Thoughts on the ZWO AM3 - Forums

Topic starter

Jun 12, 2023

Hi all,

What is everyone's thoughts on the ZWO AM3 that got recently announced? I think it looks like a great alternative to the ZWO AM5, but the main reason I am asking is that I am potentially interested in getting the AM3 over the AM5, mainly due to cost and mount head weight difference.

Would it be a good mount upgrade over my Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer, or is there another option that might be better to suit my needs? I will definitely look at upgrading the rest of my equipment in the future, such as upgrading to a dedicated astrophotography camera and a bigger telescope, such as the Askar line of telescopes or something else that is similar.

Looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts on the AM3.

Zak

Engaging

Steven

Jun 12, 2023 · Edited: Jun 12, 2023

I'm interested for sure. Not sure if I'll get it..since it does "more" than I need it to do.. (sounds weird, I know). But looking at the website again just now, does make my hands itch when the mouse gets to the "order now" button.

I would have preferred an "AM1", sub 3kg weight, 3-5kg capacity.. ~1000$ price tag.. to really go for a travel kit.
I feel like I'm paying 500 bucks for capacity that I don't really need.. since I have bigger mounts that deal with that capacity if needed.

Either way, best is to probably look at AM5 reviews and comments, as they'll be pretty much the same.. so base your judgement on that.

I do believe it is a very good upgrade from the star adventurer. Getting the RA/DEC control, better guiding and plate solving/GoTo functions will already make a big difference to your astrophotography, IF... you use it in your workflow ---- which might mean investing into things like the ASIAIR, or laptop, portable battery or powermanagement, etc.. Keep in mind that it might change your workflow quite a bit from a camera+lens on a "basic" tracker, maybe that's something you're happy to do, maybe it isn't. Up to you.

Another benefit is that it will also allow you to slowly upgrade all the way up to 8-13kg capacity, means you won't be limited for a while..

As for other options: Star adventurer GTI. will also have its pros and cons .. but it's probably the only other "small" mount with RA/DEC to consider at that price range

Helpful Insightful Respectful Engaging

Zak Jones

Topic starter

Jun 12, 2023

I'm interested for sure. Not sure if I'll get it..since it does "more" than I need it to do.. (sounds weird, I know). But looking at the website again just now, does make my hands itch when the mouse gets to the "order now" button.

I would have preferred an "AM1", sub 3kg weight, 3-5kg capacity.. ~1000$ price tag.. to really go for a travel kit.
I feel like I'm paying 500 bucks for capacity that I don't really need.. since I have bigger mounts that deal with that capacity if needed.

Either way, best is to probably look at AM5 reviews and comments, as they'll be pretty much the same.. so base your judgement on that.

I do believe it is a very good upgrade from the star adventurer. Getting the RA/DEC control, better guiding and plate solving/GoTo functions will already make a big difference to your astrophotography, IF... you use it in your workflow ---- which might mean investing into things like the ASIAIR, or laptop, portable battery or powermanagement, etc.. Keep in mind that it might change your workflow quite a bit from a camera+lens on a "basic" tracker, maybe that's something you're happy to do, maybe it isn't. Up to you.

Another benefit is that it will also allow you to slowly upgrade all the way up to 8-13kg capacity, means you won't be limited for a while..

As for other options: Star adventurer GTI. will also have its pros and cons .. but it's probably the only other "small" mount with RA/DEC to consider at that price range

Yes I agree, the AM3 looks like a very capable mount. Like you, I also wish that ZWO had announced something that's smaller again than the AM3, but that's ok though.

I've looked at lots of AM5 reviews, and a lot of people have said that it is a fantastic mount. I would strongly consider it if I could afford it!

Yes, that's why I'm looking at something along the lines of the AM3 or something similar, which would be a great upgrade from my original Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer. I feel like I am starting to reach the limits of it, hence why I'm doing research around a mount upgrade that will be a step-up from what I have.

I did consider the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi, but I feel that the same 5kg payload limit is a big reason why I'm no longer considering it, even though it's essentially the same as the Star Adventurer, except with Go-To and 2-axis guiding. I can autoguide with my Star Adventurer, but I am starting to get annoyed how it produces walking noise, which I can deal with by dithering, but I can't justify dithering in only RA when I have read that dithering is supposed to be used with 2-axis guiding.

I don't mind a new challenge, especially when it comes to plate-solving, which I cannot do with my Star Adventurer as it is a manual movement mount. Plate-solving will save me so much time when I'm framing up a target to photograph, as I hate having to do it manually. I do have an ASIAIR Pro which I use with my current setup and I love it. Such a capable little device!

Yes, I do like that the AM3 has a big payload capacity which will allow me to slowly upgrade to bigger and better telescopes over my Radian 61 which I like using, but with everything attached it's 4kgs, which is very close to the payload limit of my Star Adventurer.

I do like the looks of the Sky-Watcher Esprit lineup of telescopes and also the Askar range, both are very good options of bigger telescope upgrades in the future.

