Buying a second scope / EAA / Buying a third scope!!

[bosun21]

8 minutes ago, lawsio said:

Does the GTI need a special adaptor to switch from AZ to EQ? I've read this was a firmware update but also seen pics in the owners forum of a totally different looking setup. Is the adaptor included or an extra?

It will need to be placed on a wedge which is bought separately. This will allow you to use it in EQ mode.

[lawsio]

Argh every time I come on this forum it costs me another £100 🤣

I'm now researching ZWO cameras having woken up not know what they are. 

If ever there was a hobby where there was a reason to always spend a little bit more, this is it!

[doublevodka]

30 minutes ago, lawsio said:

If ever there was a hobby where there was a reason to always spend a little bit more, this is it!

This pretty much sums up astronomy and we're all happy to help you spend your money 😂

Going back in the thread a bit, you can raise the current dob off the ground with something like this if height is an issue, if you diy it you can make it whatever height you need too https://uk.telescope.com/Dob-Pod-for-Orion-45-10-Dobsonian-Telescopes/p/109964.uts

Mounting an 8 inch newt is not easy on an eq mount, certainly possible but you will probably find an eq5 is not strong enough, plus ant breeze is going to make it move around (sadly know this from experience having previously had an 8 inch on an eq3-2, that was challenging to put it politely)

The AZ-GTi is a cracking little mount, they also come up used quite often with the 127 mak on board around the £300 mark so worth a look for a used one, if you have a few days read the owners thread below to see what people have done with them.

What I will say though, is you are going to get better resolution with your current 8 inch, so just bear that in mind, that said portability is a huge plus of the smaller setup. From deciding to go out with the scope I can be up and running in 5 minutes, the scope and mount are a one-handed carry from the shed to the garden.

Further down the line you can add different ota's, maybe a 80mm ed refractor, or small newt, I have an Orion Starblast 4.5 that I've added rings and a dovetail bar to (and recently a new focuser) that I use quite often, it was very cheap and gives a nice wide view which the 127 can't.

Some things to think about for you anyway, good luck with whatever you choose 👍

Also there is one on sale with FLO currently... - https://www.firstlightoptics.com/offers/offer_sky-watcher-skymax-127-az-gti_380061.html

To throw a complete curveball, if you are looking down the EAA rabbit hole, maybe take a look at this from ZWO https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/zwo-seestar-s50-all-in-one-smart-apo-telescope-tripod.html

Edited August 17, 2023 by doublevodka
Added more info

[lawsio]

Right I've gone down a rabbit hole here. 

I'm on FLO looking at ZWO cameras. There's a million of them and they all look the same. What am I looking at?

[lawsio]

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/zwo-cameras/zwo-asi224mc-usb-3-colour-camera.html

This badger seems like it gets good reviews everywhere and is the best sub £200 camera before a big price jump to the next bunch. If I put one of these on the StarMax am I going to have a good time or have I lost the plot at this point?!

[Jules Tohpipi]

1 hour ago, lawsio said:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/zwo-cameras/zwo-asi224mc-usb-3-colour-camera.html

This badger seems like it gets good reviews everywhere and is the best sub £200 camera before a big price jump to the next bunch. If I put one of these on the StarMax am I going to have a good time or have I lost the plot at this point?!

Lol. No you are heading exactly in the right direction - based upon your helpful insights into what you want to achieve i.e. your brief.

Remember I'm on the very bottom rung of the EAA ladder having been visual only for donkeys. And cameras are a very deep rabbit hole indeed. My bliss might be caused by ignorance.

I was researching for months before buying a camera. The personal conclusion I came to was that, for planetary imaging, the ASI224MC has long been the best game in town at a sensible beginner's pricing. But if DSOs are the priority then probably overall better to go up to the 585MC. The main relevant differences being the wider field of view and absence of amp glow on the more expensive 585. Neither of these two factors is a concern when imaging the solar system.  Generally you want higher magnification/narrower FOV for planets (which the 224 has) and the amp glow (cloudy lightening of the frame around its outer edges) is easily cropped out in any simple image editing program where the planet only is the subject. I went for the 585 because for EAA I'm only interested in DSOs. 

