A tip: Always put your gear on the tracker before the polar alignment process. Adding a counterweight and/or camera gear the mount after alignment can throw off the initial alignment.
That's a good point. Most of the time I don't use the counterweight system and just go with the ball mount setup which limits my ability to do that! I'll keep that in mind when I start to use the counterweight system, however! Clear skies!
Most RUclipsrs talk fast and unclearly, some with strong accent. They are hard to understand. You are different.You are providing slow and clear step by step instructions. Great! I learned a lot from you.Thank you very much.
That is very kind of you to say! I am glad you found my video helpful. Please let me know if I can help you with anything regarding astronomy and astrophotography! Take care and clear skies!
So far I’ve been very frustrated using the SkyGuiderPro, mainly because I struggle with alignment. Your video should help. I’ll give it another go on our next clear night. Thanks for doing this video.
Great instructional video. A quick note for noobs like me: If your rig is *perfectly balanced* and you have tracking issues - Be sure to check that the clutch is actually locked. I have accidentally spun the clutch in the wrong direction and "locked" it in the open position, and couldn't understand why I'm not tracking well. I was freaking out until I understood I'm an idiot lol
Thanks for your comment and that's some good advice you provided as well! What have you been able to image with the SkyGuider Pro and what type of imaging equipment do you use?
@@LateNightAstronomy I only just started, but I use a Canon T2i with a 70-200mm (f4) lens. I live in a Bortle-8 area, but I managed to take a decent image of the Eagle+Omega nebulae using the L-eNhance, and I also took an image of the Hercules star cluster (no filter). Hoping to go to a dark site soon.
@@itaialter The Eagle Nebula is high on my list this Summer for imaging. I am waiting on purchasing the Samyang 135mm f/2. Once that is in, I will be attempting that target! keep up the good work and stay in touch!
I just bought the SkyGuider Pro. This video will go along way in giving me the instructions and confidence I'll need in setting it up and using it. Thanks!
Wonderful to hear and you won't be disappointed. I've got some Fall and Winter targets I'm itching to get at with it soon! Stop back by if you have any questions!
Cheers for this quick guide. I am an experienced photographer (both commercial and hobby) and I've dabbled with a 127mm telescope some years ago with fairly pleasing results. However, I think this route is the way to go for astrophotography on a budget. After all, I have most of the camera gear already. Might purchase the Samyang 135 at some point. I'm on a Fuji crop sensor so should be OK.
another tip: wind plays a huge part in how long the exposure will be at longer focal lengths. I was using my ioptron with a camera at 300 mm, and the 7mph wind was affecting my images
Ive had the Skyguider Pro now for about 6 months. Taken some great images. But i didnt know Polaris was supposed to be in the inner ring and not the outer ring of the dial. The Polar clock app i use only showed a single ring. So i just assumed it was the outer. Havent had any star trails except when i attempt to go 4 or 5min exposure. But definitely have had some bloated stars and focus issues. I reckon now from my bad alignments. So thanks for that nug of info. Also didnt know you could adjust the brightness of the dial. Thats also gonna be wicked useful. Especially for my astigmatism. So another huge thanks. One question regarding the Skyguider...have you ever been able to achieve 5min exposures? Guided or unguided, whats the longest youve gone with consistency? Thanks again for the info
I am trying to use the asi air to plate solve with this mount to help me position my 300mm lens on the object I want to image. I can plate solve ok but the location doesn’t seem to transfer to SkySafari pro because I get a connection failure message
@@bobbeanbags I appreciate your comment! I have not used the asi air but have read good things about it. Have you been in contact with SkySafari about the two not communicating well?
Very good video. I have used the skyguider pro successfully at 350mm with my sony apsc camera and 3 minute exposures. With the skyguider base it is very difficult to polar align and to keep alignment. I upgrade to the WO base and it is noticeably easier to align and much sturdier. I would not hesitate recommending it. I also find the dec bracket of the SGP difficult and weak so have ordered the WO bracket and mount option. Have not received it yet so am not sure if it is worth it. My goal is to set this up with a 480mm f6 scope (5.5 lbs) and tracking scope and camera. Will be ~ 8.5 lbs max.. If I can get 3 minute exposures out of that Im will be thrilled. Thanks for uploading this video. Very helpful!
Thank you for your kind words! That is a nice setup you have there! 3 minutes at 350mm is impressive. You will definitely be putting it to the test with a 480mm scope. Please stop back by and let me know what your results are. My next upgrade is to the Samyang 135mm lens. I plan on purchasing it this winter and hope to shoot the Pleiades and Orion with it as my first targets! Take care and stay in touch!
Great video.. i had saved few bucks and was deciding what to buy frst . A good lens like samyang you mentioned or this tracker. As i already hav dslr and cheap nifty fifty and cheap 70 to 300 mm lens.. i bought this tracker and this video is definitely going to help me a lot.
I am so glad to hear that. You have a great set up to get started with this tracking mount.Let me know how your imaging goes and stop back by if you have any questions!
Hi Michael. Thank you for another awesome video... I didn't experiment yet, but hope to this month, with my Ioptron skyguider Pro and RedCat 51, and I was wondering what one should do with the mount after Polaris alignement. It would be logical that once Polaris is aligned the mount should be running at all times after that, to now follow the stars, but when you mount your camera after having aligned, and while the Skyguider is now running, doesn't it impact the alignment you just did when mounting the camera on the Skyguider? And shall one, with this unit, mount first if using the declination bracket vs a ball head, since one can still see through for alignment when mounted with declination bracket ? But could one bring the reticle at 12 o'clock and stabilize it with the camera mounted on Dec. Bkt ? And also, if one needs later to refocus the camera lens, does touching the camera and lens when it's on the running Skyguider slow down the mount motor while doing so, thus maybe losing the set alignment? I always wondered about all these but didn't find any review mentioning anything about these small issues that one will logically run into in first time "real life" attempt... Thanks for any insight if you have the time...
That is a great setup you have there! Once you align to Polaris you are good for the night. It doesn't' hurt to recheck but I've found that if I am locked in it is good to go for the evening. Even if I have to move to other targets. Yes, you will need to align before putting the ball mount and equipment on it. I have found that the SkyGuider is pretty sturdy. Light adjustments to the camera and focus won't affect it's alignment. Great questions!
6:38 Hello there! Thank you for your tutorial. My question is how the rotational axis of the tracker rotates if the clutch is tightened during tracking? Thank you!
You only need to align it once at the start of the night. After it is locked in on Polaris you are good for the night and don't need to unlock the clutch again until you are packing up for the night.
i have been looking at the star adventurer pro earlier this year. now i see they have a Star Adventurer 2i just out a month or so ago. I'm only now looking into the SkyGuider Pro and trying to figure out my best options. I'll be using my Fuji XT4 and assortment of lenses, largest being 50-140mm (possibly w/ a teleconverter), but looking at about 3.5 pounds for my camera. I guess the Ioptron Skytracker Pro could handle it.
The Star Adventurer 2i looks to add wifi but other than that the specs look similar. I would be interested to see if they updated the tracking gears on the inside. You should be fine in regards to weight with the SkyGuider. It can handle up to 11 pounds but I wouldn't suggest pushing it to the max. Anything under 4 pounds and you don't even need to use the included counter weight. The camera and lens I am about to upgrade to will run a total of about 3 pounds. Check out some reviews for the Star Adverturer 2i and let me know what you end up going with. I've had a nice experience with the Sky Guider Pro but it's always smart to shop around!
