Sky and Telescope - June 2016 - 61

However, with
the legs retracted the
Equatorial and alt-az operation
mount is quite short,
Accurate Go To and tracking
with the saddle 41
inches (104 cm) above
Encoders allow manual
movement
the ground. That may
not be high enough
WHAT WE DON'T LIKE:
for many refractors.
Optional outboard polar scope
Fully extending the
legs raises the saddle
High power draw
another 8 inches.
One of the ﬁrst
things a potential buyer of any mount wants to know is
"how big a telescope can it handle?" When used as an
equatorial mount, the AZ-EQ5's advertised load capacity
is 33 pounds, not including counterweights (two 7.5pound weights are supplied). I tested it with the 8-inch
Quattro Imaging Newtonian tube assembly (reviewed in
the March issue) weighing 21 pounds, which required
both counterweights. The mount proved to be too shaky
for photography with this scope even with the axes
locked down tight. However, weight isn't the only issue
at play here; the length of the telescope tube, as well as
how far that weight is from the rotational axes of the
mount, is an important factor, especially with large Newtonian reﬂectors. An 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain would
certainly perform better.
While the mount is sometimes depicted carrying
8-inch or larger reﬂectors, from my experience I'd suggest that if that's your intended load, consider SkyWatcher's larger EQ6 mount.
But when mated to compact 3- to 4-inch refractors,
the combination proved ideal, in either the equatorial
mode with a single counterweight, or in the alt-azimuth
mode with a pair of small telescopes. In either case,
damping time was about one second with the legs fully
retracted, making for a rock-steady platform.
WHAT WE LIKE:

Go To Pointing
The AZ-EQ5 is a Go To mount employing Sky-Watcher's
SynScan system and its new Version 4 hand-controller.
I've used the SynScan system on several Sky-Watcher
mounts in recent years and have always found it reliable
and easy to use. The new hand controller adds multilanguage support.
The only glitch I came across was a rare "runaway"
where the mount continued to slew as if a button was
still pressed. Hitting a slew button again stopped this,
and fortunately the glitch did not aﬀect the mount's
knowledge of where it was pointed.
Indeed, a feature unique to the AZ-EQ5 and its bigger
sibling, the AZ-EQ6, is what Sky-Watcher calls "Freedom
Find." This employs dual encoders on the mount that
keep track of the mount's position no matter how it is
moved. You can unlock the mount and manually push it

The AZ-EQ5 comes with excellent azimuth and latitude adjustments for precise polar alignment. The latitude adjustment
range spans from 0°° to 90°. The ribbed black wheel (seen on the
counterweight shaft) is the declination lock. Note the secure
locking plugs for the declination and power cables, a professional touch.

The large ratcheted handle (right) makes quick work when
adjusting the latitude angle. The control panel contains ports for
the hand controller, a standard ST-4 autoguider, and a USB jack
for computer control. Two "SNAP" ports allow users to connect
their DSLR cameras and control their shutters with the SynScan
hand paddle. The ribbed black wheel seen here is the RA lock.
The saddle accepts Vixen-standard dovetail plates.

An outboard polar alignment scope bolts securely to the mount,
replacing a small bubble level used in alt-azimuth mode. The
separate "bright ﬁeld" illuminator is shown on the front of the
polar scope.

Sk yandTelescope.com June 2016

http://www.SkyandTelescope.com

Sky and Telescope - June 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Sky and Telescope - June 2016