Seeing as you have the AM5 and now the smaller AM3, how about going the other direction and doing a larger capacity? AM7?

16 days later

That will likely happen but I hope ZWO does a better selection of their harmonic drives before venturing into bigger mounts for bigger scopes. What they offer now is loaded with secondary harmonics. Small scope image scales are a lot more forgiving than larger ones.

3 months later

Another vote for an AM7 here. I own a C11 and while the AM5 is wonderful for my other scopes, I would rather have a beefier ZWO mount for the C11 and all the camera gear.

    19 days later

    jimcutler I use my AM5 with my edge 11, 2600mm, filter wheel, reducer, oag, EAF, air plus, and all the cabling. Works great with 10lb counterweight. I've used also with hyperstar configuration on the same scope. Both guide very well, never had any problems and is right at the weight capacity.

    I think the demand for AM7 will be low if its created. The scopes at > 50lbs are a whole different class and cost.

      a month later
      23 days later

      jedashford I See that you use your EDGE 11 with ¿Celestron OAG?. What is your guide camera? What settings? I use a 174mini whith OAG in my EDGE 8, 400 gain 3 secs exposures . I'd like to try to use it in my AM5 (instead of my other mount, eq6r-pro that I use now) but I'm not sure that It will work ok. But if it works in an Edge 11 I guess it should in an Edge 8.

      Best regards

      a month later
      2 months later
      2 months later

      Any news or hints or rumors on this? Would love a higher capacity ZWO mount.

      How about an AM9, I mean, that sounds cooler than AM7, don’t you think @ASIMount@ZWO ?

        I think they would sell extremely well....true 40-50 pound carrying capacity with the ease of use of the smaller mounts. I would pre-order!

        13 days later

        I would DEFINITELY buy an AM7. There are already harmonic mounts from other vendors that are bigger and stronger than the AM5, but I'd prefer to stay in the ZWO ecosystem.

        I have a large refractor (140mm / 5.5"), and while the AM5 can theoretically handle the weight, I would need a more robust/larger mount to hold the long tube firmly. Without a big mount, my scope often shakes in the wind or jiggles when focused.

        Plus, it's always better to have more mount than not enough.

        Another vote in favor of an AM7, or even an AM8 (also rumored), over here 🙂

        I have been leaning toward an iOptron HAE69, i.e. 69 lbs or 31.3kg payload if you prefer, but have been advised to, and would prefer, to stick with the same brand [I own an AM5, ASIAIR Plus & ASI174MMC so far, with other ZWO products on my radar, so I hope ZWO will consider my clientele & aspirations seriously 😉 ]

        The day ZWO offers something equivalent to a HAE69, at reasonable price, I'll upgrade from my AM5 newly-acquired for the recent total eclipse.

        But I won't wait too long, I need this integrated & "learning curved" with mounted solar-specific equipement long before August 2026 for the full solar eclipse I'd like to go watch in Iceland (and the much better one in Luxor a year later).

        Besides, my 12" Meade LX200 days optical tube (i.e. from the days their optics were very good), once mounted on a rigid dovetail & piggybacked wich secondary equipments, a dew shield, etc., will quickly exceed the AM5 ratings, and I won't take such risk; there's DEFINITELY a market for that range of payload, therefore.

        jedashford

        I disagree respectfully; a 12" Meade SCT optical tube (many own those especially from the early Classsic LX200 models which had very good optics), with a rigid dovetail, already sits close to AM5's specified payload limit even with a counterweight, and by the way, ZWO ought to provide better details on balacing & counterweight requirements equations since harmonic drives aren't clutched. I don't know anyone who won't mount additional equipment such as piggybacked camera or smaller scope, dew shield, etc.

        Happy for you if you're satisfied with your equipment & still within specified limits, but there's definitely a market for an AM7/8, and as an engineer I also advise against operating much above 80% of any maximum specification, as a general rule but especially with harmonic drives, which I used for a contracted development with the Canadian Space Agency.

        Lain402
        Last I'm hearing about is a AM8 but I could be out to lunch - hoping for good news shortly i.e. a couple months from now, ready to roll.

        Swizerlan
        Forgive my lack of knowledgeability regarding those, may I ask why from a technical standpoint? Thanks in advance

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