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Handy little mods there Richard. I've pulled my EQ wedge apart too and was wondering the same thing. Did you just pick up some extra nylon washers from the green shed? Also have a dislike of those azimuth screws. I've screwed mine in nice and firm and use them as thumb holds to rotate the panoramic base.

those are the best panos i have seen. very good tips

Totally new at this and just obtained a used MSM tracker to try my first tracked Milky Way shots. So happy to have stumbled across your videos and now I have subscribed. Thanks you for sharing your vast knowledge with the rest of us!

I hope the MSM manufacturer has come to read and address these issues. It would be good if you can send this video to them so that they can improve their product.👍

Richard, thank you for sharing your transformations to improve the performance of the M.S.M Nomad, after watching the video I already changed the washers on my Skywatcher Star Adventurer and now I no longer have any wobbles and I'm going to add the screw in the wedge for the Nomad. Richard already had the opportunity to test the new Nikon Z 6 III ?? Thank you Richard for another great video, hug

Great information Richard - I have continued to learn from your videos since the workshop last year but the biggest challenge is finding clear skies in a city! I’m also interested in the tripod and head/base you use in the video as they look very sturdy!

Richard, love the content. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Question: Do you have any concerns with accuracy of the smartphone gyro/GPS… mounting it near metallic parts (ie, MSM phone holder, Arca mounting plate, tri-pod head).

Hi Richard, again thank you for your videos…this is likely my 3rd or 4th time to watch this star trails tutorial and it seems I pick up a ‘tip’ every time that I had missed previously.

Thanks for testing it out mate

The screw in the Arca-Swiss is a useful failsafe. The nodal rail I use has one and it saved my camera from crashing to the ground one time when something wasn’t tight. I agree with your assessment about the MSM Alyn Wallace Z mount. I find that it flexes too much when and tend to just use it to rotate the camera 360 degree function when making panoramas. Love the MacGyver modifications you made! Is a Richard Tatti line of Astro gear coming to MSM sometime in the near future?

Excellent Richard, maybe MSM will use your adaption to improve their system. (For a fee of course LOL)

Thanks for another great video Richard. I have been using Photo pills, but find it very hard to line up a black cross and black dot at night 😊

I have had a MSM phone mount as I used to have MSM star tracker (Old version) and I had encountered what you are talking about regarding to the inaccurate 90 degree of that mount. So I have never used it since then. I don't know why MSM has made that kind of tiny ballhead at the joint of the mount, it should be fixed solid 90 degree joint to make polar alignment accurately. they have made it like a phone mount we have used in the car ...........

Nice job, Richard. Glad you’re still getting on with yours and great to have some mod ideas - mine arrived yesterday so looking forward to having a play! I can’t wait to shed a few pounds from my pack and leave the StarAdventurer at home a bit more!! Always enjoy the in-field b-roll at the end - reminds me how much I love this hobby! All the best and hope you’re well. 👍

I have the Fujifilm X-T3 (APS-C) with the 16mm f2.8 and 35mm f2.0 lenses. Which would you recommend I use?

Howdy neighbour. I sympathise about the weather. Melbourne city lights and cloud is my life. Just picking up on a comment you made. Would you consider a video about trackers, alignment, and what images look like when its out of whack, and basic troubleshooting? I reckon there'd be some interest. Love your work.

Hi Richard, a great video with lots of useful ideas. The MSM Nomad looks interesting,

I only read Alan Dyer's review yesterday as you did too Richard and I was going to ask you about the Nomad as I still have the original MSM Rotator which we know can be hit and miss, and I was thinking of which way to go next SWSA GTI, SWSA Mni, iOptron Skyguider Pro as I thought the Nomad wouldn't cut it based on my ownership of the earlier device. Great mods to their gear I agree some of it is top notch engineering but others need a little more thought. Do you need to balance the camera on the Nomad to get good star tracking, as with the old rotator you had to balance at 15 degrees off centre as it moves anti clockwise so it ''Pulls' and it defeated the object of buying the V plate as you were no longer level? Great video as always and the two minutes image from the Nomad looks great, very impressive.

