pellgarlic2

Thanks for the reassurance about the dovetail bar 🙂 Yeah, I'd rather not have to drill or countersink anything if possible, especially not the OTA 😝 That L bracket looks very interesting... to be honest, I had to do a general web image search before it "clicked" in my mind about exactly how it would all fit together >_> (it's been a long day...) but that could very well fit the bill. Nice find - thanks 😁 The weird thing is, I'd looked through FLO's site multiple times, and probably seen that in the results multiple times, but it never jumped out as a possible solution. Perhaps because the image doesn't really show the dovetail shape very clearly, and also because it would result in an orientation of the mounted device that's rotated 90 degrees from the "expected" orientation on the AZ GTi. I suspect its alignment process would account for that though?

Hi Chris, I'm only a "beginner", but offer a humble suggestion 🙂 I'd second the suggestion of a 90 mm Maksutov Cassegrain - it would be very well suited to lunar and planetary viewing, and would be compact and light (e.g. the Sky-Watcher SkyMax 90 is 10 x 24 cm, and 1.37 kg according to Sky-Watcher's website). https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-90-ota.html I have the SkyMax 102 (slightly larger), and it's been great for lunar and planetary viewing. It's also easier to get the eye-piece in a comfortable position with this kind of scope than a Newtonian, as it's on the end of the OTA rather than the side, and you can just rotate the diagonal. On a side note, if you're having trouble with your equatorial mount, are you aware of the need to "polar align" it? It takes a bit more time to set up and use than an "alt-az" mount, but once aligned with an object, it's easier to keep it in view in the eyepiece (and you might be able to mount that SkyMax 90 on your equatorial mount to save your budget - check the mount for compatibility though):

I've attached a photo showing as best I can the shape of the saddle as well as the connector 🤨 - it's a 1/4" standard tripod fitting in the middle, the two holes either side are the fixings. I haven't been able to find suitable rings under £100 😲 which is about the cost of the OTA, so too much. I have found this "Astro Essentials Dovetail Bar" for £15, which would appear to do the job, but as it says it's for "cameras and other accessories", I'm not sure it would be able to hold the heavier mak (1.93 kg according to Sky-Watcher's website) in place with rotating on the screw. I could maybe replace one or both of the screws that currently hold my saddle on to the OTA with longer ones through both the dovetail bar and the saddle into the OTA, to make it more secure. But adding this bar "below" the saddle would also move the OTA's centre of gravity further away from the mount, which would decrease the stability. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dovetails-saddles-clamps/astro-essentials-vixen-type-photo-dovetail-bar.html

Ah, good suggestion - will check that out, thanks. 😃 And thanks for the link to that Cloudy Nights thread - great to see that people are getting on well with the AZ GTi, and able to squeeze so much out of it 🤩

Ok, having realised that I was entirely unprepared for a discussion about realistic astrophotography expectations, I decided that rather than keep pestering you good folks for what are likely common AP questions, I would spend some time reading through threads on the astrophotography section here, and absorbing info from various other websites and youtube videos (and I will be getting a copy of "Making Every Photo Count" too). I can see now that the demands on the equipment for astrophotography are a lot higher than, and significantly different to the demands of visual observing, and that my best option is to put my astrophotography aspirations on hold until I have a better idea of equipment requirements, and maybe save up a bit of cash to go towards some suitable equipment. From a basic perspective, I can see how the mount really needs to take priority (it needs to be very stable), and that the OTA should be light enough that it doesn't challenge the mount too much. Stability is paramount (da-dum, tsh!). Accurate tracking is highly important. Aperture comes third, or fourth, or fifth... So the requirements don't mesh with the requirements for a good visual observing setup (although there is of course some overlap). I'll likely be back at some point making a nuisance of myself on the AP sub-forum. In the short-term, for immediate viewing pleasure, I'm back to considering the AZ GTi to attach to my SkyMax 102. I believe it should be suitable, as it comes bundled with this OTA, as well as the bigger/heavier 127. The only potential hitch that I'm aware of (although experience has told me there may be some I'm not aware of ) is that the OTA in the AZ GTi bundle comes with a dovetail mounted on the side, whereas my one has a non-dovetail ("square") block on the bottom. I'm currently investigating to try to determine whether it's possible to easily replace that with something that would be compatible with the AZ GTi (and I'd also have to deal with the finder being in a weird orientation 🤔 possibly not too much of an issue given that it's a Go-To mount). I was also thinking I might see if it would be productive (no expectations) to attach my DSLR directly to the AZ GTi (which I believe should be possible?) for some wide-field astrophotography, in lieu of the "full shebang" AP setup.

