Skywatcher Star Adventurer for Long Exposure - feedback

[carastro]

I would be interested to know how good the above can be for long exposure as I see it only guides in RA (Is that right?).

I currently have an Ioptron Skytracker which I bought for holidays (by plane) and managed to get up to 4mins exposure (on a good night) with it last June with a DSLR, but would really like to be able to take a small telescope and CCD camera with me next time.  

a) Would the weight of a WOZS71 plus Atik460 and EFW and finderguider be OK on a SW staradventurer?  (I might be able to borrow a WO60 if the above is too much). 

b ) Has any-one experience of long exposure guiding with a similar set up and if so, how long is possible?

c) I would plan to use the Manfrotto tripod that I use with the Skytracker. 

d) Also cannot see how you can get the scope looking in the right direction with any of the accessories supplied.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Carole 

[happy-kat]

Have you a total weight for a) ?

[carastro]

Atik460 and EFW are 1Kg, scope is 2.25 Kg = total weight 3.25Kg

Carole 

[Guest]

I have the STAR ADVENTURER, and I Mainly use it with EOS600D-a + any CANON LENS.. but according to the manufactorer a maximum of 5KG payload incl. the optional counetrweight is possible to handle.. 

I mainly use the pre-programmed speeds ( sideral ) and I am very happy with the results, soon I will try to setup my TS-Optics Imaging Star71 - 71mm f/4.9 Imaging APO + CANON 600D-a + MGEN + Finder scope..

 

Regards

Martin

 

 

 

[carastro]

Quote

I mainly use the pre-programmed speeds ( sideral ) and I am very happy with the results, soon I will try to setup my TS-Optics Imaging Star71 - 71mm f/4.9 Imaging APO + CANON 600D-a + MGEN + Finder scope..

Would be interested to hear how you get on.  I used the DSLR and camera lens with the Ioptron Skytracker this summer, but really want to get data with mono camera and small telescope now. 

[Davey-T]

Hi Carole as  you may recall the only problem I had was balancing mine hence the tin of beans this was mainly because the WO Megrez 71 only had the foot rather than a proper dovetail.

The weight shouldn't be a problem and I've never found the need to guide it.

Dave

[Davey-T]

Single 90 sec exposure WO Star71 and Canon 60Da on Star Adventurer unguided.

Stars a bit eggy but should be able to do better.

Dave

 

[carastro]

I should have looked more closely when you used it at Astro camp, but wasn't thinking about getting one then.  As stated in E Mail, would you mind bringing it again with scope so i can see how scope is mounted.

Thanks

Carole 

[Davey-T]

Pic showing the rough polar aligning hole.

Dave

[carastro]

Thanks Dave,

 

[Ryan_86]

Hi guys, I'm looking into the Zenithstar 61 and am wondering how I am going to manouvere the scope when  it's mounted to the L with the supplied foot?

Thanks

Ryan

[Davey-T]

22 minutes ago, Ryan_86 said:

Hi guys, I'm looking into the Zenithstar 61 and am wondering how I am going to manouvere the scope when  it's mounted to the L with the supplied foot?

Thanks

Ryan

I think that the foot can be reversed on this scope to aid balance.

Have a look at the WO 61 thread.

Dave

[Ryan_86]

Ok thanks again Dave, helping me out tonight aren't you?? Do you use a Star Adventurer?

Cheers

Ryan 

[GuLinux]

14 hours ago, Davey-T said:

Pic showing the rough polar aligning hole.

Dave

This was helpful, I was wondering just the other day what that hole was for!

[gtis]

On 10/10/2017 at 11:51, carastro said:

I would be interested to know how good the above can be for long exposure as I see it only guides in RA (Is that right?).

I currently have an Ioptron Skytracker which I bought for holidays (by plane) and managed to get up to 4mins exposure (on a good night) with it last June with a DSLR, but would really like to be able to take a small telescope and CCD camera with me next time.  

a) Would the weight of a WOZS71 plus Atik460 and EFW and finderguider be OK on a SW staradventurer?  (I might be able to borrow a WO60 if the above is too much). 

b ) Has any-one experience of long exposure guiding with a similar set up and if so, how long is possible?

c) I would plan to use the Manfrotto tripod that I use with the Skytracker. 

d) Also cannot see how you can get the scope looking in the right direction with any of the accessories supplied.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Carole 

Answer to D you need to use a ball head 

[carastro]

Quote

Answer to D you need to use a ball head 

I can see a ball head being used for a camera, but a scope?  

[Chinapig]

At the top of the dovetail L-bracket there is a 1/4" tripod thread mounting.  This can be bolted to the foot of your scope (well, it can on my WO ZS61, for example), with the clutch of this mounting point allowing rotation about the dec axis.  There's also a slo-mo adjuster, for fine tuning the position.  By freeing off the RA axis, and the dec axis, you can tweak your scope's direction, similar to any EQ mount.  Hope that helps explain it!  

[carastro]

Hmmm, I have a WOZS71, I wonder whether it would be OK for that? 

Carole 

[Jkulin]

Hi Carole,

I used my SA in Spain and France this year, using my Nikon D800 and Leica T, I didn't use any counterweights and was using it on my Carbon Manfrotto tripod, spread really low.

I was imaging for up to 7 1/2 minutes and if it hadn't been for the wind and knocking the tripod out of polar alignment then the images would have been perfect.

I use a QHY Polemaster with it for Polar Alignment and it does make it easier (Unless you knock the damn thing)

Talking to Dave Woods at Dark Frame he reckons he can get them to imaging for up to 30 minuted without guiding, for me with counterbalances and a firmer tripod I would be quite happy with upto 10 minutes unguided as long as I didn't knock the tripod again.

Hope that helps.

[carastro]

Thanks for that John, definitely good to know.  Yes I have just bought Polemaster for my HEQ5 and if I get the SA I will probably get the adapter for it.

Carole 

[Jkulin]

The polemaster is fine with the SA Carole, the hardest thing is to slacken off the clutch without knocking the tripod or head, I found the trick was to not have the clutch locked up tight until you have polar aligned, then you can loosen it easily and only once you have completed the alignment procedure, then tight it up.

I'm so impressed with the SA for travel, that I am going to send it to Dave Woods at Dark Frames for hypertuning.