@@LateNightAstronomy yeah my Fuji XT4 and current largest lens 50-140mm together i think are only around 3lbs and I dont plan to go full frame. it's a toss up b/w the two for sure!!! ahhhhh
Really well put together video showing the basics without a lot of unnecessary fluff. I'm hoping to get one of these in February with an eye toward wide-field astrophotography (predominantly the Milky Way) as on moonless nights here in Arizona, it is breathtaking just to see it and I want to capture it too! I am curious though about trying for deeper sky objects with a Canon 1DMkIV and a 300mm f/3.8L IS. Will the Sky Guider Pro support that much weight? I'm going to guess that it definitely would not support a 1DMkIV + 500mm f/4L IS, huh? Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.
I appreciate you saying that! This is a great mount for widefield imaging of the milky way (something I have not been able to due effectively because of light pollution). The sky Guider Pro support up to 11 lbs. of weight but I wouldn't max it out. As long as your camera and lens are a couple pounds under that limit you should be fine. I would expect you can get some nice images out of a f/3.8 lens, even if you stop it down a bit to help with sharpness!
@@LateNightAstronomy Thanks for your feedback. Yes, I think my 300 f/2.8L would work quite nicely. I also have a 500mm f/4L but I don't think I want to shell out the cash just yet for a mount that would support that. I've done some fun Moon shots with the 500mm paired with a 2X Extender on a 24MP APS-C camera and friends jokingly refer to that rig as "Hubble Jr" Now that I know a little more about stacking via DSS and such, I may just try pointing it at a patch of sky, do some ISO 6400 10s Subs and see what DSS can create out of it just for fun! :) Clear Skies!!
@@jaybeckman3749 Go for it. I like the name "Lil Hubble". The Orion Nebula is a nice target now later in the evening and a perfect starting point for deep sky imaging.
@@sarathappu1890 They do cost a good amount of money. This was the one I decided to get from a price to performance perspective, but it took me about a year of research to feel comfortable buying a piece of equipment in this price range.
@@sarathappu1890 I've read that is a very nice mount as well. Both have their strengths and weaknesses and you can't go wrong with either one. I would suggest choosing the one that is most available and affordable for where you live!
Thanks for the information--it's helping me decide which product to purchase. I wonder, though, how is the longevity of the battery? The StarAdventurer doesn't have internal batteries (well, you can use 4 AA's) and it struck me as the SkyGuider having an internal battery should be useful. But, I wonder, what happens if you don't charge it for awhile? Or can you over-charge it? I've had this happen on other equipment before and ended up with a brick. I'd appreciate any advice you have.
The built in rechargeable battery was a part of my choice for buying this mount! There is a battery replacement you can purchase from iOptron (haven't needed to do that personally) and it looks to be a simple switch out of the part. Good question for what has been a great tracking mount for me over the past year and a half! Let me know what you end up deciding and clear skies!
Great video, one question - Since the tracker is rotating in a circle, wouldn't it only matter that Polaris is the same distance from the center of the reticle as on the polar finder app? Polaris will only appear to travel along that path as the time changes but it shouldn't matter what time it is, only your latitude. Can you confirm this?
I very much appreciate each of those compliments. High megapixels can actually have a negative impact on low light imaging because of the pixel sizes being smaller. With that said, it's hard not to buy a high megapixel camera these days and internal processing has come a long way to helping with that. Sony just released the mirrorless A7S III which has a low 12.1 megapixel sensor that is suppose to be incredible for low light video and photography. It is however, quite expensive. I have known people to take great astro-photos with everything from a used Canon T3i to a brand new Sony Mirrorless camera.
Hey, I have a question I haven't really been able to find a great answer to. Maybe I'm overthinking it. The mount stays pointed at Polaris, so how do you point a telescope at another specific location in the sky? Like Andromeda for example. Without moving the mount itself out of alignment. My redcat 51 is likely too heavy for a ball mount I'd think
Good question. The core of the mount is fixed on the area near Polaris while the rest of the mount can rotate and pivot to the target you are imaging. Look up one of my videos on "The Joy of Astrophotography" to see what I'm talking about regarding my DSLR moving on it.
@@LateNightAstronomy I'll check that out, thank you. I'm very new to this and still have a lot to figure out. I've had my SkyGuider pro for a few weeks but haven't been able to use it properly yet because I'm not sure what everything does lol. Getting there
@@LateNightAstronomy Thanks for the reply! I have a question. if I get a sky tracker like this and a zoom lens for my Sony mirrorless camera, would I be able to take high quality images of deep sky objects? If yes, then what ranges of focal length do you recommend for a lens? I did a mistake by buying a wrong telescope so I can't invest in buying a bigger and more expensive one. Thank you.
@@harainfinity For this tracking mount I would recommend 400mm and below. So far I have shot all of my images using a 50mm lens and 250mm lens on a cropped sensor Canon SL2. An excellent lens that I am about to purchase and review is the Samyang 135mm F2.0 lens. It is a killer fixed lens and I think will be the sweet spot for me imaging using the SkyGuider Pro.
Hi Michael. Thank you for the video. I was wondering if you ever upgraded to the William Optics base, and if yes, if you saw a major improvement... Thank you for any insight....
That is always on my short list of things to buy but I can't quite pull the trigger on it because the base that came with it (while far from perfect) works just fine. If you have the money I hear it is a good purchase.
Thanks. Regarding Polaris, it will not go in the center of the cross hairs. Go to 4:50 and see how I move Polaris to the proper position for my location. For that night, at that time, it was positioned just to the right of 11 o'clock. Your location will vary depending upon where you live and what time it is. Consult a polar alignment app like the one mentioned in the video to help figure out what works best for you.
Overall this was a simple tutorial to follow except that I don’t fully get where to align for Polaris in the reticle. Should you place it in the dead middle?
Good question and I'm glad you found it helpful. It does not go in the center, it will go somewhere along with 1 to 12 o'clock dial. Check out this separate video I took to see if it helps with more details on polar alignment. ruclips.net/video/EOy2LAFy3uo/видео.html
Thank you for this what is the advantage of this model over the skywatcher AZ-GTi tracking go to mount since its cheaper and also has teh goto option the same weight load!
I appreciate your comment! My research over several months kept bring me back to the SkyGuider Pro over other models due to it's superior tracking motor, consistent reliability and portability. That is not to speak ill of the Skywatcher AZ-GTi. I have not owned it and am impressed by the price range with goto features. If you are in the hunt for more opinions on it I would point you towards the forums at clouynights.com. I'm sure they have some threads on it. Let me know if I can help you with anything else and clear skies!
hi bro, thanks for your helpful video, i have a question, when we rotate the rectile, how do we know 12 o clock is at exactly vertical position? thanks
Great question. I didn't include it in this video but I've started to align Polaris to the center 12 o clock line and then will slowly move the SkyGuider up and down a bit to see if Polaris moves perfectly up and down the 12 o clock line. Once I make some fine tune adjustments I know that 12 o clock is vertical and then complete the alignment process. That may be too confusing through a comment but I hope it helps answer your question.
I have the SG Pro; are electronic mounts better than manual? Seems once u are aligned, the mount is locked in place. Unless electronic ones make PA much easier, or help with a guiding scope?
I really comes down to budget. The SG Pro is great for the price but larger guided tracking mounts will give better performance for larger equipment and longer exposure times.
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Auto Guide scopes and software can help get more solid tracking on an object by pinpointing certain stars in the field of view and using them to better track the night sky. It involves additional sensors and a laptop which I why I haven't dived into it yet. For something like the SkyGuider pro I personally think it is a bit of overkill unless you are shooting at 400mm plus with your focal length. For those with much more advanced tracking equipment who are shooting at very long focal lengths to get up close on galaxies for example, autoguiding is a must! Are you interested in astrophotography or do any imaging yourself?
