) . May be I’ll let u know if I’m able to get better stars in some more days. Thks again and nice weekend
I got the AM5 as my second mount upgrading from the SkyWatcher SA2i and it’s been great but surprisingly I find it difficult and even a pain to PA. The declination adjustment works decently fine but the RA adjustment screw/knob is pretty bad. It either doesn’t work at all or it’s very janky and I always have to settle with the bare minimum PA. If anyone else has this issue or could help me find out what’s wrong I would greatly appreciate it. I also don’t know if I’m using good guide settings for my setup (Redcat 51 and 533mc pro). For calibration step and max dec and RA duration I use the default setting of 2000. My RA aggressiveness is 70 and dec 100. When imaging my total error is normally between .7-1.2. My only other complaint about the mount is that there are a lot of knobs and such that stick out so supervision during slewing and meridian flips is a must. It would be nice to go to sleep and not have to worry about setting an alarm for 3am to go outside and watch it. Other than all that it’s a great mount of high build quality and quite portable. It also works very well with asiair and other zwo stuff if you use that but it can be used with other stuff as well.
With regard to PA, I have seen some Facebook comments about one of the internal bolts binding up a bit and/or coming loose, and/or using a dry penetrating lube on some areas (DYOR). Worth going back to the manual to look at the setup process and checking the mount bolts. With your guiding, how long are your exposures? 1 to 2sec is what most people use, and try dropping the aggression down to say 50% to see if you get an improvement.
@@GlennMartinPhotography Thanks for the reply. I think I do 0.5s exposures for guiding which many forums said to do 0.5-1s for a wide field set up like a redcat. I’ll try lowering the aggression on my next night out imaging.
Could you measure the dimensions of the AM5 case - I'm flying out to a dark sky site in the autumn and the overhead cabin bag limit is 8kg and 56 x 45 x 25 cm (for Airbus fleet low cost carriers).
@@GlennMartinPhotography I may go for AM3 because as you mentioned in the video, its more suitable for a DSLR + kit lens grab and go. The AM3 isn't shipping yet so none of the suppliers have it to hand - presumably its case is smaller ? thanks for the prompt reply!
Looks can be deceiving. I recently purchased the AM5/tripod/extension to replace mi IOptron CEM25, (which is not nearly equivalent to the EQ6). The difference in weight, ease of setup and integration as well as guiding in the range of 6 - 9 arcseconds on average put it miles ahead of the IOptron setup. Once set up, it just works. No balancing issues, no fiddling with gear spring adjustments and smooth quick meridian flips and complete integration with the ASIairPro makes it a pleasure to use. I still lust for the EQ6, and if I ever move where I have a permanent perch to work from, I would get one. The AM5 suits how I work now: 2-10 hour drives on new moons to dark skies for 2-4 nights of imaging. The portability, ease of setup and performance makes it a no-brainer.
Well if you consider the price not the weight then i think go for eq6r and if you got plenty to spend then go for am5 😅 for me i consider go for eq6r cos my pocket not thick enough for am5 😂
Ok so one it’s lighter, that’s pretty obvious with a 1 second glance… how about short and long term performance and actual operation, guiding, PE, tip-overs and frustrations with each, performance in wind and tripod flex with over 50lbs on it like the EQ6 handles? Unless I’m hauling it up a mountain in a backpack it’s 5kg vs 17kg, not really a massive difference as 5kg is starting pretty low, it’s not 100kg vs 300kg, and neither are a 2 man operation…
Seeing as you asked so nice, if the clouds ever do go away I will give a long term review. But having had both I'm glad for the weight savings regardless of how obvious it might look.
@@GlennMartinPhotographyI picked up an AM5 for a second mount for my widefeild scopes, wondering how many clouds came in the box and if they’ve gone away yet? 😀 I’m not giving up my EQ6, but I’m glad to not have to choose which scope to use anymore, my poor Rokinon 135 never gets any love when the Esprit 120 needed more light. Hopefully I’ll love it as much as you do.
Feel bad for people who have to travel to clear sky’s, the big 6 clearly isn’t designed for that. Not sure why you’re comparing it here, makes no sense ?
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Some clarifications since the video was posted:
Cost! In the video starting at 07:38 I note the cost difference is $1,200 to $1,500AUD. I’ve since looked on a couple of American astro gear sellers, and the difference is next to ZERO! Australia tax strikes again ☹ Curiously though, a quick look at a couple of UK astro sellers and the difference is about £900. W to T actual F?
Payload. I never mentioned it, but both mounts are rated to a 20kg/44lbs payload which is why people often think of the two. The AM5 requires no counterweight from 0-10kgs/22lbs, recommend a max 5kg/11lbs counterweight for payloads between 10-13kg, and must use a max 5kg/11lbs counterweight above 13kg/29lbs. The counter weight is not to balance the head, it’s to balance the rig not tipping over. The EQ6-R Pro requires counterbalancing at any payload because it is the mount head being balanced.
