Experience with ZWO AM3 Harmonic Equatorial Mount

Hello Mr. Kloß,

I still owe you some feedback on the AM3. I'll make up for it now with a bit of prose :-)

Although the weather in the Eifel region has allowed me almost no opportunity to use the mount since I bought it, it was able to fully exploit its advantages as a compact travel mount a few weeks ago at Sofi in the USA.

I originally wanted to take my Star Adventurer GTI with me, but since it kept having problems and I didn't want to take any risks for the upcoming event, I had to get the AM3. Also planned for the trip were my FC-76 with Q-Extender and an EOS R6. Both the camera and the upgrade from the FS-60CB to the FC-76 were purchased more or less just for this occasion. I originally wanted to use the Canon 6D, but without a flip-up display, focusing on the high sun is pure luck and a real pain for my neck. I quickly learned that during various tests with the equipment. A solid Wi-Fi connection between camera and phone is also a valuable addition for this purpose.

Since I've wasted far too much time in the past on failed attempts to take photos during totality, I wanted everything to be automatic this time. A great video by Nico Carver a few weeks before Sofi provided the crucial clue for selecting the right software.

One week before the event, I was even able to do a final test with all my equipment in the afternoon sun during a break in the clouds before it disappeared into a suitcase and my camera backpack.

Before my flight from Germany, the weather forecast for Texas left little room for Optimus, but that didn't bother me. Visiting my friends, with or without Sofi, would definitely be a lot of fun.
My friend had already reserved a guesthouse on a ranch in the remote town of Brady last year. This location, although it didn't promise the longest observation time for totality, statistically still offered the best chance of cloudless skies in this area, so we decided to go to a different location the day before.

Finally, the day of the big event had arrived, and what can I say? The sky wasn't at its best in the morning. The mood was depressed. Had we chosen the wrong spot after all? Eventually, the high cirrus clouds disappeared almost completely in places by midday, and so it remained exciting until the very last second.
I had already set up the equipment the evening before the eclipse and only had to quickly set it up before the first contact. The alignment was done by compass, then I moved to the sun using the ASI Mount app, and the position was adjusted with the adjustment screws until the sun was visible in the viewfinder. The setup was precise enough that I only occasionally had to make slight adjustments to the position. The software also did its job without complaint, diligently taking images of the partial phase at regular intervals. The focus of the FC-76 is very stable, and nothing needed to be readjusted during the entire duration.

Now the moment had arrived: just a few minutes until totality, and some clouds were moving toward the sun. Thankfully, they were too slow. The process leading up to totality is simply bizarre, and neither words nor pictures can do justice to the experience. First, the colors disappear, and everything is enveloped in an unreal light. The shadow bands appear on the ground, astonishing us all. This is the first time I've seen it so clearly and for such a long time! My computer tells me to remove the filter from the telescope. Then it goes dark 360° around us. You see the last ray of sunlight disappear past the moon, and then there's only this bright ring in the sky. Amazement, jubilation, joy. Everyone is moved and thrilled by the sight.
Two minutes later, it's over. The sun blinks past the moon again. The filter has to be put back on the telescope. The clouds have lost - we've won!
Once I'd regained some of my senses, I looked at the data my camera had collected. I was thrilled. Everything was there, from the string of pearls and the diamond ring to the prominences and the corona. Nothing blurry, everything was tracked cleanly and in focus. And the best part: I didn't have to do anything except remove the filter at the right moment :-)

So: Thank you so much for a fantastic mount! I don't think there could have been a better start for astro equipment!

The next day, we flew on to Big Bend National Park. There, I was able to use my telescope at night under the darkest skies. That was also a great experience, and I'm glad I brought an eyepiece with me :-)
Here, too, the AM3 didn't disappoint. All the gear fit perfectly in my backpack and a travel bag. Only the ASI Mount app was a bit tricky because I didn't have a cellular data connection. That was a bit annoying. No one has commented on the problem in the ZWO forum yet. Maybe it's the phone?

Of course, the AM3 also worked flawlessly for conventional deep-sky photography. During my test shots, the guiding was always below 1" RMS with both the MGEN3 and the PHD2.

I hope this adequately conveys my enthusiasm for the mount.

Best regards,
André Küllenberg

Link to the ZWO AM3 Harmonic Equatorial Mount GoTo Travel Mount:

https://www.teleskop-spezialisten.de/shop/Montierungen/Parallaktisch-GoTo-Nachfuehrung/ZWO-AM3-Harmonic-Equatorial-Mount-Goto-Reisemontierung-Montierungskopf::6299.html