Skywatcher Star Adventurer

[8472]

A first go at imaging M13, with my 600mm Sigma mirror lens.

I've managed to double my sub length by making some fairly substantial modifications to my Horizon 8115 tripod. (It's more like a EQ mount tripod now).

[Davey-T]

8 minutes ago, 8472 said:

A first go at imaging M13, with my 600mm Sigma mirror lens.

Nice image.

I've got a 600mm Sigma mirror lens somewhere, haven't used it for years.

Dave

[Thalestris24]

I have a Samyang 500mm (cheap!) in a box... There's nothing wrong with it as such but I found it really difficult to focus. Any tips??  

Louise

[8472]

I'll be brutally honest and say the star shapes aren't great out of the box. Luckily, Startools does a great job of processing abberations out. They are relatively light and inexpensive, though, so that counts for them.

@Thalestris24 - Yes mine is a pig to focus (and keep focused) too. Best advice from me is to let them sit outside and acclimatize for a good while before you start imaging, that way focus creep seems to be a little less apparent during your imaging session. YMMV.

[alcol620]

11 hours ago, Thalestris24 said:

Thanks for the mention! Further down in the above thread I posted images of how to disassemble the SA in order to get at the motor gears in order to adjust the backlash . It would have been a great help if SW had included a 'porthole' that would have allowed access to the second motor screw thus facilitating motor adjustment without having to undo everything. I'm tempted to drill a hole in the body that would do the job! My SA is out of warranty so no worries on that score  Oh, worm drive adjustment is 'easy' since it's just the silver hex bolt visible on the time lapse switch side after removing the bottom cover. 

Louise

More fiddling re balancing etc, same problems with odd star shapes and trails as before. Next step, unless someone has the answer, is to take the covers off and see if adjustments are required.

[Thalestris24]

12 hours ago, alcol620 said:

More fiddling re balancing etc, same problems with odd star shapes and trails as before. Next step, unless someone has the answer, is to take the covers off and see if adjustments are required.

Hi

If you don't seem to be getting anywhere then maybe try doing what I did i.e. take the bottom cover off and look at the motor gears to see how much backlash there might be. The gears drive the worm which drives the main RA gear. So you can't easily tell whether you have motor drive backlash except by looking. I was thinking that motor gear backlash may not be too obvious except in the first sub of a run since any slack will be taken up thereafter as the RA only goes in one direction - unless you are stop starting a lot and/or guiding. Any apparent mechanical play you can feel in RA is going to be linked to the worm gear rather than the motor gear. However, I'd advise against adjusting the worm drive unless you feel you absolutely have to. That's because you can't really judge whether it's right or not so once you change it you could be into a lot of trial and error!
Good luck!

Louise

[Thalestris24]

Um, does anyone know if it's possible to drift align/darv the SA with just a dslr+lens? Obv can't slew the SA as you normally would to drift align.

Polarscope is not an option. No guidescope currently attached.

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Cheers

Louise

[JamesF]

I think it possibly can be done, but it may be a little more tricky.

I've been thinking of adapting this method using a camera and a reticle on the camera app on the computer to replace the eyepiece.

If you have a view of Polaris then I'd guess it might also be possible to do it by plate solving.  I don't know if the plate-solving method works if you don't have a view of the pole star.  I've never  tried it myself.

James

[Icesheet]

On 27/08/2018 at 08:53, MattJenko said:

I have the old version and the x0.79 reducer as well. I screw reducer directly into the end of the focuser and certainly don't use an extension, as the focuser is racked right in on the focuser as it is! If you are struggling, you could try inserting the reducer into the focuser as opposed to screwing in the end. This is less secure I found, but it means you can push it in further if it doesn't quite reach focus.

 

Hi Matt, 

I'm looking at getting this tripod for it's portability but I've read conflicting things about the payload capacity. Some sites say 8kg and some say 15kg (including Berlebach official site). What sort of total load do you have on it and have you experienced any problems with any of your setup's on it?

 

Thanks

Chris

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

I've managed to pick up a synguider for a crazy price. About to order a 50mm guidescope too, which i believe has the normal skywatcher shoe on it. 

Anyone know how i go about attaching that to the mount? I dont use a scope, just camera and lens, and was planning on having the guider on the other end of the L-bracket, probably on another ballhead. I cant find any adapters to go from arca to finder shoe...

 

[8472]

12 hours ago, jimmyjamjoejoe said:

I've managed to pick up a synguider for a crazy price. About to order a 50mm guidescope too, which i believe has the normal skywatcher shoe on it. 

Anyone know how i go about attaching that to the mount? I dont use a scope, just camera and lens, and was planning on having the guider on the other end of the L-bracket, probably on another ballhead. I cant find any adapters to go from arca to finder shoe...

 

When you say "50mm guidescope" do you mean the standard 50mm SW finder? If so, you may struggle, if used in conjunction with a Synguider to get a guide star. Synguider is better suited to a ST80, or the like.

To answer your question, you can always make a bracket like this.

 

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

On 21/09/2018 at 06:29, 8472 said:

When you say "50mm guidescope" do you mean the standard 50mm SW finder? If so, you may struggle, if used in conjunction with a Synguider to get a guide star. Synguider is better suited to a ST80, or the like.

To answer your question, you can always make a bracket like this.

 

 

I grabbed one of these - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/263867662245

 

I couldn't find what I needed so I knocked up a model and 3D printed it, works a treat. Free for anyone who wants it - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3125622

 

 

 

 

 

[MattJenko]

On 20/09/2018 at 14:35, Icesheet said:

Hi Matt, 

I'm looking at getting this tripod for it's portability but I've read conflicting things about the payload capacity. Some sites say 8kg and some say 15kg (including Berlebach official site). What sort of total load do you have on it and have you experienced any problems with any of your setup's on it?

 

Thanks

Chris

Mine handles more than 8kg. SA, dovetail, counterbalance and the rig above is more than 8kg and it is solid in all manner of heights and configurations. Not sure about actual max though.

[GuLinux]

8 minutes ago, MattJenko said:

Mine handles more than 8kg. SA, dovetail, counterbalance and the rig above is more than 8kg and it is solid in all manner of heights and configurations. Not sure about actual max though.

Slightly off topic, I'd really like to understand how reliable is the load capacity rating on tripods.

Sometimes they just feel like they put random-ish numbers on them, sturdy tripods rated at 5/10KG, and much cheaper and lightweight tripods rated at 15.

Mine (neweer carbon fiber) is rated 15KG, and although it's quite stable, I don't think that number can be taken too seriously.

[MattJenko]

Agreed. Its also how you use it. Fully extended legs in windy places is a different proposition from low down to the floor in a sheltered spot. This particular tripod is so tiny and the way I use it means that it easily holds my payloads. As you suggest, mileage for others may vary considerably.

[Icesheet]

8 hours ago, MattJenko said:

Mine handles more than 8kg. SA, dovetail, counterbalance and the rig above is more than 8kg and it is solid in all manner of heights and configurations. Not sure about actual max though.

Thanks! Seems like a safe bet then and you cant really beat the portability. 

[Fred_76]

On 24/07/2014 at 14:17, Photosbykev said:

The one I had from FLO for review I've opened up to see what Skywatcher have done internally. The DC motor has a gearbox going into a 24T spur gear and then a 42T and 37T spur gears going into a 144 tooth worm/wheel, the rear of the DC motor has a 44 slot encoder disk. I need to get a tacho onto the encoder and 24T gear to check out the gearbox ratio.

Did someone succeeded in measuring the gearbox ratio ?