Grab and Go: Goto or manual?

[Richard N]

Pondering grab and go. Does a Goto mount add just a bit of unnecessary complexity for you?

[russ]

2 hours ago, Richard N said:

Pondering grab and go. Does a Goto mount add just a bit of unnecessary complexity for you?

My grab and go does both. It's just a cheap Skywatcher Star Discovery mount with the Altair Starwave 70 apo. Star Discovery can be used manual or powered up with GOTO. To cut down clutter with the goto, it can use an app on the phone and the wifi module is built into the mount. I use an external 12v powertank but to cut clutter even more you could load up with AA batteries. But I imagine they would not last long. 

I was out most of last night with the Star Discovery and used it fully manual the whole time. But the GOTO is superb when i need it and the mount tracks beautifully. It takes a small apo with ease. I love it.

We are on hols tomorrow and the Star Discovery plus Starwave will be in the car.

[AstroNebulee]

You could get an AzGti and use in its original az mode can be go to or even loseen the clutches to move to and object then track it. They are wonderful little mounts and can be powered by a talentcell battery pack (about the size of an old cigarette packet) and got via a phone. 

 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-az-gti-wifi/sw_az_gti_wifi_mnt.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjwy9-kBhCHARIsAHpBjHjmbKegyCrfYT3nEDWaA_xCacnxoFKtZs9cSFXhkl4_YW3lsxugHjEaAkYeEALw_wcB

Lee 

[DirkSteele]

As above. Something like the Az GTi which allows both manual and GoTo might be the best of both worlds. 
 

For me, travelling to far away lands where every gram counts for baggage allowance, needing power is a luxury I often cannot afford so my Grab and Go  means manual. I am thankful that I learned the craft of star hopping before GoTo was even really a thing.

[John]

I've owned a few mounts with GOTO capability but beyond a little playing around to check that it works, I never actually use the GOTO function so now I stick with mounts that are much simpler. Manual slow motion controls are nice (though not essential for me) but I don't want to be messing around with setup routines and power supply provision, however simple they are. I stick to this approach now for all my setups from the travel one to my larger ones. 

Suits me but I appreciate that others will have their own preferences 🙂

[PEMS]

I would never consider a non-goto now.

Manual finding and tracking just is not worth the effort and mounts like the Az-Gti are so small they are very convenient. And for a G&G setup they will hold a 72mm refractor, even an 80-81mm refractor.

Almost no reason not to get a goto these days. Especially for G&G.

[Elp]

Sometimes manually sweeping across the sky and just looking at the amount of stars is fun, it's how I came to see Corona Borealis the first time (even though it was via a camera and using motor control on my azgti) and I was fascinated by it's natural horseshoe shaped form.

Looking for faint DSOs however is not so much fun, people who manage it I suspect have never tried in a high bortle zone without prior experience where they're invisible. This is where goto is invaluable in saving time. Yes there is an initial setup but it's around 10-15 minutes, you'll save more than double/triple in that over a long session with goto slewing, even faster if you're using plate solving with a camera. You'll also see more stuff in that time and use that time actually looking at targets.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Elp

[Mr Spock]

Grab and go is the reason I went for the non-goto EQ5. I need tracking, but with the EQ5, I just plonk it down, switch it on, and away we go. Assuming I remember to keep the batteries charged of course 

[Mr Spock]

I did have an EQ6 Pro. But going through all the set up and menus just to get it to track was a real pain. Simplicity has its benefits.

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

There isn't a right answer. The only solution is what suits the individual. Usually after some trial and error that can become quite expensive....🙄 

I have a Celestron AVX mount others would consider grab and go however for me the overall weight and set up time excludes that mount from the grab and go definition.

To compliment the above I own both low weight capacity manual and goto mounts. The manual mount with slomos was my first mount and how I learnt to star hop. This mount is my super quick setup solution but the powered AZGTI is also great paired with a small telescope for solar system observing.

The AZGTI Point and Track facility cuts out the need for other alignments and you can relax, sketch, read or go brew a cuppa without needing to nudge or reacquire the target. If you have a (very) small telescope,  want to do some solar observing (with suitable filters), spend an hour on the moon or check out a planet without turning knobs or pushing the scope then the AZGTI Point and Track set up time is not far behind the super quick manual mount.

Edited July 6, 2023 by ScouseSpaceCadet
Grammar

[jjohnson3803]

My G-n-G's are manual, but I did have a push-to for awhile.  I'm happy with them, but I am considering getting an AZ-GTi since I live in heavy LP and a GT could be helpful for finding (some) fainter objects.

