ZWO AM5N strain-wave equatorial/alt-az mount, 15 kg payload without counterweight (20 kg with), 5.5 kg, with TC40 carbon tripod.
ZWO AM5N strain-wave equatorial/alt-az mount, 15 kg payload without counterweight (20 kg with), 5.5 kg, with TC40 carbon tripod.
The AM5N is the improved edition of ZWO's popular AM5 strain-wave (harmonic) mount. At 5.5 kg it carries 15 kg without a counterweight (20 kg with one, at a 25 cm lever arm), with better precision, better low-temperature behaviour and internal cable management.
A strain-wave gear with a synchronous belt (300:1) gives high torque with no meridian-flip balancing worries and, in most setups, no counterweight. It works in equatorial or alt-azimuth mode, has a power-off brake on the RA axis and a mechanical zero position, and is controlled by ASIAIR, the included hand controller, or a PC over USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Every mount ships with its own periodic-error test report.
Supplied with the ZWO TC40 carbon-fibre tripod (made for the AM3, AM5 and AM7 mounts), which bolts directly to the mount base.
| Mount type | Strain-wave gear mount |
|---|---|
| Modes | Equatorial / alt-azimuth |
| Drive | Stepper motor + synchronous belt + size-17 strain-wave gear, 300:1 |
| Payload | 15 kg without counterweight; 20 kg with counterweight (at 25 cm) |
| Mount weight | 5.5 kg |
| Periodic error | < ±10″ (288 s period) |
| Resolution | 0.17″ |
| Max slew speed | 6°/s |
| Latitude range | 0–90° |
| Azimuth adjustment | ±6° |
| Saddle | Losmandy and Vixen |
| Counterweight bar thread | M12 × 1.75 |
| Power | 12 V DC, at least 3 A, 5.5 × 2.1 mm centre positive |
| Power consumption | Standby 12 V/0.4 A; tracking 12 V/0.7 A; GoTo 12 V/0.9 A (1.7 A heavy-load mode) |
| Guide port | ST4 |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Brake | Power-off brake on RA axis |
| Operating temperature | −20 to 40 °C |
Mount, hand controller with 2 m cable, 2 m USB-B and 1 m USB-C cables, PE test report, quick guide, M6 hex key; ZWO TC40 carbon-fibre tripod
Specifications from the manufacturer's manual, checked 2026-11-06. Supplier reference 87237.
Data sheet
ZWO AM5N strain-wave equatorial/alt-az mount, 15 kg payload without counterweight (20 kg with), 5.5 kg, with TC40 carbon tripod.