Thnx!!! Thnx!!! Richard, it‘s as if you were listening to what i need😊

The screw on the arca Swiss is a great tip.

Another great video Richard, love people who are willing to take to gear with power tools (I am in the same camp). Have been using essentially the same process but with Polar align pro and found it amazingly accurate and convenient. One little tip I picked up from someone was when doing the alignment it is worth taking off your smart watch (apple watch etc) if you are wearing one as for weird reasons it can interfere. Was skeptical at first but was able to see it happening in the backyard. Thanks as always.

I have that same phone holder from MSM. I did that idea two months go.. then I saw this.. I am like.. why didn't I tell you.. lol. I have found that works well.. I am getting a much better alignment on my star tracker. I am thinking of getting Nomad, I suppose it would fit on the Sky Adv Tracker base where the Sky Adv Tracker sits on .. ?? or is that unit smaller or I just put another swiss plate underneath the Nomad unit. (that's probably work). I have the V mount.. just want to save a bit of weight limit when carrying the Sky Adv Tracker when I am walking about. Great video of info.

Many thanks for keeping us updated on your Nomad journey. With an overseas trip coming up I decided to order one and am patiently awaiting it's arrival. They are now offering an optional Vixen plate so I went with this so I can use it with my existing Skywatcher wedge - little heavier than the MSM option. I'm also very familiar with aligning this via phone apps so less of a learning curve.

Thanks Richard, good info. I'm using a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer, the original. It is working well for me but I have been thinking about picking up the MSM Nomad for when I don't want to deal with weight, etc. On another subject, whereas you are a fan of the Nikon Z6II, I was in hopes that Nikon would loan you the Z6III for review. I've seen several reviews of the Z6III on other channels but none using it after dark. Your opinion of the new Z6III would most certainly be of more value to us nightscapers than what we have seen so far.

Richard, I enjoy your philosophy of keeping things simple! You never get overloaded with gear just because it’s hip and trendy.

Hi Richard Do you have any trouble buying from b&h I thought they don't sell internationally

Richard, Excellent tips! Re: the MSM Phone mount. A simple app called iPolar Alignment supports daytime alignment. The app's a good way to set up your MSM phone mount and test alignment. I use the app on my iPhone and checking google looks like they support a similar app. IMO, always easier to setup and test equipment during the day.

Awesome video Richard, always love your mods and hacks.

Great video! Thanks, Richard. That Artcise EB36R ballhead doesn't appear to be available here in the US. They have some that are similar through eBay, but I am guessing they are quite a bit more expensive - dual notch and larger ball diameter. I'll keep an eye out for it. Hopefully Amazon will carry it at some point. That give you had in your MSM EQ base was similar to an issue I had with my Sky-Watcher base. After many videos, I finally discovered I could take it apart and add in another washer - had to make my own from a piece of thick plastic, but it works great now.

Some excellent modifications Richard. The few times I have been able to use my Nomad have yielded fine results! Take care, Jerry

Thanks for the video, I use two phone holders, attached to eachother creating a perfict 90°! Photos sent to your email.

Thanks for sharing the video. You can buy 90° Arca Swiss brackets, I bet it might be easier using one of those and then use a phone clamp attached to it. That way the tolerances would be better

Richard excellent job, I assume that you spend alot of time with this tracker and by doing so you came with all this improvements. Thanks for sharing that. Bases on your experience what the longest focal length it can handle? I was thinking to take some really small tracker and use with it small camera like a Pentax Q with 4.65 crop factor, so witg 85 mm focal length it will give a 395mm effective focal length. I curious will it handle it.

Excellent stuff Richard, I hope they take your mods on board at the manufacture stage, as the consumer deserves these things to be right straight out of the box. Looking forward to your walk-a-bout (road trip) and seeing where you go, hope it's a good one.

