So I decided to go ahead and get this mount from AliExpress and share my experience with it here and on youtube. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy52g1xfPj0&lc=UgwPWacW-Ay_Mf94rSN4AaABAgThe Juwei-17 is a harmonic drive mount with a payload that is very similar to ZWO’s AM5, but for nearly half the price! The AM5 retails at 2000 USD while you can get this mount shipped to you from AliExpress for around 1200 USD.  The stated payload without a counter weight is 13kg/28lbs. Witch is exactly the same as the AM5. However the maximum payload with a counterweight is 18kg/39lbs, which is ever so slightly less than the AM5’s at 20kg/44lbs. The ports are standard, 12v dc power port, a handset port that can also be used for st4 guiding and a USB 2.0 Type B port.  Mounting is easy, I got mine with the pier extension, which I dismantled to utilise the top plate only. I screwed in a TC40 adapter to it for easy mounting to the ZWO pier or the TC40 tripod. You can also buy an optional hand controller for the mount that comes in English. I say this because the mount can actually be controlled via WIFI though the interface for the WIFI controls, which you can access through any browser, is in chinese. It’s not a big deal for me as I will probably never need to use it that way. The mount utilizes an open source computerized goto system called Onstep which has been tried and proven by many in the DIY community and thankfully for us mere astrophotographers there is an ASCOM driver and an INDI driver making the mount compatible with any windows based astronomy software and the ASIair or the Stellarmete.  In terms of build, I was actually very impressed with the machining of the mount, it feels sturdy and reliable and all of the screws are smooth enough to be a pleasure to fiddle with. I was able to precisely polar align the mount in minutes and the whole experience was very satisfying. Before I tell you and gush about how well the mount performed however, let me tell why I almost, and I mean almost, made a video titled “Don’t buy this mount, it’s a total scam!!When I first received this mount and was done admiring the craftsmanship of it, the smoothness of the altitude knob and azimuth adjustment screws. I powered up the mount, connected it to nina slewed the RA motors, and heard a beautiful, smooth, quiet sound that was delightful for the soul. My delight however was short lived. When I tried to slew in DEC. The motor grinded and stalled and screamed for mercy. It was heartbreaking! Long story short, I contacted the manufacturer, rewired the mount and voala. The mount worked! The issue was caused by a poor connection between the stepper and the PCB and I was comfortable fixing it myself. Take from that what you wish, someone other than me might be put off by something like this completely, and like I said I almost was, but I admit, I was sated by how well this mount performed.  My experience after that little fiasco was pretty much plug and play. Smooth sailing and very accurate guiding.  I'll leave these screenshots in the video for those interested. You see here the mount has virtually no backlash and here you see the mount was guiding below 0.6 RMS on a very bad and windy night. I wasn’t following the mount as it was guiding but I managed to capture some pretty impressive screenshots of PHD2.    When I connected it to the ASIair I was able to polar alight from a total error of more than 3 degrees in 2 minutes and I was floored by the guiding I was getting, below 0.4RMS consistently, as you can see here.  Here's a link to a 4 panel mosaic I shot partly with this mount: https://astrob.in/de3hde/0/I hope that this is helpful, Ali!
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I've had this mount for three months now, I'd say it's completely interchangeable with my AM5, they are nearly identical in performance so far. I love open source projects like Onstep and other free software like Nina and phd2, they developers that write the code for these programs are heroes in my mind. I built a DIY onstep mount a few years ago and wished something like the Juwei-17 would come along some day. The J17 is exactly what I was hoping for, a quality piece of equipment designed for Onstep.
Edit: the Gemini focuser sold on Aliexpress is pretty good as well for almost half the price of the zwo eaf.
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I've had this mount for three months now, I'd say it's completely interchangeable with my AM5, they are nearly identical in performance so far. I love open source projects like Onstep and other free software like Nina and phd2, they developers that write the code for these programs are heroes in my mind. I built a DIY onstep mount a few years ago and wished something like the Juwei-17 would come along some day. The J17 is exactly what I was hoping for, a quality piece of equipment designed for Onstep.