Ok, perhaps I've been naive in expecting to be able to do too many things with one setup. It was my understanding that because a large aperture newtonian reflector is a good choice for DSO viewing, that it would therefore also be the best choice for photographing said DSO objects (as well as the Moon and planets). I imagine they can be used very successfully for that purpose, but with more expense than a lighter/smaller refractor of similar focal length? I can see how what you're saying about the "expense per mm of focal length" chimes with what's been said in previous comments about the size and weight of an OTA requiring a suitable mount, and that for astrophotography it would all have to be even more stable than is required for successful visual observing. I do have a DSLR already, which I've had attached to my SkyMax 102 a couple of times, with not very good results (just attempts at shots of the Moon, shots were always blurry - either poor focus, or vibration from the mirror), but it's clear now that I'd have to spend more to get satisfactory results from an astrophotography setup than I would for a purely visual setup. This discussion has been really helpful for me to come to some realisations about what's feasible and realistic, and now I need to get a clearer idea in my head of what direction I want to go in with this, and not try to find a £400 setup that will do everything that a £2000 setup could do 😆

And so far, I've seen a lot of recommendations along the lines of: "Read 'Making Every Photon Count' before buying anything, as it's a complicated business, and it's easy to make expensive mistakes" 😬 However, as I have a bit of an imminent deadline before I have to "put in my order" with my significant other, I hope it's a short book 🥵

Thanks for the diagram - that makes it a lot clearer 😁 Regarding having not found the right scope, yeah - I am indeed embarking on further searching on the forums here and other websites regarding telescopes suited to/designed for astrophotography. 🤓 The 150i package has come very close to ticket all the boxes so far, but realising I wouldn't have the option to easily attach my DSLR has made me realise how important that actually is to me, and that I need to keep looking. It may be that I still end up going for that option if I can't find a better option though.

Yikes! I knew there was a reason I'm on this forum asking for advice from you more knowledgeable chaps, so I don't make a stupid noob mistake 🤪 (and I do very much appreciate you all sharing your knowledge). I had thought that focal length indicated the distance between the primary and secondary mirrors, and that therefore the two OTAs were in that sense equivalent, but I guess it's more complicated than that... I'll keep a mental note of that Youtube video for if and when I'm ever feeling brave enough to start hacking bits of the telescope

I might just shelf my astrophotography aspirations (or at least resign myself to using the afocal method) for a few months, and add this to my Christmas list: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-focusers/dual-speed-crayford-1252-inch-focuser-for-skywatcher-explorer.html Description says: "This is the same focuser that is now supplied with the Explorer-PDS models.", and given that the aperture and focal length of the Explorer 150P-DS are the same as the Star Discovery 150i (aperture: 150 mm, focal length: 750 mm (f/5)), it seems safe to assume that the focuser I linked allows a DSLR to be positioned closer to the tube, and therefore be able to achieve prime focus. This would require drilling new holes into the OTA, so it would still void my warranty, but I've read a few reviews indicating that the focuser is the weak point on the 150i, and that it's worth upgrading it anyway.

That's good to note, thanks. I'd prefer to have the option of eq mode if possible, but I'd say it's not a deal breaker for me, and the other things this package have going for it make up for it. But it's good to be fully informed about its capabilities. Indeed, I'm getting that it's best to "under-task" the mount, not push it to the limit of its specification. The only query that remains in my mind about this package is that although I'll primarily be a visual observer, I know I'll want to try hooking up my DSLR to grab some snaps of the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn when the opportunity arises. However, I came across this video which says a significant modification is needed to be able to attach a DSLR. Can anyone advise if they've been able to connect a DSLR to this scope? Or I wonder if it's possible to just replace the focuser with an after-market one? Or am I opening a can of worms there?... 😬

😢 Yeah, I guess I kind of knew that already, I was just clutching at straws, cos I really want to find a justification to buy it to satisfy my gadget-oholism 🤪 Thanks for your patience in trying to get me to accept that. I've been looking into the Star Discovery 150i package, and in particular watched this youtube video which gives a glowing review of it (albeit about the non-wifi predecessor 150P, but I believe it's the same OTA, and the mount requires a smartphone to control rather than being bundled with a hand controller), and I'm really coming around to thinking it might be my best option - it's in-budget, decent amount of aperture, has Go-To, and I can use it with my 102 mak. Only downside is it's a bit less portable than the AZ GTi, but the upsides are much more significant:

