The iOptron HAE29B takes the portability of a strain-wave mount and adds something most mounts still expect you to supply separately: the computer that runs the imaging session.
The mount head weighs just 8.6 lb (3.9 kg), yet iOptron rates it to carry 29 lb (13 kg) without a counterweight and up to 40 lb (18 kg) with the optional counterweight system. Inside the mount is iOptron's iMate computer, a 64-bit ARM-based controller preloaded with KStars, Ekos, and INDI support for mounts, cameras, focusers, filter wheels, and other imaging equipment.
That makes the HAE29B more than a lightweight GoTo head. It can become the control center for an entire portable astrophotography system, with camera control, focusing, guiding, sequencing, plate solving, and image capture handled at the mount instead of by a separate laptop or control box.
If you prefer your own computer or imaging controller, you are not locked into iMate. The HAE29B can also be controlled directly through its USB-C connection using iOptron Commander and ASCOM on Windows or compatible INDI software on other platforms.
Features
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Built-in iMate imaging computer. A 64-bit ARM-based onboard computer comes preloaded with KStars, Ekos, INDI drivers, and iPolarServer, giving the mount its own open-source astronomy-control environment.
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29 lb counterweight-free payload. Carry up to 13 kg (29 lb) without bringing a counterweight shaft and weights into the field.
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Up to 40 lb with a counterweight. Add the optional counterweight system when a heavier or more demanding telescope configuration calls for additional capacity.
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Only 8.6 lb for the mount head. A substantial imaging payload in a mount small enough to travel easily.
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Strain-wave gearing on both axes. The RA axis uses a 480:1 reduction and DEC 360:1, providing high torque in a compact mechanical package.
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32GB of built-in storage. iMate includes 32GB of eMMC storage and supports a microSD card up to 64GB for additional imaging data and system storage.
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USB and 12V accessory connections. The iMate provides one USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, and three 12V outputs, two of which are programmable, allowing cameras and other accessories to connect close to the mount.
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Cross-platform remote access. The iMate system can be accessed from Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, and Android devices over Wi-Fi.
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Direct USB-C mount control. Prefer your own laptop, mini PC, or control system? The mount can also be operated directly through the USB-C port without making iMate the center of the system.
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Equatorial and Alt-Az operation. Use EQ mode for tracking and astrophotography or configure the same mount for Alt-Az visual observing.
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Dual Vixen/Losmandy-D saddle. Accepts both common dovetail standards without requiring a replacement saddle.
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Integrated ST-4 autoguider port. Traditional guider connections are supported in addition to software-based guiding through the imaging-control system.
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Electronic friction brake. Designed to stop the mount safely during a planned or unexpected power interruption.
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Automatic zero-position search. Built-in sensing allows the mount to locate its reference position electronically.
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Optional iPolar. iOptron's electronic polar-alignment camera can be added when you want a dedicated polar-alignment solution.
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Fitted carrying case included. Appropriate for a mount designed around portable imaging.
The Mount and the Imaging Computer in One System
The most interesting part of the HAE29B is not the strain-wave drive by itself. Plenty of portable mounts now use strain-wave gearing. The difference is that iOptron has built an astronomy computer directly into the mount.
iMate comes with KStars for planetarium and target selection, Ekos for imaging automation, and INDI drivers for controlling astronomical equipment. A compatible camera, focuser, filter wheel, and guider can all connect to the iMate, allowing the same system to handle the mount and the rest of the imaging train.
The onboard computer includes 32GB of eMMC storage, plus a microSD slot for up to another 64GB. That gives it enough local storage to run and capture an automated imaging session without requiring a laptop to remain beside the telescope all night.
The accessory connections are built around the same idea. One USB 3.0 port, two USB 2.0 ports, and three 12V outputs let much of the imaging equipment connect at the mount rather than running separate power and data cables down to the tripod.
For a portable rig, that can make setup considerably cleaner: mount, telescope, imaging equipment, and control computer become one integrated system rather than several separate boxes that have to be connected every time you set up.
But You Are Not Locked Into iMate
An integrated computer is useful only if it fits the way you like to work, so one of the better features of the HAE29B is that iMate is not the only way to control it.
The mount can also be connected directly to a computer through the USB-C port on the mount base. Windows users can work through iOptron Commander and ASCOM, while compatible INDI-based software provides options for macOS, Linux, and Raspberry Pi systems.
That means you can use iMate as the heart of a compact all-in-one system, or treat the HAE29B more like a conventional mount and connect it to the imaging computer or controller you already know.
Observers who prefer a physical handset can also add iOptron's optional Go2Nova 8411 OLED controller.
29 Pounds Without Counterweights
The HAE29B retains the feature that made the HAE29 family attractive in the first place: a great deal of payload without a great deal of mount.
iOptron rates the HAE29B for 29 lb (13 kg) without a counterweight. Add the optional counterweight shaft and weight and the rating increases to 40 lb (18 kg).
