Celerondon

No, the HEM15 is appealing for several reasons but I think that it comes up short of the ZWO mounts in some areas. Despite its tiny dimensions the HEM15 lacks the ergonomic elegance of the AM series mounts. The dual SWG design of the ZWO mounts is probably better than the hybrid SWG/worm design of the HEM15 even though it can be balanced in DEC. Fiddling with hex keys instead of knobs and levers is no fun in the field, especially when it is dark and your fingers are getting numb. You could try something new or super cheap from a vendor that is not established in western markets, but that approach carries its own obvious risks. The HEM15 has good features and it is the only alternative to the AM3 that I would consider at this time. Don

What brand and model is your power supply? Do you know the amp rating of this power source? Don

GrumpiusMaximus has done a good job of describing your options and you have already identified your two main choices. This will ultimately be your decision but here is my vote. Go for your “spending £1000+ on a more sturdy go to mount” option! Pay special attention to the mass and portability factors of the HEQ5 Pro mounts before you choose but never doubt that a mount in this class will be much more capable and versatile than the NexStar and other smaller mount alternatives. Don

I like your review of the SeeStar S50 @Lee_P! It seems clear that ZWO has produced a hot product for the robotic telescope segment of the market. Your linked outreach guide looks handy as well. I am especially interested in your suggested layouts for outreach sessions and the included rationale behind your crowd management concepts. Don

If you don’t need the mains power receptacles and other extras on the “portable emergency generator” type of battery packs, the LiFePO4 batteries offer good capacity and longevity in a small package. This 6.5ah TalentCell is one example of these efficient power sources. There are plenty of LiFePO4 options if you need 12ah, 24ah, or even more capacity. However, a 6.5ah battery should power your simple setup for multiple sessions without dropping to 25% of capacity. Don

Which one did you purchase Niall? The Ecoflow River 2 does look like a good choice. With 256Wh capacity supported by LiFePO4 chemistry, it checks all the boxes. The similar 240Wh Jackery looks okay as well but “Lithium-ion” battery chemistry is not as appealing as the LiFePO4 chemistry of the Ecoflow River 2. With a maximum DC 12-volt supply current of 8 amps and 10 amps respectively, both units can more than handle the needs of the average amateur astronomer. I like these options better than the SinKeu Portable Power Station because their capacity numbers are more clearly stated than the weirdly inconsistent 27000mAh/99Wh figure listed for the SinKeu power station. I could not figure out if it was a 27ah battery pack or an 8¼ah battery pack. Why don’t those numbers match? Certainly, the product listing for a battery pack should be clear about the storage capacity of the unit.

I think that orly_andico asked the right questions. My favorite of the group that you are considering is the StellaLyra. None of the others have leg spreaders, the bowl adapters don’t interest me, and the spindly lower leg sections don’t seem suited to astronomy. I have a carbon fiber tripod. However, my ZWO TC40 is made like the iOptron CF tripod. They both have leg spreaders, robust two-section legs, and limited height capabilities. Any of these CF tripods will be much lighter than the wooden alternative. Despite the fact that the FLO page specifically states that the fit and finish of the StellaLyra Wooden Tripod “is not equal to a German made Berlebach tripod” it looks promising. To me this seems like brilliant marketing. Their statement confirms what you should know anyway. It isn’t possible to duplicate Berlebach quality for ½ price. But the unasked question remains, “Who are you going to believe, me, or your lying eyes?” It sure is pretty, isn’t it? Don

Where are you located? If you join or even visit an astronomy club then you should be able to hear an assortment of mounts firsthand. There are always a variety of different mount technologies present at our club events and public star parties. I am impressed with the silky smooth and quiet performance of the strain wave mounts. My experiences with Rainbow Astro and ZWO mounts have shown them to be quiet while slewing and silent otherwise. Don

Make certain that your next power source is equipped with LiFePO4 cells, and it should last more than 8 or 9 years. The best things about LiFePO4 batteries are that they have flat voltage supply curves down to below 20% of capacity and that they are not damaged if they are stored without being fully charged. In fact, they love it! Don

This is entirely correct! You know more about electricity than you think. Most consumer electronics, especially 12 volt devices, will operate properly across a defined range of voltages. A safe range for our equipment should be from 11 volts to 14 volts. (AZ-GTI = 8-14 volts and ASIAIR Plus = 11-15 volts) When I noticed that my regular Li-ion TalentCell battery was dipping below 12 volts it bothered me but it never affected my mount, ASIAIR, or cameras. When we refer to a “Voltage Drop” as an electrical problem it sounds similar but it is actually quite different. The electrical fault known as a voltage drop is caused by excessive resistance in a circuit. This type of problem is detectable when the electrical circuit is closed and under load. Don

Right PhilB61! Checking the voltage under load could reveal a voltage drop. Those Lynx Astro cables are supposed to be pretty good. I haven't used them but like many others, the manufacturer doesn't specify the internal wire gauge. Don

