Stu1smartcookie

Having decided small refractors and a light weight small refector is my way forward in astronomy i have some questions about the az-gti mount . 1; i cannot get the mount to accurately "goto" its intended target .. The instructions for this mount are incredibly lite and give no real indication of setting up and alignment. Its an alt azimuth mount primarily so can anyone give me any tips here... Should the scope be mounted so it faces front on the right side of the mount or faces front on the left side ( sorry if this doesn't make sense ..i know what i'm trying to ask but its not easy to write it lol) 2: i upgraded the firmware from the skywatcher website and i started to use the az-gti as an EQ mount ( i bought a skywatcher wedge ).. i found this set up to be a bit "sloppy " so , am i right in thinking that i can reverse the firmware upgrade by downloading the original firmware onto the mount ? The mount seemed ok with everything tightened but in reality i think its a bit lightweight for my 130pds , although ideal for my wo zs61... any thoughts would be most welcome .

First of all , many thanks for the answers . And Astro you have completely se my mind at rest with your explanation . Now , another problem ( i do seem to create problems for myself ) . i bought a laser collimater and i thought is was collimated ..but it turns out that its far from collimated and , of course , i "uncollimated " my scope . To the point where ive adjusted just about every conceivable screw available !! I think ive got it back to somewhere like normal , but only night will tell. Ive looked at getting a cheshire collimator now as i dont think i will EVER trust one of these laser collimaters again . Is using a cheshire the best way forward here?

Hi everyone , I've just bought a Skywatcher 130 pds .. i have an az-gti mount which ive upgraded the alluminium tripod for a steel one for stability . I've also added a skywatcher wedge and upgraded the firmware of the mount to take advantage of using the set up in EQ mode . So far So good ...but , when i set up this scope for the first time i used the accompanying 28mm (2") eye piece which achieved focus but i have an image of the small black ring (which sits in the middle of the primary mirror and is used for collimation) I don't get this problem when i use my 1 1/4" eyepieces . Its really annoying as it interferes with the view. Maybe someone can advise nme what i have got wrong here . I had to collimate the telescope when i first set it up ...( i collimated my laser collimater first ) . The scope was quite a way off collimation but im sure its good now as ive had good views of jupiter ( albeit rather small of course ) .

In awe of all the images on here … I am just getting started with astrophotograhy and still don't understand the finer points … and also having trouble with focussing issues , but seeing images like this inspires me so much . Just got my 130pds (17/7/2019 ) and waiting for a clear night . I already own a small refractor but I chose the 130pds for visual use as well as imaging . What I particularly like about this scope is its weight .

I'm late to this thread but I just wanted to say , Portability is something to consider when choosing the right scope , especially if its to be used for terrestrial as well as night time use . I had a 180mm mak which is a brilliant scope but notice I wrote the word "had". It sat in my wardrobe with my EQ5 for many weeks as setting up and transporting it became a real chore from my light polluted garden . Now I have a very small WO z61 which I use for both visual and Photography ( not that I've had too much success with the latter yet). The point is , I love those short tube refractors that you can just pick up and go. Don't get me wrong , I would also love an observatory in my garden and a permanently mounted giant reflector but that's not an option , so , I choose to have the best scope set up for my needs . And as we all know , the best scopes are the ones we use !

Hi William , did you get everything sorted ? I have just bought a WO Z61 + Flattener and even with the flat installed I still have to extend it 5mm or so to achieve focus . Not a hardship , but it was a bit puzzling why this is the case . Still , its all good now .

Wow , I've just got my Z61 and I will be imaging (hopefully ) for the first time tonight . I looked at the SW 72ED and was almost swayed but I fell in love with the compactness of the WO Z61 , and visually it gives fantastic views. We are truly blessed to have these small refractors to choose from and whatever you chose I'm sure you are delighted . I will use the AZ GTI as recommended by Heliumstar … after all these scopes are designed to be ultra portable and a clunky mount really serves no purpose in this case . By the way , Hennyvenom , that image alone is worth buying the scope for . Hope I can produce a photo as cool as that !

