I bought a CHEAP harmonic mount from AliExpress !! - The Juwei-17

Email: [e-mail]
Website: astrapharmaq8.com/
Instagram: / astrapharma_q8
Astrobin: www.astrobin.com/users/AstraP...
Link to the mount: www.aliexpress.com/item/10050...
The Juwei-17 Harmonic Equatorial Mount is a high-precision, advanced mount designed for astrophotography and astronomical observations. It utilizes harmonic drive technology, which provides several benefits, including minimal backlash, high load capacity, and precise tracking. Below are the key specifications and features of the Juwei-17:
Double 17-100 Harmonic Reducer
Total Reduction Ratio: 400:1 (100:1 harmonic plus 1:4 synchronous wheel)
Load Capacity: 13 kg (without counterweight), 18 kg (with counterweight ~5 kg)
M12 Threaded Counterweight Bar: 20 mm diameter, 230 mm length
Elevation Angle Adjustment: 10-90 degrees
Direction Adjustment Range: 20° with azimuth screws
Dual Saddle: Losmandy D style and Vixen dovetails supported
Onstep Supported Devices: Computer, mobile phone, ZWO ASIAIR, NINA, WiFi, Bluetooth, hand controller, etc.
Right Ascension Axis: Permanent magnet rake
Data Interface: USB 2.0/WiFi/Serial over Bluetooth
Guiding Interface: USB 2.0/WiFi/Serial over Bluetooth
Low Temperature Tolerance: Down to -30°C
Startup Requirement: Must be at home position
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Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:23 Price and Specs
01:08 Mounting
01:33 Operating the mount
02:22 Build Quality
02:40 Issues I have faced
03:38 Performance
04:08 Conclusion

[@betafoofoo270]

Great review, very professional, purposeful with no time wasting. I've seen a number of these cheaper harmonic drive mounts appearing on the likes of Ali Express and always wondered if they delivered. From your review I think you have answered that question. These represent a massive saving on the more familiar mounts from ZWO et al. Thanks for posting.

[@AstraPharmaq8]

Thank you for watching and leaving your feedback! I agree, I think mine just had a rough trip to me from china which caused some loose connections. Once that was sorted out, I was very impressed with the mount

[@vidman9691]

TY for this great review. Your honesty and concerns for your subscribers comes thru. I am saving for an AM5. Takes time as a retired old geezer. Risking $1000 on something new is difficult for me. I will be waiting to see how your experiences with it continue for a while. Keep up the good work.

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@vidman9691 It is never wrong to go for the tested and proven option! Thank you for your comment and your encouragement. Truly appreciated!

[@beatsntoons]

On an unrelated (sort of) note, your cable management is outstanding! Do a video on that please! My rigs are a snakes nest

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@beatsntoons Elite level complement! Thank you very much! Great idea for a video, I want to make a video on some power/usb hubs soon so maybe I can touch on it on that video 😄

[@hbkq8i]

Keep it up, great video and an amazing setup!

[@dominickzaucha]

Great review, thanks Ali!

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@dominickzaucha Thank you for watching!

[@ScottDavies]

Great content Ali 😊 Keep them coming 👏

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@ScottDavies Thank you Scott, I appreciate the support 🤝🏼

[@AstroReyak]

Nice to see, prices are going down with strain wave mounts, thanks for reviewing and sharing!

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@AstroReyak Yep. More competition is always great for us!

[@Jcastleinfo]

Nice review, nice book collection too!

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@Jcastleinfo Thanks for the feedback! Gotta do something while the imaging sequence runs 😉

[@AstroQuest1]

Nice review and thanks for pointing out the original 'defect'. It was good the manufacturer got back to you with a solution. My defination of good company is how they handle problem if one does occur. Seems like a good mount, wonder if it was produced at the same place that the AM5 was made.

[@gerardford1116]

Another great video Ali!

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@gerardford1116 Thanks for supporting the channel! Truly appreciated!

[@LogansAstro]

Thanks for sharing this. I had no idea this mount existed. Sounds like it performs extremely well. I know there was the initial problem with the declination but I've heard of issues like this from most of the well know brands as well. Will be interesting to see how well it's still performing after several months use. CS

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@LogansAstro Yep, I think something came loose during the shipping. Thankfully it wasn’t anything too serious. I’ve read other reports on the mount online and people are having great experiences with it!

[@davidsimard1522]

Thk you for sharing

[@GrundleStiltSkin]

hey thanks for doing a review !

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@GrundleStiltSkin Thanks for watching!!

[@pippinjg]

good work my guy !!!!!!!

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@pippinjg Thank you!!

[@astrofromhome]

Great review Ali! 👍Initially I was also thinking about affording the Juwei17 but I then went a tiny bit more pricy with the UMi17 as I could find even less info about the Juwei17 on the net than for the UMi17. I think the Alt setting knob on the Juwei is much nicer than the EQ5 style knobs on the UMi17. Maybe the Juwei17 could make a great mount No. 4 for me. 😄

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@astrofromhome The UMi17 looks great and it was probably the safer option. Mount No.4 for me might be the WD-20, though not anytime soon 🤣💔

[@nikaxstrophotography]

Can you show in a litle more detail what repair you made to the Dec axis? I am seriously considering this mount but it is still an expensive gamble if it doesn't pay off and how good are they at answering your questions?

