A guide to the Sky-Watcher AZ5 deluxe altazimuth mount and telescope range
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- Опубліковано 2 сер 2024
- (In a hurry? Scroll down for jump list.) In this video we present a guide to the Sky-Watcher AZ5 deluxe altazimuth telescope mount and tripod and the AZ5 telescope range.
With three models in the range, the AZ5 telescopes offer Grab-and-Go convenience with a spectrum of performance ranging from easy wide-field to high-powered visual astronomy as well as models that can provide medium to high-power daytime terrestrial (land based) observations as well!
Jump list - just click the time codes below to go to these segments in the video:
00:30 Sky-Watcher AZ5 mount and family introduction (for a
shorter overview see 33.35 below)
5:30 The AZ5 deluxe altazimuth mounting and tripod.
13:25 Payload capacity considerations
17:00 Explorer 130PS - 130mm reflecting telescope with AZ5
mount and tripod
21:20 Startravel 102 - 102mm refractor telescope with AZ5 mount
and tripod
25:38 Skymax 127 - 127mm Maksutov Cassegrain telescope with
AZ5 mount and tripod mounting.
28:56 You can have too much of a good thing - the Skymax
127 as a powerful terrestrial telescope.
33:35 AZ5 mount and Telescope range summary (view this for a
shorter overview than the intro at 00:30)
Presented by Robert J Dalby FRAS - Наука та технологія
Fantastic to see you back Rob and team! I thought the best astronomy channel on UA-cam had gone. Still my go-to channel for really great advise, and thorough reviews.
Look forward to more videos soon.
Take care.
Jason.
Superb review of the mount and scopes. Thanks!
Great to have you back Rob :)
Another, easy to understand review. Nice vid.
Excellent promotion, of the Skywatcher mount.
Thanks for the nice review!
So helpful and clear thanks
Thanks for the Video :-)
Great video Rob, just bumped into your channel as I'm interested in starting the hobby and looking UP for a change :) The 102 looks a good choice for me so I can use if for looking up and forward. The eye piece advice is interesting and I presume important, but as a newbie I'm not too sure what you mean by barlow and plussel etc. It would be great if there was a clear video on everything you need to know about eye pieces for us newbies, ta very much. Thanks again :)
Great information as usual. I appreciate your detailed explanation bearing in mind that a lot of us viewers at novices. Cheers.
If Skywatcher didn't pay you for this, I think you deserve it. I don't know why so many retailers of this product don't blatantly point out the fact that this AZ mount has manual slow-motion control worm gears. So, many AZ mounts do not have that feature and its difficult to sort through the ones that don't to find the few that do. Its a feature that I've been looking for in an AZ mount; otherwise, I'll keep my jiggly EQ mount which does have slo-mo controls. I would have liked more discussion on the slo-mo controls and the range of movement the worm gears allow.
Thanks for the nice review! I already have the Az-gti mount and a startravel 102/500. Can i use the pillar on a solid photo tripod or it is specifically designed for the Skywatcher tripod?
Does the mak and the mount come with bags ?
Came for the mak 127 and the azimutal mount !
Perfect review with good tips like change the 90 degree miror !
Tanks a lot !
Can you do a video on the stargate 500p?
Hi what sky-watcher telescope would be suitable for beginners thanks
Hi, I've just watched a video on UA-cam where you show a few Skywatcher Goto telescopes. I've been using a £80 telescope to learn and teach myself the night sky. I am now admitting to myself that I am completely hooked and would like to upgrade and mabey start photography. I've got my eye on the Skywatcher 127 Goto wich in your video you gave a good review on. Is this a suitable telescope for someone like me who is far from a professional but also not a beginner to Astronomy. Eg, can it be fitted with camera, Filters, laptop etc? My thinking was to buy something that I can grow into rather than have to buy again in the future. My observations are normally in a garden but I go to dark places as well. Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope you can message me back with some advice.
Is there a 2" visual back option for the Mak 127? Would the AZ5 support the Skywatcher 120/1000 achromat with the more substantial stainless steel tripod? ....these are my two preferred options
HI Rob - The holding mechanism doesnt seem fool proof - I have got AZ5 mount that i use with a 127mm CG - and I feel that it could slip and slide down - ( though it didnt happen ) - is there something else that we need to add on for extra safety
9:42 to 9:58 Guys, look at the three black screws near the top of the extension tube. They will wiggle for sure.
