Видео

Yeah I wanted to have it out many months ago but stuff happens out of your control sometimes 🫤. The issue that happened to me could be because of it being used by someone else prior which I didn’t mention till towards the end, so I think you’ll be fine. I have the V2 you can tell by the attachment nut to the tripod.

@@darkrangersinc thank you so much for your reply. Have a great day

Remote Desktop app from Microsoft it’s in the app store

They first suggested going mount then power box, but said I could go both ways. Honestly 5amp for rig minus mount should be totally fine. You’re taking the bounce out of the equation the camera usually draws .2-.6 according to my Eagles, and that’s including the EFW. The dew strap is usually one of the higher draws but you can limit it with the PB but I never did. You definitely need 6 poles for the pier that’s why I made sure to recommend that. The SCA260 would still guide at .4-.6 with 3 but it would shake pretty bad with just a little touch. With 6 it’s pretty solid. I just think these harmonic drive mounts are kind of finicky overall. The equatorial mountains require counterweights, but really that takes almost no time to set up and honestly the G11 and G811 have been sooo easy to use. I will continue to use the NYX. For a dark sky trip it’s really nice. It also allows me to run a third telescope when I’m testing.

@@darkrangersinc Totally agree with you.. but its max payload is exaggerated. I reach for the Am5 every time.. If the Am7/Am8 comes on the market.. it will be part of my mobile rig in a heartbeat. But all my tests were done with a rasa 11... will be seeing it it can handle the Meade 12 sct with extras about 45lbs..

Well, I think if you look at all of the other comments, plus you could see all of the individual messages and emails. I got from people who experienced the same type of thing I would more frequent than it should be. The market is so strong and they do have a pretty big fan primarily of newer Astro photographers who haven’t used their equipment for multiple years so they’re 6 months in and everything is fine and they rave about their stuff online. Also because of the fanboy effect if people speak out against them they often get ridiculed online since so many people use it. So I think a lot of people bite there tongue. Honestly it had to get really bad for me to finally put out an episode like this. There are better options in the same price range. I’ve been having great luck with companies like Stellarvue for scopes, Primaluce for electronics, and Losmandy for mounts. PrimaLuce stuff is a bit more their EAF is $260 instead of $200 for example but it’s got built in wifi it’s made in Italy vs China and if you get their Eagle it can run wireless which is actually more dependable than USB cables. So there are plenty of options out there I’ve found that often and times the most popular option in Astro photography is usually not the best

Absolutely sometimes they’re truly are no cons with something like my SVX140, sometimes their are. I want people to know they can trust me either way.

Yeah, I have mixed feelings on the mount. If you do watch to the end, I explained that the first one I received was used by another reviewer which I was unaware of at first and could have explained the issues although we won’t know for sure. The bigger issue I had was in communication timeframe and how long it was taking to get gear and when I ran into issues, getting them to get on a call with me to help solve them. Having said that the second amount has been working fine now for about a month. I Typically always run the power cable for the PC out of a constant 12v if it wasn’t like that in the episode it’s because it was a quick mock setup I’ll have to check. But I use one of the 8 always on 12v supplies normally. I think it would be tough to compete with Primaluce in the computer space. They make such an awesome product. I have two of them now and I’ve actually used three because I set one up for the install I did in Vermont. All of them have worked so well and super reliable. Given the fact that this power box is almost $700 I doubt they could bring the price down from the 5s and keep all the same type of extra features to make it worth the switch. But if they could do one for say under $1000 and it be fairly solid it could be a winner

Well, for one they sent it to be reviewed so of course in order to do that, I’m going to use it. But also, there are many features that you don’t get with the power saddle included, like a built in weather station, longer reaching WiFi, a moter output to their EAF which makes it even more precise etc. Also not everybody has the amount, but maybe be interested in the power box on its own… anyone needs a box but not everybody uses this mount there’s a huge group of people that have a need for the power box that don’t have the plans necessarily to get this mount or get it right away they might need to upgrade their powerbox

@@darkrangersinc totally fair, thanks for the reply :)

Yeah the carbon fiber has a wider angle than others which is nice for stability it’s also thicker than the AM5 tripod. But I’m still enjoying the Losmandy Equatorial style mounts for day to day use. The craftsmanship and consistency is tough to beat. The harmonic drives just seem more likely to have issues. They’re easier till they’re not if that makes sense… You’d think but it just says “mount failure” and goes completely limp. It’s not ideal

