LoveFromGallifrey

OK! Thanks. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I'm not very technical, brought the camera, it works for what I wanted it do. Never bothered researching more, though I probably should have. I checked earlier and I can manually focus to infinity just fine in live view, and manual focus for everything else is spot on, but autofocus just does not work. In live view it won't even let me take a photo; in viewfinder it will, but out of focus. I'll return the lens anyways, I have a Nikon already with a similar lens. Just fancied seeing what difference the astro mod could make on milky way shots mainly.

If there is no replacement glass/shimmed stack, that's a full spectrum mod, right? I can't find it now, but I'm sure there was a piece of paper with the camera from the guy who did the mod (a very well respected guy, has been recommended for modded cameras many times on here) saying its not full spectrum. Hence why I thought I'd be fine with the autofocus. I'll have to take it out in a bit and see if I can manually focus to infinity, since that seems to be another issue. This is the only lens I've tried, it'd be frustrating if I can't use it without a telescope since I did buy it for both day and night photography.

Hi! Thanks for the quick reply. I normally use live view for everything since its what I use for astro haha. In live view, the lens will not focus at all. The autofocus is constantly adjusting, never settling, and when I attempt to just take a single image, it won't even focus enough for that. I press the shutter release and it just continues trying to focus. In viewfinder mode, it still doesn't autofocus but it will activate the shutter release.

So I took my Zenithstar 73II, asiair pro, and Canon 700D plus accessories (filters, dew heaters, chargers, guidescome and guide cam etc) in a plain old camera backpack as hand luggage when flying from the UK to Australia for a year. I even managed, miraculously, to get away with it as my "small purse" (I'm a woman) and took a cabin suitcase as well 🤣 it weighed slightly over 10kg but nobody ever checked, fortunately. It definitely pushed the limits. In the future, I'll be looking for either a Redcat or something similar, or a decent camera lens. The main issue I had was the mount and power supply. I already had a full suitcase because I was going out for a year; I could hardly pack up an EQM-35 and a heavy battery pack as well. The lightweight HEM/AM5 mounts had not yet been released, and all the lightweight star trackers wouldn't take thebweight of my rig. I ended up buying a 2nd battery and a CEM26 while I was over there. But with a Redcat/camera lens, I'd be able to use it with a star tracker, like a sky guider pro with a lighter tripod. The battery pack would be easier to accommodate then. Failing that, I'll be trading the CEM 26 in for a lovely HEM mount instead 😄

Hi! I'm looking for advice with my Canon 700D. It's H-alpha astro modded. I was specifically told by the last owner that it is not fill spectrum modded, and he showed me daytime photos with a custom white balance. I've only ever used it with a telescope, but now I'm looking to photograph landscapes during the day, as well the milky way at night etc with a regular lens. I've set my custom white balance to one the previous owner already made for daytime photography. I've also brought a 2nd hand Tokina 11-16mm lens. Its the 2nd version with autofocus. Now, I prefer manual focus for astro. But for quick shots while travelling on holiday, I love autofocus. But the autofocus on this lens is not working. I brought it from a reputable 2nd hand dealer, in "like new" condition. Manually, the lens seems to focus well. But auto? It's just constantly adjusting, never settles at all, and I have to switch to viewfinder before I can actually get the camera to take a photo because in love view the camera won't focus enough for an image to be captured. Manual focusing seems to work fine, although I haven't tried focusing to infinity yet. It's just too wide a lens for me to be constantly faffing around with focus for daytime photography Before I return the lens and look for something else, does anyone know if it's the H-alpha mod or something that's stopping the autofocus from working? I feel really silly for not knowing this Thanks!

Hey! Logically, I know that. I was half-joking, half sleep deprived when I originally posted. It's just stuck, but ita well stuck. I've tried everything I know to try and undo it without damaging it, and nothing has worked. Camera wrenches, a variety of different textures to help grip, WD40, heating it up slightly etc. It's stuck fast. Ah well.

So, I went away travelling for a year and left my Altair 102ED-R refractor in its case with a 2" dessicant cap replacing the 2" focuser end cap on the advice of several people on FB. I've just gone to use it for the first time since I returned home, and neither the original end cap or my star diagonal fit anymore. In fact, the original end cap has actually gotten stuck when I tried to test it and I can't get the darned thing out again. Does anyone know how to fix it? Really frustrating, since I can't get the clamping mechanism to undo at all, there is just no way of unscrewing it that I can see. Tried everything I know.

Solid idea, definitely will do! Thanks again!