There is an important qualification to those numbers. iOptron bases the payload rating on the center of gravity being approximately 200mm from the RA rotation axis. A compact astrograph and a long refractor may weigh exactly the same while presenting very different loads to the drive.
That makes the HAE29B especially well suited to compact refractors, astrographs, SCTs, and similarly concentrated imaging systems. As telescope length and moment arm increase, leaving additional margin below the published weight rating becomes increasingly important.
The optional counterweight system is there when a particular payload benefits from it, but many appropriately sized systems can operate without one — which is a large part of the reason to choose a strain-wave mount in the first place.
From the Cloudy Nights Community
Discussion of the HAE29B on Cloudy Nights has focused less on the basic mount mechanics and more on the feature that makes the B version different: iMate.
Owners like the idea of having the imaging computer, power distribution, USB connections, and mount control collected into one portable package. One HAE29B owner described it as a nice mobile setup after connecting a DSLR, guide camera, focuser, and polar-alignment system through the iMate.
The community discussion also makes an important practical point: iMate has its own learning curve. Because it is built around KStars, Ekos, and INDI rather than a closed appliance-style interface, getting cameras, guiders, focusers, and software settings matched correctly can require some initial configuration. Owners have reported that once those pieces are sorted out the system becomes considerably more useful, but this is still an astronomy computer rather than a one-button smart telescope.
For users who already have a preferred control system, the good news is that the HAE29B does not have to be built entirely around iMate. Direct USB control gives you another path, so the onboard computer can be a major feature when you want it without dictating every future imaging workflow.
That flexibility may be the most useful way to look at the B version: it gives you an integrated computer when portability and cable reduction matter, while still leaving the door open to a more traditional external-control setup.
What's Included
- iOptron HAE29B strain-wave AZ/EQ mount head
- Built-in iMate computer
- Dual Vixen/Losmandy-D dovetail saddle
- AC/DC power adapter for indoor use
- Fitted carrying case
Available separately: iPolar electronic polar scope, Go2Nova 8411 OLED hand controller, tripod or Tri-Pier, counterweight shaft and counterweight, MiniPier extensions, and other compatible accessories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes the HAE29B different from the HAE29C?
The defining feature of the HAE29B is its built-in iMate astronomy computer. It comes preloaded with KStars, Ekos, and INDI support and can control much of an imaging system directly from the mount. The HAE29C has built-in mount control electronics but does not include the iMate imaging computer.
Does the HAE29B include a high-resolution encoder?
No. The standard HAE29B does not include the RA encoder. That feature belongs to the HAE29B-EC.
Does the HAE29B include iPolar?
No. iPolar is an optional accessory on the current HAE29B.
What can the iMate computer control?
iMate uses KStars, Ekos, and INDI drivers to support compatible astronomy equipment including the mount, imaging cameras, guide cameras, electronic focusers, filter wheels, and other devices.
Do I have to use iMate?
No. The mount can also be controlled directly through its USB-C connection using iOptron Commander and ASCOM on Windows or compatible third-party INDI software on other platforms.
Can I use my phone or tablet?
Yes. iMate can be accessed remotely over Wi-Fi from a variety of devices and operating systems, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux, and Android.
How much can the HAE29B carry?
iOptron rates it for 29 lb (13 kg) without a counterweight and 40 lb (18 kg) with the optional counterweight system. The rating assumes the payload center of gravity is approximately 200mm from the RA axis, so telescope geometry matters along with weight.
Do I need a counterweight?
Not for an appropriately sized payload within the counterweight-free rating. The optional system is available when additional capacity or a particular telescope configuration makes it useful.
Can I use the HAE29B for visual observing?
Yes. In addition to equatorial operation for imaging, the HAE29B can be configured in Alt-Az mode for visual observing.
Is a hand controller included?
No. The mount has its own internal control system and iMate computer, so a handset is not required. The Go2Nova 8411 OLED hand controller is available separately.
Final Thoughts
The HAE29B isn't the encoder version of the HAE29. It is the integrated-computer version, and that gives it a very different reason to exist.
You still get the advantages of the HAE29 platform: strain-wave drives on both axes, a 29 lb counterweight-free payload, dual Vixen/Losmandy compatibility, EQ and Alt-Az operation, and a mount head that weighs less than nine pounds.
What the B adds is the ability to build the rest of the imaging system around the mount itself. KStars, Ekos, INDI, onboard storage, USB connections, and 12V accessory outputs are already there, allowing a camera, guider, focuser, and filter wheel to become part of one compact field system.
For the imager who wants fewer separate boxes, fewer long cables, and less equipment to assemble at a dark site, that integration is the real reason to choose the HAE29B.