Polar alignment is just as easy as any mount. When I check it night after night it holds fairly well about as good as an AM5 people need to realize these lightweight tripods are going to shift lightweight and AP mounts are oil and water. I’m actually going back to GEM’s their quality is definitely higher at least the 2 Losmandys I’ve reviewed they’re heavy enough to be stable and steady even in wind but light enough to move around and travel if needed. There’s absolutely no reason for 90+ percent of people to get a carbon fiber, tripod and a 10 pound mount. Most people’s rig doesn’t move all year. The week in and week out consistently I have with Equatorial mounts vs now have issues with two of the most common Harmonic mounts makes it a no-brainer. I’ll still keep and use it because I have more than three rigs worth of equipment. It is nice for travel and to have a little more flexibility. I actually go to several dark sky trips every year, so I at least have a little bit of a reason to have one, but for anybody who is rarely going on them I am actually going back to recommending German Equatorial mounts. I hate to say it, but the reason all these companies are now jumping in on them is because they’re cheaper to make. When you put one side side versus a traditional amount, you can immediately see the difference in quality and craftsmanship

Well, I guess that’s why my videos aren’t for marketing. They are just honest reviews or I would leave out any downsides. If you do watch till the end, I explain potential reason why I had an issue with the first mount that may no be on the manufacturer

I do recommend in the video and show the additional 3 Pilars I added for a total of 6. I don’t know if maybe you’re newer to the channel but I’ve used the AM5 for over a year with the Pe200 pier and counterweights and it really doesn’t make much of a difference when it comes to wind and heavier scopes. The 60+lbs of sandbags would have an equal or more significant effect than 15lbs of counterweights up higher above center of gravity. I also run a 35lb kettle bell with the AM5 in the pouch. It’s mostly just the lightweight nature of a carbon tripod and the lack of rigidity vs steel. I’ve been using 2 harmonic for a while now and several GEMs over the years. Steel tripods that are heavier will help more than anything. I’m sure if I swapped the tripod from the G11 it would perform similar to the G11 in wind which is why I mention it’s not the mounts fault but more of a lightweight (tripod) issue more than the mount.

It should have the power for the Newt, the SCA260 is a bit of a pig so it was a great test especially since it comes in right under 44lbs which is their non counter weight maximum. The counterweight work differently on these mounts. It’s not too counterbalance the weight of the scope and help the motor. It’s more to keep it from tipping over. So the sandbags that I use around the tripod legs will have a similar effect with much more weight

I don’t know if you watched to the point where I showed the “Spider” system but it would do a decent job holding everything in place. At the time I wasn’t using it, but I had it installed on the power box. There are a lot of 3-D printed cable management devices out there. You can check Etsy.

Will do, so far so good with the second mount head.

Interesting because I’m actually using all 3 mounts side by side in addition to owning the AM5 for over a year, but hey what would I know about the differences and similarities between these mounts other than extensive testing both in the backyard and on the road 😉. The point was the G811 is portable whereas the G11G is nearly double the weight. So I’m comparing a lightweight GEM to harmonics in general. Yes the NYX was featured but it wasn’t about that specific mount which is why I almost mentioned the AM5 and others. It was to showcase that you can use the G811 on the road or at home.

@@woody5109 woody go ahead and request. Just let me know the name on Facebook you’ll be joining our group under. If that’s going on you are always commenting and supporting that way so you can come on board while you’re going through that. Hope your wife gets well soon!

Yeah, I was hoping to have the rest of it out not much longer, but then we ran into some issues lol.

Glad you enjoyed it!

@@edwardgill1042 yeah great point I never use the controller on either mount. I also like the fact that as you said they don’t really build any electronics into the mount itself. Some people see that as a negative, but it was actually done deliberately as USB and other technology goes out of style. They don’t stick you with useless tech on your mount

@@blayzer8871 Avalon are super nice and the preferred mount of another partner of the channel Primaluce. The only issue I have with them is the price point per capacity would be a little tough for the majority of my viewers. Last I checked the 40-ish pound capacity was in the 6k range. It’s definitely worth it the quality is top notch and no meridian flip is awesome. If somebody has the budget for a premium build, it’s definitely a company that I would have people look at. How do you like the LZOS? I really like that the include all their spot diagrams on their website with all the different reducers. Transparency is a big factor for me which is why I like Stellarvue since they give you a Strehl and Double Pass Collimation test.