Drive differences. If you’re looking at this video you probably already know it, but the AM5 is a harmonic drive, and the EQ6-R Pro is a belt/worm drive.
In USA, it's a no brainer really what to get, both having the same price. The people skipping the older /heavier mounts and going straight for the AM5, since it has a similar performance.
@@ferenc-x7p 100%
The EQ6 r pro is a belt drive, it also comes with a polar scope, it is also a solid monster stable platform that never disappoints. Heavy, yes, affordable, much more so, it’s built for a pier for sure, I leave mine up year round. Polar Aline every 3 months just to be sure.
Yep more than happy with the EQ6 performance when I had it, juts no the weight :)
I love my EQ6r pro as well, I leave it on my pier year round, it’s clearly not designed to be portable, wrong application, wrong comparison completely.
Thanks for taking the time to comment 👍
I just bought one . No regards The extra weight makes everything a lot more stable. The last thing I need is my dog pushing over my telescope. I know that with all attached this is close to 80 pounds so the dog won't push it by accident.
@@MickyMouseLimited thankfully I don't need to worry about kangaroos on my rooftop
I’ve been using my ZWO AM5 for about 3 months now, it is an EXCELLENT mount and has met/surpassed all of my expectations. I purchased it for roughly $1600 USD which is comparable to the EQ6R pro. When trying to decide between the two the AM5 was a brand new mount so there was not much in terms of reviews or comparisons. I pulled the trigger and purchased the AM5 and am happy I did. The EQ6R pro is a long lived legend and has proven to be reliable, I’m sure it’s a fantastic piece of kit but my AM5 leaves nothing to be desired. I use four scopes of 180mm FL, 525mm FL, 1250mm FL, and 2350mm FL. They all track and guide very well under 0.8.
Yeah since posting the video I found that in the US the two mounts are neck and neck in price - just us in Australia and the UK (at least) getting gouged 😞 Still no ragrets though 🙂
$1600 from where? I assume used?
@@DB-be9wy uh oh, typo. I purchased it brand new from agena astro for around $2000 USD.
Thx, well done! I am really thinking of getting one of those „big boy pants“ 😊! On the other hand you pointed out the pros and cons of each one so well that it only added to the dilemma 🤣 …
Argh the analysis paralysis!!!
@@GlennMartinPhotography I want to keep it simple and portable, on the other hand I don't want much computer-stuff involved, just mount my 6''-SC-telescope on it with my daily DSLR behind it, no guiding, no dedicated astro-camera, just a solid mount. My mighty StarAdventurer GTi works perfect with the camera and different lenses, but struggles with the telescope - although it did work out sometimes! Any suggestions? AVX?
@@stefanschneider3681 I had the same experience with the Star Adventurer (non GTI). Focal length up to 100-200mm it would go ok, but beyond that was definitly a case of diminshing returns. Honestely once you start getting into the "next level" of things, while not mandatory, but guiding and a control system like a laptop or ASIAirPro makes life sooooo much easier. And this is regardless of the mount that you get.
@@GlennMartinPhotography thanks a lot - I know ... we'll see, luckily there are just many other fun things going on in my life (family, new job, my sportsteam) that I have to balance my time and energy ☺
Hi Clem. Love the video! I live in an appartment and go up to the roof too. I went down this same upgrade route about 6 months ago (I started getting recurring back trouble from lugging my classic EQ6). The camping cart is now half the load (67.3kg -> 34.4Kg) it used to carry. Setup is very much easier and about 20 minutes quicker. A warning though! All this saved "weight" means much less "inertial mass" which plays a big role in damping. Compared with an EQ6, the AM5 PE200 TC40 combo is terrible at absorbing vibrations that can be caused by any slight mechanical flexure in the rig. Every telescope has flexure, and it can be quite significant with bigger payloads (particularly large APO's). For photography it can be a show stopper if there's any wind at all.
I was completely unaware that I had a issue when running my EON 130 APO on the EQ6. When unboxing the AM5 it was immediately obvious that I was in big trouble. One tap of the finger and the whole OTA started to buzz. My dealer was a dick about it too, so I was on my own. I tried various mitigations (tripod feet upgrade for the TC40; putting 10kg counterweights + 2kg battery into the TC40's hammock; switching the vixen dovetail for a losmandy item; and removing the optional counterweight in case it was 'ringing'). None of these fixed it for me. While the rig could perform OK on windless nights, the polar alignment and focussing stubbornly remained tediously slow, annoying, and unpleasant. The first (auto) exposure was always a useless throw away whenever I needed to touch the scope.