Hi! Thanks so much for the advice! I have heard horror stories about shipping from friends, even non-delicate items that were well packed have arrived heavily damaged - so I was worried about shipping tbh. But I'm also moving around a great deal once I get there, so something easy to cart around is really ideal. I wound up buying a solid little camera backpack that fits the airline's baggage restrictions for an "additional camera/laptop/ladies' handbag" that I checked with the airline, and this second bag isn't weighed or counted as part of the 7kg limit. It's perfect. Fits a ridiculous amount of things in it and is still easily wearable - my OTA, flattener, main DSLR, zoom eyepiece, star diagonal, guidescope and guide cam, filters and more. It's well padded so I'm feeling good! It's all insured regardless as part of my travel insurance, I've specifically taken out "gadget" insurance on it and confirmed its covered in the policy. And a massive thank you for the tip about the receipts! I definitely have them in the original case for the scope, I'll be sure to pack them all before I go 😃

Hi! Sorry for the late reply, I'm working a streth of 13h nights (blech). Thank you so much for the advice! I wound up buying a lovely small padded camera backpack, which fits an astonishing amount of gear for its small size. It fits the dimensions of my "additional carry on camera bag" that the airline let's me carry as well as my 7kg bag, and I have managed to safely cram my OTA, flattener, star diagonal, zoom eyepiece, guidescope, guide cam, and my dedicated DSLR into it along with a couple of filters. It's perfect! The padding seems to work well, it's small enough to safely ride on the seat next to me (flight will have plenty of extra seats available) so I can grab it and hold it safely if we meet turbulence. I'm over the moon with it! Thrilled with all of you guys on here, I'd never have thought of a camera backpack myself 😁 thanks so much!

Thanks for the link! I'll have to have a solid think now about what I take. The backpack certainly would be lighter than my hard shell suitcase, so it's definitely an option! I never even thought about it.

Awesome! How much did your backpack weigh in the end, and did you ever feel like it wasn't sturdy enough to protect the OTA? Also, you wouldn't happen to know which backpack you use? Thanks!

Hi all! I'm moving to Australia for a year in 10 days and I'm panicking a bit about what to do with my setup! Anyone here got any advice/words of wisdom/general experiences of their own to share? I'm really struggling with what to take/what to leave and how to to pack, especially as I obviously have non-astro items in the equation as well. I have 7kgs hand luggage, which I can juuuust about squeeze my WO Zenithstar 73 into, with its padded foam case, deidcated flattener, my Canon 600d and my guide cam/guide scope combo. I'm torn on how to pack extras, as I am not just imaging based but observing too - I have two eyepieces I desperately want to take, a nice diagonal, and an Asiair Pro. I also have a Nikon d3400 with two lenses. Do you think they'll be safe if padded out with foam/bubble wrap and stored in a hard case suitcase surrounded by clothes? My Skywatcher EQM-35 pro is being split between two suitcases - the mount in one, the tripod in another. My power pack is staying home and I'll buy another out there. I don't really want to leave my existing setup behind to buy a new one out there, not with price differences, stock issues and besides the second hand mount, all my equipment is less than a year old. I was fine when I had a flight with 12kgs hand luggage! But 7kg is just mean, and I'm worried about my glass items 😅

Thanks! I went ahead and brought one already, and I'm chuffed with it so far! I have polar aligned better than ever so far, plate solved for the first time ever, and I'm just trying to figure out guiding now, at least as much as the weather will allow. I've got everything working otherwise and I've managed to take my first (tentative) image of M31, which is rubbish compared to everyone else's but it'll do me. Best decision I made entering AP I think!

I'm a bit late to the topic too, and I'm a pretty dang new person to all this anyways so not sure if my two cents' count much. But I started out strictly visual because, despite wanting to foray into imaging, I know ew how difficult it could be to get everything right and how time consuming editing etc would be (for someone pretty technology illiterate). Not to mention, I brought my first scope and mount (Altair 102ED-r new, and AZ4 second hand) at a time when virtually everything was sold out in general, yet alone AP wise. Being able to see things like Saturn's rings and Jupiter and the Galilean moons for the first time from my back garden was incredible. My eyes get sore after a while, and I'm sure its because of the single vision so a binoviewer is on my lost of planned future purchases, but that's by the by. I'll never forget the feeling there first time I clapped eyes on Albireo through my own scope, or the time I managed to find M31 for the first time by hand, or seeing things like the Pleiades, Beehive, M42 etc. Mind = blown. Of course, for me the contentment with visual didn't last and I have now fallen down the rabbit hold and begun to dabble in AP. But I'll always continue observing, I think (I hope). There's nothing quite like admiring the night sky, whether through a telescope, binoculars or simply staring up.