Edit: the Gemini focuser sold on Aliexpress is pretty good as well for almost half the price of the zwo eaf. I agree, us consumers are well taken care of by these developers and their worth to the community should never be understated. I’m glad to hear others have a similar good experience with the mount, makes me feel a lot better about making such a positive review despite the issue I faced when the mount first arrived. I’m very interested in these little known companies from china so maybe I’ll give the Gemini a try soon! Clear Skies!
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I am curious ~ A non-ZWO mount recognized by an ASIAIR ???
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Jay Hovnanian:
I am curious ~ A non-ZWO mount recognized by an ASIAIR ??? Most mounts are, the ASIair limits you to their cameras and focusers but not to their mounts.
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Ah yes ~ a knee-jerk reaction on my part (it's early in the morning :confused  … especially when I consider my iOptron mount with my ASIAIR-Plus ….
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Jay Hovnanian:
Ah yes ~ a knee-jerk reaction on my part (it's early in the morning  ) ... especially when I consider my iOptron mount with my ASIAIR-Plus .... I don’t blame you! The way things are going they’ll eventually lock us into only using their mounts soon!
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Nice!! When pairing with the ASIAir, were you using the OnStep model or some other configuration? I heard that OnStep mounts have limits at the Meridian so that might throw a wedge into the ASIAir polar alignment. Was your PA done using the ASIAir?
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Onstep has no limit at the meridian, should you chose not to.
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Just about every detail of how the mount operates can be adjusted with Onstep, including mount limits for meridian and horizon, motor steps per degree, motor current, slewing speeds, and much more. The main Onstep page is a great place to start learning about what all it can do and find any answers to questions you may have https://onstep.groups.io/g/main/wiki |
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Can this mount accommodate Asiair's meridian reversal?
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That mount doesn't do anything. It's OnStep that does it. So check with OnStep.
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Great review! The dovetail options? Comes in wide and narrow? Are they duel saddle? Is the WIDE version duel saddle? Can it be used for wide and narrow dovetails or do you ahve to purchase either the narrow or wide version separately?
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Coolhandjo:
Great review! The dovetail options? Comes in wide and narrow? Are they duel saddle? Is the WIDE version duel saddle? Can it be used for wide and narrow dovetails or do you ahve to purchase either the narrow or wide version separately? The wide option has both vixen and losmandy. I created this group here on AB for everyone using it: https://www.astrobin.com/groups/7864/juwei-17/There's also a FB group and a long thread on CN about it where you can get a lot of info: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/918425-juwei-17-mounts-on-aliexpress/There are some people experiencing issues with internal parts, mainly the board itself. It seems to be swiftly fixed though and the vendor is shipping replacements if needed. I haven't had the chance to use min outside yet, but it works very well with NINA inside, cable management isn't 100% yet but getting ready soon:    |
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Ali Alobaidly:
So I decided to go ahead and get this mount from AliExpress and share my experience with it here and on youtube.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy52g1xfPj0&lc=UgwPWacW-Ay_Mf94rSN4AaABAg
The Juwei-17 is a harmonic drive mount with a payload that is very similar to ZWO’s AM5, but for nearly half the price! The AM5 retails at 2000 USD while you can get this mount shipped to you from AliExpress for around 1200 USD.
The stated payload without a counter weight is 13kg/28lbs. Witch is exactly the same as the AM5. However the maximum payload with a counterweight is 18kg/39lbs, which is ever so slightly less than the AM5’s at 20kg/44lbs. The ports are standard, 12v dc power port, a handset port that can also be used for st4 guiding and a USB 2.0 Type B port.
