SVBONY SV225 Alt-Azimuth Mount, Adjustable Angle Alt-Azimuth Mount, Load-Bearing 10kg, CNC Hollow Structure, Telescope Altazimuth Fine Adjustment Shift, Telescope Accessories with Variable Speed Gear

I originally was going to buy the Twilight I ALT-AZ mount and take the $350 hit…While researching the Twilight mount, the SVBONY ALT-AZ SV225 mount popped up in my suggestions, so I did some research and watched a few YouTube videos on it, and to my surprise it had mostly positive reviews. Older reviews, although mostly positive, mentioned a few quality control issues…Looking at the price difference of more than $200 less than the Twilight mount it seemed like a no-brainer.I own the Orion Paragon-Plus Binocular mount, and if you know any about it’s set up, it has a long counterweight attachment to support large heavy binoculars and the tripod is beefy and sturdy. I also own the Orion Tritech CFC Carbon Fiber Tripod with 3-way Pan Head. I ignorantly bought it years ago thinking it would support my little ED80 Apochromatic Refractor. Using the carbon fiber tripod over the last several years has been challenging to say the least. 50 degrees or less, I’m good, anything over that I’m fighting for stability and the ALT position is slipping towards 90 degrees. The tripod is pretty much useless trying to view anything over 65 degrees…Orion marketed the carbon fiber tripod as if it could support a small telescope but it’s really designed for cameras.I purchased the SVBONY ALT-AZ SV225 mount with my prime membership on January 9th. It arrived the next day and I was as excited as a 5 year old on Christmas Day. The packaging was superb and all of the contents were included. Some of the older reviews on the mount were related to the metal on metal design. A few reviewers stated that there was play and friction between the joints even after the allen screws were fully tightened, and in some cases too much paint was applied at the factory, also creating play and uneven contact between the metal on metal joints.I experienced no such issues. The first thing I did when I removed the mount from the box was shake it, and try to twist the mount around the contact points…There was absolutely no play or friction…The paint and finish are quality as well. Assembly was fairly simple and the mount position can be configured in several angles to suit your comfort level. I attached the SVBONY ALT-AZ SV225 and my ED80 to my old beefy Paragon tripod and now I’m happier than a pig in mud. This is my first true ALT-AZ mount so I can only compare it to my old carbon fiber tripod. The slow motion controls are butter smooth. I would advise using a drop of blue thread locker to keep them secure because they become loose pretty quickly. I was able to take it outside briefly, but it was very cloudy…After a few breaks in the clouds, I was able to observe Jupiter at near zenith, something I was never able to do with my old tripod. The mount was rock steady and the slow motion controls tracked the planet with ease with no noticeable vibrations. If you own a halfway decent tripod that can support the weight of the mount and your set-up, give the SVBONY ALT-AZ SV225 a chance.

I'm really picky about recreational astronomy equipment. There is a lot of poorly designed stuff out there that either doesn't work that well, isn't durable, or is user hostile. The SV 225 mount is great. It came very well packaged, I've used it on top of an Artcise AS90C carbon fiber tripod with a 102mm aperture Maksutov and with two different 90mm aperture refracting telescopes.The mount holds the telescope steady and the slow motion controls make it easy to zero in on an object and then keep it from drifting out of the eyepiece as the earth turns. In fact the weaker point in the system is the tripod. The SV 225 works even better when I've had it on a heavier and more rigid tripod.The SV 225 gives exceptionally good performance for a value mount. The locks on each axis work well and the slow motions are smooth. I find it very easy to set up and use and it is well built with good knobs and finishes.I did customize it with two additions. I bought a 1.25 inch bubble level on Amazon and put it on the mount with double sided tape. This makes it easier to level up the tripod. I also put on a clamp type telescope dovetail bracket - the part that holds the telescope. The screw type bracket that comes with the SV 225 is perfectly adequate, except there is some risk that the screw will leave pressure dimples in the mounting rail on the telescope. Dimples in no way impair the function of the telescope, the are just aesthetically displeasing. Both of these additions are nice to haves and not at all necessary to make the mount work well.If you need a small, quality, affordable alt-azimuth mount that represents a good value, I can highly recommend this one.

I am very impressed and happy with all the Svbony products I have purchased. This mount is no exception. I wish I would have bought it when it first came out.Having owned several manual altitude/azimuth mounts (i.e., ES, Universal, iOptron, Vixen Porta I & II, and mini Porta), this mount is ideal if you want a lightweight, portable mount that can handle up to 10 kg.Likes include quality versus price point-$160 +10% off—a great bargain. The mount head is easy to store and transport.The design is well-made, and the casting and finish are perfect. The mount head is painted off-white, and the paint is thick and smooth, and the slow-motion controls are buttery smooth with minimal backlash. The ability to lock both the altitude and azimuth axes is a plus. It will handle a 4-inch refractor (<f/7.5), 4-inch MAKs, and 5-inch SCTs if under 10 kg, I would limit it to no more than 7 kg.Dislikes: Excessive play in the azimuth bearing on my sample. The telescope wobbled when rotating in azimuth. It was partially mitigated by locking the azimuth and using the slow-motion controls. However, this is not acceptable. I removed the base plate and cinched up the 10 mm locknut on the azimuth, removing 95% of the play. From this experience, I learned that the mount is entirely serviceable. You must provide a tripod with a 3/8-16 treaded mount base. A weak tripod is the leading cause of instability.The lock and safety knobs on the altitude dove plate are poor. There is no need for two safety knobs when only one is needed. There is not enough room to optimally locate all three knobs. To make matters worse, the safety knobs on each end of the plate are taller than the large center lock knob, making it difficult to finger access the center knob. Also, the female threads on the dove plate are sloppy, causing the screws to wiggle when tightening. They do function, however.One last minor complaint is the altitude fiducial scale reads from 0 to 360 degrees, making it hard to set the mount in altitude (assuming you wish to locate objects using alt-azimuth angles). The altitude scale. should be measured from +\- 0 to 90 degrees.In summary, I look forward to spending more time with this mount. I highly recommend it.