@@darkrangersinc The build quality of the Avalon is realy nice. But your right, the price... The Linear can carry as much as the EQ6r, but the mount itself is lighter and also belt drive is way better (zero backlash) and also you dont need ever to do a service like new belts or relubricate. Here in Germany the Losmandy you showed cost about 5500€, same price as for the Avalon Linear. The LZOS is the best scope I had so far. I had: 120 Apo by Askar FRA500 by Askar FRA300 by Askar Skywatcher 130PDS (fully modded, with carbon tube, spider and so on) 150PDS (same mods as for the 130) Orion 80/600ED SVbony SV503 70ED Intes 180/1800 Non of these scope can win a fight against the LZOS. I bought it used for a really good price. You cant get it new anymore. There is a version with FPL53 by APM. They could be good. But I think the LZOS glass will be better. But there are other great scopes like the 100/800 with LZOS glass. Unfortunately LZOS is from russia and its not possible to get the glass anymore at the moment. Everything you see are stock items and the prices are riding like... But its 100% worth to buy one. These scope are made for life and re build like tanks. The reducer and flattener by APM (Riccradi) are great too. But I bouth a variable flattener. So there is a litte focuser attached so reach perfect backfocus is easy. I like the Stellarvue scopes as well, on the paper. You cant get them here in Germany. I sold all of my scopes and stayed with the LZOS for smaller objects. The FRA300 for widefield. The Intes 180/1800 for planets and visual. The Orion 80ED for visual.

@@lostmypicks yeah in WBPP there’s a tab for darks, just match the sensor temp, exposure length and make sure no light gets into the image so it’s totally dark. Usually 20 is a good minimum. If you’re not using a cooled camera try to match the temp it was when you took the photos.

@@jimperciaccante6137 congrats and glad to hear! That combination of the G11 and 140 is my favorite setup. Like any semi-permanent setup it took a little bit to totally dial it in but now it’s on autopilot. I just fire it up on NINA load the sequencer and hit play. If you have any questions, they have an awesome 16-ish part series done by their former media guy, Brian and it’s fantastic. It covers some of the tips that I did in the G11 video and many more.

@@darkrangersinc I am absolutely eyeing a Stellarvue 140 as my next purchase. Nico @nebulaphotos was responsible for my initial setup which has served me so very well over the past five years. You are helping me put together rig 2.0.

@@bbasiaga exactly right, I do like NYX-101. However, lightweight is the enemy of stability when it comes to the stuff and I think people overestimate the amount they’re going to actually move stuff around. I find most people maybe do a couple trips a year tops. So I wanted to show that there is an equatorial option out there that’s kind of a medium weight and still very viable for those occasional trips. If you die hard every month going on a dark sky trip and harmonic is probably the way to go. But that’s a pretty small market based on the feedback I get from all the folks that reach out.

@@d.fresh.750 thanks, this one took a little longer and more effort, but I thought for those who enjoyed the longer form content, it would be interesting to see what goes into one of these reviews. For the money Losmandy is tough to beat when you look at the price per pound of capacity it’s right in line with many lower quality options but you get US made craftsmanship. Plus the fact They’re all modular and can interchange parts is great in the long run. One thing I didn’t mention in this one that I did in the last review is the fact that they really go out of their way to make sure you can upgrade them retroactively. That’s one reason they don’t have a USB hub on the actual mount you get some of that on the computer itself but as you know, USB goes out of fashion, so they don’t want to include something in the actual mouth that will go out of style

@@davidaaaa4611 80-90mm is my recommendation for everyone to start with or own. The 140 is definitely one to aspire too I have been in the hobby for 5+ years in deepspace and 7+ if you include milkyway I’m glad I waited because it’s of course a bit more challenging to use a heavier scope with more focal length. You can get amazing images with an 80mm enjoy!

@@darkrangersinc I got my 1st telescope 63 years ago. The largest I have had was a 17.5 dob. I ordered the mirror from coulter and a kit and put it together. Yes I really like my Stellarvue 80A. I agree with you 80 or 90 is good for someone to start with.

@@darkrangersinc I agree with you and thanks for the video.

@@Chiclets1 depends on what you are trying to evaluate.

Do you have accurate focus and the correct focal length programmed in?

Thank you very much, I appreciate it!

I’m sure it’s not too bad but then if I have an issue I don’t necessarily want to have the cables blamed for warranty vs using the recommended dedicated cables. The 1.5’ USB3.0 or 2.0 are 2 for under $20 which isn’t bad and then the 3’ are really only needed for the main camera.

Thank you for the kind and specific compliments. One of the big reasons I chose Stellarvue was the fact that I felt like I was getting almost if not all the benefits of other even higher priced scopes for less. Since I typically do not pay for the gear I review and ultimate have the option to keep the price was more for my audience and wanting to find something that was at least slightly more budget friendly. Vic and the team at SV are fantastic he is absolutely obsessed with performance. I’ve now gotten to work with a TOA130 when I was out in Vermont helping a community member switch to the Eagle and NINA. After feeling, how rough that focuser was I’m even more glad I went with stellarvue. I was blown away with how much less smooth it was even giving the EAF motor some issues. Luckily we got some support on the phone and were able to fine tune it a bit but it still wasn’t as smooth as a FeatherTouch or the 3” Stellarvue brand especially their latest version that came out recently.