ZWO Resolution and My Solution to the Problem!
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- Опубликовано: 21 мар 2024
- This video is the second part to the 1 year ZWO ecosystem review. My goal is only to share my experience and the huge amount of work that’s gone into the last few months to find alternative companies that I believe will serve our community well going forward. It’s not an attack on anyone’s gear and you will continue to see (some) ZWO gear on some of my rigs as I continue to phase it out. Sometimes the brands that are the most marketed are seen as the best option, I just wanted to give a voice to some other options that I have had a great experience with thus far and hope you will too!
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Ryan - appreciate the followup video on this, I was literally the first subscriber to watch it. As a community, we need to band together and support companies that serve us well. It will send a strong message to the others…we hope. Thanks again. Dave from Montreal, Canada
Appreciate the comment and that was the whole goal, basically create a bit of leverage on our side with a community approach. That way they know I’ll only be recommending them, but on the flipside people need to be taken care of if there is an issue. I know I can get a hold of the owner of these companies or someone in a position to get something done and make it right for anyone in our group if they have a problem going to them first, which I doubt will ever happen!
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Well, I’m sad that it came to that for you. As a consumer and owner of some ZWO products, I’m happy you are putting pressure on them to do better. They can’t survive if we all migrate to other brands.
As always you’re very candid and helpful, clear skies and thank you
I think these videos of yours are incredibly valuable. You come across as very honest and even manage to give negative critique in a calm and respectful manner. That's a very good skill to have, and it's easy to take what you say seriously because of it, since it also gives even more weight to your positive critiques.
I can also vouch for Pegasus Astro. I have a couple of their products. I ran into a problem with one of them, and the customer service I got was top notch.
Same can be said for my experiences with Player One.
Keep up the good work Ryan. I really think these videos are helpful to many. Consider me a new patreon of yours.
Hi Ryan, I really enjoy your videos, please keep them coming.
I've had great experiences (on the field and with customer service) with Losmandy and also AstroPhysics mounts. The ones I bought were both over 12 years old, so I got really good pricing. They both out perform (in service and field) any of the much newer Chinese made mounts I used to own. I do use ZWO cameras and so far have been very happy with their performance.
Hi thanks for another great video that really strikes at the heart of everyone’s problem. I know each organisation has a number of customers but if and when you have a problem you want it sorting effectively, Efficiently and quickly as clear skies don’t wait for anyone.
Great video Ryan! After a couple of years of tip-toeing around the astrophotography hobby, I decided to get into it full bore around December 2021. First thing was getting a good goto mount. I had never heard of Losmandy, but my online research lead me to ordering a GM811, which arrived in March 2022. There’s a learning curve, but the support community is good, and Losmandy support has been great. I’ve ordered a fair bit of additional hardware from them, and the service has always been good. I highly recommend them, and I was delighted when you recommended Losmandy in this video.
Thanks for this follow up video, it is a very important issue to tackle and thank you for taking such a dedicated and serious approach! 💪
Glad people seem to be getting value from the work. There are so many choices these days, and sometimes the most marketed aren’t always the best and it’s hard to find the lesser known options that are really great companies like Stellarvue, Losmandy, etc.
I'm running an old Losmandy G11, I bought it used and had it upgraded to newest specs. Works nice and I love that it is made in USA!
Losmandy has been known for quality since they started. You will still find support for mounts that are 15-20 years old.
Do they have a SWG mount? They need to get with the times.
@@EricBarger no and they likely wont anytime soon they are really invested in “forever” type products that may not be super trendy but will last a lifetime. Their research as far has shown that there will be potential long-term wear and tear issues with SWG mounts. You’ll notice none of the top performing mount companies have adopted SWG - Astrophysics, 10 micron, or Software Bisque.
With Pegasus on board though they sent out an NYX-101 and I just unboxed it and will be testing it here this week weather depending. So between the two there’s a solid mount option for pretty much anyone.