Mounting is easy, I got mine with the pier extension, which I dismantled to utilise the top plate only. I screwed in a TC40 adapter to it for easy mounting to the ZWO pier or the TC40 tripod. You can also buy an optional hand controller for the mount that comes in English. I say this because the mount can actually be controlled via WIFI though the interface for the WIFI controls, which you can access through any browser, is in chinese. It’s not a big deal for me as I will probably never need to use it that way. The mount utilizes an open source computerized goto system called Onstep which has been tried and proven by many in the DIY community and thankfully for us mere astrophotographers there is an ASCOM driver and an INDI driver making the mount compatible with any windows based astronomy software and the ASIair or the Stellarmete.
In terms of build, I was actually very impressed with the machining of the mount, it feels sturdy and reliable and all of the screws are smooth enough to be a pleasure to fiddle with. I was able to precisely polar align the mount in minutes and the whole experience was very satisfying. Before I tell you and gush about how well the mount performed however, let me tell why I almost, and I mean almost, made a video titled “Don’t buy this mount, it’s a total scam!!When I first received this mount and was done admiring the craftsmanship of it, the smoothness of the altitude knob and azimuth adjustment screws. I powered up the mount, connected it to nina slewed the RA motors, and heard a beautiful, smooth, quiet sound that was delightful for the soul. My delight however was short lived. When I tried to slew in DEC. The motor grinded and stalled and screamed for mercy. It was heartbreaking! Long story short, I contacted the manufacturer, rewired the mount and voala. The mount worked! The issue was caused by a poor connection between the stepper and the PCB and I was comfortable fixing it myself. Take from that what you wish, someone other than me might be put off by something like this completely, and like I said I almost was, but I admit, I was sated by how well this mount performed.
My experience after that little fiasco was pretty much plug and play. Smooth sailing and very accurate guiding.
I'll leave these screenshots in the video for those interested. You see here the mount has virtually no backlash and here you see the mount was guiding below 0.6 RMS on a very bad and windy night. I wasn’t following the mount as it was guiding but I managed to capture some pretty impressive screenshots of PHD2.
When I connected it to the ASIair I was able to polar alight from a total error of more than 3 degrees in 2 minutes and I was floored by the guiding I was getting, below 0.4RMS consistently, as you can see here.
Here's a link to a 4 panel mosaic I shot partly with this mount: https://astrob.in/de3hde/0/
I hope that this is helpful, Ali! Can I ask, do you live in the UK, if so what was the cost with all the UK VAT and customs charges, is it really any cheaper than more well known brands…?
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Not OP but I can answer a bit. To Norway it came in at around 12k NOK. So a 25% VAT fee and a couple of tenners to the listing price on AliExpress. Which is quite a lot cheaper. But it has it's drawbacks. I have yet to see good enough guiding with larger FL scopes, around 0.7/8-1" is the best I have gotten so far.
I need to do more testing and comparisons between the AM5 and the Juwei. It will be ok for short FL, but it's a bit underwhelming.
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AstroShed:
Can I ask, do you live in the UK, if so what was the cost with all the UK VAT and customs charges, is it really any cheaper than more well known brands…? The short answer is yes, you typically may have to pay VAT at the source when using ALiExpress although that depends on the declared value of the item. And that is about it.
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Want that in a 500€ „AM3“ or smaller version please
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They have released a smaller one with a more rounded design. But doesn't cost that much less. https://www.ebay.com/itm/146056729814?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&var=445030054851 |
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AstroShed:
Ali Alobaidly:
So I decided to go ahead and get this mount from AliExpress and share my experience with it here and on youtube.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy52g1xfPj0&lc=UgwPWacW-Ay_Mf94rSN4AaABAg
The Juwei-17 is a harmonic drive mount with a payload that is very similar to ZWO’s AM5, but for nearly half the price! The AM5 retails at 2000 USD while you can get this mount shipped to you from AliExpress for around 1200 USD.