So you did, my bad 😜. I overlooked it as I didn't realize at the time it was a Go-To mount, and was still bedazzled by the AZ GTi (which I still am to a large extent - I'm a gadget-oholic, and it's one nifty-looking little gadget ). I was making an assumption about the weight of the 150i compared to the 150p which it seems was inaccurate, so my assumption about the payload capability of the Star Discovery mount was also inaccurate 😔. I assume though, that the Star Discovery mount would be easily capable of carrying my 2 kg SkyMax 102 mak (which I just realised I've been incorrectly referring to as a "102T", which is actually a different scope - a refractor as opposed to a mak 🤓) . Knowing that the 150i is actually collimatable, even if only by the secondary mirror makes it much more appealling. I'm going to check out some reviews of it, to get a better idea if I would be happy with it. The Star Discovery mount is a fair bit bigger and bulkier than the AZ GTi... (cue dream sequence of me prancing along a beach with the GTi cradled in my arms... ) but I know they're both small and light compared to a proper GEM mount with counter-weights or the like. I'm curious whether it would be possible to use the 150i OTA on the AZ GTi mount, as the AZ GTi and the Star Discovery are both listed as having "5 kg payload capacity"... But then I don't know if it's even possible to buy the 150i OTA separately. I just need to figure out if the balance of capability versus ease-of-use of the Star Discovery 150i package is right for me (and relinquish the idea of being able to use the dinky little AZ GTi with a 6-inch reflector) .

Ah, I didn't spot that about not being able to collimate the telescope, thanks for pointing that out 😞 However, there is the option of getting the mount/tripod separately from the OTA. Star Discovery Mount & Tripod - £285 Sky-Watcher Explorer 150P - £178 Total - £463 It's pushing my budget a bit, but perhaps I could live with getting the new mount and tripod for now (which was my original intention - to replace/upgrade my broken tripod), and acquire the OTA as a Christmas present 🥺 Regarding providing the "handset", it seems along the same lines as my original line of interest - the AZ GTi, in that I would use my mobile phone to control it? (which I'm happy to do).

Ah, nuts. 🙄 I did think there might well be a reason that the largest scope it's bundled with is the Explorer 130... So the "Star Discovery" Go-To mount seems to be a bit more capable when it comes to payload weight. Perhaps this could be the answer to my search - a 150 mm Newt on a Star Discovery mount at £375: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/az-goto/sky-watcher-star-discovery-150i.html Or I could get the mount and tripod separately for £285, and pick up the OTA of my choice if the 150i is no good... 🤨

Thanks for the further helpful replies - I'm getting a really good sense of the options, and how they work for different purposes or viewing preferences. I'm currently mulling over the following possibility - to go for the AZ GTi mount and tripod, and also get a standalone Explorer 150P, subject to finding confirmation of this OTA's weight. Best I can figure, it's the same as the "BK P15075" on Skywatcher's website, which lists the tube weight as 4.93 kg: http://www.skywatcher.com/product/bk-p15075-eq3-wsteel-tripod/ That would put it right at the upper limit of the payload capacity of the AZ GTi... Has anyone used it with an OTA of this weight that can offer any observations? If it's feasible, that would allow me to use either the newt or my mak on the AZ GTi mount, which would be quite nice

I guess I need to do some more thinking about what my ultimate aim actually is... This all started off with "my birthday is coming up + my tripod is broken = tripod/mount upgrade time!", and then I got the idea of "tagging on" a new OTA of a different type to broaden my viewing options. That was probably going about things the wrong way round... I guess I just need to have a think and decide what's more important to me just now - more aperture for better deep-sky views, or a Go-To mount to make it easier to find stuff and help show the kids too. the Catch 22 is that a Go-To will be more pertinent for deep-sky stuff >_< It's also clear that if I want to be able to use any Go-To mount I buy with any future larger scope I buy, I'll have to invest in something more substantial than the AZ GTi. Woah there, Mr. Can-of-worms Seriously though, I had never even heard of such a thing, and having read a bit about it now it sounds really interesting. But I think I'll focus (da-dum, tsh!) on sorting out a basic setup for now.

Ok, you've given me a lot more to think about, and I'm finding myself swinging back towards liking the idea of the Go-To setup The reasons you give are very much in line with what I was thinking would be the benefits of such a setup. However, that AZ GTi mount has a max weight rating of 5 kg, and 8-inch/200 mm newtonians seem to be nearly double that. So I'd need to look into a bigger mount, which would be more expensive. 😖 Your suggestion that "upsizing" the Mak would be significant conflicts with what "Mr niall" said a few posts back (it should be noted that I currently have a 102 mm, so moving up to a 127 would be less of an improvement than from a 90 mm scope). It looks like my options (without sacrificing too much in any particular area) are either going to be: 1. Get a Go-To mount for my current scope, and maybe upgrade the OTA at some point in the future. 2. Upgrade my OTA just now, and try to patch up my existing tripod, and look into adding a Go-To device at some point in the future.