Absolutely they make a super solid product and what’s nice is almost all of their designs you’re able to retrofit new upgrades which is awesome. The newest version of Gemeni is so plug and play now, I couldn’t believe it
@@darkrangersinc I have a WarpAstron WD-20 on the way. I get the Losmandy mounts. I’ve been doing this for thirty years and I’d buy them for my observatory but not for the field mount I carry in and out.
We are on the same page. I think they would do a great job with a SWG mount personally.
Welcome to Team Losmandy. Love your content. Would be interested in your experience with PEC training the G11 if you decide to do so. I am watching the Losmandy forums intently and waiting for the Losmandy G11 specific version of PEMPRO before I go down that particular rabbit hole.
Thanks for this video Ryan. I was just about to order an AM5, several cameras and a bunch of other stuff from them. I don't think I've ever seen a company selling expensive products completely ignore their warranty.
We call them plastic bubbles if you are in the plastic bubble you are more likely to forgive, however when pushed too hard the bubble will pop! The important thing is not needlessly get in the bubble in the first place. I too am worried where my next camara will come from. When I bought my first ZWO camera I worked with OPT to resolve some warranty issues OPT was fantastic and was in the middle (CCed) of all my emails and I got great customer service from them (4 years ago). Just goes to show you CS can change and quickly in either direction. Sounds like we are talking about car brands🤣😁
I guess what I am saying is thank you for the video and helping me look to outside the box in my future purchases.
Excellent content Ryan, everyone will swear to the product until it fails to them and have to attempt to claim a warranty, on the other hand it really impresses me how fast they turn around when you let them know you're going to leave a bad review, even more so, someone like you with your platform will highly impsct them. Thanks for bringing competence to the market, this will only make vendors to improve. Hopefully more content creators will do it as well.
Appreciate this video! I have thankfully had good experience with ZWO customer support but hearing these stories has me worried that it will eventually be me. Personally have been torn - I love my QHY camera but love the idea of the ASIAir. Currently my use of a PA powerbox + mini PC is fine, but I do find it to be a headache out in the field. I have an ASIAir and while it’s not perfect, it solves that headache. Hoping a brand comes out w/ a small PC + Power controller that is great. iOptron has one but lacks in ports. PrimaLuce, probably _the_ best but expensive + different power connectors so need new cables. StellarMate looks nice but not quite the footprint I’m hoping for.
Hopefully ZWO gets better & more companies start coming out with quality competition, which we’re already starting to see. i’m also hoping for QHY or some other camera company to come out with a Duo equivalent because I’ve been eager to get that 😅
I am glad I watched. I made the switch to PLL gear for my two CEHD scopes. I am currenlty looking to upgrade my cameras and was about to pull the trigger on the ASI2600MM-Pro, but I have been hearing the same issues you had with their customer service and that is something I have very low tolerance for (especially when the product is pricey).
I’ve had a lot of hit or miss zwo customer service also. One of the English speaking reps I’ve had to deal a couple times is very dismissal of my issues and just doesn’t really seem to care. I had to send my 2600 in for the “oil leak” repair and my camera was gone for like 3-4 months, and it was fixed in the US. The language barrier is a bit of a problem when dealing with the techs but I will say once dealing with a tech my issue is usually solved, but getting to that point is hard.
Dude, you’re absolutely correct in your decisions. I’ve had similar problems and it’s discouraging, especially after spending, literally, $10,000+tax on three of their cameras. It’s not unacceptable to expect better service for premium products, much less, any product.
This is the sort of content the community needs. You presented it professionally and logically. Thank you Ryan.
Clear skies and clear minds,
-jason
Thanks for the feedback it’s always a little nerve-racking taking on the most popular company in Astro photography and honestly that’s not even what I’m trying to do. I truly am hopeful that they turn it around because I still have a ton of their products and can’t afford to just go out and replace them all. But still I don’t want folks to feel bad about the purchases they’ve made that’s why if you watch till the end I give that disclaimer. I’ll still be using their products and if they turn around, I don’t hold grudges. So maybe in the future, it could be a company we can all trust again, but if people just keep buying and buying without holding them accountable, why would they improve?
