I am sure all AM5 users are aware that if it is currently cold where you are to activate Heavy Duty mode. It decreases slew speed by 50% but increases weight capacity by 50%. You will probably see better guiding numbers as well.
AM5 Heavy Duty Mode
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Do note that this post from the ZWO account stresses that the 50% gains advertised in “Heavy Duty Mode” only brings the mount capacity back up to normal during cold temperatures, and that it is not intended to be permanently on as a solution to add more load.
https://bbs.zwoastro.com/d/18996-does-the-am5-heavy-duty-mode-add-payload-capacity/4
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I leave it on all the time, hot or cold. I do think it helps with guiding (maybe 30% reduction in total error), and I’m not too worried about the additional seconds in meridian flips and initial target acquisitions.
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The payload of my current setup (Askar 130PHQ; ZWO ASI2600MC-Air, CAA, 5-position filter wheel and EAF) weighs a bit over 32 pounds including the mounting hardware. This pushed the mount very close to it's advertised limit without a counterweight. So, I also added a 10 pound CW and switched to heavy duty mode. This returned the camera's guiding calibration and auto guiding accuracy to what I experienced with a less heavy scope (ZWO FF107 @ 15 pounds). I also use heavy duty mode when using my Tak 180C. Like others have mentioned, heavy-duty mode does not enable the mount to handle a payload heavier than the manufacturer's recommended limit.
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So going to watch all the eyeballs pop on this one. 12” Meade SCT with 2600mc pro, guide scope with 120mm guide camera. I use heavy duty mode all the time with this setup for over 2 years now, with 2 10lb counterweights as well. Guiding runs .33 to .70 arc seconds with round stars. This scope is over 27 years old, so the correction on the optics aren’t as good as todays optics. Oh BTW before you ask the scope alone weighs in at 46lbs so yeah mount is definitely overloaded but has worked flawlessly like I said for over 2 years with fantastic guiding. CS Tony
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Anthony (Tony) Johnson · Nov 18, 2025 at 07:08 PM
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I definitely agree Tony.
BlackStarsAstro · Nov 18, 2025 at 08:53 PM
Anthony (Tony) Johnson · Nov 18, 2025 at 07:08 PM
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Black stars Astro. I’m looking at the photo of your setup, nice BTW, but my question, do I see a pole master camera mounted on the front of your AM5. Your pic is small and it’s hard to tell, but I can see you have something on the front that doesn’t normally come on the mount.
Anthony (Tony) Johnson · Nov 18, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Black stars Astro. I’m looking at the photo of your setup, nice BTW, but my question, do I see a pole master camera mounted on the front of your AM5. Your pic is small and it’s hard to tell, but I can see you have something on the front that doesn’t normally come on the moun
Yes its a Polemaster. On a 3d printed adapter.
Been running a SVX130T with guide scope and image train running around 36 lbs. In Heavy Duty mode on the AM5N and a bit extra time to settle it has worked well. What is important is the base. Using the ZWO pier but love the stability of a EQ6R Pro tripod.
I read somewhere that the threads in the AM5 for the counterweight bar are the limiting factor and additional weight may be a long term concern. With my configuration and the single weight is works very well with guiding in the 0.3-0.4 range normally and some dips into the 0.25 range on good nights.
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Anthony (Tony) Johnson · Nov 18, 2025, 07:08 PM
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Holy!….. all on the carbon tripod too, wind has got to drive that thing crazy. Wow that’s impressive and I thought my TOA-130 was a lot.
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It is like a sail. I does have to be dead calm. I’m planning some wind sheilds but haven’t popped for them yet. But otherwise works great.
Anthony (Tony) Johnson · Nov 19, 2025, 02:37 PM
It is like a sail. I does have to be dead calm. I’m planning some wind sheilds but haven’t popped for them yet. But otherwise works great.
Yeah my TOA-130 catches the wind a lot too but I also figured out (right after that pic!) that I have less vibration if I don’t use the counterweight, it adds some sort of resonance to it, but I’m OK without it, I don’t think you have a choice.
Starlancer · Nov 19, 2025 at 02:58 PM
Anthony (Tony) Johnson · Nov 19, 2025, 02:37 PM
It is like a sail. I does have to be dead calm. I’m planning some wind sheilds but haven’t popped for them yet. But otherwise works great.
Yeah my TOA-130 catches the wind a lot too but I also figured out (right after that pic!) that I have less vibration if I don’t use the counterweight, it adds some sort of resonance to it, but I’m OK without it, I don’t think you have a choice.
Nope, won’t work without them, and I took a while to find their proper location on the bar. Yeah I agree with the resonance vibration. I don’t give it a thought, if it’s too windy, not worth shooting anyway, and I have a Celestron 6” if I think the 12 won’t handle the breeze I switch over to that,. Also have an 82mm skywatcher refractor that I think could take a pretty good stiff breeze before it would be noticeable. Does take some planning, but that’s what we have to do anyway. But to get back to the reason for the thread, heavy weight works for me, and my guiding is well within tolerable limits, with all my scopes. But I only use heavy weight mode if it’s very cold or I’m running the 12”. I got back into the hobby in 85 during Halley’s Comet with an 8” SCT, that’s when you built everything as far as a mount and no digital anything or even a computer for that matter, so today’s equipment is just amazing, and what we can do nowadays rivals the big observatories of 60 years ago.