Zak

Rafał Szwejkowski

IOTD Staff

Jun 12, 2023

I think it's an excellent proposition, at lower price than AM5 it will service most refractors up to 115mm and Newtonians up to say 8". It looks to have even lower PE than AM5. If AM3 were introduced before the AM5 it would've outsold it by a long margin.

Overall very tempting.

Rafael Amarins

Jun 12, 2023

I googled mount head weights: AM5 4.9kg AM3 3.9kg
I understand the price argument but not the weight. 2 pounds gives you almost twice the payload capacity.
Even if you're hiking you'll still have to carry: guider, guiding camera, main camera, ota, cables, asi air or laptop, power tank and who knows what else.
You're saving 1kg out of your gear and giving up a non negligible payload capacity - and you'll never know when this payload might become useful.
Price-wise it makes sense to me but not otherwise.

tjm8874

Jun 12, 2023

I got AM5 last year and HEA43 this spring, I'll never use my good old CGX again…

AM3 will work for your next 80 - 90mm scope, really easy to setup and will have beautiful tracking accuracy.
If you think Askar 80PHQ x0.76, this is incredibly sharp scope, can beat with Takahashi 85. I can highly recommend.
-> ZWO FF80 is same OEM scope and you can get free reducer, pre-order before 7/31/23.

If you think 120-130mm scope for next investment, save $500 for AM5.

Quinn Groessl

IOTD Staff

Jun 12, 2023

For me the price and weight differences don't make up for the capacity difference. When I do upgrade my mount I'll consider the AM5, but not the AM3.

Well Written

Zak Jones

Topic starter

Jun 12, 2023

Rafał Szwejkowski:
I think it's an excellent proposition, at lower price than AM5 it will service most refractors up to 115mm and Newtonians up to say 8". It looks to have even lower PE than AM5. If AM3 were introduced before the AM5 it would've outsold it by a long margin.

Overall very tempting.

Me too, I probably won't go over a 100mm refractor as I want to be able to move it around to dark sky sites and also to try and keep it setup at home.

I didn't actually check the specs for PE, but I'm surprised about that the AM3 may have better PE than the AM5, which is a good thing.

Zak

Zak Jones

Topic starter

Jun 13, 2023

Rafael Amarins:
I googled mount head weights: AM5 4.9kg AM3 3.9kg
I understand the price argument but not the weight. 2 pounds gives you almost twice the payload capacity.
Even if you're hiking you'll still have to carry: guider, guiding camera, main camera, ota, cables, asi air or laptop, power tank and who knows what else.
You're saving 1kg out of your gear and giving up a non negligible payload capacity - and you'll never know when this payload might become useful.
Price-wise it makes sense to me but not otherwise.

That's why I considered the AM3 as a cheaper alternative to the AM5. The price here in Australia for the AM3 is $2,700 AUD whereas the AM5 is $3,700 AUD. I get that it might be cheaper elsewhere, but it might not come with Australian warranty, plus $1,000 is a big difference between mounts which could go towards other things such as the ZWO carbon fibre tripod which is $539 AUD and something else that is saved from the $1,000 difference which would make it easier to get everything started for my eventual upgrade path.

I also understand about payload capacity and that if I do end up getting the AM3 instead of the AM5, I could regret not getting the AM5 instead due to me potentially wanting to upgrade my telescopes to something bigger. My plan is to mainly use my next mount at home most of the time, with the very odd occasion travelling to a Bortle 3 site which is only 45mins away from where I live to image some targets that are better off being imaged in a darker location than at my Bortle 5 backyard.

I did consider getting a Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro that is belt modded before, but the mount head weighs 10kgs, which for me is way too heavy for me to lift as I have previously expressed in many of my forum posts about my low muscle tone due to my autism. Another option I considered was the Sky-Watcher EQM-35 Pro but after a lot of research, I have also ruled it out due to the various issues that the EQM-35 is plagued by. It's now down to either the ZWO AM5 or ZWO AM3, with a preference towards the AM3 for my reasons as mentioned above and in previous forums.

Zak

Zak Jones

Topic starter

Jun 13, 2023 · Edited: Jun 13, 2023

I got AM5 last year and HEA43 this spring, I'll never use my good old CGX again...

AM3 will work for your next 80 - 90mm scope, really easy to setup and will have beautiful tracking accuracy.
If you think Askar 80PHQ x0.76, this is incredibly sharp scope, can beat with Takahashi 85. I can highly recommend.
-> ZWO FF80 is same OEM scope and you can get free reducer, pre-order before 7/31/23.

If you think 120-130mm scope for next investment, save $500 for AM5.

Good to hear that you are enjoying your AM5! I have heard many good things about it since it came out.

I did see the ZWO scopes that got announced at NEAF this year, but I'm a bit sceptical about them as they are essentially the same as the Askar PHQ lineup of scopes, just with different branding and slightly higher price tags. I am sure that they will perform well, but that's just my take on them. Also similar to what is already on the market is the (already) seemingly discontinued Radian 75. I am never touching that scope as it's WAY more expensive than other similar options, plus I am a victim of the marketing campaign from OPT with the Radian 61, which is essentially a re-badged Sharpstar 61EDPH II but with other features and a bigger price tag. Not trying to say that it is Trevor's fault by any means, it's just poor marketing from OPT.

