This channel is a clean and friendly Astrophotography, photography, and art resource. My goal is to provide technical information that is not commonly known but useful. I want to help you avoid the headaches and pitfalls I have experienced by arming you with proven techniques and tricks. I am typically budget minded and very scientific in my approach. I am passionate about knowledge and sharing it. There are no stupid questions here.
Пікірлер
Thanks for the video! My ETX-90 is older and don't have anything to grab onto on the mirror side. should re-check the back. As for those wrenches, to everyone using them, warning: tighten the interchangeable metal tips! Chance of them falling from the wrench right on the piece of glass you are working with is surprisingly high. Luckily i learned this NOT the hard way.
Hope all is well, Garnett. Miss your vids.
So... how do you know someone's an engineer?... They tell you 😂 Just picking on ya... great video. It's totally true tho 🤭
You seriously ragging on a 70 dorra scope made by a Chinese kid in some sweatshop?! lol
Seems redundant certainly. These things we’re selling like wild fire several years back unfortunately. There’s nothing more sad than someone getting duped into buying a telescope just for it to end up in a closet or yard-sale. Lots of potential astronomers lost to such garbage. Not everyone knows what to expect. You’re absolutely correct tho. I’d love to know how much the labor cost was in fact.
Great info. Thanks!
Fantasic video and very helpful ty
Nice of you to say. Thank you. Clear skies
Very thorough review, Garnett!
Beautiful!
This is the best video on planetary with PIPP, AUTO, etc… I’ve found yet! Thanks!
Aw thank you! It’s very nice of you to say. Many clear skies.
Great review, I'll stick with my MAK.
Thank you and hopefully it will bring you the joy mine has. Clear skies.
Does it track good if mounted with a motor gear ?
Initially yes but as your batteries approach depletion you’ll notice a lot of variation. Converting to AC also comes with issues. Irregular voltage seems to drive it off course. You absolutely have to check an alignment star and make corrections over time unfortunately
Through a Window? 🤔
They’re not double glazed. Any impact should be negligible
Can I use a single axis motor on it ?
You can but you’ll obviously have no corrective declination. I actually initially used mine this way and made manual corrections overtime with the slow adjustment knobs.
Thats a great set up ,thanks for sharing ,im a new subscribe ,found you through Lukomatico
Thank you. Love that guy. His passion for astrophotography is unparalleled. Clear skies
Thanks for your video. I have the following manual focus telephoto lenses: 135mm f/3.5 Takumar 200mm f/5.6 Takumar 300mm f/6.3 Takumar 135mm f/2 Zeiss 135mm f/3.5 Nikkor 400mm f/5.6 Nikkor 500mm f/4 Nikkor I have never used any of them for astrophotography. How do I test them to determine if they are suitable for astrophotography?
On a static tripod use the 500 rule and take some test photos. Look for chromatic aberrations and pay attention to how pinpoint you can make starlight. I’d use a UV filter if you have one.
Garnett - how would you rate the 80 vs your 40? I have the original non-modular Lunt 60 (very happy with it too).
Excellent video Garnett. Just a heads up (others have probably already said this in the comments) - the larger blocking filter means visual observing with an eyepiece will be more comfortable, especially if you wear glasses. Also, vignetting will be less of an issue with imaging. The larger blocking filter also gives you more room around the solar disc for proms...
Very useful info! Can’t help but feel inspired to go at and shoot with this music. The whole thing is a build.
Anything even remotely inspiring is successful. Clear skies
Managed to eliminate most of image shift following your video!. Mirror is a solid piece of glass, not as delicate as what most people think. I put a “cover” on the mirror with soft material so I could work freely when doing the adjustment w/o any risk of damaging the mirror. My only mistake was not to properly clean the protective surface and I had to clean the mirror afterwards…not a big deal with alcohol and cotton.
Great video but please put all of the equipment, parts you used for the entire setup
Lunt 80MT telescope with a ZWO autofocuser. ZWO ASI 1600MM Cool camera with ZWO 7nm H-a, O3, and S2 filters. Astrozap dew heaters at 30% power, ZWO mini guide scope with ZWO 120 MM-S camera. Acquisition on ZWO ASI Air Plus computer. Mount is an Orion Atlas EQ 2. It’s a rebrand of the Skywatcher EQ6R-Pro. I don’t think it’s made anymore.
What about the extensions?
Any tips on focussing? I really struggle to get a sharp image and any help would be much appreciated.
