So I decided to go ahead and get this mount from AliExpress and share my experience with it here and on youtube.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy52g1xfPj0&lc=UgwPWacW-Ay_Mf94rSN4AaABAg
The Juwei-17 is a harmonic drive mount with a payload that is very similar to ZWO’s AM5, but for nearly half the price! The AM5 retails at 2000 USD while you can get this mount shipped to you from AliExpress for around 1200 USD.
The stated payload without a counter weight is 13kg/28lbs. Witch is exactly the same as the AM5. However the maximum payload with a counterweight is 18kg/39lbs, which is ever so slightly less than the AM5’s at 20kg/44lbs. The ports are standard, 12v dc power port, a handset port that can also be used for st4 guiding and a USB 2.0 Type B port.
Mounting is easy, I got mine with the pier extension, which I dismantled to utilise the top plate only. I screwed in a TC40 adapter to it for easy mounting to the ZWO pier or the TC40 tripod. You can also buy an optional hand controller for the mount that comes in English. I say this because the mount can actually be controlled via WIFI though the interface for the WIFI controls, which you can access through any browser, is in chinese. It’s not a big deal for me as I will probably never need to use it that way. The mount utilizes an open source computerized goto system called Onstep which has been tried and proven by many in the DIY community and thankfully for us mere astrophotographers there is an ASCOM driver and an INDI driver making the mount compatible with any windows based astronomy software and the ASIair or the Stellarmete.
In terms of build, I was actually very impressed with the machining of the mount, it feels sturdy and reliable and all of the screws are smooth enough to be a pleasure to fiddle with. I was able to precisely polar align the mount in minutes and the whole experience was very satisfying. Before I tell you and gush about how well the mount performed however, let me tell why I almost, and I mean almost, made a video titled “Don’t buy this mount, it’s a total scam!!When I first received this mount and was done admiring the craftsmanship of it, the smoothness of the altitude knob and azimuth adjustment screws. I powered up the mount, connected it to nina slewed the RA motors, and heard a beautiful, smooth, quiet sound that was delightful for the soul. My delight however was short lived. When I tried to slew in DEC. The motor grinded and stalled and screamed for mercy. It was heartbreaking! Long story short, I contacted the manufacturer, rewired the mount and voala. The mount worked! The issue was caused by a poor connection between the stepper and the PCB and I was comfortable fixing it myself. Take from that what you wish, someone other than me might be put off by something like this completely, and like I said I almost was, but I admit, I was sated by how well this mount performed.
My experience after that little fiasco was pretty much plug and play. Smooth sailing and very accurate guiding.
I'll leave these screenshots in the video for those interested. You see here the mount has virtually no backlash and here you see the mount was guiding below 0.6 RMS on a very bad and windy night. I wasn’t following the mount as it was guiding but I managed to capture some pretty impressive screenshots of PHD2.
When I connected it to the ASIair I was able to polar alight from a total error of more than 3 degrees in 2 minutes and I was floored by the guiding I was getting, below 0.4RMS consistently, as you can see here.
Here's a link to a 4 panel mosaic I shot partly with this mount: https://astrob.in/de3hde/0/
I hope that this is helpful, Ali!
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy52g1xfPj0&lc=UgwPWacW-Ay_Mf94rSN4AaABAg
The Juwei-17 is a harmonic drive mount with a payload that is very similar to ZWO’s AM5, but for nearly half the price! The AM5 retails at 2000 USD while you can get this mount shipped to you from AliExpress for around 1200 USD.
The stated payload without a counter weight is 13kg/28lbs. Witch is exactly the same as the AM5. However the maximum payload with a counterweight is 18kg/39lbs, which is ever so slightly less than the AM5’s at 20kg/44lbs. The ports are standard, 12v dc power port, a handset port that can also be used for st4 guiding and a USB 2.0 Type B port.
Mounting is easy, I got mine with the pier extension, which I dismantled to utilise the top plate only. I screwed in a TC40 adapter to it for easy mounting to the ZWO pier or the TC40 tripod. You can also buy an optional hand controller for the mount that comes in English. I say this because the mount can actually be controlled via WIFI though the interface for the WIFI controls, which you can access through any browser, is in chinese. It’s not a big deal for me as I will probably never need to use it that way. The mount utilizes an open source computerized goto system called Onstep which has been tried and proven by many in the DIY community and thankfully for us mere astrophotographers there is an ASCOM driver and an INDI driver making the mount compatible with any windows based astronomy software and the ASIair or the Stellarmete.
In terms of build, I was actually very impressed with the machining of the mount, it feels sturdy and reliable and all of the screws are smooth enough to be a pleasure to fiddle with. I was able to precisely polar align the mount in minutes and the whole experience was very satisfying. Before I tell you and gush about how well the mount performed however, let me tell why I almost, and I mean almost, made a video titled “Don’t buy this mount, it’s a total scam!!When I first received this mount and was done admiring the craftsmanship of it, the smoothness of the altitude knob and azimuth adjustment screws. I powered up the mount, connected it to nina slewed the RA motors, and heard a beautiful, smooth, quiet sound that was delightful for the soul. My delight however was short lived. When I tried to slew in DEC. The motor grinded and stalled and screamed for mercy. It was heartbreaking! Long story short, I contacted the manufacturer, rewired the mount and voala. The mount worked! The issue was caused by a poor connection between the stepper and the PCB and I was comfortable fixing it myself. Take from that what you wish, someone other than me might be put off by something like this completely, and like I said I almost was, but I admit, I was sated by how well this mount performed.
My experience after that little fiasco was pretty much plug and play. Smooth sailing and very accurate guiding.
I'll leave these screenshots in the video for those interested. You see here the mount has virtually no backlash and here you see the mount was guiding below 0.6 RMS on a very bad and windy night. I wasn’t following the mount as it was guiding but I managed to capture some pretty impressive screenshots of PHD2.
When I connected it to the ASIair I was able to polar alight from a total error of more than 3 degrees in 2 minutes and I was floored by the guiding I was getting, below 0.4RMS consistently, as you can see here.
Here's a link to a 4 panel mosaic I shot partly with this mount: https://astrob.in/de3hde/0/
I hope that this is helpful, Ali!
… especially when I consider my iOptron mount with my ASIAIR-Plus ….
) ... especially when I consider my iOptron mount with my ASIAIR-Plus ....