In the end I replaced the TC40 with the EQ6 tripod. It's actually very easy to replace the tripod's central screwthread with a piece of 3/8" 16 TPI rod and some knobs (from amazon) and fit the PE200 up there (I leave it attached all the time). I find this is MUCH BETTER with heavier payloads and I'd recommend you don't choose the TC40 if you go above (say) a 8" SCT or a 4" refractor. Although these legs are 5kg heavier, you dont need 10kg of ballast so you still win out on weight. Longer legs slightly extended are much more stable and this way it feels planted and SAFE to run without the counterweight (I'm right on the limit at about 12.5kg).
I've ordered an AM3 and FF80, ASIair mini, and a 2600 duo to go on the TC40 and I'm working on some ideas to make this into a real (one trip one hand) grab and go rig for wider targets where I don't need the reach of the EON.
Thanks so much for the extensive reply! Unfortunately I haven't had a lot of sky time since I got mine, because clouds. But will definitely be keeping an eye on things as the payload increases over time
Glen did you experience these vibrations over time with the AM5?
Sorry for the late reply, @SkyWatch07, but no I haven't experienced any strange performance.
One thing I noticed at 1875mm even a tiny amount of vibration becomes very visible - be a good way to test/compare mounts. Especially during tracking.
I'm hoping one day to get a longer focal length to check that out!
Great video. Essentials covered for me. Good to see what the actual physical impact of lugging around both mounts. Thanks for this
Really glad you found it useful 😊
I'm with you all the way. I have the same equipment as you, the EQ6 r Pro and also the AM5.
At my age, 67 spring young, portability is very important, but for my Newton, I prefer to use my SkyWatcher mount.
Yeah the weight of the EQ6 isn't a "problem", until it is, and especially until there is something to compare it to.
The AM5 is a forever mount for portable astrophotography rigs. I get between .3-.5 rms with 30mm scope, 120mm on phd2 1 sec subs, 25 aggressiveness ra/dec and pec training on auto. All the same with my 10lbs scope, 15lbs scope and 20lbs scopes (135mm,600mm,1500mm.) This is one of ZWO's finest products.
I've been super happy with mine, just didn't count on the free clouds it shipped with...
I have the similar AZ-EQ6 and as you say, it's a hell of a load to lug around! Luckily I live in a rural area with a sufficiently spacious backyard so I don't mind continuing to use it.
I am however considering either the AM5 or AM3 (leaning more towards the AM3 because of the lighter load) as a portable setup. Being able to possibly fit it in a carry-on bag with 1 or 2 lenses for air travel is a very appealing idea to me.
Great video by the way and greetings from south Victoria!
Glad you liked the video. I've fit the AM5 into a FStop Anja Backpack along with camera and lens (and other rubbish).
@@GlennMartinPhotography oh wow, that's great to know. Looks like I'll be keeping my eye on the AM5 then!
I own 2 EQ6-R-Pros [both set up permanently on my driveway] and I also own the AM3 and AM5, which I use for remote work. However, the guiding on my 2 EQ6s at times is .2 arc seconds, and I have been able to guide successfully at over 2000 mm focal length with a 60 mm guide scope [no OAG]. They are absolutely the best as they are so heavy that wind doesn't touch them and vibrations tap down quickly. Oh, as if it sounds like a joke [it's not], I have a 3rd rig set up for wide field imaging with my 16 year old Orion Sirius EQ mount that guides at .6-.8 arc seconds! Love them all!
Sounds like a cracking setup!
Hi, I am wondering which of the two mounts would be a better fit for my SCT 8inch from Celestron. The alt-az stock mount is terrible with tracking. Which one you think would be a better choice for my f/2000 telescope slightly heavier.
I don't have experience with that scope (or any scope other than my William Optics), but it probably comes down to whether you feel the need to be more portable or not. There is some information suggesting the AM5 isn't great above 1,000mm but like everything online there seems to be enough people countering it saying their big scopes are fine - so you'd need to satisfy yourself with research there. You will want to be consious of balance though as the centre of gravity would move out a bit, so if you got the AM5 and tripod definitly weigh the tripod down and/or get the additional counterweight for the head.
I have just restarted my astrophotography hobby after around a 40 year hiatus. So I was at the same cross roads of debating over the EQ6-R Pro or the AM5. My reason for going with the EQ6 was because of economics and I might want to put in observatory with a more weightier telescope (a lotto job, I dream big!). But the AM5, is now on my wish list so I am saving my pennies.
Depending on where you are in the world, the price difference is either nothing (USA in particular) or substantially more as I showed in the video (Australia and UK at least).
@@GlennMartinPhotography I am in Melbourne so there was a big difference. I ended up with two rigs a Redcat 51 III on a Sky-Watcher Star Adventure GTI and ZWO FF107 on the Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro.