I had the same issue with the AM5 counter weight shaft. The one that I had got from Ageana Astro had a different thread pitch and the toe-saver would not screw in all the way, only one thread would catch. Long story short, it took over 6 weeks and multiple emails with pictures to finally get any resolution. I almost hit critical mass when they suggested I wasn't putting the toe-saver in correctly. Just like you, they pinged me within 48 hours to send the defective shaft back to them. Funny thing though, the customer service department told me that I had to ship the old one back to them first to get the replacement sent out. When I tried to explain that to them that they already had it (thank you package tracking), it was like talking to a brick wall and they went radio silent. I too have contemplated on going with other brands and that might happen if I win the lotto.
The issue I have with the AM5 was guiding spikes where it would be going just fine and then all of a sudden it would spike up to over 10’ of error. Luckily, I haven’t had any issue with the counterweight shaft yet. But yeah, the brick wall experience was very real Lol. Just looking for more “human approach” basically.
Yea, just found this video. It hits home for me right now. Looking to break the shackles. Which, there really isn’t any reason because all of my equipment has worked flawlessly. From the stories I’ve read about the terrible customer service with ZWO, I realized I don’t want my eggs in one basket as it were. I’m buying the 2600mm from OGMA. So excited about a U.S. manufacturer!
Great content, thanks for producing and sharing!
I’m rolling with ZWO because of the gear integration, Mac compatibility, wireless control, and ease of use. But I dread the day when I will have a problem, because their poor customer service is legendary.
They should change their corporate culture and try to model customer service practices from Amazon and Apple. But it may be that their culture cannot adapt to good customer service, especially if they are strictly top down and presume that “lesser” customer types are in error by default.
Well done Ryan it’s about time these companies bucked their ideas up , service is key
Hey Ryan, another great video. I want you to know that I appreciate all the work you do to make these types of videos for us. On another note don’t know if this is the same issue as yours but I was having connection issues with my ZWO AM5, ASI Air, ASI 2600MC and ASI 120MM. I purchased a 12V 20A 240W AC/DC Power adapter from Amazon and so far so good.
I also had issues with my AM5 and I had to tell ZWO that I was going to make a RUclips video letting everyone know that they were also ghosting me and ignoring my emails about the AM5. They would wait months before responding to my emails. It took me to threaten them with making the video that they finally sent me a return label to send my AM5 to someone in NJ and was returned back within the a month and a half. I’ve had shitty weather here in upstate NY so I haven’t been able to see if it’s working any better. I am also one of those in the ZWO eco chain on 3 of my scopes and would hate to spend more money on heavy Losmandy mounts but I hear what you are saying. Thank you.
Sounds like you literally had the exact same situation I had except for when I told them I was going to make a video. They still ghosted me lol.
Regarding the connections It can definitely be a power issue sometimes but in this case it’s the USB 3.0 port from the camera to the ASIAIR. It’s getting plenty of power and I know it’s that connection because when I wiggle the 3.0 cable slightly it will connect and disconnect. They just use cheap components at the connection site. I have swapped out all my power adapters to Pegasus or use the Eagle ones as the Pegasus is 10am instead of 5A and the Eagle can be either 3a or 8a so just to be safe I use the 8a for the camera. It also threads in place instead of just plugging in.
That’s even the fact that they use the same sensor as other cameras doesn’t mean it’s necessarily created equal. In terms of lighter mounts that’s why I thought Pegasus would be a good addition and the NYX 101 arrived today. I’ll be testing this week 💪🏼.
Thanks for the heads up.
