Equipment Review (Preliminary)

The SA is specified for a payload of 5kg maximum. As a rule of thumb, no more than 80% of this capacity should be burdened with precise balancing for which a 1kg counterweight is included. We obtain a reasonable payload of 3kg (safe limit) which includes most DSLRs with (tele)lenses, but also small Ø60-70mm APO OTAs of 1.5 to 2kg (plus photographic gear). Since the SA has limited tracking accuracy (after all, it is a portable mount), the focal length of small telescopes should not exceed, say, 300mm, and the exposure time rarely more than 30 seconds. Longer exposures only with autoguiding, else stars will trail beyond acceptance level. A sturdy mount will contribute to a successful imaging session.

Polar alignment is made easy thanks to the bundled polar wedge and built-in 7° polar scope. The external illuminator cannot be used once the L-bracket is attached. Polar alignment before fixing gear is not the best choice because of possible drifts. Touch anything and polar alignment is off. In light polluted areas, an illuminator is not needed, though.

An attached camera or telescope can be rotated in both, right ascension (electronically with two direction buttons) and declination (mechanically with a knob). Both work very smoothly and are the most welcome features of the SA, in particular when longer focal lengthes are involved. Unlike large mounts, the SA does not provide GoTo function. The bundled L-bracket provides a second 3/8 screw for adding a (light-weight) finder scope (or guide scope, or a second camera). With the right adapter, a small finder can as well be inserted into a camera's flash shoe.

The SA comes with a standard ST-4 compatible 6 pin port for autoguiding in right ascension. Autoguiding is not blessed with high accuracy but can help overcome tracking errors. Here, too, the focal length is an crucial factor, the shorter the more forgiving for errors and tolerances. This is a physical limitation and not a quality issue of this fine SA mount. On a small negative note, the RA clutch has a little mechanical play.

The SA is not for tracking only but is also equipped with fully-fledged functions for terrestrial panoramic and time-lapse photography with selectable rotation speeds and even with a port for a cable to a DSLR to time and trigger the shutter (intervalometer).

The SA has a compartment for four AA batteries. The use of rechargeables is not recommended by the manufacturer, however, a 5 dollar USB power pack has so far not caused any issues. The intelligence of the SA signals low power situations, and as long as nothing is blinking, all is fine. DC power requirement is 3.6V ~ 6.5V, and 5V when externally supplied. External supply has priority. Battery life depends on the quality of the battery. With Duracells the SA will track about 72 hours, which is excellent low power performance.

The SA is perfectly suited for visual work with a small telescope which is tracked to keep an object in the center of the eyepiece view. Here, tracking errors are neglectable while, as previously mentioned, an object can be adjusted smoothly in both directions. For visual only, the similarly priced Sky-Watcher AltAz portable mount, AZ-GTi, is the superior choice because it provides GoTo and remote control via WiFi and a mobile application. An AltAz mount is not designed for imaging unless exposure times are restricted to under 30 seconds (because of field rotation).

Both, the SA and AZ-GTi mounts are ideal for increasingly popular EAA*. With either mount, a small telescope, a sensitive CMOS camera in place of an eyepiece, a computer, and finally with the popular "SharpCap" software with its impressive "Live Stack" feature, a system for EAA is easily and quickly set up at reasonable expenses.

Positive

• Well thought-out versatile concept
• High mobility, small size and low weight
• Polar scope for easy and quick alignment
• Smooth direction adjustment in RA and Dec
• ST-4 compatible autoguiding in RA
• Best for telelenses up to 135mm, else autoguiding
• Long battery life, up to 72 hours of tracking
• Intuitive firmware updating, well documented
• The Pro Pack bundles all parts to start with

Negative

• Mechanical play on the RA clutch
• Internal polar scope illuminator preferable

Summary

Definitely worth a consideration for mobile imaging and visual if expectations in tracking accuracy are not overscrewed. Still there is autoguiding available at the expense of mobility as a PC or laptop is required (power source as well). On the other hand, a larger mount, say a Celestron AVX, requires a 3.5A power adapter or a car battery. The SA on a reasonably sturdy tripod can be moved around with one arm and realigned in no time. A short Ø60mm APO is a lightweight choice, however with this focal length quite challenging for the SA. Anyway, there are good reasons for why the SA is popular choice among portable mounts in its class and price domain.