Hi all! So, in exactly 2 months' time I am moving to Australia for at least a year, hopefully longer. I really want to take my astro equipment with me, but I'm terrified of screwing something up. Has anyone else travelled on long haul flights with their set up before? Its an essay, but if anyone is kind enough to run through my currently plan for packing below and offer advice/well wishes/prophecies of impending doom, I'd sure appreciate it! I have a WO ZS73ii + dedicated flattener which, along with my Canon EOS 700D, laptop, WO 32mm uniguide and ASI120mm guide cam, fits inside my hand luggage and is within the weight/size limit. It will be packed within the original case that the scope came in. I also have an EQM-35 mount. I'll be taking two large checked in suitcases, and I was thinking of dumping the mount in one and the tripod in the other, then packing around them and making sure they (especially the mount) are heavily padded. Finally, I have other accessories. I haven't yet tried to get my Asiair Pro in the carry on bag, but it will be a very tight squeeze if it does fit and it might not be padded. I also have a cracking Altair zoom eyepiece which I want to bring, and a diagonal if I can manage it. I don't mind buying a new diagonal there, but the eyepiece has got to come, I love it. Seriously considering slipping the eyepiece and the AAP inside my coat pocket and carrying them onto the plane that way 🤣

Hi Dave, great to see it's working well for you! Not gonna lie, the ability to just coordinate everything from one platform is incredibly appealing. I'll be doing something similar, running the mount separately from a jump starter which has never failed me in the past. I am pretty much ready to make the purchase I think, between this post and the advice of others on Facebook. Hopefully it works out for me too!

Thanks! I honestly considered a mini pc, and I've heard of plenty of people using a raspberry pi, but the general consensus from non techy people is that it is a bit of a faff at the best of times. I'm not techy in the slightest. When it comes to technology, the easier the better for me. As always there will be a learning curve no matter what I choose to do - but I've had a fair few people now tell me that the ASIair is easier to use/set up than a mini PC, which gives me hope I might be OK with it. The limited tech options are something I'm currently willing to take. I don't have anything incompatible with the ASIair currently (besides the D3400 which will be replaced with a compatible Canon in a day or two). If I go for a focuser the ZWO EAF works for both my scopes (have the ZS73ii and an Altair 102ED-R which I don't travel with/use for AP yet), and I'm a long cry from a dedicated astro cam right now. If my need for non ZWO equipment changes in the future, I'm planning on being laptop literate as well and I can always try and figure out a mini PC then. I can totally see why the equipment compatibility might be a deal breaker for someone who has various different equipment from a multitude of brands. If I had more products unsupported by the ASIair, I wouldn't be so keen to get one.

I'm very glad to hear it's working well for you! I use a 4 in 1 jump starter from Halfords to power my mount. It lasts forever. I can easy do a few observing sessions in a row with my mount and multiple dew heaters plugged in as well as my phone charger sometimes plugged in as well, or my electric hand warmer in winter, etc...and I can get a good few hours out of it for multiple nights on the bounce. If needed I'll purchase another power supply - I'll be working on an upgrade any as and when money becomes available, because my current one, although great, is very heavy for flying. Oh, the WiFi thing I've been well informed of! Planning to use a WiFi extender at home initially, then I'll see what else is needed if I travel 😁

Haha yeah, I've read some people use it to power their EQ6 mounts and that just makes me ???. I use a Halfords 4 in 1 jump starter to power mine currently with absolutely no issues so I have no plans on trying to use the ASIair to power the mount 😄

Thanks! I know other people use it with my mount, so hopefully that won't ever be an issue. I already power my mount and dew heaters with a car jump starter, and I've never had any issues even while travelling, it's always held charge very well and my mount works fine.

Sorry, forgot to say it's the 120mm mini. And it definitely does support it. FLO, Rotherham Valley et al sell this camera as a bundle with the ASIair and a mini guidescope 🙂 totally my bad!

Hi all! So, I'm making my first forages into AP using my laptop and playing around with various platforms. I've got a lot to try and figure out, and I'm hesitant to add to the load. But its occurred to me that my laptop is going to end up being a real pain in the neck to lug around with me whenever I travel - and I travel a lot! its not a dedicated astro laptop, but my regular home laptop, with a relatively short battery life and not the fastest machine in the world. I'm worried about powering it when I travel, about Internet access, how slow it island, and basically just all kinds of different things. I've had the ASIair pro recommended especially from a travelling POV, as well as for sheer ease of use for a newbie. Being limited to ZWO products and compatible DSLRs doesn't bother me too much - I have neither the money or the incentive at the moment to invest in a huge amount of expensive equipment from other brands. And with a WiFi booster, I've heard many great things about the ASIair. But what are your opinions, guys? Is it worth it? Or should I type to stick with the laptop? By travelling, I mean by land and by air. I have a WO ZS73ii with a DSLR of choice at the back, 32mm WO uniguide scope, ASI 120MM mini guide cam, and an EQM-35 mount. I can back everything bar mount/tripod into hand luggage, and the mount/tripod goes in the hold heavily padded.

Thanks! I've just gone and purchased the Pro version

Hey! Those measurements actually really helped, thank you! I had the setup on my az4 briefly tonight for a teeny bit of observing before bed (I have work in the morning), but I had a play with the camera again and managed to get it focused on first the moon, then arcturus, and I've left it in place for the next time I get a chance to stick it on my goto mount. Hopefully it'll help somewhat, especially if I can learn how to use the guiding to align - I can't see polaris from my house, so my currently polar alignment is a matter of educated guessing with a questionably accurate compass.