That’s where most people struggle. Two of the easiest targets to acquire proper focus on are the termination line of the Moon and very bright stars such as Vega and Sirius. With the Moon it’s obvious where the sharpest point of focus is. Stars are a little more tricky but you want them as small as possible. Typically an optic will arrive at perfect focus on the inner or outer side more than the other. What I mean is the spot past perfect focus wether it’s going out or in towards it. Every scope and lens I’ve ever used seem to arrive sharp from one side or the other easier. You know how you’re there fiddling with it and it seems right until you take your hand off? If you can’t get to that sweet spot it could be in some cases that the focuser is too sensitive. If it’s a knob, like a Maksutov has, often people will attach a clothes pin or something similar to create a reduction or fine focus. Ultimately the easiest work around is a Batinov mask. So many people have 3D printers now so getting one cheap off Etsy is easy. With a Batinov mask there’s zero doubt that your focus is spot on. Just remember that most all optics will go out of focus under temperature changes. If you setup and say the temperature falls five degrees then you definitely need to check it again. I spent the better part of 15 years manually focusing. It’s something that remains difficult no matter what and ultimately nothing beats a good Batinov mask along side a star test.
I'm picking one of these up now. For $30 or $40 it seems like a great choice to take hiking or camping. Use a 1.25 upright diagonal and it's a spotting scope; a regular diagonal and eyepiece and it's a cheap 80-90mm telescope. Way cheaper than a C90; hopefully lightweight too. The one thing missing is a tripod collar, but you get what you pay for :-) If I wanted one, I'd go for a used Sigma or Nikon... or just get a C90.
Definitely. I strangely enjoy manual focus. It makes me feel more like part of the image making process
awesome
I have a Celestron 80mm (f/5) refractor. I have found that a SvBony CLS light pollution filter eliminates all chromatic aberration by blocking the color blue entirely and it is cheap. I have also found that using narrow dual band filter eliminates all chromatic aberration and allows you to photograph on nights with a full moon, but only allows you to photograph emission nebulae.
Just purchased a Super Multi Coated version. Its like new in case and boxed here in UK £24.
Thanks. However, at 13:43 you said you would put the key at the end of the video - what adjustment to make based on where the drift is. But I cannot find that key. Where is it? Tx
So is it good for stars, planet (like jupiter mercury etc..) ? I really want a telescope that can provide some details for planet (like jupiter) at least. And maybe even nebulaes
I think this scopes strengths exist more in its portability. Aperture is king in planetary and that’s where it falls short. This is a great scope for someone that likes to hike, camp, and travel. I feel like the focal length is a good all around number but that it may not be as suitable for someone not concerned with being on the go. If you’re trying to stay in this price range, and can give up portability, I’d recommend a Dobsonian 100% of the time. You’ll get way more speed and aperture which is more beneficial for photography and discerning details visually. In short, this product will exceed the purchase price but will be limited in it’s ability to see faint details because of its small aperture. As a generally accepted rule of thumb an 8” aperture is the go to for entry level planetary. That being said I’d place this scope at the top tier list for its aperture and price group. If you could toss a number up of roughly your maximum investment I would be glad to give you my recommendation. Most people will ask you the same thing. The first question is how much you want to invest in it. The second is what you aim to do with it, or expect out of it. Would be glad to advise. Clear skies.
I should see better planet because I live in a location where the bortle is only 2. That means in summer I can clearly see the milky way with my naked eye.@@GarnettLeary
Continue your channel
Continue your channel
I hope to and thank you
You can also use the shadows from the sun. As the sun drifts across the sky the tip of a shadow such as your tripod will make a straight line East and West. Mark one Point and wait 10 minutes and then mark the other point. Draw a straight line between the two points and place two of your tripod legs directly on that line and the third leg will be pointing North or South as long as the legs are equally spaced out. Also, if you setup at Solar Noon the shadow will pointing directly north as well in the northern hemisphere.
That sounds legit and easy. Thank you for sharing
Degree field of view quoted in the first few minutes! More math, please!
Growing up we had 35mm cameras with film in them there was no such thing as auto focus as we know it today and no digital cameras LOL I find that most people today have no idea how to auto focus a camera and then they blame it on the camera lens.
Absolutely. Imagine how most kids would respond to a range finder lol
Love your videos man, thank you!! Problem: I have a 10” Newtonian f/8 I made many years ago using a 12” piece of schedule 40 PVC. Works great with home made mount, but I have no tracking capability. I cannot find a heavy duty mount with tracking. Like the one in this video. Could you help me out on that…? Thx!
