Sky-Watcher AZ5 Mount Head - Information

Motivation | Look | Look with Telescope Tubes | First Experiences | First Conclusions | Links || Appendix: Data

Archive

On this page, I present some information about my Sky-Watcher AZ5 mount head (ordered on December 12, 2024, arrived on December 14, 2024). On this mount head, I wantd to operate my TLAPO804 refractor, but I used both only rarely....

See the appendix for the technical data.

Note: Regrettably, I only rarely used my Sky-Watcher AZ5 mount head; I therefore decided in March 2026 to sell it.

Motivation

Why did I buy the Sky-Watcher AZ5 mount head and for what purpose? On this mount head, together with my Gitzo carbon tripod, I would like to operate my recently purchased TLAPO804 refractor. Originally, I had intended to use the refractor on the AZ Pronto mount for this purpose. But this combination seemed too unstable to em and the mount head had problems with the vertical axis. I therefore looked for a more stable mount with a head that can carry a heavier load. And when I stumbled across the AZ5 mount head, this looked like a viable solution to me...

Look

Unpacking

Outer package

Ditto, other side

Dito, side view with data

Outer package opened

Inner boxes taken out

Inner boxes opened

Mount head box

Mount head visible

The empty box...

All parts taken out

Ditto, the flexible shaft had a box of theior own

Flexible shafts and tools

AZ5 Mount Head on Gitzo Carbon Tripod

AZ5 mount head on Gitzo carbon tripod

Ditto, closer view

Dtito, with flexible shafts

Look with Telescope Tubes

TLAPO804 on AZ5 Mount Head and Gitzo Carbon Tripod

Ditto, side view

Ditto, other side

Ditto, front view

Ditto, closer view

Ditto, other side

Celestron C5 on AZ5 Mount Head and Gitzo Carbon Tripod

Ditto, other side

Dito, front view

Side view, closer view

Ditto, other side

See below in the ""Experiences" for more on the question of whether the C5 makes sense on the AZ5 mount head!

First Experiences

Tripod Choices...

The Sky-Watcher AZ5 mount head is sold by Sky-Watcher on its own, but also in combination with two tripod options:

with the "portable" AZ Pronto tripod (aluminum); a load capacity of 5 kg is specified for this (for the tripod, see Sky-Watcher AZ Pronto Mount)
with the heavy-duty AZ5 tripod (steel); a load capacity of 9 kg is specified for this (for the tripod, see Sky-Watcher Stainless Steel Tripod (AZ5); sold)

Of course, it can be used on any other tripod with the appropriate load capacity and a 3/8"-thread. While I no longer own the heavy premium tripod, I did - and still do - own the "portable" AZ Pronto tripod. But even though a load capacity of 5 kg is specified for the combination of this tripod with the AZ5 head, this setup seemed too unstable to me for using the TLAPO804 refractor on it. However, I had since purchased a Gitzo carbon fiber tripod (see the Accessories page for the Vaonis Vespera Pro), which offers sufficient load capacity.

Below, I show the AZ5 mount head on the Gitzo carbon tripod.

Putting the AZ5 Mount Head on the Gitzo Carbon Tripod

AZ5-Mount head, Gitzo Carbon tripod and removable flat disk for fixing the mount heard

Ditto, flat disk screwed in the mount head

Mount head installed on the tripod (with flexible shafts)

More information and photos on/of the Gitzo carbon tripod can be found here (Vespera Pro accessories).

Note: I had problems removing the mount head from the flat disk!

AZ5 Mount Head on Gitzo Carbon Tripod

Here are some photos of how the AZ5 mount head looks on the Gitzo carbon tripod! The bottom row shows the standard adjustment knobs on the left and the flexible shafts on the right, which, in my opinion, make it easier to go to and track objects during visual observations.

AZ5 Mount head on Gitzo carbon tripod

Ditto, no knobs/shafts

Ditto, closer view

Ditto, with knobs

Ditto, with flexible shafts

Gitzo Carbon Tripod: Extension Tube Needed???

The upper part or "arm" of the AZ5 mount head can be operated in two positions (arm profiles): the low profile, in which the head was delivered, allows the use of longer telescope tubes to observe objects high in the sky; the high profile is more stable and suitable for heavier telescopes (for terrestrial observations you can look further down). I decided not to try the high profile.

AZ5-Montierungskopf auf Gitzo-Karbonstativ

Dito, nähere Ansicht

Dito, mit flexiblen Wellen

As a test, I put the TLAPO804 in a more or less vertical position and found that the telescope did not hit the tripod legs. I will therefore not use the extension column of the AZ Pronto mount, especially as it reduces stability.

Extension tube

Ditto, from the other end

Top part removed for attaching the mount head

The three screws on top have to be loosened to remove the top element of the extension tube. This way, it is easier to screw the mount head to the extension tube.

More information on the extension tube can be found here (AZ Pronto Mount)!

Does the C5 Make Sense on the AZ5 Mount Head?

C5 on AZ5 mount head; the finder is in awkward position...

Ditto, side view

Ditto, closer view

The Celestron C5 is somewhat lighter than my TLAPO804 refractor and can be operated well on the AZ Pronto mount. Nevertheless, I tried out how the C5 "performs" on the AZ5 mount head. While telescopes are mounted with a horizontal dovetail bar on the AZ Pronto mount, they are mounted with a vertical dovetail bar on the AZ5 mount. This means that the viewfinder is near the bottom and thus, cumbersome to access (or not at all...). In addition, the focusing knob of the C5 is located directly behind the eyepiece and is therefore more difficult to reach. Since there is no way to mount the finder shoe in a suitable position*, I will not use the C5 on the AZ5 mount head.
*) One possible solution would be to use a Rigel finder with two stick-on finder shoes on the C5.

Note: Since the weak point of the AZ Pronto mount is the aluminum tripod, I could also use the C5 on the AZ Pronto mount head with the Gitzo carbon tripod in case of doubt. Then I could mount the C5 horizontally and would not have any problems with the finder position.

First Conclusions

Regrettably, I only rarely used my Sky-Watcher AZ5 mount head; I therefore decided in March 2026 to sell it. For this reason, I cannot publish any conclusions here...

Links

Sky-Watcher Company Website, USA: www.skywatcher.com
Pages of German distributors for the Sky-Watcher AZ5 mount head:
- Teleskop-Express (here I bought the mount head): www.teleskop-express.de/en/mounts-tripods-rings-rails-power-supply-14/mounts-azimutal-without-goto-21/skywatcher-az5-alt-azimuth-mount-head-without-tripod-9995
- Astroshop: www.astroshop.eu/alt-azimuth-without-goto/skywatcher-mount-az5-deluxe-without-tripod/p,55484
See also my page offering Astronomy Links.

Appendix: Data for Sky-Watcher AZ5 Mount Head

Data

Type: Alt-azimuth mount
Design: One-arm fork mount
Helical worm gear drive: 96 teeth (alt & az axis)
Mount rotation angle (continuous): 360° (azimuth), -50° to + 90° (altitude)
Payload capacity: 5 kg (9 kg with heavy duty tripod, 5 kg with portable = AZ Pronto tripod)
Fork arm: Two-position adjustable
Further connection: 45 mm Sky-Watcher/Vixen dovetail saddle
Fine adjustment: 2x flexible slow-motion axis drive cables
Extension tube: 215 mm (not included!)
Tripod connection: 3/8" threaded
Tripod: None
Total overall weight: 2.3 kg