@@robertcarroll5036 we get brutalised here with that Australia tax
It would be interesting to do a side by side comparison on a windy night to see if there is a tracking difference. The idea of the battery underneath is a great idea to add stability. Cheers.
I did see one video that suggested the harmonic drive would be better in wind compared to a worm drive where the mount has the potential to bounce back and forth because of backlash. But yes, no question from a weight perspective you would assume the EQ6 would handle winds better that the light packout of the AM5
received an AM5 about 5 weeks ago and love it. Your video is well done - thank you
Thanks, Mike, really glad you enjoyed it👍
One thing I've had in my mind about these new generation of harmonic drive mounts - the way they work is by constantly flexing a thin steel cup. I wonder about how that holds up against metal fatigue and work hardening over the years. Not to mention the big temperature cycles astro gear goes through. I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes a big issue maybe about 5 years from now. Yes, material design and material choice has been looked at for sure. Do we know for sure what materials ZWO is using, and if they are doing this on the cheap? I can't get away from worrying about that thin-walled flex spline being constantly under elastic deformation.
Probably one of those time will tell scenarios
@@GlennMartinPhotographyyeah I agree. It's part of the unforeseen risk of being an early adopter of new applications of technology I suppose
And now a year later, ZWO releases the AM5N ( N = New? ) mount with a slightly higher payload capacity w/o a counterweight and significantly lower RA Periodic Error and thru-the-mount USB & 12v Power.
Always something else to buy
Great overview Glenn! Subscribed.
Thanks so much for letting me, and for the sub!
You've about nailed it there. In your position I would go with AM5 too. As I have the luxury of of being able to have my mount semi permanently set up in my back yard, I'll be sticking with the EQ6-R for the foreseeable future as it works just fine.
Would love the luxury of a permanent pier, would be fantastic.
Thank you for the conversion to LBS !!!
lol no worries :)
The MAJOR issue of the AM5 for me is that it can only go to -15°C in the winter while the EQ6-R can work easily to -25° (yes i did it). So I kept the EQ6-R for real man Canadian winter imaging 😉
Thankfully doesn't get that cold where I am :-D
Precisely. I also live in Canada. The best shooting is in winter (still air and virtually no humidity), but intense cold. The SW EQ6R handles it better.
@@SKYST0RY as I understand it it’s the grease in the AM5 that doesn’t like below -15c
That's true, but in my country many astrophotographers disassemble am5, and change lube. After that, It's allow to use am5 under -30 C* without any doubts
@@antonsinitsyn6420 interesting!! Is there an online guide on how to do it?
That was a good review. I am considering the AM3 as an economy option
It will be interesting to see what the AM3 does in the lighter space
Ive gone down almost the same path with mounts, started with a cheaper reflector on an alt-az mount, switched to a star adventurer 2i and now I have an EQ6R pro and its been a journey learning all the ins and outs of this. Looking to get a better camera next and then maybe a better scope
Always something else to buy 🤣💸
Have a couple of friends who are both getting terrible guiding with the AM5 near the zenith, which would obviously be a deal breaker...
Might be worth popping on the ZWO forums to check for a fix. FWIW my guiding at zenith was fine.
Hmm, some valid points, but they are not the same. Try to put a 6 inch refractor for visual use on both mounts... and see how long vibrations last when manually focusing. For high resolution, there is no alternative but some mass in the mount.
I’m really glad they were valid.
You made things clear within the first two minute, heavy is going to be more stable yet not as portable, i reken you'll get lower ark second wobbles with the older eq 6
thanks for the feedback!
I have the EQ6R and been reliable for over 3 years now and I am quite happy with it. I have been considering a smaller mount for smaller/wider field refractor setup, since I usually shoot with Newtonians, but sometimes I want to skip the ritual I do with those and just put a scope outside and image something. So the AM5 is nice, but I'm waiting to see how the upcoming AM3 will do, because it would only have to carry light setup, and that would save me some money, since it'll be cheaper than the 5.
The AM3 could potentially bridge that gap for a ready built, light grab and go system. Will be interesting to see what people get up to with it 🙂
5:39 Small remark: the Skywatcher adapter doesn't have 3/8 thread but M10. With that adapter the AM5 fits very nicely onto the Avalon T-pod series. The T-pod is heavier and bigger than the TC40, however it's still extremely portable and significantly more stable. An added benefit is that Avalons red is almost identical to ZWO's. 😄
That's a great bit of information!
I just bought my first mount.. The AM5 was on the short list but the ER6 won out because of $$$.. Your review pretty much sums up what I found... the added expenses of the AM5 were kind of a deal breaker.. The AM5 seems to be a superior mount but it has its own baggage :)
Well I don't think you will be unhappy with the EQ6, it's solid and dependable :-)
I wish someone would do an in-depth review of the AM5 or other strain wave mount with a SCT at focal lengths greater than 1400mm. A 71mm refractor probably guides well on an AVX mount which is what I have with my C8.