[@StargazerFS128]

Read your post on SGL, nice to see it in the video, it looks just like the AM5.

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@StargazerFS128 It’s a great mount, you can tell where some of that price reductions went once you have the mount in hand. Thanks it’s not anywhere essential!

[@haq4016]

Great review Ali موفق ❤️

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@haq4016 اجمعين ياخوي ما تقصر 🌹

[@AlexN-Astro]

Awesome review - I've been looking at these for a cheap second rig I'm putting together. Its only going to be carrying a small refractor or possibly even a camera lens and CMOS camera, so I'd say its good enough. I certainly didn't want to pay for an AM5 for a second rig that won't get used all that often.... Great channel too by the way...

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@AlexN-Astro That’s precisely why I bought mine. I couldn’t believe that a mount half the price of the AM5 and even cheaper than the AM3 with comparable specs to the AM5 would deliver like it did. I was going to be happy with less than average performance that is good enough for wider setups but it exceeded my expectations! Thanks for the feedback on the channel!!

[@Azazel840]

Juwei now have developing a use 14 motor version, you can think it. is same with am3 details , ah hey bro next time maybe you can ask the manufacturer, because I get it is eng version

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@Azazel840 Maybe If he can send me the firmware I can flash it using Arduino??

[@xxGmon3yxx]

Glad I waited to pull the trigger on an AM5. This is the way.

[@JeffCounsil-rp4qv]

I have this same mount, but in Blue instead. For the price of a Strain Wave Gear (Harmonic) mount, it can't be beat. Cabling isn't a big deal, if you take the time to make a "harness" that fits everything, and is routed to not snag on anything. The other good thing, is it will help to drive down the costs of other mounts too. 😁

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@JeffCounsil-rp4qv thanks for sharing your input!!

[@marvinwhisman3333]

Really nice video. You are really getting good at this. Thanks for talking just a little slower :)f. Looking forward to more of them. Do you have any idea how to get service on the mount?

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@marvinwhisman3333 Thanks for the kind words of encouragement. You can always contact the seller if you need help on issues with the mount, unfortunately it being shipped from china may present logistical issues

[@ulismoon]

Ali shows this mount again and again but no review found. Finally, here you are. Many thanks. Plus, can I ask how weight your equipment on the JUWEI mount on the video?

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@ulismoon Thanks for watching and for the positive feedback! I would say my equipment is around 9kg.

[@Lord_Whiteley]

Another great video ! It’s an outrage that you don’t have more followers :) BTW Have you had any updates on the Touptek Astrostation? I’m tempted (currently all my gear is ZWO but I’m fed up waiting for their camera rotator to go on sale) as it looks a lot more flexible in terms of equipment?? It might even control the DIY Cheapodc dew heaters shown on the Stellamate website :)

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@Lord_Whiteley Thank for the feedback and I’m glad you are enjoying the content! The Touptek team are iterating fast with a new update every week! It is still not a complete app nor is it as advanced as the ASIair yet but surely it must be close to an official release. It doesn’t have a rotator control module either, not yet at least.

[@harynjk]

I like it, i mean the review, it is kept short, yet still has all the information i want to know about a mount! Do you know the UMi mounts from Proxisky/Meow Astro? Those are in the similar price range, maybe slightly more expensive. I have their first mount, the UMi17, it is great, i got 0.4-0.5 guiding with the 250PDS (with counterweight), usually similar or batter with the 150 Quattro without counterweight.

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@harynjk Thanks for the positive feedback on the video, It means a great deal! Sure, I was debating getting one of those too!! The harmonic revolution is here to stay it seems and the more competitive the market becomes the better for us!! CS!

[@Bakrybaso94]

👏🏻👏🏻

[@lavers_1]

Thx for the info. Does anyone know if it can do alt-azimuth mode for visual?

[@sjpp71]

Interesting. Thanks for this video. I'm not in the market for a new mount, I have an Eq6r-pro which I'm happy with, but as someone who sets up and breaks down every night, I could use a lighter mount. I'm still in the "wait and see" phase, there are so many strain wave mounts currently, I want to see how they perform in the medium term. Are they durable? any parts that suffer wear and tear? The zwo am5 has been around for a couple of years and so far no horror stories that I have known of, people seem to love it. Hopefully it will be the same with this newer mounts? We'll see. Thanks so much for the info, clear skies!

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@sjpp71 You want my advice? Don’t sell your Eq6r-pro. I am all for the harmonic revolution out there but the EQ6 was and still is the best mount I’ve owned, I regret selling it. It is future proof! The am5’s stated payload may be the same with a CW but that’s only at 20cm from the axis of rotation. It would never handle a larger SCT like the eq6 would!