The stated payload without a counter weight is 13kg/28lbs. Witch is exactly the same as the AM5. However the maximum payload with a counterweight is 18kg/39lbs, which is ever so slightly less than the AM5’s at 20kg/44lbs. The ports are standard, 12v dc power port, a handset port that can also be used for st4 guiding and a USB 2.0 Type B port.
Mounting is easy, I got mine with the pier extension, which I dismantled to utilise the top plate only. I screwed in a TC40 adapter to it for easy mounting to the ZWO pier or the TC40 tripod. You can also buy an optional hand controller for the mount that comes in English. I say this because the mount can actually be controlled via WIFI though the interface for the WIFI controls, which you can access through any browser, is in chinese. It’s not a big deal for me as I will probably never need to use it that way. The mount utilizes an open source computerized goto system called Onstep which has been tried and proven by many in the DIY community and thankfully for us mere astrophotographers there is an ASCOM driver and an INDI driver making the mount compatible with any windows based astronomy software and the ASIair or the Stellarmete.
In terms of build, I was actually very impressed with the machining of the mount, it feels sturdy and reliable and all of the screws are smooth enough to be a pleasure to fiddle with. I was able to precisely polar align the mount in minutes and the whole experience was very satisfying. Before I tell you and gush about how well the mount performed however, let me tell why I almost, and I mean almost, made a video titled “Don’t buy this mount, it’s a total scam!!When I first received this mount and was done admiring the craftsmanship of it, the smoothness of the altitude knob and azimuth adjustment screws. I powered up the mount, connected it to nina slewed the RA motors, and heard a beautiful, smooth, quiet sound that was delightful for the soul. My delight however was short lived. When I tried to slew in DEC. The motor grinded and stalled and screamed for mercy. It was heartbreaking! Long story short, I contacted the manufacturer, rewired the mount and voala. The mount worked! The issue was caused by a poor connection between the stepper and the PCB and I was comfortable fixing it myself. Take from that what you wish, someone other than me might be put off by something like this completely, and like I said I almost was, but I admit, I was sated by how well this mount performed.
My experience after that little fiasco was pretty much plug and play. Smooth sailing and very accurate guiding.
I'll leave these screenshots in the video for those interested. You see here the mount has virtually no backlash and here you see the mount was guiding below 0.6 RMS on a very bad and windy night. I wasn’t following the mount as it was guiding but I managed to capture some pretty impressive screenshots of PHD2.
When I connected it to the ASIair I was able to polar alight from a total error of more than 3 degrees in 2 minutes and I was floored by the guiding I was getting, below 0.4RMS consistently, as you can see here.
Here's a link to a 4 panel mosaic I shot partly with this mount: https://astrob.in/de3hde/0/
I hope that this is helpful, Ali!
Can I ask, do you live in the UK, if so what was the cost with all the UK VAT and customs charges, is it really any cheaper than more well known brands…? @AstroShed I ordered one from Littlelight back in May. About two weeks later I received an email from UPS to prepay the fees and taxes, and it came to £73. It was then delivered about a week after that. I'm not sure if that was the "correct" value, but I was happy. I ordered an IMX571 camera about a year ago and that was delivered without having to pay any extra :-)
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I'm a bit confused about the tripod options. I see some pictures where they use the ZWO TC40 tripod with no adapters, but saw other people saying that you need the column which acts as an adapter. Which is which?
And if it's not "natively compatible" with the ZWO one, is it compatible with something else? The iOptron carbon fiber tripod looks like another interesting choice
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andrea tasselli:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006899767122.html?spm=a2g0o.detail.1000023.3.66a8VX2LVX2L78 Yes, I've seen that, but that wasn't really the question though, I was more trying to find out how to get the mount connected to a tripod without any adapter (minimise weight, and possibly cost too). According to this post, the mount should be compatible with the iOptron tripod - given that I already have a CEM40 and its tripod (plus the tripod column extension as well), that means I should be able to get it onto that without issues. Pulled the trigger, we'll see when it gets here  |
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I think the answer is no, you need an adapter, even for the TC-40.
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