convince me not to get a astrotrac :P

[MjrTom]

The way you want to set it up is as follows

Tripod > Geared head > Astrotrac > Ballhead

or Ideally

Tripod > Astrotrac wedge > Astrotrac > Ballhead

Maybe a photo when you get back from work might help us understand how you wish to configure it.

Polar aligning the Astrotrac is quite simple IF there is no flex or slippage in the system. If there is its a nightmare.

I tried using a pan & tilt head and also a ball head instead of the wedge and lost many hours of effort due to slippages and flexure.

Remember especially if you are adding a Megrez 72 to the unit the weight of the megrez, camera, field flattener, astrotrac and ballhead are gong to weigh 2.2kg, 0.7kg, 0.1kg, 1.0kg, and 0.3kg totalling ~4kg

This is going to add a severe amount of leverage hence my suggestion of the geared head as a minimum, with preferably a wedge.

[studdedsole]

Something to consider is two geared heads, I found it a pain in the butt to centre my target with a ball head and red dot in the camera hotshoe with a target at high altitude, and an even bigger pain to frame the shot without the 3 axes the geared head allows you move in.

[MjrTom]

Something to consider is two geared heads, I found it a pain in the butt to centre my target with a ball head and red dot in the camera hotshoe with a target at high altitude, and an even bigger pain to frame the shot without the 3 axes the geared head allows you move in.

I agree this would be easier still but more costly.

[studdedsole]

I agree this would be easier still but more costly.

Yeh, the AT isn't a cheap method of astroimaging, but it seems like anything connected with imaging, we are never satisfied and just keep digging deeper into our pockets.

[MartinB]

The astrotrak isn't really a low cost solution, it is a widefield and portable one. If you are going to be doing your imaging from your back garden and don't need portable then a reasonable gem is going to offer greater flexibility regarding focal lengths.

I have been regularly taking my Astrotrak on holiday to Greece along with a photo tripod and the rest of the kit. It is great to have quality tracking kit you can pack into your bag. Haven't done it yet but I'm determined to start getting out into the peak district for some more widefield work. In the garden I'd be just has happy using my 2nd hand £150 Super Polaris.

[garethmob]

here you go guys

3 pics

the drawing is a rough pic of the adapter plate holes corrispond with the 3 on the wedge which it will screw onto

then its a pic of the wedge (the kson)

and a pic of the wedge and the 1.75 tube legs