Thanks, that's the kind of input I was looking for 😃 I think if I'm going to get another OTA (as opposed to just replacing my Mak's mount), it'll have to be significantly different to be worth it. And noted from both replies about the Dob being difficult for kids/small people to use I would keep the Mak, so that could be designated the "let the kids see something" scope, and I could make the Dob "my" scope... Also noted about the size of the Dob - tbh, I originally got the 102T because at the time I live in a flat, and I wanted something that could fit in a small cupboard, and go in the back-seat of the car, so it was perfect. Mulling things over today, I realised I was still in that mindset, but I actually live in a house with a garage now, which dark enough skies to do a spot of viewing in the back garden, so a bigger scope isn't as big a deal. My next quandary is going to be whether I'm better going for the 250 mm on a Dob mount, or if it would be worth dropping to 200 mm to get a decent EQ mount, for just a wee bit more - £448: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reflectors/skywatcher-explorer-200p-eq5.html (or I might have a hunt around to see if there are any other good deals on similar-sized Newtonians with EQ mounts...) So since posting this morning, I appear to have swung from "I want to get a new mount for my Mak, and might get one with a Newt thrown in", to "I want to get a light bucket"

Oooooooooorrrrrrrrrrr............ I could get this for £422, which is pushing my budget a bit, but would be much better for DSO work - https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dobsonians/skywatcher-skyliner-250px-dobsonian.html 🤔 thought i was closing in on a decision, now i'm back to square one >_<

Hi all 😃 I'm hoping I can get a bit of input of people's opinions about the potential viewing difference between my current scope - a SkyWatcher SkyMax 102T (Maksutov Cassegrain), and two potential new additions - a SkyWatcher Explorer 130PS and a SkyWatcher 127T. I've been using my SkyMax 102T on a SkyWatcher AZ3 Alt-Az mount for about 5 years, but recently one of the clamps on the tripod leg broke. As my birthday is coming up, I have the opportunity to treat myself, so I thought I'd like a nice new mount/tripod, and have been looking at Go-To mounts. My budget is £300-400. My first "stop" was the SkyWatcher AZ GTi WiFi Alt-Az for £265: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/all-mounts-motors/sky-watcher-az-gti-wifi-alt-az-mount-tripod.html Then I spotted that there's a bundle including a Sky-Watcher Explorer 130PS for £349, and I wondered if there would be any significant difference in viewing between that scope and my 102T? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-gti-wifi/sky-watcher-explorer-130ps-az-gti.html I favour planetary and lunar viewing, hence my original choice of the 102T, but am tempted by potentially being able to add DSO viewing to the capabilities of my kit. I know that in general, Newtonians are better for DSO viewing and it would be nice to be able to add that to the repertoire, and this bundle seems a convenient and not too expensive way to do it. But the Explorer is still a small-ish scope, even if the aperture is slightly bigger than the 102T, so if there wouldn't be a significant difference between the two scopes, I could better spend the money on some new eyepieces or something. Or... I could forgo the fancy Wi-Fi mount, and upgrade to a SkyMax 127T, although I would need to get a new tripod and mount too... 🤑 There is a "SynScan" bundle with the 127T (no WiFi, unlike the AZ GTi. not sure how much I care about that TBH, as long as it can "Go-To" and track objects) for £388: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-127-synscan-az-goto.html I have two boys, 6 and 5 years old, who I like to show things through the scope when it's convenient, so the Go-To and tracking ability would be very handy for that purpose, so that's a factor in my decision too. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated Cheers, Niall.

Hi, thanks for all the replies - I was struggling to find anything definitive... didn't think to look on youtube >_< That video from Astronomy and Nature TV is very informative. Sounds like it's a workable but not perfect option for EQ tracking for astrophotography, but as my needs aren't too serious, I think it'll be perfect. 😃 Thanks again for the responses 😃

Don't want to hijack the OP's thread, but I have a similar query, so hope we can further explore what's already been discussed... I'm currently considering getting the AZ-GTi mount to go with my SkyMax 102T, mainly for the Go-To and tracking features. I've been trying to find out whether it's possible to modify it or add to it to enable equatorial tracking (astrophotography isn't my main interest, but I'd like to have that option). I've heard mention of "wedges", and understand in simply terms that they can make an alt-az mount function as an equatorial mount, but haven't found any conclusive information about whether that's an option for the AZ-GTi. Can either of you say for sure whether the "Star Adventurer" wedge will work with the software of the AZ-GTi? Are the tracking and go-to functions compatible with it? Is there an official update to accommodate it? Or an unofficial solution? And how much of a complication is the "polar alignment" issue in practice? Having only used an alt-az mount before, I'm not familiar with the polar alignment process, although I understand the principle.