@@LateNightAstronomy Just thinking I'm wanting to get into it. I have a Sony A7II with an F1.4 24mm and an F1.8 85mm lens. Last year I did some short exposer photos of the night sky with some image stacking, and am thinking of buying a sky tracker to up my game a little this year.
@@kingwolfjm8500 This would be a perfect one for that setup. I'm shooting with a Canon SL2 and 135mm F/2 Samyang lens currently. I'm going to be putting some videos together soon on image processing and stacking if you are interested. Let me know if you have any questions on any of this.
@@LateNightAstronomy I love a RUclipsr that takes time to talk to the people watching so I'm a subscriber to your channel now and I'll defiantly be keep an eye out for that processing video.
If were using the skyguider pro for Milky Way photography while backcountry camping without access to a phone. Is there a way to know where to align it without using a phone?
The apps used to help with exact Polaris alignment will work if you are able to get a GPS signal or enter your coordinates close to where you are in the app. Also for wide angle Milky Way shooting perfect alignment to Polaris isn't as important.
Good question. I have found that it keeps polar alignment fairly well for the lenses and gear I am using during and after installation. I shoot between 50mm and 135mm which is more forgiving of being slightly off of a perfect alignment than if I was shooting from 250mm to 400mm. Do you have the SkyGuider Pro?
I believe it is used to take shots where you would do a short exposure shot of the sky and land together. For instance, you could get an exposure of the milky way coming over a tree line while still keeping the tress fairly sharp. My guess is you couldn't do more than 30 seconds or so at 50mm without both things starting to streak.
That's a great question. Do a google search for how to polar align in the southern hemisphere. It normally involves the southern cross. Hope that helps and let me know if you have anymore questions!
I believe the best one out there is by William optics. Check it out at this link where HighPointScientific is selling it. bit.ly/3zHo3M9 If you use that link to buy it I may earn a small commission. Let me know if you have any questions.
Good question. The reason I bought this one is that it provides solid tracking for lighter payloads and does not require hookup to a laptop or phone to use. It is one of the most straight forward options other there to get into imaging.
Thanks! I did purchase the Sky Guider Pro and got it yesterday. NOW, to learn how to use it. THANKS FOR THE REPLY! I'll be watching more of your videos! :) GREAT JOB ON THEM!@@LateNightAstronomy
A great one to start with is the 50mm ef lens from canon. You can't go wrong starting with the nifty fifity. After that I would recommend the 135mm f/2 samyang. I will be purchasing that lens in early 2021.
Using the ioptron polar aligner with a ioptron skyguider pro and a dlsr with a 400mm lens, which max exposure time is possible to have? Does a general rule or formula exists?
It will really depends on a lot of factors, even subtle things like if there is a light breeze that evening. My best guess based off of my experience shooting at 250 mm sometimes is that you could do 60 seconds to 90 seconds unguided with solid results and potentially over 2 minutes if its guided. Do you own it now or are you looking to buy?
Thank you for the tutorial. I have one question though. On 01:23 you show the mount itself. And right there I see that the dial shows 0 degrees. When I try to assemble it, I cannot achieve this. I'm in the Northern hemisphere, 61 degrees north. How would the mount look like assembled for this location? Its polar alighnment scope will be facing the other way, toward the side with the bubble, not the other way as it's shown on 01:23. Or do I misunderstand something? This messes up everything, the declination bracket rotates the other way, OPPOSITE to the stars moving from left to right! This is so frustrating!
If I'm understanding your question correctly, you can remove the main red drive piece and shift it around so you could achieve your 61 degrees. The location of it relative to the bubble level shouldn't make much of a difference. If that doesn't make sense I would encourage you to call customer service for iOptron. Clear skies!
I have experience with a GoTo mount, but just acquired the SkyGuider for travel astrophotography. In my tests so far, I always have the image drifting out of frame. I upgraded the mount with a Williams optics wedge and Dec puck but I’m getting the same results. What might I be doing wrong?
The drift you are talking about it is a natural part of the process with how the sky moves even with a tracking mount. Does it take several hors for the object to drift out of view? Also, what focal length/camera lens are you shooting with?
@@LateNightAstronomy i dont experience It with my CEM40. I’m shooting with a small wide field refractor the Askar FMA230, very similar to a Redcat. Drift is noticeable from exposure to exposure. Pixinsight wouldn’t even stack my last evenings test. I only shot 45x 60sec frames
A little bit unclear with alignment instructions. Does the north star not need to be aligned in the center of the startracker? Im confused why you said everything rotates around it but then aligned it in the upper left corner.
Good question. The exact center of the rotating polar axis is just to the side of Polaris when you zoom in for alignment. Using an app like polar scope align will show you where on the reticle Polaris should go. But you are correct that it does not go in the dead center of the polar scope.
Hello, I have Coolpix P1000 but I do not have a tripod or tracker yet. I plan to take pictures of the moon, the planets & the stars. I have no idea what tripod or tracker I should get. Any advice would be helpful.
@Late Night Astronomy , Yes, I am able to shoot raw images with it. Is there a particular tripod you recommend for that camera? Thank you for answering my questions. I really appreciate it.
@@kirtosier7935 To start with I would pick something as simple as the amazon basic tripod. That's what I started shooting with a few years ago as I made my first steps into astrophotography.
@@deeber35 If you are doing wide field astrophotography you can do a general point towards Polaris and get pretty good results. The higher the focal length and longer the exposure the more precise things will need to be.
I tried using my SG Pro a couple of days ago and did everything wrong. LOL. I do have a question. If I wanted to photograph Andromeda with a 100 mm lens, how the heck do I find it in the viewfinder?????
You are in good company, we have all been there before!!! You have come across the most difficult part of using a DSLR setup that doesn't have a goto feature. I use an app like SkySafari to know which general part of the sky I am looking for and then using the live view finder pump the iso to max and try to find a bright star near Andromeda. Once I think I am in the right part of the sky, I'll take some long exposure test shots to see Andromeda is in frame. If it is I then make slight adjustments to center it before you start your night of imaging. When I first started using the skyguider pro this whole process could be up to 30 to 45 minutes of frustration. Once I became more comfortable with it and began finding objects quicker I've got it down to about a 15 minute trial and error process most nights.
@@LateNightAstronomy I really appreciate your help. Not sure when I will get out again but I want to try everything you talked about. You got me excited!! Thanks
@@LateNightAstronomy so, step 1: polar alignment, step 2: direct your camera to object. The whole setup will keep it in frame throughout the night without any additional equipment? You do not plug in anything in this setup. Thank you in advance. This video was really helpful!
Newb question. Am considering buying this. What is the purpose of using Polar Align Pro and putting Polaris where the APP wants? In my mind Polaris should be in the middle of the SGP reticle. Ie aligned. Or is this correcting and adjusting for the fact that Polaris is not EXACTLY the centre of rotation???? And it is correcting for that?
You are exactly correct. Polars is slightly off from the center of rotation. For visual observing and even some low focal length and short exposure imaging it probably won’t matter much. Regardless, I still like to lock it in perfectly just to have one less thing to troubleshoot if tracking seems a bit off and star trails appear. After some trial and error early on, I’ve had nothing but solid evenings of imaging with the skyguider pro! Great questions and let me know if I can help you with anything else!
@@LateNightAstronomy Sweet! Greatly appreciate the explanation. Next question - how easy is it to find objects with this? With a wideish field Red Cat or Z61? Without a Goto? I am reasonably familiar with the heavens. And Stellarium. Basic concepts of RA/Dec but currently using a 10 inch Dob. Want a setup that is light and portable. For the backyard and camping. I can currently easily find Andromeda. Could polar align in theory. I have trouble just plain seeing dimmer objects even in a very dark sky. Live in Vancouver and going to buy and Optolong L Pro filter. How easy is it to find some basic targets with this? Basic Messiers? This vs a HEQ5? Leaning towards this....
