For generations, the travelling deep-sky astrophotographer faced an unfortunate paradox: the need for a rock-solid, heavy equatorial mount to achieve pinpoint stars, contrasted with the need for light, compact luggage for air travel and remote dark-sky sites. The result was often a compromise—a small star tracker that limited you to telephoto lenses, or a back-breaking German Equatorial Mount (GEM) that necessitated a separate checked bag just for the counterweights.
The arrival of the ZWO AM5 mount, built around the revolutionary harmonic drive (or strain wave gear) system, has profoundly changed this calculus, offering a powerful solution that makes true, full-rig deep-sky imaging genuinely portable.
The End of Counterweights: A Paradigm Shift
The single most impactful feature of the zwo am5 mounts is the near-total elimination of the heavy, cumbersome counterweight system. Traditional GEMs require perfect balancing with counterweights to reduce strain on the worm gears and motors. If you travel with an EQ6-R Pro, you might carry a 20kg mount head, plus 10kg or more of steel weights.
The AM5 replaces the bulky worm and ring gear assembly with a compact, high-precision strain wave gear. This industrial-grade robotics technology provides immense torque and virtually zero backlash, allowing the mount head to hold a substantial payload—up to 13kg (30lbs) without a counterweight, and 20kg with one for the heavier setups—while the head itself weighs a mere 5.5kg.
This is the true game-changer for portability. The heaviest component of your setup is now reduced to the size and weight of a small bag of sugar. It not only fits comfortably within most carry-on luggage restrictions (when packed in its custom foam case) but also cuts your total setup weight by a staggering amount, freeing you up to bring a better camera or a longer-focal-length scope.
Building the Travel Rig
With the mount head sorted, the rest of the travel setup becomes significantly easier to manage:
1. The Carbon Fibre Tripod
To complement the AM5’s lightweight head, a heavy steel tripod is an absurdity. ZWO’s own TC40 Carbon Fibre Tripod is the perfect partner, weighing just over 2kg and folding down to a length that easily stows alongside the mount head. This combination brings the total weight of the mount and tripod to under 8kg, a figure previously unimaginable for a mount capable of supporting an 8-inch SCT.
2. The Integrated Ecosystem
ZWO has always excelled at creating a unified imaging ecosystem, and the AM5 fits into this perfectly. By pairing the mount with an ASIAIR Plus—a powerful miniature computer that handles control, plate solving, and guiding—you eliminate the need for a separate laptop, lengthy cables, and complex field operation.
The AM5’s saddle often features USB-C and 12V DC output ports. When running the ASIAIR, you can power your main camera, guide camera, and dew heaters all from the central control hub, simplifying cable management to a single 12V input cord for the mount. This ‘one-cable-in’ philosophy is a godsend in the dark, especially after a long journey.
Simplified Field Setup
The AM5’s design doesn’t just save weight; it saves time and hassle.
- No Balancing Required: Forget the tedious process of sliding weights and checking clutches. The harmonic drive holds its position without friction, meaning you simply clamp your OTA (up to the 13kg limit) and you are ready.
- Rapid Polar Alignment: When controlled by the ASIAIR, the AM5 uses high-precision electronic polar alignment routines like SharpCap or the built-in ASIAIR process. This is often accomplished in minutes, regardless of whether you can actually see Polaris—a huge benefit when setting up in the unfamiliar, often obstructed horizons of a remote site.
The ZWO AM5 is more than just a portable mount; it represents the maturation of a new generation of high-torque, compact gear. For those of us who yearn for Bortle 1 skies or want to capture the Southern Hemisphere wonders, the AM5 finally delivers a powerful, precise, and easily stowed foundation for the ultimate travel astrophotography rig.