So, on the face of it, the camera looks an easy choice given your described intended usage and scenario. It comes supplied with a separate 1.25" nose piece that allows you to drop it in the diagonal same as an eyepiece. Which is a great way to kick things off initially without encountering potential other issues e.g. camera can't achieve focus if the diagonal is not used.

Good timing also. FLO has 10% off all the ZWO cameras at the moment. Which is a genuine reduction on the long-term normal selling price. So console yourself with the thought 'It would be a crime not to get one' 🤣

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Jules Tohpipi

[lawsio]

[Jules Tohpipi]

12 hours ago, lawsio said:

Does the GTI need a special adaptor to switch from AZ to EQ? I've read this was a firmware update but also seen pics in the owners forum of a totally different looking setup. Is the adaptor included or an extra?

 

 

There's three main parts to this.

[Bear in mind all the below is middle rung stuff. It adds complexity. You can have months or forever of joy with both visual and EAA without touching any of the below. Meaning running in alt-az mode only].

1. Updating AZ-GTi firmware

The AZ-GTi ships enabled for alt-az mode only. To run in EQ mode you need to update its firmware using a computer. This is a one-time-only action.

Firstly download the Sky-Watcher software that runs and manages the whole firmware update process on your computer. Secondly download the EQ firmware file. Both files are found at the link below. Open the first file on the computer and follow the brief on-screen instructions - then it will beam the EQ firmware file from the computer over Wi-Fi to your AZ-GTi.

Choose the correct files at the link carefully! The first file (which runs the process) is called 'Windows Program : Motor Controller Firmware Loader, Wi-Fi' and the firmware file is called 'Firmware : AZGTi Mount, Right Arm, AZ/EQ Dual Mode.'

http://skywatcher.com/download/software/motor-control-firmware/

 

2. Extra hardware required for EQ mode

General purpose here is to convert the AZ-GTi and its bundled tripod to physically behave and move like an EQ mount. Obviously not needed when doing a quicker alt-az session set-up.

a) You'll need an EQ wedge to put on top the tripod (or its extension pillar) and under the AZ-GTi. One example of such a thing being:
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-star-adventurer/skywatcher-star-adventurer-equatorial-wedge-white.html   

b) A threaded counterweight bar (to hold the counterweight). The AZ-GTi already has a threaded socket to screw a bar into.

c) A counterweigth for the bar.

There are many buying options for b) and c) items. Some DIY a bar and weight. Or there's this to buy as a unit (though needs a simple M8 to M12 adapter according to one review at the bottom of the page).
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-star-adventurer/skywatcher-star-adventurer-counterweight-kit.html

 

3. SynScan Pro app for phone or tablet
Install this on your phone or tablet to control the AZ-GTi. It has a button for toggling between AZ and EQ modes.

Edited August 17, 2023 by Jules Tohpipi

[lawsio]

11 minutes ago, Jules Tohpipi said:

There's three main parts to this.

1. Updating AZ-GTi firmware

The AZ-GTi ships enabled for alt-az mode only. To run in EQ mode you need to update its firmware using a computer. This is a one-time-only action.

Firstly download the Sky-Watcher software that runs and manages the whole firmware update process on your computer. Secondly download the EQ firmware file. Both files are found at the link below. Open the first file on the computer and follow the brief on-screen instructions - then it will beam the EQ firmware file from the computer over Wi-Fi to your AZ-GTi.

Choose the correct files at the link carefully! The first file (which runs the process) is called 'Windows Program : Motor Controller Firmware Loader, Wi-Fi' and the firmware file is called 'Firmware : AZGTi Mount, Right Arm, AZ/EQ Dual Mode.'

http://skywatcher.com/download/software/motor-control-firmware/

 

2. Extra hardware required for EQ mode

General purpose here is to convert the AZ-GTi and its bundled tripod to physically behave and move like an EQ mount. Obviously not needed when doing a quicker alt-az session set-up.

a) You'll need an EQ wedge to put on top the tripod (or its extension pillar) and under the AZ-GTi. One example of such a thing being:
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-star-adventurer/skywatcher-star-adventurer-equatorial-wedge-white.html   

b) A threaded counterweight bar (to hold the counterweight). The AZ-GTi already has a threaded socket to screw a bar into.

c) A counterweigth for the bar.