I agree it's a personal choice - what I might find to  be a hassle (cables, power supplies, etc.) might not bother others.

 

 

[russ]

3 minutes ago, jjohnson3803 said:

My G-n-G's are manual, but I did have a push-to for awhile.  I'm happy with them, but I am considering getting an AZ-GTi since I live in heavy LP and a GT could be helpful for finding (some) fainter objects.

I agree it's a personal choice - what I might find to  be a hassle (cables, power supplies, etc.) might not bother others.

 

 

It's the heavy light polluted skies that did it for me in the end. I did without GOTO for 38 years. Always preferred the challenge of star hopping. But from my town centre skies its hopeless. You can't star hop if there are no stars. I just couldn't be bothered now without goto. Unless I can get to decent skies.

[jjohnson3803]

I'm told the AZ-GTi can be used manually without firing up the go-to, so that would be a huge plus for me.

 

 

[russ]

On 27/06/2023 at 18:44, Mr Spock said:

I did have an EQ6 Pro. But going through all the set up and menus just to get it to track was a real pain. Simplicity has its benefits.

Haha I can relate to that. I really, really need to be in the mood and know 100% it will be clear before going near the EQ6. Most of the time I prefer to throw out the little Star Discovery mount with the Starwave 70. Setup it seconds. Carry the whole thing one handed anywhere in the garden. So easy.

[Ags]

Personally I find goto intensely annoying. It usually doesn't work, and when it does it's boring!

[Franklin]

9 times out of 10 its either a manual AZ or small EQ with RA drive. Getting the big EQ mount out requires definite clear skies and a non-work night for me, but even then I rarely use the GOTO, just dual axis control. I can see the benefit of GOTO for finding faint targets but the skies being what they are around here I tend to look at the brighter stuff that's easy to find.

[mikeDnight]

On 25/06/2023 at 12:31, Richard N said:

Pondering grab and go. Does a Goto mount add just a bit of unnecessary complexity for you?

It would certainly add complexity for me. The less I'm distracted by technology the better, but I'm the kind of person who would happily go back to the 60's and be in my element. I'm also happy to patiently sweep a region of sky until what I'm looking for comes into view, or not. Either way I'll have had fun searching, seeing beautiful star fields along the way.

[Ratlet]

I don't generally get on with goto, it's a bit to hit and miss.  That being said tracking when viewing planets is really nice.  It does help that for my 130pds the azgti is much more stable than my az5.

For the dob I use setting circles and inclinometer which is basically goto but better, but alas no tracking.

[StarDuke82]

I like my Celestron Evo it’s a Go-to when I want it to be and I can unlock the it and turn it into a Manual Scope if something happens like the battery runs out of power or the mount acts up which can happen with go-to’s occasionally. 

[VNA]

Hello, you can use an iOpton cube go-to, it makes things so much easier!

 

https://www.ioptron.com/product-p/8200.htm

[Ags]

I feel more connected to the sky and involved in the experience if I am star hopping. Also, I tend to spend little time looking at an object before moving on to the next, so I might as well make the object location part a bit more interesting. And I found the sound of motors whirring as the scope slews to a goto target very stressful, I have visions of neighbours in their pyjamas shouting from windows!

[Franklin]

1 hour ago, Ags said:

I have visions of neighbours in their pyjamas shouting from windows!

Exactly!

[bosun21]

16 hours ago, Ratlet said:

I don't generally get on with goto, it's a bit to hit and miss. 

Personally I love both EQ go to as well as Alt/Az manual. I have found that if I accurately polar align then the go to works fantastic with the targets being just off centre in my 17.5mm Morpheus every time. Saves a lot of observing time.

[Elp]

2 hours ago, Ags said:

sound of motors whirring

An azgti, yes. An ioptron, your footsteps shuffling about make more noise.

[DirkSteele]

6 hours ago, Ags said:

 And I found the sound of motors whirring as the scope slews to a goto target very stressful, I have visions of neighbours in their pyjamas shouting from windows!

I have always selected mounts with on eye (should that be ear?) on the noise of the motors. It’s the reason I picked the Celestron Nexstar C11 back in 2002 over the competing Meade LX200 SCT as I had used the latter during my astrophysics masters and they were loud! The celestron was known to be rather quiet. However, I rarely use my GoTo mounts, sticking to star hopping on manual. Then the o my noise to worry about is the muttering of colourful language under my breath when I mess up a star hop! Hopefully the neighbours don’t hear that either! 😉

Edited July 2, 2023 by DirkSteele
Shorten the quote to relevant bit