Unbelievebale piece of kit. Lightweight, portable and yet rock solid. I have achieved far better tracking figures with this mount than with my previous bulky EQ mount and it works seemlessly with the ASIAir. The service from FLO was nothing short of magnificent as normal - emails responded to almost immediately, questions answered in detail and invaluable advice given. Cannot recommend the kit, or FLO high enough. I look forward to purchasing more equipment soon!

As a complete beginner on guided mounts I selected the AM5 for several reasons. First there seem to be an overwhelming number of positive reviews of harmonic drive mounts, and specifically the AM5. Secondly some members at my Astronomy Society are very familiar with the AM5 and so I could ask questions of them as well as the expert FLO team. Finally ZWO came up with a special offer that made it a no brainer to go ahead and buy one.

My experience with the AM5 so far has been very positive with a perfect tracking performance during its first light. I am very happy with this purchase and also with the support and advice of the FLO support team

I usually use a Skywatcher Alt-Az EQ 6 GT Pro for mounting and guiding three imaging telescopes, the largest and heaviest being an Esprit 120 Super Apo, that scope and its required accessories weight in at approximately 14.5 Kgs. Laughably, I have injured my back twice lifting the mount and weights into the garden, so I decided recently that I wanted to image from remote sites and that the EQ6 GT Pro is just not suited for fast and easy breakdown, so I needed a suitable portable rig to follow my needs for remote imaging. After weeks of deliberation and watching the many videos and reviews on line, I arrived at my decision to purchase the AM5 as it would give me the options when needed to use any of the three imaging telescopes I have.

I can report that its likely to be one of the best Astro purchases I have made, It's incredibly light but incredibly rugged at the same time. The engineering and manufacturing that has gone into the AM5 is just astoundingly good. First light using the ASIAir Polar alignment was a little challenge using my Esprit 120 due to its focal length when making micro Alt-Az adjustments, as I'm use to using a PoleMaster for alignment, but time and usage will bring alignment times down I'm sure. Guiding is a breeze with the combination of the AM5 and 2600 MC Duo I use. My average guiding being reported in 0.5 arc seconds and I have seen it as low as 0.3! The AM5 is pricey but well worth the investment just for the guiding alone. My initial concern prior to purchasing an AM5/TC40 was going to be balancing a heavy rig and the safety of the investment therein. But having done my research ahead of purchase, I was aware that I would need to use the recommended counterweight bar, weight and a secondary weight in the accessory tray just to ensure stability. All has gone well using the AM5/TC40 even using the Esprit. Testing such a weighty telescope proved to me that my fears were unfounded.

I can highly recommend the AM5 for its looks, manufacturing excellence and its seem less operation. I'm looking forward to imaging some of the lower southern targets during the summer months that I have been unable to image from home! Great service, support and delivery as always from the FLO team. Clear skies!

FLO helped me when my HEQ5 died just before I set of to a Star Camp. Usual flawless fast service.
The AM5 mount had its first test in a field in Northumberland with Indi,Ekos,Kstars on Linux. Worked without any issues except the clouds where annoying. Oh and it needed datetime and location syncing after power on.
I 3D printed a PoleMaster bracket but have since made a bracket out of a QHY PoleMaster Adapter - for EQ8 Mounts and a More Blue 80mm Vixen-style Finder Dovetail Bar, required drilling and tapping one M6 hole in the adaptor and rail.

All together, a very happy customer.

Thank you FLO.
As a complete novice I would definitely not have chosen the right solution for me. I was sceptical about getting guidance online however the support I received could not be faulted. And, unlike a face to face discussion, I was able to re-read the emails from FLO as, over several weeks, I gradually refined my choice of scope, mount and eyepieces. So, a super massive thank you to the FLO presales team.
The ZWO AM 5 is perfect for me, I could not be more pleased.

I’ve had this for around 3 weeks now and although it was shipped with the standard FLO clouds these quickly cleared and I was able to use it around 6-7 times (nights) as of time of writing. I purchased the mount to replace a Skywatcher Az-Gti as it couldn’t quite manage the payload I needed for a rooftop based (the only place I can really see the sky) wide-field imaging project using an Askar FMA230. I am sure it’ll be used with other scopes and also on travels as well. Although the list of things I don’t like is rather long, I would stress they are all minor, don’t affect functionality, and have all been addressed. Overall, it’s an excellent mount (particularly for ASI-Air users).

