ZWO AM5 Strain Wave Astrophotography Mount: What I liked and what I did not like about it

In this video, I share my experiences and thoughts on the ZWO AM5 astrophotography mount after using it for one year. Instead of a typical product review, I focus on highlighting what I liked and didn't like about this mount. Additionally, I conduct a simple amp draw test to determine the power consumption when slewing a large telescope.
With the market offering numerous strain wave mounts, I hope this video helps you in your decision-making process for your next astrophotography mount. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced astrophotographer, I aim to provide valuable insights that will assist you in choosing the right mount for your needs.
Thanks to my subscribers and thank you for 2100 subs! I am a tiny channel and I appreciate you all for following my journey in astrophotography.
Check out my AM5 first impression video!
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[@richeygoldberg8549]

I sold my EQ6-r Pro because it was just too heavy for spur of the moment star gazing or astrophotography. I'm getting back into it and this time around I'm going to get the AM5.

[@captaincook6666]

Mine packed in after 8 hours use (needed replacement board)! I do like it now it works!!

[@guyonamotorcycle1]

I really like my AM5. It's my second mount after a SkyWatcher GTi. I mark the balance point on my kit losmandy and then line that up with the center of the AM5. Seems to work ok for now but it's only about 13 pounds. FRA400 with .7 reducer, EAF, EFW, ASI2600mc, ASI Air+, and some dew heaters. I have no football shaped stars and I'm happy. Clear skies!

[@mikehardy8247]

I also went from my GTI to the AM5.

[@wdavis6814]

I went from an iOptron SkyGuider Pro to AM5, the upgrade was incredible. But I learned that I still enjoy polar aligning the old fashioned way.

[@ferenc-x7p]

It's true, once someone gets spoiled by the EQ6R pro, it's very hard to use anything else, especially those cheaper mounts out there! I already bought/sold 2 other mounts I bought after the EQ6R, because they just couldn't measure up to it and I didn't want to use them! 😊

[@DrunkferretKG]

I had an Ioptron gem28 to start with. Not a bad mount. I got an AM5 and sold the Ioptron gem28. Have not looked back. The balancing for Dec is done off mount. I take my imaging train, set it on a flat surface and use a round ball point pen under the dovetail plate. I balance the OTA on the pen and mark the position. Then I mount the scope with that mark centered in the saddle.

[@Vantage79]

Thank you for this video. I like AM5 it's easy to Polar Align. It's my first mount so I'm used to it.

[@astronotna]

Great to hear! And thanks for watching this one!!

[@michaeledmonds3027]

Thanks for your AM5 video. I think that anyone buying this mount is a ZWO gear user. So, they will have an ASIAIR controller and related peripherals for integrated operation. Thank, Michael

[@Daniel_DP83]

I have the AM5 and Sequence Generator Pro. i saw that the RA and DEC Coordinates diferrent in both software menues, maybe it could be that SGP use "Epoche J2000" adn the ASI Software use "JNow" !?

[@blayzer8871]

Nice Video! I own the mount to for about 3-4 month. Allways used it in Az for visual with the App. Last week I used it the first time in EQ mode with my photo rig. TMB 115/805, Flattener, IMX571 from Touptek, 50mm Guidescope and so on. Weight was about 9kg and the AM5 lought about that :D Now I like to buy a second bigger HD mount. But it is hard so finde one. There are the iOptron HAE43 and 69, but I dont like iOptron that much. And there is the NYX101 from Pegasus Astro. I like the Pegasus products, but I read some not so nice things about the mount. But many users love the mount. And then there are the mounts from small chines companys like the WD20 or (hopefully in the future) a bigger UMi mount. Its hard to decide. I would love to see an announcement for a ZWO AM7 or something like that. Payload without CW like 20kg. Would buy it instantly :D

[@astronotna]

Man just the thought of an Am7 lol. For sure

[@hobesmcgee]

Check out WarpAstron's Warp Drive WD-20 - 22kg without counterweights and 30kg with!

[@PEWannabee]

AM5 changed the hobby for me. I was shooting with AVX mount for 3 years. Anyone has an AVX know, on a good day: it's ok, but on bad days : prepare to pull your hair out. With the AM5, it just works. stupid simple and light weight.

[@ttp_007]

ZWO is at a very privileged position profiting way too much for their products. We need more quality competition to force the prices down.

[@tamenyc]

Yes, agree. The quality of the competition needs to improve. Tried StellarMate, it is quite a bit of troubleshooting. The time saved going full ZWO somewhat justifies the markup.

[@TalGivoly]

Can you provide a link to how you set up your battery/power solution? That looks very cool.