Great review of the mount. Can you please advise if this head would attach to my Skywatcher AZ4 Alt-Az Mount with Steel Tripod and will it hold a Skywatcher Startravel 120T. Thanks for any advice
Hi there, short answer: the AZ5 head won't fit your AZ4 tripod. Long answer: the azimuth index spike molded into the AZ4 tripod head is fatal to the project and would need to be removed with a saw or ground off (this is easily doable and would hardly impede its previous use as the index has a very limited role in stabilising the AZ4 head). A bigger problem is the AZ5/AZ4 base threads. The AZ5 uses 3/8" UNC (usually called Whitworth in UK) and the AZ4 is M10. Although the threads are very similar to look at, the M10 stud shouldn't fit the 3/8" threaded hole in the AZ5's base. I said shouldn't, but sometimes the manufacturer's somewhat liberal adherence to engineering tolerances allows an M10 male thread to comfortably fit in a 3/8" threaded hole. You can, if you have access to a fully equipped workshop, use a die to impose a 3/8" UNC thread over the M10 stud (and cut to minimum Imperial spec it will still work with the original M10 threaded AZ4 base). But I realise that such an 'Apollo 13' type solution may really appeal only to compulsive old bodgers like myself. I hope this helps. KR RJD A&NTV
Astronomy and Nature TV ok thanks for answering my question. So if I get an AZ5 mount and tripod together, will it be strong enough for my ST 120 scope
Hi again, sorry I steam-rollered past that question earlier! Yes, it'll carry the Startravel 120 OK but the tripod will be the weak link and not the head. The tripod has a tendency to 'buckle' or flex allowing a small amount of tilting where the legs attach to the head of the tripod - it's only a small amount of wiggling that shows when moving the telescope around by hand (tends not to show so much when using the slo-mo drives) and naturally tends to be exacerbated by larger and heavier scopes that need the clutches to be locked a bit harder to steady the instrument. The AZ5 head is fine but I'm happiest recommending the tripod for use with lighter instruments than your 120. KR RJD A&NTV
Well thats kind of you to reply. The reason i asked is my AZ4 mount head is about shot, i bought it second hand but its showing its age now, so i need something else. Could you please recommend any other mount i could use with my steel tripod as i use it alot for daytime use so need a good sturdy mount. I know the tripod is ok, i just need to replace the mount and i don't think you can buy just the mount on its own
Can you put the slow motion control on the back for the azimuth so one could use longer refractors?
Hi there, no, the slo-mo knobs can only be positioned in one location, and this is the same for altitude and azimuth. The azimuth control shaft is always 90 degrees to the altitude control shaft. Less than ideal for longer instruments to be sure, but you could obtain a long flexible knob (titter ye not my brethren) to off-set this situation a bit - if you are in the UK you could try our friends at www.astroboot.co.uk. I hope this helps. KR RJD A&NTV
If only that mount had a fully adjustable altitude so it could be rotated so that the Mak 127 ota only version could be mounted on it and still have the finder scope above the scope instead of underneath it. But then youd also end up with the focuser on top 🫤. Maybe they should supply the ota only version with tube rings then we would happy as it will then fit any mount 👌.
why do they use different units... a 2 inch focuser with a 17mm eyepiece
_ What has specifically NOT BEEN covered in this review of the AZ-5 Mount or Mount Head is:
_ can this AZ-5 perform well (re: vibration damping) with a SkyWatcher BK1021 OTA mounted on it.
_ That is what I was looking for when I clicked on this video title.
_ If the AZ-5 or the AZ-4 for that matter can perform well in terms of vibration damping (especially at higher magnifications), with a metre long OTA such as the BK1021 attached to i,t then I will immediately purchase one!
_ Since the BK1021 was never mentioned, I can only assume that the SkyWatcher company is not interested in providing a decent MANUAL Alt-Az mount with slow motion controls, for some of the telescopes that it manufactures and sells.
Hi Walt, and thanks for your message. We are actually showing the AZ-5 with an instrument (Skymax 127) that has 1.5x more focal length than the instrument you are referring to (which I think is 1000mm). So you can draw some some confidence in the mount's competence from that but as regards the physical length and weight distribution of the BK1021 that would not be a good match with the instrument we discussed as the Skymax has the typical 'short and fat' profile of a Mak. However, in our experience so far we've received feedback from folk who have used the mount with OTA's other than the ones we discussed and the consensus has been uniformly positive. Admittedly, no one that we have heard from has actually reported using it with an instrument identical to your 102 - but it is early days. I have no doubt that that the AZ-5 head will work well with that tube - the tripod, however, is a different matter. There is a certain amount of 'buckle' at the tripod head mating point and it does lead me to conclude that the tripod is letting the mount down as it approaches its payload limit. So the standard tripod is the weak link here and I'd say it lacks the mechanical authority and rigidity to support the AZ-5 head with heavier instruments with physically long tubes (as distinct from merely long focal lengths like the Skymax). The good news is, you can buy the AZ-5 head without the tripod (in Europe anyway). The screw fitting in the base is 3/8" UNC (Whitworth) so there are plenty of good tripods around that are up to the job (take a look at www.astroboot.eu or www.astroboot.co.uk they usually have something for EQ2, EQ3, and EQ5s and a new bolt to replace the M10 one supplied with those tripods). I hope this helps. KR RJD A&NTV
_ Astronomy and Nature TV - Thank you for your considerate and detailed reply to my question.
