Skywatcher AZ GTI mount owners thread

[powerlord]

1 hour ago, Elp said:

I know, it's overprocessed. It's red because the green and blue didn't contain much data hence red swamps the image and without its brightness the details were dim. Need more data but I have another issue where the target disappears behind a roof after around 11 so I'm limited in what I can get. Might try my dslr for comparison as always interested in swapping things over.

however rubbish the data is, always best to balance the mono channels first, then merge. most software will do this for you, but otherwise, a visual look of the histograms - and adjust till the 'humps' are around the same point.

If your green or blue (blue often rubbish I find) is terrrible, you can apply some extra denoising and stetching to the blue. and consider using the R for L if you didn't take L.

Have a look at my xmas tree I posted today - that was NB I grant you, but the H (green) was good, the S (red) was rubbish, and the O (blue) was so bad I stetched, and guassian blurred. but result still went ok.

here's a pic of the 3 channels so you can see what I did. always use the cleanest channel as L if you don't have any L.

 

[NovaHunter]

Hi to all on the forum. New here, and new to the AZ GTi mount. Arrived today and loving the size and weight of this thing (coming from an EQ5 mount). It's on ALT/AZ but just updated the FW to EQ mode. Im impressed with some images taken on ALT/Az mode by some forum members here. What are your thoughts on mounting a polar scope to the mount, and where would you put it? What if any thoughts on 3D printed mounting plates, and finaly a decent EQ wedge that won't cancel Valentines with the Mrs? And finaly what wort of accuracy are you getting with EQ on latest FW? Thanks clear skies

[Stu1smartcookie]

I can only speak about the Wedge ... the skywatcher wedge is acceptable and does the job , more so than the rather squat ioptron ... but if you are feeling suicidal and really dont want to take the mrs out then the best one to go for is the Williams optics one ... you will need a short dovetail to fix to the bottom of the mount so it slots into the wedge . 

 

[GoldTop57]

44 minutes ago, NovaHunter said:

Hi to all on the forum. New here, and new to the AZ GTi mount. Arrived today and loving the size and weight of this thing (coming from an EQ5 mount). It's on ALT/AZ but just updated the FW to EQ mode. Im impressed with some images taken on ALT/Az mode by some forum members here. What are your thoughts on mounting a polar scope to the mount, and where would you put it? What if any thoughts on 3D printed mounting plates, and finaly a decent EQ wedge that won't cancel Valentines with the Mrs? And finaly what wort of accuracy are you getting with EQ on latest FW? Thanks clear skies

Didn't want to get you in to trouble with the missus but 👍 for the WO wedge on the GTi. Haven't been using the mount for some time but I think I was getting guiding error anywhere between 1"-2" RMS in EQ mode with FW version 3.36 - was getting DEC runaway with earlier versions of FW. I thought this was pretty good given a load of over 5kg, I had a counterweight bar and 1.27 kg counterweight too.

[AstroNebulee]

1 hour ago, NovaHunter said:

Hi to all on the forum. New here, and new to the AZ GTi mount. Arrived today and loving the size and weight of this thing (coming from an EQ5 mount). It's on ALT/AZ but just updated the FW to EQ mode. Im impressed with some images taken on ALT/Az mode by some forum members here. What are your thoughts on mounting a polar scope to the mount, and where would you put it? What if any thoughts on 3D printed mounting plates, and finaly a decent EQ wedge that won't cancel Valentines with the Mrs? And finaly what wort of accuracy are you getting with EQ on latest FW? Thanks clear skies

Hi and welcome to the az gti owners thread. It's a stunning little mount. What scope are you going to be putting on it?

I use a regular star adventurer wedge for my eq setup and is suffcient enough for me atm and whilst the WO wedge is the mutts nutts is more expensive (but on my wishlist 😉) 

If you want to run in EQ mode you can mount a polar scope on it via an adapter you can get from Ali express where I got one from (see attached picture, yes the az gti is mounted wrong for eq in the picture) but I never used it as I thought it wouldn't be accurate enough and went to using sharpcap for PA then to an asiair pro that does my PA now so much easier and uses your main imaging camera for PA. 

Edited January 17, 2022 by AstroNebulee

[adyj1]

54 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

I can only speak about the Wedge ... the skywatcher wedge is acceptable and does the job , more so than the rather squat ioptron ... but if you are feeling suicidal and really dont want to take the mrs out then the best one to go for is the Williams optics one ... you will need a short dovetail to fix to the bottom of the mount so it slots into the wedge . 

 

I would echo what Stu says - I have the SW wedge on my GTi, and am happy with it - and comes with a short dovetail, so is good to go. 

I looked into a 3d-printed polar scope mount, but realised that with the advances in computer-controlled 3-point polar alignment (in my case with NINA - but others have it), it became redundant - much easier with the laptop telling me to move up-down-left-right (Bernie, the bolt!), than me crouching and squinting

The WO definitely looks better engineered, and is always held in high regard - but then again it should do for more than three times the price 😮

[NovaHunter]

7 minutes ago, AstroNebulee said:

Hi and welcome to the az gti owners thread. It's a stunning little mount. What scope are you going to be putting on it?