[@chandrainsky]

The output from SM5 is just 3A which seems very low? If you are powering say, ASIAIR, cooled camera and dew heaters for the scope and guide scope, it will draw well over 3A right? Where I live humidity is bery high and dew heaters need to work through the night.

[@astronotna]

That's correct but I don't run dew heaters off the air. I use a separate battery bank for that. Most of the time. However when I use my c6 and plug the clestron dew heater in I have no issues With a cooled cam. You can always bypass the mount and plug it directly to the source. I guess it just depends what you are running.

[@chandrainsky]

@astronotna currently I run dew heaters from the AIR. I use a 8A input. It has enough juice for everything and I never had a problem. Using another power cable for dew heaters defeats the who purpose of the so called "power management on the Dec axis! So that's just a marketing gimmick of ZWO?!

[@Pawel-rv1ek]

Do you have a recommendation for guiding setup with Asiair and AM5? Like what DEC aggressivnes do you use etc.

[@astronotna]

I'm at 70 DEC and 70 RA that seems to work the best for me. I am also guiding at 1 sec exp

[@Pawel-rv1ek]

@@astronotna Thanks buddy, I was using default 100 and still had bad DEC spikes, I guess it was too high of a value and perhaps bad PA.

[@Pawel-rv1ek]

@@astronotna Also how do you connect your camera to your Asiair, if the output from the mount is only 3A? Is it enough for 2 cameras, dew heaters etc.?

[@astronotna]

I'm running the cameras off the air i have a battery bank running my dew heaters

[@SAKinDXB]

Thanks for your review. As a newbee to Astrophotography, would you recommend using this mount with a mirrorless camera and, say, with a 600mm lens?

[@astronotna]

Absolutely especially if you know you will continue in the hobby. This mount will grow with you as your progession does. It's simple , easy to work with and lightweight. Am3 is a good choice too!

[@SAKinDXB]

@@astronotna Thanks very much. Two other questions please (and pls bear with me): 1) Do you need a specific brand of screws to fix a lens on the dovetail plate; and (2) pls can you provide your recommendations on the lithium batteries that you are using to power the mount?

[@astronotna]

Hey @iamSAKhan! There isn't really a specific brand of screws. Since you are using a lens the trick is to be able to mount your lens to the dovetail securely. You can achieve this in a few ways. You can try and find a set of universal telescope rings that you can use to attach the lens to the dovetail or use the1/4 -20 thread on your camera to attach it. But doing that you won't have rotation to frame up your target. Now you mentioned you have a 600MM lens. With something that size usually the lens will have a lens collar that will allow you to not only rotate but also use the thread on the bottom of the collar to attach to the dovetail. Then you can just slide it into the AM5 and lock it down. As far as batteries, the batteries I use are unique to the RC hobby and in nature very volitile if you haven't had much experience with Lithium cells like that I would strongly suggest using a batterybox. Even a small 80amp hour one will run the AM5 very well just make sure it outputs 12V. This is because you have to take care of hobby batteries a certain way or they can burn your house down. LOL Hope this helps! Reach out anytime you can DM me too! Awesome timelapse BTW!

[@SAKinDXB]

@@astronotna Thank you very much for guiding me through the process. I noticed that most of the online sellers won't ship batteries overseas (I am based in the UAE), and i wondered why! But after reading your comment, i know 'why?'. Pls keep sharing your content...it is definitely helpful for a newbie like me!

[@SAKinDXB]

@@astronotna I did that timelapse when i was getting started...with all the learnings, i can hopefully do a better job now. Thank you!

[@simonpepper5053]

Eq6r pro for the backyarder AM5 for the traveller

[@rexsterling7346]

14:17 It is very good looking. Unlike the strain wave mounts coming from Sky-watcher, that are super hideous.

[@mikehardy8247]

I liked the AM5, which I bought 4 months ago, so much, when they threw the tripod In free, I bought an AM3. Aso have asiair + and mini. In early May, ZWO forced a fitmware update from 11.01 to 11.06. After the update, my location changed from N 43 X X E 87 X X to N 39 54 25 E 116 23 50 I attempted entering them manually with no luck. They do sometimes show up properly. Even then PA doesn't work properly. It keeps changing. When I get it close. Then slew to target ( eagle nebula), which is at about 30 degrees, it tells me object is below horizon! Since other people must have gone through this, can someone PLEASE, help. I'm going to dark skies end of week, and won't be able to image. As a side note, I also put my rig on my SW SA GTI. same weird results😮

[@sofel8752]

Hello, Thanks for the review. I just have one question : does it guide well in presence of wind. Does it have too much sensitivity with the wind ? Thanks

[@astronotna]

Not at all it seems to handle it very well with something that has no counterwieghts. I haven't had any issues and I've mounted SCTs on it.