_ I really appreciate that you have considered my question in a very polite and informative manner.
_ The suggested links were not useful at the moment.
_ the Skymax 127, although 1.5 times the focal length of my instrument, it is shorter in length and thus does not present the same concerns regarding vibration damping as a longer instrument would.
Where can these SkyWatcher products be purchased in the USA?
Hi, Orion usually has Sky Watcher products under their own brand name - so it might be worth checking their website. Otherwise it's a question of patience - they'll show up soon I'm sure. KR A&NTV
Why aren't these shown on AMAZON USA?
Hi there, the AZ5 mount and telescopes bundles are all available in the UK and the parts of Europe supplied by the UK. I can't speak for other regions but I'm sure they'll catch up soon. KR A&NTV
I went to the official skywhatcher website and could not find it. Is is not yet release? If it is please send me a link 😀
Hi, Wendell and thanks for your message. You don't say where you are located. But yes, the AZ5 mount and telescopes bundles are all available now - in the UK anyway - and the parts of Europe supplied by the UK. I can't speak for other regions but I'm sure they'll catch up soon. I hope this helps. KR RJD A&NTV
Astronomy and Nature TV thanks for the reply I'm in Canada so that most likely is the issue 😞
_ Still not available on Canadian website as of 2017.10.09.
_ Based on the available info that I have seen thus far, it does not appear that this mount can be used with my 980mm focal length Sky Watcher BK1021.
- The fully loaded OTA is over 1 metre long which would probably be too heavy for the AZ5 mount ...
_ and the vibration damping ability of the mount would also be in question.
_ I hope Sky Watcher comes up with something useful soon for the scope I bought from them.
IT WOULD BE NICE TO SHOW THESE SCOPES VIEWING THE MOON OR OTHER PLANATARIES. peace t
Hi Tony, and thanks for posting. If you do a search online employing the widely used names of the optical tubes, but omitting AZ5 (as there aren't enough of them in circulation yet - i.e., Explorer 130P, Startravel 102, and Skymax 127) and then simply add the name of the target that you'd like to see an image of, e.g., Jupiter, Saturn the Moon etc, you will see plenty of results. What you make of them and how you assess them is another matter. The snag is - they're just pictures, they won't ever capture the unique character of the experience of looking through a telescope with your own eyes - there really is nothing quite like it, and certainly looking at a picture on a computer/smartphone screen is a very pale imitation indeed. For example, if you have the patience and stomach for it, you'll find hundreds of pictures taken using the Skymax 127 but they range from excellent to futile blobs of light. In the end the pictures tell you little of value about the competence of the instrument and more about our modern obsession with the cult of 'me' and the competence of the user generally and specifically the inability to identify sky conditions suitable for telescopic astrophotography. I hope this helps clarify our position. KR RJD A&NTV
What Skywatcher could really do better is not design this silly glamour looking arm with a hole by the altitude worm gear assembly but use instead a solid arm similar to Vixen Porta-2 to make the overall construction more sturdy and steady. Apparently they don't learn from other's mistakes.
how on earth does one install the supplied slow motion cables? Instructions with this product are shockingly bad
Did you figure it out yet??
Sorry just can't see the point of this expensive mount. No criticism of the production which as always is inspirational.
Your talking but not really selling it
which is a good thing and works better for me. I don't want some salesman to refuse to mention the weak points of a product. I need to know what I'm getting into.
too much worthless speaking.. my az5 gets stiff when mounted on a tripod: the bottom section almost gets fully stuck, so you can hardly turn the whole head. the tripod screwmount was flawed by factory, it had to be reshaped - not an easy task living in a metric world. so overall the az5 is not worth it, i would rather get a quality brand product made by japanese craftsmen. :(
Hi there, I'll concede the worthlessness of my speaking (as a general point even) if you will allow that your N=1 study is much in the same vein as a useful warning to others? I'm sorry to hear you have been unlucky with your AZ5 but from what we have seen so far they have mechanical failure rates in the 1:100 rate typical of this type of product regardless of where made. But your product is covered by at least a 1-year warranty (maybe more depending on where purchased) so I don't think you should live with it or attempt a repair yourself. Return it whence it came, with your critical remarks - as a steadily improving product is the best way to benefit the community. And the very best of luck with those Japanese craftsmen. KR RJD A&NTV
@@RocketPlanet MLZphoto All I can say that the guy from A&NTV is so Diplomatic If I had answered you I would have been considered "VERY RUDE" Regards Mike from Scotland