ZWO AM5N Harmonic Mount
RecommendedZWO
ZWO AM5N Harmonic Mount is a Strain wave harmonic mount for guided astrophotography rigs.
Best Current Offer
Specifications
Mount
- Mount type
- Strain wave harmonic mount
- Modes
- Equatorial / Alt-Azimuth
- Drive system
- Harmonic Drive and Synchronous belt (Reduction Ratio: 300:1)
Capacity
- Payload
- 15 kg / 33.1 lb without counterweight; 20 kg / 44.1 lb with counterweight @ 25 cm
- Mount weight
- 5.5 kg / 12.1 lb
- Payload-to-weight ratio
- 3.6:1
Tracking
- Drive
- Strain wave gear + synchronous belt (300:1 reduction ratio)
- Periodic error
- <±10"
- PE duration
- 288 s
- Resolution
- 0.17"
- Max slew speed
- 6°/s
- Slew speeds
- 0.5×, 1×, 2×, 4×, 8×, 20×, 60×, 720×, 1440×
Setup
- Latitude range
- 0°-90°
- Azimuth range
- ±6°
- Dovetail saddle
- Losmandy & Vixen
- Counterweight shaft
- M12×1.75 coarse thread
Control
- Power
- DC 5.5×2.1 mm, center-positive 12V, no less than 3A
- Power consumption
- Standby 12V/0.4A; tracking 12V/0.7A; GoTo 12V/0.9A (1.7A heavy-load mode)
- Communication
- USB / Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
- Guide port
- ST4
- Operating temperature
- -20 °C to 40 °C
Astrophotography Fit
A portable strain-wave mount that should be chosen by realistic imaging payload, not headline capacity alone.
ZWO AM5N Harmonic Mount is a flagship Strain wave harmonic mount for computerized tracking and guiding. Rated payload: 15 kg / 33.1 lb without counterweight; 20 kg / 44.1 lb with counterweight @ 25 cm.
For long-exposure astrophotography, use a conservative imaging payload. The telescope, camera, guide hardware, dew heaters, dovetails, and cables all count, and guiding performance matters more than the catalog payload number.
Strain-wave mounts are wonderfully compact, but they still need stiffness, cable discipline, and sometimes counterweighting to keep long tubes calm.
Best paired with
- Compact refractors, cooled cameras, and tidy cable-managed power
- Guiding from a guide scope or OAG for long exposures
- Tripod or pier with enough stiffness for the full imaging load
Not recommended for
- Ignoring counterweights on long or heavy optical tubes
- Tall, flexible tripods with high wind exposure
- Payloads near the marketing limit for long-exposure imaging
Retailer Rating
Ratings aggregated from public retailer data.
Retailer breakdown
| Retailer | Rating | Reviews | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astronomics | 5.0 | 1 | Product page |
| High Point Scientific | 4.9 | 20 | Product page |
| ZWO USA | 4.2 | 5 | Product page |
Where To Buy
Some links on this page are affiliate links. Prices and availability are pulled automatically from each retailer and updated daily.
| Retailer | Price | Availability | View Offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astronomics Astronomics | $2,299.00 | In stock Updated 5/13/2026 | View Offer - $2,299.00 |
| Cloud Break Optics Cloud Break Optics | $2,299.00 | In stock Updated 5/10/2026 | View Offer - $2,299.00 |
| High Point Scientific High Point Scientific | $2,299.00 | In stock Updated 5/15/2026 | View Offer - $2,299.00 |
| Mile High Astronomy Mile High Astronomy | $2,299.00 | In stock Updated 5/13/2026 | View Offer - $2,299.00 |
| Starizona Starizona | $2,299.00 | In stock Updated 5/10/2026 | View Offer - $2,299.00 |
| Telescopes.net Telescopes.net | $2,299.00 | In stock Updated 5/15/2026 | View Offer - $2,299.00 |
| ZWO USA ZWO USA | $2,299.00 | In stock Updated 5/15/2026 | View Offer - $2,299.00 |
| Agena AstroProducts Agena AstroProducts | $2,499.00 | In stock Updated 5/13/2026 | View Offer - $2,499.00 |
Price History
Chronological retailer pricing with out-of-stock points shown at reduced opacity.