I agree! It seems like everyone is guessing, including FLO. Let’s stop guessing and start collecting data. If you had a meter, a male cable, and a female cable, then you would know exactly how much voltage that your Talentcell battery supplies under load and also how much amperage your equipment uses when tracking, slewing, or idling. I think that your cable and that Talentcell battery are both fine but I can’t prove it. That plug-and-play meter setup that I just linked for you could enable you to prove something by Thursday or Friday, at the latest. Don

This problem may not have been caused by your battery pack. For months I used one that was similar to Elp’s battery with no ill affects other than a surprisingly low average voltage output. I do have one suggestion about choosing TalentCell battery packs for our astronomical applications. Stick with the LiFePO4 models that (always) have 4S internal construction. Here is why I think that this is best. Batteries that use LiFePO4 cells in a 4S array inherently provide a stable flat voltage that remains constant until they fall below 20% of capacity and above 12 volts until they are almost empty! I prefer the LiFePO4 chemistry because their steady voltage output persists without the need for voltage regulation. Despite their similar impressive capacity numbers, unregulated Lithium-ion batteries have less desirable voltage curves. In fact, unless they are regulated, the voltage output of regular Lithium-ion battery packs will drop below 12 volts almost immediately once a load is supplied! Now I use a LiFePO4 battery and monitor my output voltage with a power meter. There is a chance that your problem was caused by your power cable, your connections, or some other issue. Exactly which cable do you use, and how is it connected? Don

The problem is with your phone camera adapter. It is so bulky that it will not allow your optics to reach focus. You could try removing the integral Barlow lens from the apparatus but I fear that this design is hopelessly flawed. The way I see it, you have two ways to go. Either choice will follow a more conventional path to achieving focus because you will use the same general focus point for your camera that you do for your eyeball. The two paths involve the purchase of either an inexpensive phone camera adapter or the other kind. Here is an example of an inexpensive camera adapter. It will be somewhat difficult to use because some adjustments are difficult to make with precision and others are limited or impossible. Here is an example of the phone camera adapter that I use. It cost plenty for a plastic assembly but, as the name implies, Celestron’s NexYZ adapter allows easy 3-axis positioning of your phone camera. Neither of these adapters includes any optics. With either, I usually use an app like NightCap to control my mobile phone but the app is not mandatory. Here is a phone camera workflow that should work with either type of adapter. Aim your telescope at a suitable target and focus a sharp image in the eyepiece. The moon can be a nice bright object to practice with. Install the phone camera bracket on the eyepiece and check your aim and focus. Adjust them if necessary. Place the phone in the bracket and start your camera app so that an image appears on the phone display screen. Adjust the bracket to place the active camera in position to view your target. Correct the aim and focus of your telescope and commence taking pictures. Although I sometimes have to repeat steps 4 and 5 several times to get things right, these setups can produce some surprisingly good results. The advantage of the app and the more expensive NexYZ adapter is that they each ease the difficulty of the process somewhat. Neither is required but both are helpful. I hope that these tips help you and your daughter to get better images with your telescope. Although the combination of an adapter and mobile phone is rather massive for your “mini-Dob”, you should be able to get it working together, with some practice. Don

The Emerald Sequoia firm is shutting down at the end of 2023. This change means that the wonderful Emerald Sequoia apps will disappear from the Apple and Google App stores after November 1, 2023! Some SGL members may know that Emerald Chronometer was available from the beginning of the iPhone App Store. For many of us, this app with its varied watch faces and fascinating complications was the first Killer App that showed the capabilities of the Apple iPhone and other iOS devices. These apps do not compete with true sky atlas or planetarium software like Sky Safari. But I have found Emerald Sequoia's apps to be fascinating and beautiful since I first installed Emerald Chronometer. Don iOS apps for iPhone Emerald Chronometer Emerald Geneva Emerald Time Emerald Timestamp iOS apps for iPad Emerald Chronometer HD Emerald Observatory Emerald Time Emerald Timestamp

That is an interesting point that you make about the USB ports on the Mini. I have seen people cite the USB 3 ports on the Plus as a major advantage for planetary work but I have never noticed complaints from Mini owners to confirm that distinction. Although my first ASIAIR is a big Plus, I agree with your assessment of the performance/cost ratio for these devices. My next ASIAIR will be a Mini for the reasons that you mentioned. Don

Which Plus do you have, Elp? I don’t have a Mini but I do know that there is a substantial difference between the architecture of some of the older ASIAIR Plus 32GB versions and the ASIAIR Plus 256GB. The older Plus and prior models of the ASIAIR were definitely Raspberry Pi powered but the newer ones and the Plus 256GB are instead based on Rockchip hardware. Because they were released last spring, all of the Plus 256GB units have Rockchip hardware. I have heard that the Mini, being a newer design, is also based on Rockchip hardware. Do you think that it is possible that the difference is between the Rockchip based ASIAIR controllers and the older Raspberry Pi based designs rather than between the Plus and the Mini? Someone in the linked CN thread theorized that this was so. Don

