Great video! BTW, thanks for pointing out the limitations of the rig out of the box, and the $2400 ballpark figure with the necessary additions .... Kind regards!
Glad to see you have come to the same conclusions that I did on my channel (Astrophotography Japan). I am so envious of your skies! Best wishes and looking forward to the next!
Hey there, jpastroguy, I watched your video on the AM5 and enjoyed it very much. Those kids dancing up there where you were setup was cool to watch. Thanks!
@@DakotaStarryNights Thanks. Yea, I am alway bumping into visitors on that look-out at all times of the night. Had the police visit a few time as well since they saw suspicious red lights dancing on the summit (all good however)......
Great to see you posting on DSN channel. Enjoy watching your videos as you present in a really pleasing way to understand. Keep those videos coming Richard. How did the fast newt perform with the night vision monocular?
Hey Robert-- I'm happy to say the newt did not disappoint! I did flock the OTA and blackened the back of the secondary, which helped a lot. I also cover the back of the scope with a night watch cap to block out ambient light from reaching the back of the primary mirror. (After the mirror acclimated of course.) And, lol, I built a dew shield to darken the interior further. Faint light leaks defeat faint fuzzes, is my motto. :)
glad to see new videos, nice work and answers a question I've been wondering! I've got the same night vision setup and it's been game changing! I'm wondering if the little brother AM3 could handle my EdgeHD 8 at 14 lbs or if I should stick with the AM5?
Glad you found it useful. 🤠 In my experience the way it typically plays out; at some point there will be an upgrade to your visual platform that will benefit from having the larger payload of the AM5. Buying once is cheaper than buying twice. 😞 Clear skies!
Hi. Thanks for the review. I am an all visual guy as well. I need a new mount for my 80 mm Lunt solar refractor. I am looking for a simple grab and go mount to do mostly solar, planetary and lunar. The Lunt is ~11 pounds in h-alpha mode. I would love to get a ~9 inch Mak in the future for planets and use the same mount for that as well. Do you think the AM5 would be a good choice for that? Could I get by without anything but a power source? I would love to keep it simple.
I picked up a Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi for planetary and solar work and to use with a 90mm MAK and a Tele Vue Bino Vue on the Moon. It works pretty good. You can run it off a phone as it has built-in WiFi. But I prefer a hand controller which I have from a Sky-Watcher AZ-Eq Pro. The stated weight capacity is 11lbs for the AZ-GTi. The AM5 is a great mount for astrophotography. But I don't use it for visual anymore. The need for a camera, ASI-Air, extra scope to plate-solve your way around plus a tablet or phone is too much hassle for me. 💫
@@DakotaStarryNights 11 pounds is pretty light. My Vixen Porta II has a supposed weight capacity of 20 pounds, but that is overly optimistic. Have you used the Discmount DM4, Desert Sky DS-3 or NoH CT-20? They are rated to hold 20+ pounds.
thank you very much for this!! . i have recently purchased the am5 for visual in alt/azi . i am using a sct 9.25 with its original tripod . i have a 120asi guide camera to plate solve . it is attached the top of the OTA but in alt azi mode it end up being on the side and when i plate solve the visual is off just outside the viewing circle. the 120 is attached solid to the scope i see your guide scope is in the viewfinder holder? ...im not sure how that is done . it does not fit in the holder ? thxs
You would need to put the finder scope in an adjustable holder with rings. Center the scope on a distant object then adjust the finder scope until that object is in the center of the finder scope.
thxs for the reply ..i have the adjustable holder for my finder scope but is there a an adjustable holder that will hold my asi120mini scope which i am using fro the plate solving ? @@DakotaStarryNights
Maybe you could offer some help, I just bought the am5 mount. I would like to use my televue 85 scope with guide scope and camera but I can’t find mounting brackets for all my gear. I want to use mount for both equatorial and visual. Any suggestions
An Orion 8" f4. But they are no longer available since Orion acquired Meade, as I understand it. There is the Apertura 8" f/4 Imaging Newtonian OTA available from High Point Scientific. Essentially the same scope in white.
@@tempusfugit6820 The refractor at the start is a TS (Telescope Service) 102 f11. IMHO the best solar system refractor for the money. I've used it for imaging, too, with great results. Very much under the radar that one. But make no mistake, it's a planet and moon machine!
Thank you so much! Before buying it, I will have to wait for a new firmware that fix the GoTo in AltAz.
You're welcome!
Great video! BTW, thanks for pointing out the limitations of the rig out of the box, and the $2400 ballpark figure with the necessary additions ....