@@thepedalsadvocate7389 That is the learning curve with this for sure. I started with the brightest deep sky objects in the sky like Orion, Pleiades, etc. After that I moved to dim objects that were near bright stars making them easy to find, such as M81 and M82. I tend to shoot at 50mm right now and am about to buy a 135mm lens by the end of the year. Using focal lengths like that can help because they are wider. The higher you go, 250mm-400mm the more difficult it obviously becomes. This mount is small, portable, accurate and I think the best starting point for getting seriously into imaging. I will have more videos coming soon on the basic steps needed to find objects and process images.
@@LateNightAstronomy Good tips actually. And much appreciated. Was out in the Badlands of Alberta three weeks ago. Very dark sky. Using my 10 inch dob. Trying to find Pinwheel and Whirlpool Galaxies. Problem was.... to zoom enough to see them.... Too difficult to find them. Lol. I am looking at either the RedCat 51 (250) or the Z61 (360 mm). Fairly wide field..... Good quote though. "A starting point to getting into imaging". I currently take decentish photos of Jupiter and Saturn and Mars with my ZWO ASI224MC and my dob (manually kicked every 25 seconds to track). PIPP, AS, Registax. Lol.
@@thepedalsadvocate7389 Same here. I've got some recent videos out on imaging the planets with a dobsonian and using PiPP, AS etc. if you are interested!
You can see the sky with the polar scope that is included but this is not intended for visual observing, only imaging with a dslr or small telescope attached!
I'm a bit confused by what you showed in the video when setting up the tracker. You turned it on, pressed that button until it showed the lightbulb. Then you did the alignment. Is the tracker still on while you're aligning? Because later in the video, after you had added all the gear, you said "turn on the tracker". Wait... if you had polar aligned previously and the tracker was off while you attached all your gear, balanced it, and then found your target... wouldn't your alignment now be off, since the tracker wasn't on and tracking after you aligned? Thanks for any clarity you offer :)
Good question. The tracker is turned on while you are polar aligning so that the light can illuminate the reticle. I then typically will turn it off to save on battery and then turn it on later in the evening once everything is set up and I am ready to start tracking objects for the evening. The tracker wouldn't be off because once you are locked onto Polaris, you are good to turn it on and off all evening and it will still track correctly with the sky.
@@LateNightAstronomy got it. Once you've properly polar aligned, then Polaris would be traveling around the reticle circle. So, if you were to check later at night after you've setup all your gear, if you aligned properly Polaris would be positioned in the reticle where the app tells you it should be for the current time. Thanks for helping me clarify.
@@JonnyBravo0311 Also, try not to trip/kick/nudge the tripod, I have done this! :). Well worth doing a double check before you start imaging, I learned it the hard way so it's now automatic, possibly even overkill how often I check now haha
@@ukastrophoto9927 I’m quite sure at some point I’ll manage to knock the whole thing over while trying to “check” it 😂 . Great points about ensuring things are all properly in place.
I have just had first light with this mount . I bought a Williams optics high altitude base , a WO arc Swiss style scope clamp and dec bracket . Williams optics Redcat 51 as well . My question is about polar alignment. When I polar aligned prior to adding counterweight bar , even though I was careful , once adding equip was completed I threw out alignment . So I loaded all equipment on first then balance prior to PA. Here’s my question with the long part of the bar weight shaft holding the weight the clutch needed to be released , and counterweight rotated then locked up to see the illuminated reticle . Any suggestions ? It’s a royal pain having to rotate all that gear . Thanks !
Yeah, that is a difficult part of alignment for this mount for sure. I think what you are doing now is the best way for the setup you have. Like you said, just make sure everything is balanced well and freely moving so as to not put any stress on the gears. Move the reticle to 12 o'clock, lock it in place, Polar align and then unlock again to freely move to your object. What is your first object you are attempting to image with it?
I successfully imaged the north america nebula (45 mins in 90 Sec subs, and the pleiades again 90 sec subs , 60 mins , iso 1600 , flats and darks.. turned out real well , none guided so alignment and balance must have been pretty good.
@@chuckwebb531 Feel free to go to the about section of my RUclips Page and click on my business contact for an email address you can send them to. I would love to see your results!
It should be on the channel page of the video. That is where you can find my email and contact information as well. (PS. Sorry, for some reason this comment just came up for me to reply to even though I see that it is 2 years old)
I have not come across this issue when using my Skyguider Pro over the past year. What type of setup do you use for yours? When I rotate the polar scope to the 12 o'clock position prior to alignment the LEDs have always properly illuminated the reticle.
It definitely takes some trail and error and getting used to. Out of all the options out there I still think it is one of the most straight forward for diving into astrophotography.
A tip: Always put your gear on the tracker before the polar alignment process. Adding a counterweight and/or camera gear the mount after alignment can throw off the initial alignment.
That's a good point. Most of the time I don't use the counterweight system and just go with the ball mount setup which limits my ability to do that! I'll keep that in mind when I start to use the counterweight system, however! Clear skies!
Most RUclipsrs talk fast and unclearly, some with strong accent. They are hard to understand. You are different.You are providing slow and clear step by step instructions. Great! I learned a lot from you.Thank you very much.
That is very kind of you to say! I am glad you found my video helpful. Please let me know if I can help you with anything regarding astronomy and astrophotography! Take care and clear skies!
So far I’ve been very frustrated using the SkyGuiderPro, mainly because I struggle with alignment. Your video should help. I’ll give it another go on our next clear night. Thanks for doing this video.
I hope you have had more success with it. There definatley is a learning curve.
Great instructional video. A quick note for noobs like me: If your rig is *perfectly balanced* and you have tracking issues - Be sure to check that the clutch is actually locked. I have accidentally spun the clutch in the wrong direction and "locked" it in the open position, and couldn't understand why I'm not tracking well. I was freaking out until I understood I'm an idiot lol
Thanks for your comment and that's some good advice you provided as well! What have you been able to image with the SkyGuider Pro and what type of imaging equipment do you use?
@@LateNightAstronomy I only just started, but I use a Canon T2i with a 70-200mm (f4) lens. I live in a Bortle-8 area, but I managed to take a decent image of the Eagle+Omega nebulae using the L-eNhance, and I also took an image of the Hercules star cluster (no filter). Hoping to go to a dark site soon.
@@itaialter The Eagle Nebula is high on my list this Summer for imaging. I am waiting on purchasing the Samyang 135mm f/2. Once that is in, I will be attempting that target! keep up the good work and stay in touch!
I just bought the SkyGuider Pro. This video will go along way in giving me the instructions and confidence I'll need in setting it up and using it. Thanks!
Wonderful to hear and you won't be disappointed. I've got some Fall and Winter targets I'm itching to get at with it soon! Stop back by if you have any questions!
Cheers for this quick guide.
I am an experienced photographer (both commercial and hobby) and I've dabbled with a 127mm telescope some years ago with fairly pleasing results. However, I think this route is the way to go for astrophotography on a budget. After all, I have most of the camera gear already. Might purchase the Samyang 135 at some point. I'm on a Fuji crop sensor so should be OK.
It looks like you've got a good plan to get some imaging done! I have been very impressed with the Samyang/Rokinon lens.
I have one of these in the post so i am delighted i found your channel 👍🙂
It's great to have you join the Late Night Astronomy community! Keep me updated on what you are imaging and clear skies!
I have the Ioptron SkyGuider pro, this video is aging very well. Keep up the good work.
I appreacite that! I was pleased with how it turned out and am glad people are still finding it helpful!
another tip: wind plays a huge part in how long the exposure will be at longer focal lengths. I was using my ioptron with a camera at 300 mm, and the 7mph wind was affecting my images
That's a great point!