There are many buying options for b) and c) items. Some DIY a bar and weight. Or there's this to buy as a unit (though needs a simple M8 to M12 adapter according to one review at the bottom of the page).
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-star-adventurer/skywatcher-star-adventurer-counterweight-kit.html

 

3. SynScan Pro app for phone or tablet
Install this on your phone or tablet to control the AZ-GTi. It has a button for toggling between AZ and EQ modes.

That's perfect, really appreciate the help!

Right then - I've bought the discounted one FLO had and the ASI 224 to get me going. Nobody is allowed to tell me I've ballsed this up now, if I have you'll find out soon enough!

I'll save the info above, I'll almost certainly buy the EQ kit at some point but probably not right away. 

Thanks all for the advice, we've been on a journey (an expensive journey) here and I'm looking forward to the new kit arriving! Might show the newt some love between now and then so it doesn't feel bad!

I'll share some pics when I've got some worth sharing!

 

 

 

[Jules Tohpipi]

Great, good luck with it all! I think it will be perfect for your intended uses and the EAA will make your eyes pop! 

For EAA come join us in the two main EEVA (aka EAA) sub forums here. Which have been quiet recently but only due to the long spell of continuous clouds. 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Jules Tohpipi

[Space Oddities]

The AZ-GTi is a fun little mount, you'll love it  Once you get to know the phone app, how it works and how to get a good alignment, it becomes an awesome grab and go mount! It's also very evolutive, if you want to do EAA or even deep sky imaging.

Mine has been tuned to the extreme... I'm still using it as a 2nd rig, since it's been replaced by a beefier mount. The day (or rather, the night) I paired the AZ-GTi with an ASIAIR computer from ZWO, I entered a whole new world and it allowed me to image the DSOs I dreamt to image. If you can get your hands on an ASIAIR, whatever version, you'll have a terrific platform for EAA, visual astronomy, planet, lunar, solar and DSO astrophotography   All of which fits in a backpack! The AZ-GTi does have its quirks, but once you get around them, it just becomes a Swiss knife that you can take with you anywhere.

[lawsio]

Look what's arrived!

Biggy has a friend!

 

Edited August 20, 2023 by lawsio

[lawsio]

Hi guys, thought I'd give a bit of feedback!

The astronomy gods smiled on me and I had clear skies the day it arrived! Only a relatively short first session but managed to get my head around the GTI alignment and app pretty quickly. I've only used the 1 star alignment so far but that was good enough to keep Saturn in the eyepiece all evening with a bit of adjustment every now and then. Seems pretty stable, as mentioned elsewhere manually focusing is a bit tricky as it wobbled a bit but I gather you can get auto focusers now? May be a worthwhile investment at some point. 

As for the Mak I'm very impressed so far, Saturn Looked great in it! Probably looking its best thought a 6.3 or 7.5mm eyepiece but a 10mm + 2x Barlow looked good as well, albeit with less definition. 7.5mm with the Barlow was messy but I was viewing early in the evening over rooftops so maybe it's better with steadier skies. I'm not used to using a diagonal and there was a lot of early frustration with the fact the red dot sight kept poking me in forehead when I was looking in the eyepiece but it occurred to me several hours later I could rotate the diagonal around a bit to stop that from happening 🤣 Doh!

Now I've got something small enough to transport easily I've got a few trips to darker skies planned with it. I'm thinking I may even try to pick up a small newt to stick on it for when I'm feeling fuzzyish and CBA with lugging the Skyliner about. Thinking probably an Explorer 130p as the 150 seems a bit heavy for it. Any thoughts on this? Used to have a Skyhawk 114 which was great so I'm sure a 130 will be decent enough too. I'm thinking the trade off of smaller aperture with but darker skies and tracking over using the 200p in my garden is worthwhile for a couple of hundred quid on a third scope!

The camera is still in the box but will come out to play once I've got the laptop sorted out!

Thanks all for your help so far, as always its much appreciated!

Edited August 22, 2023 by lawsio

[Space Oddities]

Pro tip: you can attach a cloth peg to the focuser. It makes some kind of lever, which really helps when focusing