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Good review. Question; will the AM5/3 work with NINA?

[@astronotna]

I'm sorry I haven't tried it on Nina!

[@IonutNedelcu]

Just a word of caution: that battery could be dangerous and potentially a fire hazard because the 3 batteries are not self-balancing. It would be best to put a diode on the positive of each battery.

[@groundhoppingwlkp3622]

9:12 You don't use pier? I would be terrified about hitting a legs with scope :o

[@astronotna]

I use the 160mm featured here ! kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2SpeYyQjrFjb9k

[@KJRitch]

Would you recommend the AM5 with a Celestron C8 SCT running focal lengths of 1442mm and 2032mm with a Celestron OAG/ASI174MM Mini for guiding? I'm interested in stable guiding around 0.7" total RMS. My C8 with image train is about 19lbs. Most reviews of this mount is with refractors like yours. It would be interesting if you put your C6 on it and removed the Hyperstar and went native shooting a galaxy. I would probably get the PE200 because I could use the adaptor with the pier to use my AVX tripod.

[@astronotna]

This might perhaps help you. I've only ran my C6 with the reducer on it but shot through my 183mm at bin2 and had no issues guiding with that. In my area I generally get between .5 and .7 so I think the Am5 would serve your purpose. You are well within spec of this mount with a C8. You might check out the Facebook group and check out people's set ups there I've seen bigger SCT's than mine on there with great results

[@quint9951]

Where did you get the cable that goes from the mount to the asi mini? Link please thanks

[@astronotna]

I actually made it soldered up some wire scraps I had laying around.

[@AnotherAmateurAstronomer]

Nice mount. Expensive mount.

[@astronotna]

Yes it is lol!

[@worldofzap]

It’s all relative, everything has gone up. I bought my original CGEM II from Highpoint Scientific for 1499, that same mount goes for 2049 now. I am sure it is the same for the EQ6R Pro. I preordered my AM5, which was a good thing as the step motor controller on my CGEM decided to give up the ghost, $328 to fix, so it’s a paper weight. I paid around 2300 for my AM5 with tripod. The CGEM mount head weighs in at around 40lbs. My AM5 kit is a dream to pack. I am never looking back. Right now an EQ6R Pro from Agena goes for 2025, they have a sale on the AM5 1999 with free tripod. So really right now the AM5 is cheaper lol. But yes right now everything is expensive. 🙁

[@SydneyDunk]

Not at all expensive!

[@MazzifLOL]

Ever had the 'pitch angle adjuster' clamps on the side not tight enough and had a telescope flop? Yikes.

[@astronotna]

No but new fear unlocked! lol

[@stevekaiser4959]

I thought the AM5 was to run at 12vdc. But your meter was showing 15.+ volts.

[@astronotna]

Yep it sure does! I explained i was running 3 4 cell batts parallel into a Bec that regulates the voltage at 12 volts @ 9 amps. My meter displays 15+ volts because im measuring the current draw at the power source. Hope this helps

[@stevekaiser4959]

@@astronotna ok I thought that might be the case. So in reality, you’re drawing more current at 12vdc but the regulator easily handles that. Very nice.

[@chris-fcx]

@@astronotna - Are you able to share with us the complete list/specifications of the batteries, BEC and meter you're using? I believe there is plenty of room here for another video covering how to power a complete astrophotography rig using custom parts (like yours). It would be a $ saver for most people, extremely useful and well worth looking into.

[@astronotna]

Hey Chris I was thinking about it but I wasn't sure how much interest there was on this topic. I'll keep it in mind thx!

[@chris-fcx]

@@astronotna I run a large website (+24 years online presence) and always search competitors to see what's available. There doesn't seem to be much on this topic:) The trick is to cover a wide range of options e.g home made (like yours), commercial products etc. This will help capture a wide range of users.

[@nikaxstrophotography]

$300 of on which planet? Still over priced in Australia

[@dmitribovski1292]

You are using lipo batteries directly under your mount? kzbin.info?search_query=RC+Battery+fire

[@astronotna]

Yep been working with lipos for nearly 20 years. In those 20 years I've put lipos through the worst things you can ever imagine. It's all how you treat and store them. Been powering my astronomical mount for nearly 5. They get a bad wrap actually. Those fires are from people not knowing either how to charge them and store them. Again you have to know what you are working with. They are very common in the rc hobby and been powering my RC models for a long time.