ZWO AM7 Harmonic Drive Equatorial Mount (AM7)
More on the Way !!!
A limited batch of Seestar units is expected to arrive around April 27, 2025 (estimated). Availability will be limited.
More on the Way !!!
A limited batch of Seestar units is expected to arrive around April 27, 2025 (estimated). Availability will be limited.
The ZWO AM7 Harmonic Equatorial Telescope Mount represents the next evolution in portable astrophotography mounts. Designed for serious imagers who demand performance without bulk, the ZWO AM7 Harmonic Mount combines high payload capacity, precision tracking, and intelligent cable management in a lightweight, travel-friendly design. Whether you are building a permanent backyard observatory or a mobile deep-sky imaging setup, this mount is engineered to grow with your ambitions.
The ZWO AM7 Harmonic Mount delivers exceptional load performance thanks to its custom harmonic drive system. It supports up to 20 kg (44 lbs) without a counterweight, making it ideal for streamlined setups. When additional stability is required, it can carry up to 30 kg (66 lbs) with a counterweight, offering flexibility for larger optical tubes and advanced imaging trains. This dual-capacity design makes the mount suitable for refractors, medium-sized reflectors, and even heavier astrographs.
Accuracy is the foundation of long-exposure astrophotography. The ZWO AM7 Harmonic Mount features a carefully engineered harmonic drive with periodic error controlled within ±10 arcseconds. Each mount includes its own measured periodic error test report, giving you confidence in real-world tracking performance. This level of precision supports detailed deep-sky imaging, long integrations, and guided or unguided sessions with excellent consistency.
Cable management can make or break an imaging session. The ZWO AM7 Harmonic Mount simplifies your setup with integrated USB-C and DC power ports built directly into the dovetail saddle. This smart design reduces external wiring, keeps cables organized, and minimizes the risk of snags during slews. A cleaner setup means faster deployment and fewer nighttime frustrations.
Versatility is built into the core of the ZWO AM7 Harmonic Mount. It operates in:
Equatorial Mode (EQ) for accurate tracking and astrophotography
Alt-Azimuth Mode (Alt-Az) for visual observing and outreach
With an altitude adjustment range from 0° to 90°, the mount can be used at virtually any latitude worldwide. Whether imaging from Canada, the United States, or further south, it adapts easily to your location.
Modern connectivity ensures seamless integration into your imaging workflow. The ZWO AM7 Harmonic Mount supports:
Bluetooth control
Wi-Fi connectivity
Included hand controller
Full compatibility with ASIAIR
This flexibility allows you to control your mount from a mobile device, tablet, or dedicated astrophotography controller, streamlining polar alignment, plate solving, and automated imaging sequences.
Astrophotography doesn’t stop when temperatures drop. The ZWO AM7 Harmonic Mount is rated to operate down to –20°C, ensuring dependable performance during winter imaging sessions. Combined with ZWO’s in-house control system, the mount delivers stable and reliable operation even under demanding environmental conditions.
Despite its impressive capacity, the ZWO AM7 Harmonic Mount weighs approximately 6.5 kg (14.3 lbs). The compact harmonic drive system eliminates the need for bulky counterweight shafts in lighter setups, making transport and field deployment remarkably convenient. For traveling astrophotographers, this balance of strength and portability is a major advantage.
ZWO mounts (AM3 & AM5 telescope mount) are widely adopted by astrophotographers worldwide. The ZWO AM7 Harmonic Mount benefits from a strong user community, ongoing firmware development, and reliable manufacturer support. Whether you are upgrading from a traditional equatorial mount or entering the harmonic drive category for the first time, you’ll join an ecosystem built around innovation and practical imaging performance.


The AM7 is ZWO's highest-capacity harmonic drive telescope mount. It is built with heavier imaging rigs in mind, such as telescopes with long focal lengths, where tracking accuracy matters most.

Load Capacity
The AM7 supports up to 20 kg without counterweights, and up to 30 kg with counterweights installed. That gives you room to run a serious setup now and still scale up later.
Tracking and GoTo
The goal is simple. Solid tracking and reliable GoTo under real payload, so you spend less time managing limits and more time imaging and exploring the night sky.
A Mount for the Long Haul
The AM7 handles both small and heavy setups, so you can grow into bigger telescopes without outgrowing your mount.
*Weights are manually measured and may vary slightly.
Built out of years of ZWO development and tuned for astrophotography, the AM7's custom harmonic drive is designed for smooth, stable tracking with strong torque and consistent performance.
Every AM7 is individually tested before it ships. You get a unique periodic error curve report for your mount, so you can see the measured tracking performance of the exact unit you own.
Key specs and testing
Custom harmonic drive system
Total harmonic gear reduction ratio 300 to 1
Individual periodic error test report included
Periodic error controlled within plus or minus 10 arcseconds for dependable high precision tracking. (That's the thickness of a human hair viewed from about 20 meters away).


A lot of telescope setups end up as a tangle of wires and extra adapters. The AM7 is built to keep things cleaner and simpler.
With built in USB-C and power ports on the mount, you can run power and data where you need it without cables hanging everywhere. Even if you have a custom rig with a camera, focuser, guide gear, and other accessories, the AM7 helps reduce clutter so you can set up faster and spend more time imaging the night sky.

At only 6.75 kg, the AM7 is designed to be easy to carry and quick to set up. The built in dovetail plate includes a USB C port and DC power outlets, so you can route power and data through the mount instead of running a mess of cables around it. The result is cleaner cable routing and far less of the usual cable spider web.
For mount adjustments when needed, the AM7 also includes a magnetic hex wrench that stores directly on the mount body, so it stays close at hand and does not get lost in the dark.