Kind regards!
you're welcome.🌞
Glad to see you have come to the same conclusions that I did on my channel (Astrophotography Japan). I am so envious of your skies! Best wishes and looking forward to the next!
Hey there, jpastroguy, I watched your video on the AM5 and enjoyed it very much. Those kids dancing up there where you were setup was cool to watch. Thanks!
@@DakotaStarryNights Thanks. Yea, I am alway bumping into visitors on that look-out at all times of the night. Had the police visit a few time as well since they saw suspicious red lights dancing on the summit (all good however)......
Great to see you posting on DSN channel. Enjoy watching your videos as you present in a really pleasing way to understand. Keep those videos coming Richard. How did the fast newt perform with the night vision monocular?
Hey Robert-- I'm happy to say the newt did not disappoint! I did flock the OTA and blackened the back of the secondary, which helped a lot. I also cover the back of the scope with a night watch cap to block out ambient light from reaching the back of the primary mirror. (After the mirror acclimated of course.) And, lol, I built a dew shield to darken the interior further. Faint light leaks defeat faint fuzzes, is my motto. :)
glad to see new videos, nice work and answers a question I've been wondering! I've got the same night vision setup and it's been game changing! I'm wondering if the little brother AM3 could handle my EdgeHD 8 at 14 lbs or if I should stick with the AM5?
Glad you found it useful. 🤠
In my experience the way it typically plays out; at some point there will be an upgrade to your visual platform that will benefit from having the larger payload of the AM5. Buying once is cheaper than buying twice. 😞 Clear skies!
Hi. Thanks for the review. I am an all visual guy as well.
I need a new mount for my 80 mm Lunt solar refractor. I am looking for a simple grab and go mount to do mostly solar, planetary and lunar. The Lunt is ~11 pounds in h-alpha mode. I would love to get a ~9 inch Mak in the future for planets and use the same mount for that as well. Do you think the AM5 would be a good choice for that? Could I get by without anything but a power source? I would love to keep it simple.
I picked up a Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi for planetary and solar work and to use with a 90mm MAK and a Tele Vue Bino Vue on the Moon. It works pretty good. You can run it off a phone as it has built-in WiFi. But I prefer a hand controller which I have from a Sky-Watcher AZ-Eq Pro.
The stated weight capacity is 11lbs for the AZ-GTi. The AM5 is a great mount for astrophotography. But I don't use it for visual anymore. The need for a camera, ASI-Air, extra scope to plate-solve your way around plus a tablet or phone is too much hassle for me. 💫
@@DakotaStarryNights 11 pounds is pretty light. My Vixen Porta II has a supposed weight capacity of 20 pounds, but that is overly optimistic. Have you used the Discmount DM4, Desert Sky DS-3 or NoH CT-20? They are rated to hold 20+ pounds.
Great setup. Really interesting! cs
Brilliant.Thank You
You are welcome!
thank you very much for this!! . i have recently purchased the am5 for visual in alt/azi . i am using a sct 9.25 with its original tripod . i have a 120asi guide camera to plate solve . it is attached the top of the OTA but in alt azi mode it end up being on the side and when i plate solve the visual is off just outside the viewing circle. the 120 is attached solid to the scope i see your guide scope is in the viewfinder holder? ...im not sure how that is done . it does not fit in the holder ? thxs
You would need to put the finder scope in an adjustable holder with rings. Center the scope on a distant object then adjust the finder scope until that object is in the center of the finder scope.
thxs for the reply ..i have the adjustable holder for my finder scope but is there a an adjustable holder that will hold my asi120mini scope which i am using fro the plate solving ? @@DakotaStarryNights
got it figured out THXS again for the video!
Maybe you could offer some help, I just bought the am5 mount. I would like to use my televue 85 scope with guide scope and camera but I can’t find mounting brackets for all my gear. I want to use mount for both equatorial and visual. Any suggestions
This should do the trick: www.admaccessories.com/?s=rings&post_type=product
How much does your counterweight and bar weigh? Thanks
8 lbs. 💫
Tks
What newt you using here ?
An Orion 8" f4. But they are no longer available since Orion acquired Meade, as I understand it. There is the Apertura 8" f/4 Imaging Newtonian OTA available from High Point Scientific. Essentially the same scope in white.
What refactor is that?
The guide scope is a SVBONY 60mm refractor, Steve. The main scope is a Newtonian reflector, Steve. An Orion 8" f4 newt.
What about the refractor you show at the beginning of the video?
@@tempusfugit6820 The refractor at the start is a TS (Telescope Service) 102 f11. IMHO the best solar system refractor for the money. I've used it for imaging, too, with great results. Very much under the radar that one. But make no mistake, it's a planet and moon machine!