[@uvb7675]

Thank you for your review! I would like to use it with a TC40 Tripod. Wich adapter I need? What do you mean with the TC40 adapter plate? Thank you for your help!

[@JoseNavarroCo]

Due to the high cost, there has been so much gatekeeping with astrophotography. Hopefully, this will begin to force companies to lower their prices.

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@JoseNavarroCo I very much hope so!

[@astro_maa1693]

تحياتي للمحتوى الراقي

[@AstraPharmaq8]

هلا بو جسوم 👋🏻🌹

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

Looks good for the price shame about the poor connection to the motor so QC seems to be a bit hit & miss but still an easy fix.

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@dumpydalekobservatory Indeed, to give them the benefit of the doubt, I attributed it to a rough journey from china to me.

[@LoïcTHIBAULT-n4q]

Hi, first thank you for your test ! I'm very interrested by this mount because i need to upgrade my setup (eq3.2 + onstep for motorisation). I realy hesitate between an HEQ5 Pro v2 with Rowan kit and this harmonic mount. The prices for both are about the sames for me (in France... so sorry if my english is not good ;-) and I don't know what are the pro and cons for each mount. So can you give me your opinion please ?

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@LoïcTHIBAULT-n4q what is your imaging set up??

[@LoïcTHIBAULT-n4q]

@@AstraPharmaq8 Newton 150 750 with Player One Ares C pro ( imx533)

[@LoïcTHIBAULT-n4q]

​@@AstraPharmaq8 Hi, I've a Skywatcher 150-750 telescope with a PlayerOne ARES-C Pro (imx533) and an SVBony SV105 with 120mm lens for guiding. Thank you

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@LoïcTHIBAULT-n4q I think you should go for a harmonic mount 👍🏻

[@LoïcTHIBAULT-n4q]

@@AstraPharmaq8 Ok Thank you !

[@Pay_attention_Benny]

U shouldnt have to fix it, send it back

[@sharonsharonsharon1]

Will it sit on a Heq5 Pro tripod?

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@sharonsharonsharon1 Yep, with the pier extension I mentioned in the video it would. There is also a simple adapter sold on AliExpress for it!

[@sharonsharonsharon1]

@@AstraPharmaq8 I prefer not to have the pier as it limits my view from the balcony. What adapter should I search for? Thanks a lot!

[@JeffCounsil-rp4qv]

@@sharonsharonsharon1 I made a 60mm diameter "puck" and attached it to the bottom of the Juwei-17 mount. It (the puck) has a center threaded hole so the center rod of the AVX tripod threads into it, and holds the mount quite nicely. The "puck" to fit the Skywatcher tripod should be the same 60mm diameter. The AVX center rod is M10, not sure what the SW threads are on the rod. With the puck and center rod holding the mount on, the 2 outboard AZ bolts aren't really necessary.

[@rvoykin]

The wedge looks sketchy. You can tell it’s not as nice overall as the mainstream options

[@AstraPharmaq8]

@@rvoykin You can definitely tell where they chose to compromise to reduce the price.

[@JeffCounsil-rp4qv]

The wedge is quite nice actually. It is more than adequate for the total payload capacity. The ALT adjusting mechanism is nicer than many other mounts having actual bearings. I had mine fully apart to properly measure for, and make adapters for mounting it to two different tripods without a pier extension. That was so the AZ "peg" would align properly with the AZ adjusting bolts I relocated. I had to drill and thread the holes and couldn't accurately do it without disassembling the wedge. Then I made 2 pier extensions, one short, and one long which will fit the AVX tripod. Plus I made an adapter for my Meade LX-80 tripod with "fine" leveling adjusters on the tripod legs. They are blue so I got the Juwei-17 in blue. 😁

[@Cheapass-tro]

Good find and good review! Now I just need a grand.

[@Cheapass-tro]

So this has an in-built OnStep controller? I use OnStep for my EQ-5. Would I need my current controller alongside this or is it straight to PC via ASCOM?

[@JeffCounsil-rp4qv]

The board is a complete OnStep controller board. It is a clone of the miniESP3 board, which is very similar to the maxESP3 pinmap. It uses a rtc module ds3231, it runs the web server and wifi through the esp8266, and onstep and Bluetooth on the esp32. All you need to do as AstraPharma says, is connect with either the USB, or with BT or WiFi. The ASCOM driver is available to download. The range of the wireless isn't very far though. Being enclosed by the aluminum mount body cuts down on the signal strength. There is a "passive" antenna on the inside of the black power panel though, but it only helps so much. Be aware mine came with tracking enabled upon power up. You need to reflash the firmware to turn it off, which is pretty easy. You want it off in case you aren't paying attention to the imaging equipment, and there is a power interruption. When power comes back on, the mount will keep on tracking until your scope hits something.

[@Cheapass-tro]

@@JeffCounsil-rp4qv Perfect, thanks for the detailed reply.