The AM7 supports two modes so you can use the same mount for casual observing or serious imaging. Switching modes is done with a quick hardware change to the mount's position, then you select the mode on the hand controller.

Equatorial Mode
Best for accurate sky tracking for imaging and longer sessions.
Alt Azimuth Mode
Best for visual observing with quick setup and simple pointing.
Mode Indicator Lights
Red means Equatorial Mode
Green means Alt Azimuth Mode

AM7 supports a full 0 to 90 degree altitude adjustment range, so it can be aligned and used almost anywhere on Earth, from the equator to the poles. That makes it a practical choice for travel or a permanent setup, no matter where you observe.

Stage one adjustment range
Use the altitude adjustment knob for 0 to 60 degrees.
Stage two adjustment range
Move the hex screw to the second position to enable 30 to 90 degrees.

User-friendly Design
Portable Control, Refined
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connectivity
AM7 gives you two simple ways to connect, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, so control is always straightforward.
Bluetooth makes quick sessions easier. Open your phone, connect directly, and control the mount without a hand controller. No need to switch your device over to the mount’s Wi Fi network just to get running.
Bluetooth control
You can turn Bluetooth on or off by holding the BT button for 10 seconds. The setting is saved, even after power off.
A cleaner indicator light
A new light guide column softens the LEDs, so the status lights are easier on your eyes at night and won't interfere with your camera's either.

AM7 includes a joystick style hand controller designed for comfortable, and intuitive control. It is also a built in connection hub for the mount. With its integrated Wi-Fi hotspot, you can control the mount wirelessly, manage settings through a simple web interface, and perform firmware updates for both the hand controller and the mount. This is the main path for keeping the system current.
Bluetooth When You Want It
Off When You Need It
Bluetooth control is a convenient option for direct smartphone control in the field. But some environments need tighter wireless control, like remote observatories or permanent installations where interference or policy requirements matter. For those cases, AM7 lets you easily disable Bluetooth when needed, then enable it again when it makes sense.
The dovetail plate tension knob and azimuth fine-tuning knob feature a hollow structure. When manual rotation is limited, you can insert a hex wrench to gain extra leverage, making adjustments easier and more reliable with less effort.

The AM7 can be controlled wirelessly using the Sky Atlas app on iOS and Android. You get a live star map, simple object search, and quick tools like Tonight’s Best, target GoTo, and precise pointing to the objects you want to observe or image.
Works Smoothly With ASIAIR in Station Mode
AM7 also supports station mode, which makes it easy to integrate with a controller like ASIAIR. With the hand controller providing Wi-Fi, ASIAIR can connect to the mount over the network, so you can run a clean setup without a direct control cable between the AIR and the mount.

ASIAIR can connect to and control the AM7 using either wireless or wired connections, so it fits cleanly into a wide range of setups.
Because AM7 and ASIAIR are part of the same ecosystem, it takes the guesswork out of driver support and compatibility. You are not stitching together software from different vendors and hoping everything plays nicely. And as ASIAIR software continues to evolve with new features, you can count on AM7 support to keep pace, with new mount capabilities integrated directly within the same system.


| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Mount type | Harmonic Drive Mount |
| Mount mode | Equatorial/Alt-Azimuth |
| Drive | Strain Wave Gear + synchronous belt (300:1 reduction ratio) |
| Periodic error | < ±10" |
| PE duration | 288s |
| Drive (RA) | Stepper motor + synchronous belt + 20 type 100 reduction ratio strain wave gear + brake |
| Drive (DEC) | Stepper motor + synchronous belt + 17 type 100 reduction ratio strain wave gear |
| Payload | 20kg (without counterweight) / 30kg (with counterweight) @20cm |
| Mount weight | 6.75kg |
| Latitude adjustment range | 0° - 90° |
| Azimuth adjustment range | ±7.5° |
| Dovetail saddle | Losmandy & Vixen |
| Interface thread for counterweight bar | ⌀25 x 250 (M16) |
| Resolution | 0.17" |
| Max slew speed | 6°/S |
| Slew speed | 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x, 20x, 60x, 720x, 1440x |
| Power port | DC D5.5 - 2.1mm, center positive (12V, no less than 3A) |
| Power consumption | Standby: 0.75A/0.68A, Tracking: 0.95A, GOTO: 2.1A |
| Auto Guide port | ST4 |
| Communication | USB/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth |
| Zero position | Mechanical |
| Operating | -20°C - 40°C |
| Power-off brake | RA axis only |
| Park | Supported |
| Cable Management | Supported |

The payload capacity of the AM7 equatorial mount is derived from simulation calculations as shown in the figure above:
1. Maximum payload without counterweight: 20 kg (corresponding to a maximum output torque of 40 N·m).
2. It is recommended to use a counterweight ≤ 10 kg. When using a 10 kg counterweight, please install it with a moment arm between 20 cm and 30 cm.
For other counterweight masses, the allowable installation position can be calculated as follows:
Assuming the counterweight mass is m kg, the allowable moment arm length L must satisfy:
20 N·m ≤ m * g * L ≤ 30 N·m
Where g = 9.8 m/s² (can be approximated as 10 m/s² for calculation).
For example, with a 5 kg counterweight: L ranges from 20 N·m / (5 × 10 m/s²) = 0.4 m to 30 N·m / (5 × 10 m/s²) = 0.6 m.

AM7 Equatorial Mount
Foam Carry Case
USB 2.0 Cable, 2m, Type B to Type A
Counterweight Bar BC250-M16
Quick Star Guide
Hand Controller
Hand Controller Cable, 2m
USB 2.0 Cable, 1m, USB-C to Type A
AM7 Periodic Error Test Report
M6 Hex Wrench stored inside the mount

ZWO General Product & Software Manuals
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