I use a regular star adventurer wedge for my eq setup and whilst the WO wedge is the mutts nutts is more expensive (but on my wishlist 😉) 

If you want to run in EQ mode you can mount a polar scope on it via an adapter you can get from Ali express where I got one from (see attached picture, yes the az gti is mounted wrong for eq in the picture) but I never used it as I thought it wouldn't be accurate enough and went to using sharpcap for PA then to an asiair pro that does my PA now so much easier and uses your main imaging camera for PA. 

Nice setup :). I have a couple of scopes that I woupd like to use with this mount, namely a 127 SW Mak that comes standard, and a Takahashi 102 that will be on the wright limits for this mount from what I understand. Has anyone got any experience with over 5kg or 11 pounds and how does it track?) Going to place the order for the SW wedge then, as most say is decent enough. Hadn't given much thought as to plate solving, but will be looking at sharpcap for sure, thanks.

[happy-kat]

Is that using the tak and assuming you want to image as you mention the eq wedge how heavy are all the other items you might add like camera and possibly guide scope? How long is your tak 102?

Edited January 17, 2022 by happy-kat
Spelling

[NovaHunter]

39 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

Is that using the tak and assuming you want to image as you mention the eq wedge how heavy are all the other items you might add like camera and possibly guide scope? How long is your tak 102?

Not sure off hand but just over 20 inches in length, will measure when I get home. Do you think that + the weight might be too much? Ill be using a small SVbony autoguide camera and scope, that weighs very little, and A ZWO ASI 224.  

[Stu1smartcookie]

Just a quick update ,people ... I have managed to get the synscan app to work!!!!!! I once again added my coordinates and everything seems to be fine ... the northern hemisphere targets are now listed .. I downloaded the app direct from skywatcher the  stable  Pro version .. the original app from the site did not work . But tonight I will try out the scope for the first time . 

Thanks for all the contributions to my trials and tribulations .. now let's get out under those clear skies 

Stu 

[Elp]

2 hours ago, NovaHunter said:

Going to place the order for the SW wedge then, as most say is decent enough. 

I was in the same boat. Trust me, just get the WO wedge.

[AstroNebulee]

2 hours ago, NovaHunter said:

Nice setup :). I have a couple of scopes that I woupd like to use with this mount, namely a 127 SW Mak that comes standard, and a Takahashi 102 that will be on the wright limits for this mount from what I understand. Has anyone got any experience with over 5kg or 11 pounds and how does it track?) Going to place the order for the SW wedge then, as most say is decent enough. Hadn't given much thought as to plate solving, but will be looking at sharpcap for sure, thanks.

Thank you. If you are in alt az mode the 127 mak will be fine as they are sold together in a package. I used to have a 127 mak on my az gti mount in at az and was lovely. I'd be a bit dubious of it in EQ mode though, it's a heavy beast on a star adventurer wedge and when you add a camera on the back will add more weight along with the cw and bar. The long focal length of the Mak needs some stability, not sure its ok for eq mode, a 102 mak msy suffice. 

I know nothing of taks (my pockets are already bare as it is haha) 

Edited January 17, 2022 by AstroNebulee

[Stu1smartcookie]

I think we have to weigh up value when we recommend gear,  I agree we recommend gear because it's the best but thise sw wedges do work . And they are a 3rd of the price . Even now I am hovering over the buy button , lol 

[AstroNebulee]

2 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Just a quick update ,people ... I have managed to get the synscan app to work!!!!!! I once again added my coordinates and everything seems to be fine ... the northern hemisphere targets are now listed .. I downloaded the app direct from skywatcher the  stable  Pro version .. the original app from the site did not work . But tonight I will try out the scope for the first time . 

Thanks for all the contributions to my trials and tribulations .. now let's get out under those clear skies 

Stu 

Brilliant Stu, pleased you got it sorted. Enjoy those clear skies tonight your mak is going to give you some cracking views of moony tonight. 🌕

[Elp]

10 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

I think we have to weigh up value when we recommend gear,  I agree we recommend gear because it's the best but thise sw wedges do work . And they are a 3rd of the price . Even now I am hovering over the buy button , lol 

Totally understand, as mentioned I am speaking from experience and did exactly the same process, why should I spend more for the WO one I thought? So I bought a SW one first. I'm not doubting the SW wedge can do the job, it's whether the individual is willing to put up with the exercise in frustration in trying to nail the polar alignment, the WO makes is so much easier, quicker and hassle free. It's not perfect as clamping up the altitude and azimuth exhibits similar problems but to a much lesser degree to the one you get with the SW one, the benefit in the WO one is the fine micro adjustments you can make as most people who have used them attest to. You can also find them cheaper used like I did if they do pop up for sale.