Things I like:
- It really is rock solid, very well engineered, and a counterweight is not needed for my 5Kg wide-field rig. I’m sure it’ll cope with a Williams Optics Zenithstar 71 later on as well. The light weight and stability is just outstanding. I will certainly also use it for outreach, rather than lugging my old Vixen SP and counterweight. All the controls/locks are butter-smooth and precise. The slewing accuracy and mechanics are first class.
- The app (iPhone in my case) is excellent, and works nicely on my iPad as well, whether connected via a home WiFi or through the mounts hotspot. Unlike the skywatcher app, it’s a full featured planetarium program, and very nicely done, very easy to use.
- Personally I like the simple/small handset/joystick rather than the “full featured” controller (which is basically the app). I don’t miss a handset at all.
- Although some folks think the matching TC40 tripod is a bit short I find it perfect for my application - with the caveat that this is currently used for a very compact wide-field rig. Extended, it is high enough for me (just about!), particularly in Alt-Az mode. I have yet to try it visually, but I can see it being just fine.
- Guiding performance hits the spec of 0.5-0.8”, albeit taking a while to get it ’tweaked’ (see below!). As I type this, the mount is getting 0.55” RMS and I have yet to drop a sub tonight. It’s very impressive. UPDATE, a week later, it was tracking at below 0.4”. I think this is outstanding, considering the unit is so light and portable.
- Not having a polar alignment scope was going to be an annoyance… but it’s forced me to try out a more modern electronics/software solution (which I have been putting off!), and it’s far easier than I thought. I used Ekos/INDI for this but similar routines are built into Sharpcap, ASI-Air, and other software packages (as I understand).

Things I don’t like (mostly minor/technical):
- The system really tries to lock you in to the ASI-Air ecosystem and, as I have an Atik camera and filter wheel, and other non-ASI gear, it took a lot of time and research to be sure it’d work befre purchase (thanks to FLO, and many others on various websites and fora!). I’ve now gotten it working nicely with Ekos/INDI and I understand there are EQMod and NINA drivers, etc. as well. But, it took some effort.
- There is no manual to speak of. This really is not great and it took an age to read though various websites and fora to track down answers.
- Whilst the hand controller is included, a counterweight bar is not (I use the Az-Eq6 extension bar which is M12 threaded but without a counterweight as I don’t need it). Ditto, a power supply is not included. Although I have many 12v supplies ZWO might have at least thrown in a few cables into the case (they at least included an USB2 cable).
- The 12v power socket is just a simple 2.1mm barrel connector rated 5A maximum: that’s a lot of current for a rather basic socket/connector. It took me a while to find a plug that sat in there firmly as the main socket is not very deep (I was able to “wiggle out” some plugs/leads). This really ought to have been a threaded connector and use a higher voltage to reduce voltage drops. Then again, the mount technically takes 11-15v (buried in an online FAQ somewhere - details that ought to be in the MANUAL). The 12v side connector seems to be simply wired in parallel - rated 3A. Which is odd, as it means either socket can supply power to the mount, and the 3A socket is not an independent “supply output” (run from an internal DC-DC converter, say). If you put in 14v in the main power socket you get 14v out the side (caveat - I don’t have a schematic, but that’s what the multimeter suggested!). The side connector (which is panel mounted, rather that PCB-mounted for the main socket) on my unit is extremely stiff - An astro essentials silicone power cord can’t get in there unless I force it.
- The INDI/ASCOM driver is a bit rough. It took several nights to get it to guide properly (disabling/re-enabling pulse guiding was one solution) and it seems to have to be briefly connected to the ASI app to get time/position data before the INDI software will allow it to GoTo/slew in KStars. And because the WifI antenna is in the hand control this means the hand controller needs to be plugged in to do this: once it it set up it can be unplugged and controlled via software. And unparking the mount via INDI means first pressing “track” then “unpark” rather than just “unpark”. So, there are a few bugs for the non-ASI Air crew to deal with still (well, this one anyway!).