You might have trouble finding one for the AM5 as ZWO state up to 900mm focal length is as much as they would recomend for the AM5:
www.zwoastro.com/product/zwo-am5/
p.s. check this video for AstroBlender's thoughts on longer focal lengths:
ruclips.net/video/KDA-P16MNMY/видео.html
02/02/2024 UK diff is about £1300, Sky Watcher EQ6 Pro second hand for about £750 2-3 years old.
It’s crazy the difference for UK and Aus, yet they are within $100 in the US!
Exactly what I’m looking at now
Thanks for the informative clip 👍🏻
No worries, glad it helped 🙂
whenever I look for such videos about new mounts, they are mostly (over 90%) irrelevant in my case, because they waste so much time always talking about the weight and mobilty etc.
But I have an observatory. I don't care about the weight. I care about how GOOD the mount is, i.e. the quality, tracking, guiding ...
Great!
Have them both, love them both.
In an ideal world I would have kept both, but alas...
Nice video! I have one on my channel too (albeit in Dutch - with subtitles though). I am loving it. About the power cable issue you mentioned, you later on in the video show your scope, camera and ASIAIR. Especially the ASIAIR comes with a motherload of cables. I have my AM5 running on a powerbrick though. The ASIAIR I run through the power output on the AM5. My other mount is the CEM40 and I am considering replacing it with a second AM5 at some point.
By the way, the timings in the video description are a bit off. Love the outtakes. So recognizable! ;)
Thanks so much for the feedback. And yeah, even with the ASIAirPro I still didn't have enough cables and had to go out and source a couple extra. Thanks re the timing of the chapters, since this video has taken off today I have cut some of the dead wood so I've now updated the chapter timings. Really appreciate your input 🙂
Great review! Thank you 👍🏻
No worries, glad you found it useful 😊
I have the AM5. It's incredible and compact. I brought it out on a semi-last minute 9 hour trip out to West Texas. It was super portable, gave me NO heartburn with setup and use, and just simply gets the job done - polar alignment, finding your target, and tracking.
If you have the money, and you're one of the those "Do you know what? Let's do Astrophotography last minute!" Type people. It's worth the investment. Spend once, cry once.
My ONLY gripes: You kinda need to buy the ZWO tripod (which is expensive and exclusively made for the AM5), and it doesnt come with the power cable... Both are annoying, but relatively inexpensive.
Totally agree! With hindsight (and, well, the AM5 being available at the time), easy no brainer to go down this path.
@@GlennMartinPhotography yep, and you hit the nail on the head in your review too. Cheers and clear skies!
I'd settle for a clear roof right now lmao (construction has cost me this season)@@wdavis6814
Hi Name Is Jerry Fox I really liked you information. I am a novice sky watcher. I am retired and now have time to do more star gazing. So I have been thinking about a setup with the ZWO equipment. A I feel me being the age I am (70) I think the AM5 would be the much better unit for me. All though from some of the research I have done shows that the tripod for the ZWO AM5 may have some drawbacks as to the stability of it. That is why I like a heavier and maybe less wobbly tripod. But all your information was great. Thank you,
A nice compromise would be the AM5 head and a beefy tripod. 5kg so much easier to lift up there compared to a big mount
Wow! the Cost is much hither in your location. Overall I am replacing my EQ6-R Pro with an AM5 Mount.
I have two AM5 Mounts and the are great and work I think much better than the EQ6-R Pro mounts.
I also have the CEM40/60/70 Mounts and would pay the extra over the EQ6-R Pro any day. Thanks for a great review.
Yeah it really sucks and we often refer to the Australia Tax on the constitute price of goods we get v’s other countries.
How do you do polar alignment with the AM5, particularly using something like the Polemaster?
I get PA via an ASIAirPro. If you were using a QHY PoleMaster you would either need to rig up some sort of bracket so it could face forward, or maybe at the least use velcro pads and stick it to the front face of the mount
Hi i just found your channel. I just subscribed. As you see i also have a astro channel. Great video i just wish they made either AM3 or 5 without goto for us viual only people that need tracking. Maybe both kinds one with goto for those that want that and for rest of us only tracking no goto. Anyway great video. Joe
Do you not want the goto so you can find targets yourself? Because you can just use the joystick or ASI Mount app for this. Thanks for the sub 🙂
@@GlennMartinPhotography well if someone that’s been in the hobby for 31 years now a lot of people like myself just point my equatorial mount north and then start looking sometimes that go to feature takes up to 15 minutes which it’s much longer and I’m already observing
Second, I think there’s a huge population of people that lives in the cities and then all they’re gonna see is the planets and there’s no need for go to only a drive system
But let me ask you this though if you don’t align the procedure then is it going to track? Most go to mount if you don’t align it then the tracking doesn’t engage. Thanks.