Had the option of getting a Redcat 51 or a Z61 … I chose the 61 only because I intend to do some visual with it and I thought the extra aperture would come in handy .. but , coupling the price of the dedicated Flattener for the z61 , which I had to buy lol , I'm in two minds whether I did the right thing . I love the Redcat because of its size . I cant wait to see some images. I am just getting into(astro) photography and know nothing about it , other than what I have read on this site and seen on you tube, but that's half the fun , learning and making mistakes, as well as the pure joy of producing your own work .

Sorry to ask such a basic question , but , why do people change the exposure times .. is it just to obtain more light ,and does it really depend on light pollution . Also are single frames possible on DSO or do you need to take multiple shots just to get a good photo?.. as you can tell I really am new to this side of astronomy .

Ok ... i've encountered a problem , which im sure can be sorted very quickly on here... i haven't got a 48mm t-ring so im using a standard canon t-ring with a Baader 2" nosepiece connected to my WO z61 . The trouble is , i cannot achieve focus .. any ideas would be helpful please . Thanks in advance .

Thanks for your input ScouseSpace ...i think its a good call about the ca on the 150mm , and as you say the price difference is there too . Whatever happens it needs tobe a STR(short tube refractor ) . And of course although apperture is important there are other things to weigh up...literally . One question , what is the focuser like on that scope ?

I had this scope before i stupidly sold it !!! ( it will honestly be one of my lifes regrets) , im back with WO though in the shape of a z61 . I thought your review was spot on ..its really good to read actual in depth reviews such as this . I never got to image with my 73, but i cant wait to use the 61 for this purpose . One things for sure , the build quality on WO gear is absolutely fantastic .

Nigella , those pics look great to me … my camera hasn't been modded … though . I will share my first efforts (honestly) … that's the great thing about this site ...NOBODY judges you ..but EVERYONE wants to help .

Thanks Dave , good advice on the book... i did purchase one on astro photography but its a bit of a "hard " read ( although i think its because i want to run before i can walk ) . i guess the key to this is patience and persistence … ( things that test me greatly lol) but once i get started i will be hooked im sure .

Hi everyone , I've been a bit quiet on this forum over the past 6 months but now I have resurfaced after changing my scope ( not for the first time) . I now have a WO z61 , on a lightweight az-gti mount ( im getting the skywatcher wedge for this mount ) . I love this little scope ...its so portable and , because of the fantastic optics is actually very good for visual , although its main use will be for photography . I haven't got a flattener for it yet .. so my first question is , do I need to buy the WO one , or are there other (slightly less expensive ) ones out there? I know my mount isn't great for photography but i really don't want a heavy EQ mount , due to lack of space (no pun intended). My last scope was a skymax 180 p … a really nice bit of kit , but , a bit bulky ...especially with a weighty mount . I have to travel to get truly dark skies so it wasn't practical , for me , at least . After owning a Dob , a couple of cheap refractors and the Mak i have come to the conclusion that my heart lies with refractor scopes . I want one for visual .. but i really want a short tube refractor … does anyone have any suggestions … i saw a startravel 150mm which looked great , but its good to get advice , especially from people that have used short tube refractors . Any feedback would be much appreciated . I am nervously going to attempt deep sky photography with my Z61 and a canon 100d … i know absolutely nothing about this area of this fantastic hobby , so it will be a bit hit and miss and i expect many failures , let alone the processing of images which is something ive never done . All in All its exciting times again .

Just seen this thread and , just in case it’s still relevant , I have a 102 , which I bought about 6 years ago . It didn’t get too much use at the time but I’m completely hooked on astronomy now and , although I’ve bought another refractor (wo z73) which is ultra portable , I still use my 102 , with its goto az mount . I think this scope is one of the most practical I’ve used . Good for DSO and planets (despite the ca) ... i purchased an eq5 mount which now aids stability , I agree about the focuser , mine seemed to “jump” a bit which can be annoying . I also thought about dropping in a Crayford , but , as I now have the z73 I don’t think it’s going to happen . A great review

Certainly an impressive review , Jamie . I am kicking myself . I bought a flex tube 250 Sky-Watcher dob only 10 days ago and I’m already regretting that I didn’t go for another refractor . Don’t get me wrong , the dob is great , but it’s huge and to be honest I was swayed by the large aperture. In reality I want to get into astrophotography and I should have bought either the model you have or even the 80 mm version . My wife’s gonna kill me when she knows i want to change lol. A great image too , of the Andromeda galaxy . Clear skies .