With an ASIAIR, polar alignment does not require a view of the celestial pole. All Sky Polar Align (ASPA) is a convenient feature that is integrated into the ASIAIR system. Using it is simple because you don’t need to learn special techniques or perform extra tasks. Just like traditional polar alignment, ASPA requires your mount to be level and aimed in the general direction of the celestial pole. You also need to focus your camera so that you can ensure that your system is successful at plate solving. Start by aiming your telescope at a section of clear sky that has a span of clear sky west of it. Give the command to commence ASPA and your system will take a photo, plate solve, rotate westward, take another photo, plate solve again, rotate a third time, an after a third plate solve the ASIAIR will guide you through polar alignment. That’s it! Because of their external antennae, the ASIAIR Plus and ASIAIR Mini have superior WiFi range when compared with prior models of the ZWO controllers. I have never seen proof of any difference between them but either can benefit from a range extender. The Ethernet port on the Plus model adds another level of expandability for the communications range of the ASIAIR. BTW, I would not want to run either model of the ASIAIR controller at their "maximum range" without assistance because of the effect that it has on the data rate. Both the Plus and the Mini work best when they have a strong communications link to the controlling mobile device. Don

I don’t own this particular model of mount but I can tell from the pictures that it, like most similar mounts, has an on/off switch. As far as I know, these standard DC5521 connectors are simple plugs. The plugs lack switching mechanisms but there is a main power switch on the mount. I might replace or even upgrade a connector, but I would never modify an existing system to solder cabling directly to a circuit board. Any forces that are sufficient to pull a connector loose will wreak havoc at and near the sites of the soldered connections. Don

Let’s start with the numbers that are provided by the manufacturers, OP. The AM5 is equipped with a standard 5.5mm x 2.1mm 12 volt power port. I found a couple of sources that state that the Celestron equipment uses the same 5521 connector. Here is a CN thread that contains that information and here is a Celestron specification table that Google found. So any standard 5521 male to 5521 male 12 volt power cable should work fine with your equipment. Here is a male/male 5521 cable with straight connectors and here is a male/male 5521 cable with one 90° and one straight connector. I have also seen posts that claim some Celestron equipment uses non-standard connectors. (AVX mounts?) But I would begin with their listed specifications in this case. Don

The moon is a natural satellite of planet Earth. Natural planetary satellites (moons) are not uncommon in our solar system. In fact, most planets have natural satellites and many planets have more than one moon orbiting around them. Even a small telescope can show the moons of Saturn and Jupiter as they travel through space with their planets. Jupiter’s moons are especially entertaining because the four largest ones are easily visible. When Galileo first turned his DIY telescope towards the night sky he was more fascinated by Jupiter and its four largest satellites than by anything else that he viewed. A telescope with a three or four inch aperture can show much more than the motions of the moons as they orbit Jupiter. Even a small telescope can show eclipses, transits, and occultations as they occur between Jupiter and its moons. Don

Actually, depending on where in Mexico the OP lives, the closest vendor is probably Agena Astro. They are located in Cerritos, CA. Cerritos is a small city in the southern end of Los Angeles County. For reference, it is a three hours and 15 minute drive north from Ensenada, BC. Speaking of California, this state has loads of telescopes both new and used, if you know where to look. The Classifieds sections of the Cloudy Nights and Astromart websites have plenty of new deals every week. Astromart has a small membership fee but the variety and value of the offerings on their website make it worthwhile for even occasional shoppers. These two sites are generally regarded as being better than eBay and other options because they cater to astronomers and have tighter security. Still, I must remind you to avoid deals that seem to good to be true. Stick to standard payment methods like PayPal and run for the hills if a seller tries to switch to a less expensive (less secure) payment method like the PayPal Friends & Family option or other non-refundable payment systems. Don

You could take a look at this kit. Is it neither cheap nor second hand but it does meet your other requirements. The EQStarProEQ5 kit includes a belt drive mod, WiFi connectivity, and SynScan compatibility. The kit contains a simple joystick type hand controller and provides a USB interface for connecting to a PC or ASIAIR. Once modified, a GEM can be controlled from a tablet or other mobile device that is running SynScan and the SkySafari Pro sky atlas app. If the AstroGadget kit is beyond your budget it may still serve as a yardstick for what should be available for a given sum of money. Don

Which one? Did you link it?

The AstroGadget kits from Ukraine do everything you need for a fair price. I installed one on my Vixen GP and instantly gained full GoTo features including ASIAIR and ASCOM compatibility and backlash free tracking. Now my GP guides well and functions perfectly with the SynScan and SkySafari apps. This EQStarProEQ3 is the kit that fits your mount. The AstroGadget Pro series kit worked so well on my GP that I am considering getting an EQStarProEQ3 kit for a CG-4 mount that I have recently acquired. The installation process took less than ½ hour on my GP. You can search the forums here and on Cloudy Nights to learn more about the performance of these kits. Don