Richard which MSN package version would you recommend ? Not sure about the differences between the packages and I have basic understanding of the MW still photo process. I did take your advice on the Voltron’s 16mm lens and very impressed on the image difference between 2.8f! I use a z9 z14-24/z24-70 & D850-14-24/24-70 on weight setups. Thanks

What is the make of the tripod 2-way bubble levelling plate? It looks to be well made. Thanks 🇳🇿

from turning from near to infinity, how much turns in degrees?

Wow! Very impressive!

Everytime I try shoot the milky way it is always above me 😭 any tips sir?

Hi Richard , I just love your pragmatic approach to photography in general and the advise you got from your friend all those years ago, keep up the good work and just take the shot.

I gotta say, I can't wait till I get my lens I ordered. I am also planning to take some shots of our local small town 4th of July fireworks with that 16 mm lens. There is a pier on the river where I plan on standing but I've gotta get there early and claim my spot. These videos are full of pearls, I watch some of them several times.

Can this method be also used with the new MSM Nomad and in northern hemisphere?

The Nomad website is disjointed when wanting to price the various components needed for the Southern Hemisphere (I’m in NZ). It looks like these pieces are required between tripod and camera: wedge, Nomad, phone bracket, Z mount, ball joint. Have I missed anything? The low viewing angle in order to sight the SCP on my iphone 11 Pro looks terrible but your trick of using your adapted phone frame to sight the NCP is clever. I am wondering if a mirror placed below the iphone might help sight with the MSM mount. Being a reverse image would not matter. Also, if the phone was inverted in its frame and the theoretical NCP was sighted, would that help - then looking down on the phone, from above it, if that makes sense? Does the phone need to be on a cellular network to function for the pointing? I have seen the Photopills app mentioned for the phone alignment. Any recommendations? Thanks for posting. Southern Hemisphere reviews are rare. 👍😎🇳🇿✨

Fantastic tutorial for me and I bet for others as well. The information you've provided here is very helpful as I am a beginner in astro photography. An important question you answered for me is white balance setting. I need to learn where the milky way is located from my position in eastern Florida. I once saw that there are APPS for this. A surprise for me last night ( my first attempt at night shooting) was the mosquitos . Almost unbearable here near a swamp and small river. We also have a pest here in Florida we call "no see ums" . You can see them but sure know they are there biting you. I ordered my Viltrox lens 16mm 1.8 but they are backordered which I'm not surprised after seeing multiple YT videos about this lens. I'll also have to get a few of those low level lights. I already have many sheets of color correction gels. Thanks so much and have a blessed day. Ted in Sebastian,Fl.

Thanks for the video.

Hi Richard I would be interested to know what the heaviest weighted camera and lens combination you have had on the Nomad and how successful your results were please.

Will shooting focused at the sky wide open make the car blurred?

Great video Richard, like all your videos. I think I will stick with my Skywatcher! I may consider the Benro once they iron out these issues. You handled yourself extremely well…I am not so patient lol.

I have truly enjoyed this and other videos you make about nightscape images. You have peaked my interest in learning how to make them myself. My photography background is in high school and some collegiate sports where my idea of a perfect lens is a Nikon 400mm 2.8. I have a good number of zooms but no wide angle primes except the Nikon 40mm 2.0 I got with the Zf kit. I am going to purchase the Viltrox 16mm. I own Nikon as well and have the Z9 which is amazing fast for sports. What advice would you give someone like me who would like to test the waters so to speak? I am subscribed to your channel and see some amazing images. I live on east coast of Florida in a small town, not too much light contamination. Just 60 miles south of Cape Canaveral. To the west of me 10 miles or so is nothing but ponds and marsh and cattle ranching. and gators!!. thanks , Ted in Sebastian, Fl.

Do you have videos showing the techniques you used for some of these photos? Theyre amazing