On the guiding, I’d also add that my 30mm/F4 astroessentials guidescope (using an Starlight Express Ultrastar camera) initially didn’t manage an RMS error below ~2-3” but when I swapped it out for a EvoGuide ED50 from my other rig it immediately decreased to around 1” (with 1s guide exposures). Then, with a better polar align, I finally got it down to 0.5” which is where I am now (plus with tweaks to the autoguider settings inside Ekos/INDI). So, it’s on spec, eventually.

Overall, I don’t think I can give this 5/5 (even though I just have!) but it’s better than 4/5! Let’s call it 9/10

Phil

If you've got this far, to read the reviews, you've probably made your mind up anyway, but here's my impressions of my new mount.

It's amazing!

I have a 98mm triplet refractor and a 200mm RC, with cameras, filters, guide scopes and all the extras, and this mount swings them about like they're made of paper. I had an HEQ5 Pro with the Rowan belt drive before the AM5, and it's like going from a Kia to a Mercedes. Smooth, quick, and very quiet. My guiding, with the lump of the RC, is below 0.5" and the graphs are almost flatlines.

I was a bit concerned that with no counterweight, and the featherweight carbon tripod, it may tip over with the RC weighing in at 11kg. I slewed to the maximum overhang it could go to, and it stayed there. No rocking, no drama. To be on the safe side, I do put my power brick and a handy 4kg lump of steel I have, in the tripod sling, when outdoors, but that's just belt & braces really. If you think you need a counterweight, don't go above 5kg. It's there to stop the tripod tipping over at full stretch, not for balancing the mount. The harmonic drives are powerful, high torque, motors, and precision balancing of your OTA isn't the issue it is with a conventional mount.

I like the fact that there is a 12v power out socket on the side, to connect an ASIair, or other peripherals, which means you only need a single power cable cable to run all your kit.

So what are the bad points?
1. It's eye wateringly expensive
2. The ZWO tripod weighs nothing, but it's very short (800mm high at full stretch). I bought the 200mm tripod extension, and it's brought the scope up to a sensible height - I would really recommend getting it
3. To control it by wifi, instead of the supplied USB cable, you have to have the hand controller attached. I imagine it's due to the all metal body of the mount blocking the wifi signal, but it's just another bit of kit hanging off it that could possibly get snagged. You also need to download the AM5 app in order to setup the wifi connection between the mount and an ASIair. Not a showstopper, but it would have been nice to have it all integrated with the ASIair software. If you're using the USB cable, it's plug and play.

Hope that helps. I'm so impressed with it, I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone think of switching to a harmonic drive mount

Thanks to FLO for the excellent service and help in my purchase. I received the parcels within 24 hours of ordering and well packaged ,unfortunately the Skys have not be clear for more than a few hours since delivery but I have carried out some trial runs with my ASIAIR and the mount and all seems to work well. despite this I can say this mount looks great and a marvel of engineering !! . Also on a practical note this mount with the tripod is easy to assemble and very portable, I was able to move the mount on the tripod with ease to a new viewing position in the back garden to try and find a target that was not hiding behind the clouds. it would be nice if there was a polar scope although not essential, and the tripod was a little taller. Apart from this I think the quality and the features on this mount justify its price.

The AM5 has superb build quality. It marries with the ASair seemlessly. It is virtually silent, highly compact. Once fitted to tge tripod and connected to a telescope, two cameras and tge ASiair it is light enough to be moved yet robust enough to have confidence in its operation.

I purchased this mount about a month ago and initially I was delighted with it. It is easy to use and works well with my ASIair. However, when I came to remove my telescope from the mount one of the saddle clamps had stuck. It was very difficult to remove my scope and I ended up scratching my dovetail quite badly. FLO were good when I reported the problem and arranged to collect the mount promptly (for free). Unfortunately they were unable to fix the problem and they are now going to replace the mount. It is now over two weeks since I returned the mount and it looks like it will be a further two weeks before I get a replacement. So I have two criticisms of ZWO and one piece of advice.
First why had ZWO shipped the mount without checking that the saddle clamp worked properly. Its not rocket science. Second, why do they not have a system for replacing faulty goods more quickly?
My advice, if you buy one of these mounts, is to insert a wooden batten into the saddle and tighten and loosen the clamps a few times to make sure they release correctly. If they do stick, you will not damage your dovetail.
Clear skies.