For a 10” Newtonian, and I’m assuming it’s fairly long, I wouldn’t get anything smaller than a Skywatcher EQ6-R
Thx!
Where would you recommend getting these parts and how do I go about getting the right ones. I need this modification but I’m worried about getting the wrong stuff or messing it up.
Lowe’s or Home Depot. Take the original stuff there and ask them for similar parts. Springs that are a little longer and roughly the same size will do. It doesn’t have to be super exact. Have them match the thread pitch of the bolts. There should be someone in the store that can help.
You've got me convinced.... Always looking for ways to do more with less equipment.
Another neat trick: if you have a point and shoot with filter threads, you can attach an m42 step-up ring, then attach the point and shoot to the projection adapter. A lot more stable than a smartphone and way easier to center.
If you are on a budget a #11 Yellow/Green color filter goes a long ways at removing fringe. If your scope is a doublet Apo with an ED lens, but you still get minor fringing try a #8 Light Yellow or a #12 Yellow. I had that cheap Explore Scientific 4" f/10 Doublet with that poor EQ mount (all for $350), but the scope wasn't bad, but the Moon was Blue, Venus was blue etc. etc. etc. Guy in my club gave me a #11 Optolong 1.25 filter and the blue got eaten up and even Vega had next to no fringe. The color filters are really saving money with the jump to 2 inches, those Baader 2" fringe filters run over $130+.
Thank you, this was just what I needed! Careful about them bolts people, they're tight and will strip and snap off! I had to drill out two of them, not pretty work but I got the job done. Also, is there a specific extension tube or length of tube you use with this set up to allow you to achieve focus with a telescope lens?
I have the 50mm and B600 blocking filter. Guy ask me why I didn't get the 40mm because it comes with a Vixen plate and Sol Searcher. I told him I have Vixen bars, but 50mm is 50% more light gathering power and I want it for viewing not photography. For the Sun I don't need a finderscope, that's what shadows are for.😁
Hi, I have a 60 tilt. May I ask you which magnification you are usual using ? Most of the time I go up to 50x . Thanks.
@@miertjestoer9525 What is a 60 Tilt by the way? As for the magnification I use for the most part having a 350mm focal length or f/7 I use a 7mm @ 82° fov at 50x as well. I do use a 5m Vixen Lanthanum for 70x @ 50° fov for close up views and if it isn't windy it comes in sharp and clear. Using 70x really is maximum at the Sun for a 50mm aperture regardless of conditions considering what you're pointing at is hot. That is using my go-to iOptron AZ Pro which tracks really stable when leveled correctly. When using my grab & go Twilight One I keep the magnification down to 50x or less. Oh, instead of vibration pads I use rug protectors, cheap, they work and no big loss if I forget them.
Can you add other eyepieces to this scope and will it giver any better viewing?
All these videos end in the same way. You remove that IR filter but then what ? Just put it back together again ? Someone mentioned a replacement filter... another that 'both filters' should be removed.... What ??? Some narration would have been great.
You’re absolutely right. I should take it further. My original reasoning behind leaving that out was because there’s multiple applications beyond. For example a person might want an IR-pass filter in order to create an infrared camera. Someone might elect to put one of many h-a/uv cut filters in place of it. You could leave it out for a naked sensor modification such as where my video’s end. Some people install clear glass filters specifically designed to prevent autofocus issues. There’s a wide variety of options at this point. It does dead end in my example.
Thanks. Perhaps those options could form the structure of another video or you are aware of one that you can link to ? @@GarnettLeary
Grandsons my CG-4 on zero and took off the weight shaft and now it's an Alt-Az that you cannot make it any shorter. I gave it to my grandsons with a 6" reflector and a 102 SW Maksutov. Since they've outgrown the 4" tabletop Dob I gave them and they didn't like using it in EQ as where they live was kind of hard to polar align with a building in the way and they didn't like Meridian flips. They figured out they could turn it to zero and use it that way. Smart enough to turn it into an Alt-az, but not polar align. More like lazy way to do it. I'd bought an iOptron Az Pro that has the easiest to understand handset control I've used. Has a database of over 112,000 stars and can hold two scopes up to 43 pounds. For the 2nd saddle I did not like the look of their little one they sell separately so I bought a dual Vixen/Losmandy saddle for the 20mm shaft from ADM and it's bigger than the dual saddle that comes with the AZ Pro. www.admaccessories.com/product/dual-cw20-dual-series-saddle-fits-20mm-counterweight-shaft/
Useful, thanks. Question, why concentrate on North, when the trailing legs should line EW?