Ive had the Skyguider Pro now for about 6 months. Taken some great images. But i didnt know Polaris was supposed to be in the inner ring and not the outer ring of the dial. The Polar clock app i use only showed a single ring. So i just assumed it was the outer. Havent had any star trails except when i attempt to go 4 or 5min exposure. But definitely have had some bloated stars and focus issues. I reckon now from my bad alignments. So thanks for that nug of info. Also didnt know you could adjust the brightness of the dial. Thats also gonna be wicked useful. Especially for my astigmatism. So another huge thanks. One question regarding the Skyguider...have you ever been able to achieve 5min exposures? Guided or unguided, whats the longest youve gone with consistency? Thanks again for the info
It's a great tacking mount that I've been enjoying for three years now! Just need the clouds to go away for some more imaging this summer!
It's a very excellent, clear and helpful presentation! Thank you! Greetings from Hungary.
Thank you very much!
Muchas gracias por toda ésta información amigo 👌, esta noche de luna nueva saldré a poner en práctica lo aprendido.
¡Buena suerte y cielos despejados!
Glad I found your channel! Thanks for this video. Very well done!
I am trying to use the asi air to plate solve with this mount to help me position my 300mm lens on the object I want to image. I can plate solve ok but the location doesn’t seem to transfer to SkySafari pro because I get a connection failure message
@@bobbeanbags I appreciate your comment! I have not used the asi air but have read good things about it. Have you been in contact with SkySafari about the two not communicating well?
Awesome awesome vid. Thank you . Considering this vs MSM
Glad it was helpful! I've been enjoying this mount for 4 years now.
@@LateNightAstronomy
Thank u !!!!
Very good video. I have used the skyguider pro successfully at 350mm with my sony apsc camera and 3 minute exposures. With the skyguider base it is very difficult to polar align and to keep alignment. I upgrade to the WO base and it is noticeably easier to align and much sturdier. I would not hesitate recommending it. I also find the dec bracket of the SGP difficult and weak so have ordered the WO bracket and mount option. Have not received it yet so am not sure if it is worth it.
My goal is to set this up with a 480mm f6 scope (5.5 lbs) and tracking scope and camera. Will be ~ 8.5 lbs max.. If I can get 3 minute exposures out of that Im will be thrilled.
Thanks for uploading this video. Very helpful!
Thank you for your kind words! That is a nice setup you have there! 3 minutes at 350mm is impressive. You will definitely be putting it to the test with a 480mm scope. Please stop back by and let me know what your results are. My next upgrade is to the Samyang 135mm lens. I plan on purchasing it this winter and hope to shoot the Pleiades and Orion with it as my first targets!
Take care and stay in touch!
Great video.. i had saved few bucks and was deciding what to buy frst . A good lens like samyang you mentioned or this tracker. As i already hav dslr and cheap nifty fifty and cheap 70 to 300 mm lens.. i bought this tracker and this video is definitely going to help me a lot.
I am so glad to hear that. You have a great set up to get started with this tracking mount.Let me know how your imaging goes and stop back by if you have any questions!
Very well explained . Thanks
I appreciate that! Two years in and it still holds up as a great tracking mount for my DSLR and 135mm lens.
Wonderful Tutorial with exactly what one needs to know to get started.
I appreciate you saying that. It's exactly what I was going for in the video. Take care and clear skies!
Great video!! Very informative as always!!
Glad you liked it!
Thank you for this!!!!! 🤩
Your are quite welcome!
Hi Michael. Thank you for another awesome video... I didn't experiment yet, but hope to this month, with my Ioptron skyguider Pro and RedCat 51, and I was wondering what one should do with the mount after Polaris alignement.
It would be logical that once Polaris is aligned the mount should be running at all times after that, to now follow the stars, but when you mount your camera after having aligned, and while the Skyguider is now running, doesn't it impact the alignment you just did when mounting the camera on the Skyguider?
And shall one, with this unit, mount first if using the declination bracket vs a ball head, since one can still see through for alignment when mounted with declination bracket ? But could one bring the reticle at 12 o'clock and stabilize it with the camera mounted on Dec. Bkt ?
And also, if one needs later to refocus the camera lens, does touching the camera and lens when it's on the running Skyguider slow down the mount motor while doing so, thus maybe losing the set alignment?
I always wondered about all these but didn't find any review mentioning anything about these small issues that one will logically run into in first time "real life" attempt...
Thanks for any insight if you have the time...
That is a great setup you have there!
Once you align to Polaris you are good for the night. It doesn't' hurt to recheck but I've found that if I am locked in it is good to go for the evening. Even if I have to move to other targets.
Yes, you will need to align before putting the ball mount and equipment on it.
I have found that the SkyGuider is pretty sturdy. Light adjustments to the camera and focus won't affect it's alignment.
Great questions!
great information on your channel. Can you have tutorial for iPolar scope?
Thanks so much. I don't currently own that but will keep it in mind for a possible future video!
EXCELLENT video 💯🏆
I appreciate that! This is an older video of mine and I'm glad people are still finding it helpful.
Nice video
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it
Awesome review!
I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's a great product and I'm looking forward to getting back out for some imaging in the coming months!
6:38 Hello there! Thank you for your tutorial. My question is how the rotational axis of the tracker rotates if the clutch is tightened during tracking? Thank you!
You only need to align it once at the start of the night. After it is locked in on Polaris you are good for the night and don't need to unlock the clutch again until you are packing up for the night.
i have been looking at the star adventurer pro earlier this year. now i see they have a Star Adventurer 2i just out a month or so ago. I'm only now looking into the SkyGuider Pro and trying to figure out my best options. I'll be using my Fuji XT4 and assortment of lenses, largest being 50-140mm (possibly w/ a teleconverter), but looking at about 3.5 pounds for my camera. I guess the Ioptron Skytracker Pro could handle it.
The Star Adventurer 2i looks to add wifi but other than that the specs look similar. I would be interested to see if they updated the tracking gears on the inside. You should be fine in regards to weight with the SkyGuider. It can handle up to 11 pounds but I wouldn't suggest pushing it to the max. Anything under 4 pounds and you don't even need to use the included counter weight. The camera and lens I am about to upgrade to will run a total of about 3 pounds. Check out some reviews for the Star Adverturer 2i and let me know what you end up going with. I've had a nice experience with the Sky Guider Pro but it's always smart to shop around!
@@LateNightAstronomy yeah my Fuji XT4 and current largest lens 50-140mm together i think are only around 3lbs and I dont plan to go full frame. it's a toss up b/w the two for sure!!! ahhhhh
Really well put together video showing the basics without a lot of unnecessary fluff. I'm hoping to get one of these in February with an eye toward wide-field astrophotography (predominantly the Milky Way) as on moonless nights here in Arizona, it is breathtaking just to see it and I want to capture it too! I am curious though about trying for deeper sky objects with a Canon 1DMkIV and a 300mm f/3.8L IS. Will the Sky Guider Pro support that much weight? I'm going to guess that it definitely would not support a 1DMkIV + 500mm f/4L IS, huh? Thanks in advance for your thoughts on this.
I appreciate you saying that! This is a great mount for widefield imaging of the milky way (something I have not been able to due effectively because of light pollution). The sky Guider Pro support up to 11 lbs. of weight but I wouldn't max it out. As long as your camera and lens are a couple pounds under that limit you should be fine. I would expect you can get some nice images out of a f/3.8 lens, even if you stop it down a bit to help with sharpness!