@@JoeJaguar got it. I'm strictly astrophotography with my setup. I'm reasonably sure you can tell the app to track in sidereal at any point (not sure about planetary). But due to the nature of the strain wave drive you do need to direct it via a controller or the app as opposed to just being able to point the head with your hands..
@@GlennMartinPhotography ok Thanks for the info.
For apartment living am5 is must. For that rig, anything below 1.5” rms is also fine.
Do you worry that someone could get you rig ? It is so lightweight.
Security has definitely been a concern, but I also got tired of sitting in literal freezing temperatures when no-one would use the roof space.
@@GlennMartinPhotography Yeh. Astrophotography is very challenging, when someone lives in apartment. I have skipped it then, and waited “good” time. Waited 15 years. 10 years of 15 used 8” cheap dob.
However, when I started astrophotography, I didn’t mess around with “beginner scope, mount, etc.”. Just drove right to point 10 micron, Tak, TEC, etc.
Nice video. New technoligies are always great and mostly user friendly. I am just about to buy new EQ6-R Pro. I have done some research on both of them, and have decided to go with EQ6 even though both are available at almost the same price. I wanted to have something that is stable and can last longer. Research shows that the Harmonic drives have 6000 hours of life, while steppers with belt drives can last more than double. With EQ6, if any thing breaks, one just need to replace stepper motor/belt (extremely cheaper), while its too costly to replace the harmonic drive (I believe). I am going to mount EQ6 on permanent pier, so weight of the head is not an issue at all.
Sounds like a good purchase for you, no question the EQ6 is a solid mount!
Hi, I am just updating you that I finally bought a 3 years used (in a good condition) EQ6-R Pro on 7th April 2024 from a local private observatory (for $800 USD). Later, I disassembled it and cleaned all the bearings, gears, and re-greased them. Its works like a new or even better than the new one 😊. I just have to carry it from my backyard door to the upper deck (5-6 feet) with telescope removed, and axes unlocked - not a big deal for now. Thanks to you and all the othe viewers for their comments helping me to make the decision 👍. I also have AZ-EQ5 which works great too, and easy to carry to my lower deck (8 stairs up-down). SUBSCRIBED 🌻
@@pinakoza that's great - I can blame you for the clouds now! I'm glad the cideo helped
Good video. Thx. Maybe you can help me. I have a homemade 10” f/8 that weighs around 28kg and I need a mount with tracking. Can you recommend one? Thx!
Well you're definitly beyond the recomended payload for these two mounts. I don't have any recomendations personally but you're into the next teir of mounts so would be looking at something like a Sky Watcher EQ8 and its competitors.
Great video. Very informative. Thank you & cs
Thanks for the feedback 😀
Good review. So how is the tracking between the two?
I've found the tracking to be on par between the two. Mind you I've had 2.5 years of the EQ6-R Pro and only had the AM5 out around 5 times, but for my payload of just over 9kg pretty much of a much.
Very nicely explained video.
Glad you liked it :)
Great video comparison
Thanks, glad you liked it 🙂
I am considering the am3 mount, however I need to know on this mount , do I need a computer to move the mount, is there a hand controller. Sometimes I just want to view, I am just starting astrophotography.
There is a hand controller with the AM3. You don't *need* a computer or ASIAirPro, but at least having a smartphone that you can connect wirelessy to the AM3 you will be able to have an easier time telling it what targets you want it to point to.
The AM5 hand controller is just a joystick. So, you have to know your sky and have the usual finder hierarchy (Telrad and correct image finder for me). So, is not go-to just follow-me.
@@cliffhalliwell9955true, on it's own the hand controller is a follow-me, but once you connect the handcontroller wirelessly to a smart phone with the ASI Mount App it has full go-to functionality.
Awesome video, thank you 🖖🏼
Glad you liked it!
I have the AM5 and the AM3. The AM3 is now my go to travel mount - it has similar tracking to the AM5 for a light rig. The scope/camera/mount all fits into a bag all assembled and ready to go. Minutes of setup, and that suits me just fine :-)
I'd love to get hands on with the AM3 to get a feel for the difference
Thanks for talking in kilos. Love that!
No worries, glad you appreciated it!
For anyone wanting a more lightweight and portable set up, it's a no brainer. However, I leave mine set up outside on the legs and cover it over with protective sheeting etc...I do have cameras and security to protect it, however if I was a thief I know which set up I'd prefer to steal. Trying to run away with 35kg of kit vs 9kg is a lot harder!
