~*~
Friday 12th. Sunny periods. I am hoping that UPS actually deliver my new mounting today. I have email updates suggesting they are on their way. They sent me emails saying they were going to deliver yesterday. While the parcels were still half way across Germany! The postman should be bringing my mini-PC today. Nice bloke. He has been doing the local deliveries for years.
Both deliveries have arrived. The ZWOAM5N is beautifully presented in a useful and sturdy cast case. The finish on the mount and pier extension is flawless. Nothing had prepared me for how small it was going to be. Though it was definitely not the AM3. Because AM5 is printed clearly on the side of the mount. The mount is surprisingly heavy. I wasn't prepared for that either.
The pier extension is nice touch and allows several more sturdy tripods to be used. In place of the CF original from ZWO. This shows a heightened level of care for customer's needs.
I suppose it took me all of ten minutes to unpack and assemble for the first time. Fixing the pier extension to the AVX tripod with the supplied round plate. Then added the mounting to the pier extension using the original, larger, round plate. The clamps on the pier extension are a nice touch. No long term pockmarks from thumbscrews. Perhaps causing buyers of used goods to haggle the price down..
I have already adjusted the mount for my latitude of 55ºN. It only took a couple of seconds. The mechanical adjustments all work smoothly and effortlessly. No need for any other tools than the supplied hex/Allen key. Nor huge muscles. No frustration or dodgy threads to overcome.
I had to rotate and move the mounted tripod. The whole thing is easily managed. Very positive. I feared that lifting the completed assembly would be a strain. It wasn't. Not at all. I can carry this about outside. Plans for an off-road dolly can be put on hold.
Next is to connect it to the mains. I bought a12V10A PS brick. The dealer didn't have the original ZWO 10A PS. Only the 5A model. The weather is thundery with cloudbursts. I hope that isn't ominous! I shan't be able to take any pretty pictures of my new toys. Not until it clears up a bit. Another cloudburst and very deep rumbles.
I need not have worried. The mount slews quietly and smoothly. Returning to Home with a press of the lower button on the remote/joystick. Fitting the dinky little, Lunt 60MT solar telescope. Brought the AM5N back down to earth in apparent scale. It will need a much bigger telescope to make it look tiny again. The fitted dovetail seemed lost in the AM5N clamps. I have much bigger [wider and longer] dovetails. Which never fitted any of the camera heads I owned. Now, they may finally be used in anger.
Next I have to fire up the GMKTec K6. I'd better start a new blog post for that.
~*~
No comments:
Post a Comment