@@LateNightAstronomy Thanks for your feedback. Yes, I think my 300 f/2.8L would work quite nicely. I also have a 500mm f/4L but I don't think I want to shell out the cash just yet for a mount that would support that. I've done some fun Moon shots with the 500mm paired with a 2X Extender on a 24MP APS-C camera and friends jokingly refer to that rig as "Hubble Jr" Now that I know a little more about stacking via DSS and such, I may just try pointing it at a patch of sky, do some ISO 6400 10s Subs and see what DSS can create out of it just for fun! :)
Clear Skies!!
@@jaybeckman3749 Go for it. I like the name "Lil Hubble". The Orion Nebula is a nice target now later in the evening and a perfect starting point for deep sky imaging.
Thank you, Michael for your great, clear and helpful videos...
I really appreciate your generosity and support of my channel!
Nice explanation
I'm glad you found it helpful. Are you looking to buy a tracking mount for astrophotography?
@@LateNightAstronomy yes but it's too expensive
@@sarathappu1890 They do cost a good amount of money. This was the one I decided to get from a price to performance perspective, but it took me about a year of research to feel comfortable buying a piece of equipment in this price range.
@@LateNightAstronomy sky adventure pro is better than this
@@sarathappu1890 I've read that is a very nice mount as well. Both have their strengths and weaknesses and you can't go wrong with either one. I would suggest choosing the one that is most available and affordable for where you live!
Thanks for the information--it's helping me decide which product to purchase. I wonder, though, how is the longevity of the battery? The StarAdventurer doesn't have internal batteries (well, you can use 4 AA's) and it struck me as the SkyGuider having an internal battery should be useful. But, I wonder, what happens if you don't charge it for awhile? Or can you over-charge it? I've had this happen on other equipment before and ended up with a brick. I'd appreciate any advice you have.
The built in rechargeable battery was a part of my choice for buying this mount! There is a battery replacement you can purchase from iOptron (haven't needed to do that personally) and it looks to be a simple switch out of the part. Good question for what has been a great tracking mount for me over the past year and a half! Let me know what you end up deciding and clear skies!
Great video, one question - Since the tracker is rotating in a circle, wouldn't it only matter that Polaris is the same distance from the center of the reticle as on the polar finder app? Polaris will only appear to travel along that path as the time changes but it shouldn't matter what time it is, only your latitude. Can you confirm this?
Good question. I've always read it is best to have it on the exact spot.
Great job
Easy to follow
Good sound
Question higher megapixel on a mirrorless camera
I very much appreciate each of those compliments. High megapixels can actually have a negative impact on low light imaging because of the pixel sizes being smaller. With that said, it's hard not to buy a high megapixel camera these days and internal processing has come a long way to helping with that. Sony just released the mirrorless A7S III which has a low 12.1 megapixel sensor that is suppose to be incredible for low light video and photography. It is however, quite expensive. I have known people to take great astro-photos with everything from a used Canon T3i to a brand new Sony Mirrorless camera.
Hey, I have a question I haven't really been able to find a great answer to. Maybe I'm overthinking it. The mount stays pointed at Polaris, so how do you point a telescope at another specific location in the sky? Like Andromeda for example. Without moving the mount itself out of alignment. My redcat 51 is likely too heavy for a ball mount I'd think
Good question. The core of the mount is fixed on the area near Polaris while the rest of the mount can rotate and pivot to the target you are imaging. Look up one of my videos on "The Joy of Astrophotography" to see what I'm talking about regarding my DSLR moving on it.
@@LateNightAstronomy I'll check that out, thank you. I'm very new to this and still have a lot to figure out. I've had my SkyGuider pro for a few weeks but haven't been able to use it properly yet because I'm not sure what everything does lol. Getting there
Thanks for the good video.
Anytime! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment! Stop back by and take care.
@@LateNightAstronomy Thanks for the reply! I have a question. if I get a sky tracker like this and a zoom lens for my Sony mirrorless camera, would I be able to take high quality images of deep sky objects? If yes, then what ranges of focal length do you recommend for a lens? I did a mistake by buying a wrong telescope so I can't invest in buying a bigger and more expensive one. Thank you.
@@harainfinity For this tracking mount I would recommend 400mm and below. So far I have shot all of my images using a 50mm lens and 250mm lens on a cropped sensor Canon SL2. An excellent lens that I am about to purchase and review is the Samyang 135mm F2.0 lens. It is a killer fixed lens and I think will be the sweet spot for me imaging using the SkyGuider Pro.
Excelente, Muchas Gracias !!!
You've welcome! Thanks for the comment!
thank you fantastic . where can i find morre info how to make dark and bias and flat images .
I plan on putting together detailed videos on this topic in early 2021. Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for your comment!
Do have a video regarding keeping multiple exposures lined up each time?
No, I don't at this time. But check out my astrophotography playlists for many how to videos and tutorials.
Hi Michael. Thank you for the video. I was wondering if you ever upgraded to the William Optics base, and if yes, if you saw a major improvement... Thank you for any insight....
That is always on my short list of things to buy but I can't quite pull the trigger on it because the base that came with it (while far from perfect) works just fine. If you have the money I hear it is a good purchase.
@@LateNightAstronomy Thank you for you insight Michael. Clear skies!
Thanks very helpfull
Glad it helped
Great job! just to make sure you need to put Polaris in the middle of the cross hairs?
Thanks. Regarding Polaris, it will not go in the center of the cross hairs. Go to 4:50 and see how I move Polaris to the proper position for my location. For that night, at that time, it was positioned just to the right of 11 o'clock. Your location will vary depending upon where you live and what time it is. Consult a polar alignment app like the one mentioned in the video to help figure out what works best for you.
Overall this was a simple tutorial to follow except that I don’t fully get where to align for Polaris in the reticle. Should you place it in the dead middle?
Good question and I'm glad you found it helpful. It does not go in the center, it will go somewhere along with 1 to 12 o'clock dial. Check out this separate video I took to see if it helps with more details on polar alignment. ruclips.net/video/EOy2LAFy3uo/видео.html
Thanks.
You're welcome
Thank you for this what is the advantage of this model over the skywatcher AZ-GTi tracking go to mount since its cheaper and also has teh goto option the same weight load!
I appreciate your comment! My research over several months kept bring me back to the SkyGuider Pro over other models due to it's superior tracking motor, consistent reliability and portability. That is not to speak ill of the Skywatcher AZ-GTi. I have not owned it and am impressed by the price range with goto features. If you are in the hunt for more opinions on it I would point you towards the forums at clouynights.com. I'm sure they have some threads on it. Let me know if I can help you with anything else and clear skies!
hi bro, thanks for your helpful video, i have a question, when we rotate the rectile, how do we know 12 o clock is at exactly vertical position? thanks
Great question. I didn't include it in this video but I've started to align Polaris to the center 12 o clock line and then will slowly move the SkyGuider up and down a bit to see if Polaris moves perfectly up and down the 12 o clock line. Once I make some fine tune adjustments I know that 12 o clock is vertical and then complete the alignment process. That may be too confusing through a comment but I hope it helps answer your question.
@@LateNightAstronomy thanks bro, that is a good idea for me to try. clear skies!😊😊😊
First view😍
Haha, thanks for the support!
I have the SG Pro; are electronic mounts better than manual? Seems once u are aligned, the mount is locked in place. Unless electronic ones make PA much easier, or help with a guiding scope?
I really comes down to budget. The SG Pro is great for the price but larger guided tracking mounts will give better performance for larger equipment and longer exposure times.
I'm assuming the numbers to the right of the zero would be positive latitude, and the numbers left negative latitude. Is that right?
I believe so, yes.
Can iOptron be used for tacking the sun? For example: during solar eclipse? Thank you in advance.
Yes, it does have a solar setting.