[Stu1smartcookie]

So , my first night out with the az-GTI and the 127 mak .. bit of a frustrating first hour as the app continued to make life difficult but after the app and I had a little chat we agreed that i am right and it started to play ball . A 3 star alignment was followed by a quick tour of tonight's best and a few favourites . I only used one EP  , a 26 mm so there was no high magnification but every target was in the EP . So , tomorrow the android app gets the bullet and ios kicks in and that can only be a good thing for my blood pressure and sanity . Tonight was a challenge that ultimately turned out to be a success . I will upgrade the tripod to a 3/8 " steel one to give the mount extra stability but that's just a personal thing , the skywatcher ally tripod is very usable . 

Hope you all had a great evening .

Stu 

[Adam J]

15 hours ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

I think we have to weigh up value when we recommend gear,  I agree we recommend gear because it's the best but thise sw wedges do work . And they are a 3rd of the price . Even now I am hovering over the buy button , lol 

I have had no issues getting a near perfect polar alignment with the SW wedge. Better astro gear to spend that money you will save on that will do more for your imaging. 

Edited January 18, 2022 by Adam J

[adyj1]

32 minutes ago, Adam J said:

I have had no issues getting a near perfect polar alignment with the SW wedge. Better astro gear to depend that money you will save on that will do more for your imaging. 

For me, the money saved went on the excellent ADM dual saddle, and also an adapter to allow the Az-gti to go on my Eq6 tripod 👍 

[PadrePeace]

46 minutes ago, Adam J said:

I have had no issues getting a near perfect polar alignment with the SW wedge. Better astro gear to depend that money you will save on that will do more for your imaging. 

I agree with AdamJ, although I could not work out what his point was in that last sentence. Maybe an edit required. 🤷
My extensive experience with the SW wedge is that if I set the baseline RA and Dec wedge adjustment tensions correctly, for that read firm! then I can nail < 0.20a/s PA in both axis every time using Sharpcap PA. Given the focal lengths this mount can reasonably handle that is way better than you need to guide within pixel scale limits. The SW wedge is more than up for the job if you treat it right. 

Edited January 18, 2022 by PadrePeace

[AstroNebulee]

7 hours ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

So , my first night out with the az-GTI and the 127 mak .. bit of a frustrating first hour as the app continued to make life difficult but after the app and I had a little chat we agreed that i am right and it started to play ball . A 3 star alignment was followed by a quick tour of tonight's best and a few favourites . I only used one EP  , a 26 mm so there was no high magnification but every target was in the EP . So , tomorrow the android app gets the bullet and ios kicks in and that can only be a good thing for my blood pressure and sanity . Tonight was a challenge that ultimately turned out to be a success . I will upgrade the tripod to a 3/8 " steel one to give the mount extra stability but that's just a personal thing , the skywatcher ally tripod is very usable . 

Hope you all had a great evening .

Stu 

Good to hear you eventually had a good time with your new set up Stu. I havd thought about the 3/8 "steel one to but as ii don't extend the legs on my Skywatcher one and only image it meets my needs as quite stable. The legs filly extended do add a tad wobble especially with a 127mak as I found when I had one on it but settles very quickly. Good luck with the ios app on your next outing. 

[powerlord]

just a note to say, wedges are not the only option. I have 2 azgtis. I use one with an old SW AZ mount (the very lightweight one that is about 130 quid inc tripod), and the other with an old geared manfrotto tripod head. both work extremely well, and were each purchased 2nd hand for a fraction of the price of a wedge and are far easier to adjust precisely imho.

[badhex]

Great to see how this thread has really taken off @AstroNebulee! Some great discussions and advice from owners old and new 🙂

[LaurenceT]

I'm on the  verge of converting my AZ GTI to EQ mode but I want to know if it is still possible to use the mount in it's AZ alignment options such as Point and Track for quick observation and lunar and planetary imaging without having to go through the process of plate solving etc.

I've just released some funds and was considering buying a second AzGti purely in it's original AZ form with my 127 Maksutov and 130pds and use the EQ modded one for imaging. If I don't need to do this then I can use the money to upgrade my basic imaging gear.

[TerraC]

9 minutes ago, LaurenceT said:

I'm on the  verge of converting my AZ GTI to EQ mode but I want to know if it is still possible to use the mount in it's AZ alignment options such as Point and Track for quick observation and lunar and planetary imaging without having to go through the process of plate solving etc.

I've just released some funds and was considering buying a second AzGti purely in it's original AZ form with my 127 Maksutov and 130pds and use the EQ modded one for imaging. If I don't need to do this then I can use the money to upgrade my basic imaging gear.

Yes when you connect it asks if you want ALT-AZ or EQ mode.  On a few occasions i've just gone straight with AZ and a north level alignment to view things.  I've not even bothered removing the Wedge, just adjust to flat level with the bubble on top of the GTI and away you go

 

 

[starhov]

Hi All,

Another amateur question from me!

Is there a preferred angle to store the scope at when not in use?

I.E. is it best to let the scope face downwards, as I have seen for example the Celstrons do? Assume it might put less stress on the mount clutch and motor?

I read a good tip of when allowing it to cool outdoors the best to point a mac down, so that dew drips off (assume best to cover the top/back too to stop dew running into the screw holes and diagonal mounting).

Thanks!

Edited January 18, 2022 by starhov
typos corrected