Damn straight, it's a serious flex to flog an EQ6-R Pro and try to make off with it on your similarly stolen Malvern Star 😂
Excellent video; I'm just planning to buy the AM5 and I have the same set (OTA/CAM/ASIAIRPLUS/Guidetube) so this video has clarified my doubts on the wight being OK for this tripod + mount. But could you help me a bit? How did you mount the AsiAPlus on one of the sides? I had to put it on top and place the Guide tuve to the AsiAPlus which I don't like it very much, I would like to place the AsiAPlus on one of the sides as your set...any help on the shoe / size of the screws that are needed? The ones that come with the classical ZWO AsiAirPlus shoe are smaller and do not fit the "holes" of the yellow mounting plate of the WOptics 91...thanks for your help and for this video!
Hi, so the thread on the WO FLT91 takes an M6 metric bolt, and you're right it's bigger than the holes in the foot that comes with the AAP. So I just drilled the hole in the AAP foot to 5mm (that's from memory, you will need to double check) and used an M6 bolt from the hardware store to mount it on the side. Check my other video on the AM5 for an unboxing and important info.
Ok, I’ll check that out. Thanks for helping me on this.
@travelanddrones no worries 🙂
Hello, I'm having the same mount and the same scope and wanted to ask you if you ever had bad stars when the system approaches the meridian and slightly after meridian flip?
I just checked the data from a session that had a flip, can't say I can see any noticeable change in star quality approaching before/after the flip.
Good little mount while it lasted. Mine developed problems after a year and a half of occasional use. Still under warranty, ZWO has gone silent after a few "try this, try that " emails. Buyers beware!
Sounds like bad service. Check out @darkrangersinc for similar frustrations.
Germany : AM5 + tripod 3K Euros. EQ6R Pro 2K Euros. I'm planning to get the EQ6R GT that does AZ and EQ tracking (2.5K Euros)
Yeah I really don’t understand the gap we are getting stung with compared to the US.
Hmmm considering the fact I'm aiming to do outreach programs with lots of kids and parents, I want to say the Skywatcher is probably going to be my go to mount. Heavy sturdy and can take some abuse. Also it keeps my muscles strong 😂
Can see where something built like a brick outhouse would have its benefits there.
Maybe I missed something, but these mounts are about $100 USD apart from each other, tripod and all. Do you still recommend the Eq6-R Pro in any way if the price difference is marginal?
Yeah after I posted the vid I found lucky us in Australia and the UK (at least) get stung quite hard, yet in the US the mounts are near enough the same price - there's some updates in the pinned comment about that. Having had both now I would go for the ZWO at the same price hands down and it's about the weight and portability. But even if that wasn't the issue, I would still go the AM5 because newer - but this is all assuming it's the first mount. Even storage, it's an overall smaller footprint and it could go in my backpack for example. If I already had the EQ6 and it was on a permenant pier would I want to upgrade, probably not (unless G.A.S.).
Hello, I hope you can help me. I have almost the sane set up : mount, trípod and scope WOptocs 91. I do not have a Filter wheel but I have a filter drawer for my ZWO294 color camera. I realized my stars look a bit elongated in the corners; I have checked the “bubbles” of the mount to be Ok, and a good centered position of the scope. This set up is supposed to get the back focus at 5,4mm right? I have also checked and rechecked this but the stars are still not punctual. I have seen the same setup getting back focus at 6,5 mm, I also tried this but did not work for me. Any tips, advice, help you can give me? Thanks indeed in advance.😊
There's two parts to the backfocus. First is your sensor to the back of the flattener, that should be 55mm - ZWO link below
Then there's the 5.4mm of the flattener being adjusted - this does not change what your camera's backfocus is to the flattener
Depending on which way your stars are elongating will determin if you need to adjust the back focus of the flatner in or out, see the OptCorp link below and scroll down to the image showing star shapes.
That said, with my setup I still haven't been able to completly get rid of misshappen stars in the corners despite getting a CTU and a lot of faffing around. So you may not get it perfect and the BlurXterminator tool for Pixinsight has alieviated a good part of the issue for me.
astronomy-imaging-camera.com/tutorials/best-back-focus-length-solutions-55mm/comment-page-3/
optcorp.com/blogs/deep-sky-imaging/how-to-set-the-correct-back-focus
Thks for your fast answer, I really appreciate it. Well, I will closely see the link in detail and steps to see if I can improve the shape of the stars; I guess I’m starting to miss the pinpoint stars I would get with my previous WOptics Z73 (which I still have) . May be I’ll let u know if I’m able to get better stars in some more days. Thks again and nice weekend
What was your battery please 🙏🏼
It's an Ecoflow River Max 🙂
Great vid, thank you
Glad you liked it 😊
I got the AM5 as my second mount upgrading from the SkyWatcher SA2i and it’s been great but surprisingly I find it difficult and even a pain to PA. The declination adjustment works decently fine but the RA adjustment screw/knob is pretty bad. It either doesn’t work at all or it’s very janky and I always have to settle with the bare minimum PA. If anyone else has this issue or could help me find out what’s wrong I would greatly appreciate it.