Can you give a little more detail on what the auto guide is, where I might buy one what it is and what I would use it for?
Thanks, great video
I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Auto Guide scopes and software can help get more solid tracking on an object by pinpointing certain stars in the field of view and using them to better track the night sky. It involves additional sensors and a laptop which I why I haven't dived into it yet. For something like the SkyGuider pro I personally think it is a bit of overkill unless you are shooting at 400mm plus with your focal length. For those with much more advanced tracking equipment who are shooting at very long focal lengths to get up close on galaxies for example, autoguiding is a must! Are you interested in astrophotography or do any imaging yourself?
@@LateNightAstronomy
Just thinking I'm wanting to get into it. I have a Sony A7II with an F1.4 24mm and an F1.8 85mm lens. Last year I did some short exposer photos of the night sky with some image stacking, and am thinking of buying a sky tracker to up my game a little this year.
@@kingwolfjm8500 This would be a perfect one for that setup. I'm shooting with a Canon SL2 and 135mm F/2 Samyang lens currently. I'm going to be putting some videos together soon on image processing and stacking if you are interested. Let me know if you have any questions on any of this.
@@LateNightAstronomy
I love a RUclipsr that takes time to talk to the people watching so I'm a subscriber to your channel now and I'll defiantly be keep an eye out for that processing video.
If were using the skyguider pro for Milky Way photography while backcountry camping without access to a phone. Is there a way to know where to align it without using a phone?
The apps used to help with exact Polaris alignment will work if you are able to get a GPS signal or enter your coordinates close to where you are in the app. Also for wide angle Milky Way shooting perfect alignment to Polaris isn't as important.
So when you polar align without the gear and counterweight attached do you find it is out of polar alignment after you add everything?
Good question. I have found that it keeps polar alignment fairly well for the lenses and gear I am using during and after installation. I shoot between 50mm and 135mm which is more forgiving of being slightly off of a perfect alignment than if I was shooting from 250mm to 400mm. Do you have the SkyGuider Pro?
What is the purpose of the half speed setting? I can't think how that would be useful.
I believe it is used to take shots where you would do a short exposure shot of the sky and land together. For instance, you could get an exposure of the milky way coming over a tree line while still keeping the tress fairly sharp. My guess is you couldn't do more than 30 seconds or so at 50mm without both things starting to streak.
thank you for the video. my problem is , i live near equator , seeing polaris like impossible. what should i do for polar alignment? thank you?
That's a great question. Do a google search for how to polar align in the southern hemisphere. It normally involves the southern cross. Hope that helps and let me know if you have anymore questions!
Can u suggest a better base for micro-adjustments that is fairly low cost?
I believe the best one out there is by William optics. Check it out at this link where HighPointScientific is selling it. bit.ly/3zHo3M9
If you use that link to buy it I may earn a small commission.
Let me know if you have any questions.
With all these trackers do you need to haul around your laptop and DO YOU NEED WIFI for the programs to work?
Good question. The reason I bought this one is that it provides solid tracking for lighter payloads and does not require hookup to a laptop or phone to use. It is one of the most straight forward options other there to get into imaging.
Thanks! I did purchase the Sky Guider Pro and got it yesterday. NOW, to learn how to use it. THANKS FOR THE REPLY!
I'll be watching more of your videos! :) GREAT JOB ON THEM!@@LateNightAstronomy
Great video! Which lenses for the DSLR do you suggest for deep space ap?
A great one to start with is the 50mm ef lens from canon. You can't go wrong starting with the nifty fifity. After that I would recommend the 135mm f/2 samyang. I will be purchasing that lens in early 2021.
@@LateNightAstronomy great, thanks!
Using the ioptron polar aligner with a ioptron skyguider pro and a dlsr with a 400mm lens, which max exposure time is possible to have? Does a general rule or formula exists?
It will really depends on a lot of factors, even subtle things like if there is a light breeze that evening. My best guess based off of my experience shooting at 250 mm sometimes is that you could do 60 seconds to 90 seconds unguided with solid results and potentially over 2 minutes if its guided. Do you own it now or are you looking to buy?
@@LateNightAstronomy i received it as a gift, so i am trying to find out how to use it, collecting as many infos as i can!
@@alessandrofiori5870 Excellent gift! Stop back by with any questions you have throughout the process.
Thank you for the tutorial. I have one question though. On 01:23 you show the mount itself. And right there I see that the dial shows 0 degrees. When I try to assemble it, I cannot achieve this. I'm in the Northern hemisphere, 61 degrees north. How would the mount look like assembled for this location? Its polar alighnment scope will be facing the other way, toward the side with the bubble, not the other way as it's shown on 01:23. Or do I misunderstand something? This messes up everything, the declination bracket rotates the other way, OPPOSITE to the stars moving from left to right! This is so frustrating!
If I'm understanding your question correctly, you can remove the main red drive piece and shift it around so you could achieve your 61 degrees. The location of it relative to the bubble level shouldn't make much of a difference. If that doesn't make sense I would encourage you to call customer service for iOptron. Clear skies!
I have experience with a GoTo mount, but just acquired the SkyGuider for travel astrophotography. In my tests so far, I always have the image drifting out of frame. I upgraded the mount with a Williams optics wedge and Dec puck but I’m getting the same results. What might I be doing wrong?
The drift you are talking about it is a natural part of the process with how the sky moves even with a tracking mount. Does it take several hors for the object to drift out of view? Also, what focal length/camera lens are you shooting with?
@@LateNightAstronomy i dont experience It with my CEM40. I’m shooting with a small wide field refractor the Askar FMA230, very similar to a Redcat. Drift is noticeable from exposure to exposure. Pixinsight wouldn’t even stack my last evenings test. I only shot 45x 60sec frames
@@lwizzit Hmmm. Are you getting star trails? Or are the stars pin point but the image is drifting?
@@LateNightAstronomy I was getting star trails at over 60 secs even with guiding. Guiding looked good at
A little bit unclear with alignment instructions. Does the north star not need to be aligned in the center of the startracker? Im confused why you said everything rotates around it but then aligned it in the upper left corner.
Good question. The exact center of the rotating polar axis is just to the side of Polaris when you zoom in for alignment. Using an app like polar scope align will show you where on the reticle Polaris should go. But you are correct that it does not go in the dead center of the polar scope.
When aligning the sky guider for Polaris don't u want the dot in the center circle.
That's a good question. You actually don't because Polaris is not perfectly at the center of the north celestial pole.
@@LateNightAstronomy thanks. Puts my mind at ease.
Hello, I have Coolpix P1000 but I do not have a tripod or tracker yet. I plan to take pictures of the moon, the planets & the stars. I have no idea what tripod or tracker I should get. Any advice would be helpful.
I would start out buying a tripod and doing some images of the Moon and Star Trails. Are you able to shoot RAW images with that camera?
@Late Night Astronomy , Yes, I am able to shoot raw images with it. Is there a particular tripod you recommend for that camera? Thank you for answering my questions. I really appreciate it.
@@kirtosier7935 To start with I would pick something as simple as the amazon basic tripod. That's what I started shooting with a few years ago as I made my first steps into astrophotography.
@@LateNightAstronomy , ok thankyou
What if u can't see the north star? Will a compass and angle measure be ok?
Do you live in the southern hemisphere or is it blocked by something?
@@LateNightAstronomy I'm in the north, but I can't see the northern half of the sky due to blockage. I face south.
@@deeber35 If you are doing wide field astrophotography you can do a general point towards Polaris and get pretty good results. The higher the focal length and longer the exposure the more precise things will need to be.
I tried using my SG Pro a couple of days ago and did everything wrong. LOL. I do have a question. If I wanted to photograph Andromeda with a 100 mm lens, how the heck do I find it in the viewfinder?????