It’s assumed you’d be pointing that direction in polar alignment preparation. That’s all.
I will try this out tonight. I do use a laser and as long as the secondary is aligned, I just bump the laser till it gets centered on the primary then adjust the primary knobs from there. In other words, lasers do not need to be accurate. It all depends on the accuracy of the secondary to alighn the primary. I do have a dob equatorial mount so that will help in repeating the alignment by star process keeping it i center. Reason I was to do this is because I did noticed that when I photographed Jupiter last time, it had just a hint of some chromatic abberation when i saturated it in editting. Might be due to some slight mis alignment. Stars look fine though.
Logic is definitely present. Seems legit. How do you like that platform? I have always wanted to try a Dobsonian in that configuration.
@@GarnettLearyI use a Night Vision device to view things. I bought the platform thinking I would be able to do say....1 minute, 5 min?? exposure times. It only really allows about 30 seconds max. before starting to see trails. Even with that, since I'm using the N.V. it really has enough light already and don't need the culmulative amount of time for good exposures. Still cool to have. I've used it for some planetary long exposures (Jupiter and Saturn are bright and don't really need it either). Been a while...forgot if i used it for Neptune and Uranus. Will try it out sometime soon on them.
I bought one new when they first came out in '76, had it for 35 years, or so. Came with the 28mm RKE eyepiece, but without the red grip-ring that shortly became the standard dress for the RKE line. It had a knurled or grooved grip machined in the metal. Another advantage of the early base is that it had a 1/4-20 threaded hole on the bottom, but angled off center. Thus, the base could be supported on a photographic tripod, but the ball could still swivel. This let you stand-up and walk around to view the sky. More easily aimed too. Of course, it required a stable tripod to be useful. I concur with all your other noted points on the dust cover, hardware, strap & etc. My only two complaints would be the inability to clean the inside of the scope, and the poor traction of the focusing knob on the tube, especially as it got older, it became insurmountable. Perhaps that's why Edmund went with the black finish, might be better for traction (wild guess here). Anyway, enjoyed your video a lot, thanks for posting it.
That’s awesome. That was before I was born in 78. It’s such a fun design and I feel like something similar can be successful again. Kids love it. It seems very practical for them to hold it in their lap. I guess eventually these things and even the memories of them will be forgotten. I recently donated one to my library. They were really excited to get it because the district didn’t have one. Thanks for the additional information. Clear skies.
Thanks - could you clarify the instructions for adjusting the azimuth as the sun drifts? If the camera / lens are on the eastern side of the meridian, what would be the alt/az adjustments to make given upward/downward/leftward/rightward drift of the sun out of the frame?
For example, when scope is pointing east, you say if drift is southward then polar axis is low. does that mean we should increase the altitude on the mount?
@aaronden yes
@@GarnettLeary thank you - and when the scope is pointing west, if the drift is southward what does that mean and what should we do with the altitude of the mount?
Hello. I have an Orion 12" Skyquest. The primary mirror springs have always anoyed me because not enough tension. Do replacement springs have to be precise or can I just go to Home Depot and get anything similar?
It doesn’t have to be exact. You just want enough tension, that when compressed, doesn’t allow the mirror to slop around. Too rigid of a spring will obviously make it really hard to adjust. Too little resistance and you end up with a mirror mount flexing under its own weight. It’s definitely not something you can’t replace with a little judgement. I personally like replacement springs that have a touch more rigidity. I feel like it’s easier to collimate than the stock ones on the majority of the scopes I’ve used. Find something about the same length in a thicker material or slightly longer in about the same. No need to be overly critical. You might only opt for coated springs or stainless to avoid rust from weathering. That’s a good precaution. I hope you find what makes it easier and more enjoyable. Clear skies.
@@GarnettLeary H.Depot didn't have much. I found some nuts that fitted over the bolts and that in effect acted like a spacer for the existing springs. Turned out much better than before!
@patindaytona glad you improved on it. It’s always great to hear a success story. I don’t know why there’s not people pushing to improve what they sell. We get tired reiterations of the same old thing more often than not.
Had an old timer at Oregon Star Party collimated his 12” dob that had duct tape all over it, using the star test. He was a visual observer, but it literally took him 3 minutes to do it each night. His views were awesome.