I also don’t know if I’m using good guide settings for my setup (Redcat 51 and 533mc pro). For calibration step and max dec and RA duration I use the default setting of 2000. My RA aggressiveness is 70 and dec 100. When imaging my total error is normally between .7-1.2.
My only other complaint about the mount is that there are a lot of knobs and such that stick out so supervision during slewing and meridian flips is a must. It would be nice to go to sleep and not have to worry about setting an alarm for 3am to go outside and watch it.
Other than all that it’s a great mount of high build quality and quite portable. It also works very well with asiair and other zwo stuff if you use that but it can be used with other stuff as well.
With regard to PA, I have seen some Facebook comments about one of the internal bolts binding up a bit and/or coming loose, and/or using a dry penetrating lube on some areas (DYOR). Worth going back to the manual to look at the setup process and checking the mount bolts. With your guiding, how long are your exposures? 1 to 2sec is what most people use, and try dropping the aggression down to say 50% to see if you get an improvement.
@@GlennMartinPhotography Thanks for the reply. I think I do 0.5s exposures for guiding which many forums said to do 0.5-1s for a wide field set up like a redcat. I’ll try lowering the aggression on my next night out imaging.
@@shinyy187 no worries, good luck with it!
Could you measure the dimensions of the AM5 case - I'm flying out to a dark sky site in the autumn and the overhead cabin bag limit is 8kg and 56 x 45 x 25 cm (for Airbus fleet low cost carriers).
Easily comes in under those dimensions. As a rough measurement you're looking at 35 x 33 x 20cm (and that's over measuring)
@@GlennMartinPhotography I may go for AM3 because as you mentioned in the video, its more suitable for a DSLR + kit lens grab and go. The AM3 isn't shipping yet so none of the suppliers have it to hand - presumably its case is smaller ? thanks for the prompt reply!
Hi nice video, is the AM5 mount compatible with the EQ6R-pro tripod?
Not out of the box it isn't because the mounting bolt on the EQ6 is bigger than the 3/8" thread on the AM5.
@@GlennMartinPhotography alright thanks, appreciate it
AM5 looks like a child toy while the eq6 looks like a proper scientific instrument that is one more advantage.
I'd be lying if I said I've never made a line ball decision based on appearances, but this toy competes toe to toe with the Vegas era Elvis.
Looks can be deceiving. I recently purchased the AM5/tripod/extension to replace mi IOptron CEM25, (which is not nearly equivalent to the EQ6). The difference in weight, ease of setup and integration as well as guiding in the range of 6 - 9 arcseconds on average put it miles ahead of the IOptron setup. Once set up, it just works. No balancing issues, no fiddling with gear spring adjustments and smooth quick meridian flips and complete integration with the ASIairPro makes it a pleasure to use. I still lust for the EQ6, and if I ever move where I have a permanent perch to work from, I would get one. The AM5 suits how I work now: 2-10 hour drives on new moons to dark skies for 2-4 nights of imaging. The portability, ease of setup and performance makes it a no-brainer.
great comparrison from experience!@@ekalbkr
Weird you think that, It looks just like an early Paramount ME , which is hardly a 'toy' and very much more a scientific instrument.
a tip for conversion or modification to fit a conventionel tripod: ruclips.net/video/jNvy1Lg1-1s/видео.html
Thanks for the info
Well if you consider the price not the weight then i think go for eq6r and if you got plenty to spend then go for am5 😅 for me i consider go for eq6r cos my pocket not thick enough for am5 😂
We could all use thicker pockets! 🙂
Ok so one it’s lighter, that’s pretty obvious with a 1 second glance… how about short and long term performance and actual operation, guiding, PE, tip-overs and frustrations with each, performance in wind and tripod flex with over 50lbs on it like the EQ6 handles? Unless I’m hauling it up a mountain in a backpack it’s 5kg vs 17kg, not really a massive difference as 5kg is starting pretty low, it’s not 100kg vs 300kg, and neither are a 2 man operation…
Seeing as you asked so nice, if the clouds ever do go away I will give a long term review. But having had both I'm glad for the weight savings regardless of how obvious it might look.
@@GlennMartinPhotographyI picked up an AM5 for a second mount for my widefeild scopes, wondering how many clouds came in the box and if they’ve gone away yet? 😀 I’m not giving up my EQ6, but I’m glad to not have to choose which scope to use anymore, my poor Rokinon 135 never gets any love when the Esprit 120 needed more light. Hopefully I’ll love it as much as you do.
Feel bad for people who have to travel to clear sky’s, the big 6 clearly isn’t designed for that. Not sure why you’re comparing it here, makes no sense ?
You ever buy one thing and think about buying another thing years later?
We will start using kilos when you stop saying Zed
🤣