You are in good company, we have all been there before!!! You have come across the most difficult part of using a DSLR setup that doesn't have a goto feature. I use an app like SkySafari to know which general part of the sky I am looking for and then using the live view finder pump the iso to max and try to find a bright star near Andromeda. Once I think I am in the right part of the sky, I'll take some long exposure test shots to see Andromeda is in frame. If it is I then make slight adjustments to center it before you start your night of imaging. When I first started using the skyguider pro this whole process could be up to 30 to 45 minutes of frustration. Once I became more comfortable with it and began finding objects quicker I've got it down to about a 15 minute trial and error process most nights.
@@LateNightAstronomy I really appreciate your help. Not sure when I will get out again but I want to try everything you talked about. You got me excited!! Thanks
@@LateNightAstronomy so, step 1: polar alignment, step 2: direct your camera to object. The whole setup will keep it in frame throughout the night without any additional equipment? You do not plug in anything in this setup.
Thank you in advance. This video was really helpful!
@@MPOGOS Glad to hear it! Clear Skies!
Newb question. Am considering buying this. What is the purpose of using Polar Align Pro and putting Polaris where the APP wants? In my mind Polaris should be in the middle of the SGP reticle. Ie aligned. Or is this correcting and adjusting for the fact that Polaris is not EXACTLY the centre of rotation???? And it is correcting for that?
You are exactly correct. Polars is slightly off from the center of rotation. For visual observing and even some low focal length and short exposure imaging it probably won’t matter much. Regardless, I still like to lock it in perfectly just to have one less thing to troubleshoot if tracking seems a bit off and star trails appear. After some trial and error early on, I’ve had nothing but solid evenings of imaging with the skyguider pro! Great questions and let me know if I can help you with anything else!
@@LateNightAstronomy Sweet! Greatly appreciate the explanation.
Next question - how easy is it to find objects with this? With a wideish field Red Cat or Z61? Without a Goto?
I am reasonably familiar with the heavens. And Stellarium. Basic concepts of RA/Dec but currently using a 10 inch Dob. Want a setup that is light and portable. For the backyard and camping.
I can currently easily find Andromeda. Could polar align in theory. I have trouble just plain seeing dimmer objects even in a very dark sky. Live in Vancouver and going to buy and Optolong L Pro filter.
How easy is it to find some basic targets with this? Basic Messiers? This vs a HEQ5? Leaning towards this....
@@thepedalsadvocate7389 That is the learning curve with this for sure. I started with the brightest deep sky objects in the sky like Orion, Pleiades, etc. After that I moved to dim objects that were near bright stars making them easy to find, such as M81 and M82. I tend to shoot at 50mm right now and am about to buy a 135mm lens by the end of the year. Using focal lengths like that can help because they are wider. The higher you go, 250mm-400mm the more difficult it obviously becomes. This mount is small, portable, accurate and I think the best starting point for getting seriously into imaging. I will have more videos coming soon on the basic steps needed to find objects and process images.
@@LateNightAstronomy Good tips actually. And much appreciated. Was out in the Badlands of Alberta three weeks ago. Very dark sky. Using my 10 inch dob. Trying to find Pinwheel and Whirlpool Galaxies. Problem was.... to zoom enough to see them.... Too difficult to find them. Lol.
I am looking at either the RedCat 51 (250) or the Z61 (360 mm). Fairly wide field.....
Good quote though. "A starting point to getting into imaging". I currently take decentish photos of Jupiter and Saturn and Mars with my ZWO ASI224MC and my dob (manually kicked every 25 seconds to track). PIPP, AS, Registax. Lol.
@@thepedalsadvocate7389 Same here. I've got some recent videos out on imaging the planets with a dobsonian and using PiPP, AS etc. if you are interested!
Can you please tell me what Tripod you are using?
It is the 1.25 inch tripod sold by ioptron. I believe it runs around 90 US dollars. www.ioptron.com/product-p/3221.htm
Hi guy, can i see sky without any camera fitted. ??
You can see the sky with the polar scope that is included but this is not intended for visual observing, only imaging with a dslr or small telescope attached!
I'm a bit confused by what you showed in the video when setting up the tracker. You turned it on, pressed that button until it showed the lightbulb. Then you did the alignment. Is the tracker still on while you're aligning? Because later in the video, after you had added all the gear, you said "turn on the tracker". Wait... if you had polar aligned previously and the tracker was off while you attached all your gear, balanced it, and then found your target... wouldn't your alignment now be off, since the tracker wasn't on and tracking after you aligned?
Thanks for any clarity you offer :)
Good question. The tracker is turned on while you are polar aligning so that the light can illuminate the reticle. I then typically will turn it off to save on battery and then turn it on later in the evening once everything is set up and I am ready to start tracking objects for the evening. The tracker wouldn't be off because once you are locked onto Polaris, you are good to turn it on and off all evening and it will still track correctly with the sky.
@@LateNightAstronomy got it. Once you've properly polar aligned, then Polaris would be traveling around the reticle circle. So, if you were to check later at night after you've setup all your gear, if you aligned properly Polaris would be positioned in the reticle where the app tells you it should be for the current time. Thanks for helping me clarify.
@@JonnyBravo0311 You are exactly right! Thanks for such a good question and let me know if I can help you with anything else.
@@JonnyBravo0311 Also, try not to trip/kick/nudge the tripod, I have done this! :). Well worth doing a double check before you start imaging, I learned it the hard way so it's now automatic, possibly even overkill how often I check now haha
@@ukastrophoto9927 I’m quite sure at some point I’ll manage to knock the whole thing over while trying to “check” it 😂 . Great points about ensuring things are all properly in place.
I have just had first light with this mount . I bought a Williams optics high altitude base , a WO arc Swiss style scope clamp and dec bracket . Williams optics Redcat 51 as well . My question is about polar alignment. When I polar aligned prior to adding counterweight bar , even though I was careful , once adding equip was completed I threw out alignment .
So I loaded all equipment on first then balance prior to PA. Here’s my question with the long part of the bar weight shaft holding the weight the clutch needed to be released , and counterweight rotated then locked up to see the illuminated reticle . Any suggestions ? It’s a royal pain having to rotate all that gear . Thanks !
Yeah, that is a difficult part of alignment for this mount for sure. I think what you are doing now is the best way for the setup you have. Like you said, just make sure everything is balanced well and freely moving so as to not put any stress on the gears. Move the reticle to 12 o'clock, lock it in place, Polar align and then unlock again to freely move to your object. What is your first object you are attempting to image with it?
I successfully imaged the north america nebula (45 mins in 90 Sec subs, and the pleiades again 90 sec subs , 60 mins , iso 1600 , flats and darks.. turned out real well , none guided so alignment and balance must have been pretty good.
send me your email and i will show you if you like or chuckwebb@shaw.ca
@@chuckwebb531 That is great news, Chuck. I have not had to do guiding for my setup and have been pleased with the results.
@@chuckwebb531 Feel free to go to the about section of my RUclips Page and click on my business contact for an email address you can send them to. I would love to see your results!
Where do I find your about section ?
It should be on the channel page of the video. That is where you can find my email and contact information as well. (PS. Sorry, for some reason this comment just came up for me to reply to even though I see that it is 2 years old)
You don't seem to know that changing the DEC to long on top makes the LED that lights the radical useless.
I have not come across this issue when using my Skyguider Pro over the past year. What type of setup do you use for yours? When I rotate the polar scope to the 12 o'clock position prior to alignment the LEDs have always properly illuminated the reticle.
Complicated
It definitely takes some trail and error and getting used to. Out of all the options out there I still think it is one of the most straight forward for diving into astrophotography.