I also reached out to them almost two weeks ago to see if they can send me an objective lens replacement but I have heard nothing from them. I will most likely never deal with them again, plus they told me that they would share my images taken with the Radian 61 on their social media channels, but nothing there also. Sorry for the rant, but I am just expressing how I feel about Radian and OPT as a whole.

I do really like the Askar range of telescopes, but I am also considering the Sky-Watcher Esprit ED lineup of telescopes as well after my mount upgrade, as they look really good for what they are. Another reason I am looking at getting a Sky-Watcher OTA is so I can enter the yearly Sky-Watcher Australia Astrophotographer of the Year competition, which I unfortunately cannot enter unless I have deep space images that were taken with Sky-Watcher OTAs, which is both somewhat restrictive and a shame to be honest, as I have taken some amazing images with the equipment that I have.

I did just reply to Rafael's comment about the pricing for the ZWO AM5 and ZWO AM5, saying that whilst it maybe a $500 difference where other people live, it's actually a $1,000 difference here in Australia, which is quite substantial in my opinion, hence why I am considering the AM3 over the AM5 for that reason, plus the mount head weight as well.

Zak

Zak Jones

Topic starter

Jun 13, 2023

For me the price and weight differences don't make up for the capacity difference. When I do upgrade my mount I'll consider the AM5, but not the AM3.

All good! For me, the price and mount head weight do matter. Payload capacity isn't really on my mind to be honest, as the two factors I have said are what matters to me most.

Everyone's different, and I totally understand what everyone else thinks and wants to do. Not trying to tell you guys what to do at all, it's just me expressing my opinions on things and getting as much information as I can so that I make the right decisions and not regret them later on.

Zak

Zak Jones

Topic starter

Jun 13, 2023

I got AM5 last year and HEA43 this spring, I'll never use my good old CGX again...

AM3 will work for your next 80 - 90mm scope, really easy to setup and will have beautiful tracking accuracy.
If you think Askar 80PHQ x0.76, this is incredibly sharp scope, can beat with Takahashi 85. I can highly recommend.
-> ZWO FF80 is same OEM scope and you can get free reducer, pre-order before 7/31/23.

If you think 120-130mm scope for next investment, save $500 for AM5.

Just found out through a post on Facebook that OPT is being sold apparently. Might explain why I haven't heard from them.

Oh well, not a big deal. I'm not buying from them again regardless of what happens. Poor customer service and saying one thing and doing another did it for me.

Zak

tjm8874

Jun 13, 2023 · Edited: Jun 13, 2023

Now OPT is finally closed, they are selling all inventory on auction…

I just wonder SkyWatcher Esprit ED 80's image circle = 33mm with flattener, so it's not big enough for your EOS 6D.
Esprit 100ED has 40mm image circle, comes with EOS M48 Adapter, will work for 6D. but you need counterweight.

Steven

Jun 13, 2023

well.. just ordered the AM3,
I blame you Zak for making me look at the website again

I can see uses for myself for travel (which I do quite a bit) and throwing it in the back of the car for some remote location imaging away from the city.. things that I can't see myself doing with my EQ6r or Celestron AVX .. and my star adventurer seems a little too limiting for some of that.

Didn't go for the AM5 (besides saving some bucks),
the 1kg weight saving is always nice in the suitcase.. not the biggest requirement, but nice...
But mainly since I don't need the capacity of the AM5. My heaviest scope is an Esprit 80, and I don't see myself upgrading to anything much heavier any time soon.. anything heavier would be a "stay at home" scope anyway, that can just ride the trusty EQ6r. - Even the Esprit is more of a "stay at home" scope anyway.. you don't just throw that in a backpack.

So my main use for the AM3 will for now be wide field imaging. Samyang 135, Redcat, etc.
Lets see when it arrives!

Engaging

Rafael Amarins

Jun 13, 2023

Now OPT is finally closed, they are selling all inventory on auction...

I just wonder SkyWatcher Esprit ED 80's image circle = 33mm with flattener, so it's not big enough for your EOS 6D.
Esprit 100ED has 40mm image circle, comes with EOS M48 Adapter, will work for 6D. but you need counterweight.

Sorry for the off topic but what do you mean by Opt is closed and selling all inventory on auction?

Steven

Jun 13, 2023 · Edited: Jun 13, 2023

Rafael Amarins:
Now OPT is finally closed, they are selling all inventory on auction...

I just wonder SkyWatcher Esprit ED 80's image circle = 33mm with flattener, so it's not big enough for your EOS 6D.
Esprit 100ED has 40mm image circle, comes with EOS M48 Adapter, will work for 6D. but you need counterweight.

Sorry for the off topic but what do you mean by Opt is closed and selling all inventory on auction?

Don't know all the details. But OPT Telescopes (A very big astro store in California, US) seems to have shut down. And they're auctioning of all the left over stock. Loads of scopes, gear, equipment. Auction ends in 10-12 hours. (be advised, you actually have to go there and pick up your items, no shipping unless you organise that yourself somehow)

And to stay on topic

, there are a few AM5's in the listing. But all with bids of 3000+ dollars