Interesting video and sad to see ZWO being so unresponsive to their customers. I have used only ZWO cameras but I've noticed the new players out their such as Player 1 and Touptek. My future OSC camera will likely come from one of these companies.
Have you had any interaction with OGMA camera's, I have been looking at the AP26MC as an alternative to the 2600mm since they are based in the US. I just haven't found any reviews of their camera's but have run across several posts on FB and Cloudy Nights from their staff.
Ryan, totally on board with your mindset of promoting customer oriented companies. We tend to forget that warranty support means sending the product back to the OEM. I've had good support in this regards from Sky Watcher, instant service and replacement. Unfortunately I still had to do some tweaking with the HEQ5 Pro mount to get the guiding that it is capable of doing. Should ultimately not be the case and I'm so tired of hearing to ignore the guiding and look at the stars. Every little factor helps to improve the final results. My other experience has been with ASKAR, quick to jump up and offer to replace, but after +4 months of waiting I gave up. I'm not sure what your climate is like, but another consideration and a problem common to refractors in cold enviroments is pinched optics. For people in this situation, I would not recommend buying a telescope until the fall, when the cold weather hits. This way you can return the item back to the dealer under the 30day warranty if needed.
I hear a lot of folks having issues with the HEQ5 lately. I always thought it was fairly solid like its big brother but everyone I know that has one has had issues recently.
Askar wanted tot charge me $100 plus $50 shipping last month to replace the tiny 1/2” prism mirror which likely costs Pennie’s to make. That was the final straw for me on any “Made in China” stuff if I can avoid it. Small stuff is unavoidable but the big stuff I’m voting with my dollar elsewhere with companies I know we all can count on.
Having a community of brands allows us to hold companies accountable although with the 4 I’ve chosen to work with it’s not a n issue they’ll just do the right thing
As a suggestion for cameras, Altair Astro cameras are very high quality and has stellar customer service.
Hi, first: I sure can advice QHY. My 268C stopped (probably defect memory) and it's easy to contact them via a ''ticket''. Communication is pretty easy and I am waiting now to get my fixed QHY camera back. I really love to work with this camera (also own a ZWO 294 MC pro and a ZWO 533 MC pro). I will keep you updated about QHY. Second: When the QHY broke, I was searching around for one extra camera. In the end (after a lot of hesitating about the price !!) I ordered a Moravian C3-26000 C and I hope to receive this in about 5 weeks. I can start testing it starting from May 20 (because I leave Deepsky Villa Karimunjawa for a few weeks) and also about this camera I can keep you updated.
Yeah, let me know how QHY handles it. I don’t have a ton of experience with them other than using their 600M bundle, which has been working pretty well.
My second AM5 just died (it sparked when I plugged in a live cable and not ZWO fault). I have had one email from them and I have begged to send it in and have it repaired at my cost and they have been completely silent since their first email. I will not ever buy another ZWO product again.
Sorry to hear, it seems very hit or miss with them. Sometimes people say they do a great job of others have the same experience you and I have had so I don’t get it 🤷🏻♂️. hopefully they will continue to work on it in the future for their sake and the community
Wish you the best of luck, and hopefully as more folks send a message and switch they will start to elevate their level of service for your sake and everyone else.
Player One seems like a winner for me looking ahead for the next few years.
Agreed, I have their Poseidon C, OAG and filter drawer. Excellent quality, and great service, with good replies to emails for general questions.
Been using the Player One Poseidon-M camera for a year now in combo with the 7x2" filter wheel and I love their equipment. The only issue I ever had was with NINA's native driver that got resolved by the NINA team later. Never an issue with ASCOM drivers though.
Player one seems like a good improvement in terms of quality and design. When I reached out to them and QHY I don’t think they really understood what I was trying to put together because it’s just a different customer service culture over there pretty much have to find a company not based in PRC. I don’t think they’re bad companies, just a different mindset. I want company that values regular interaction. Telescope live set up a call with me every couple months. Looking for feedback from the community and my group. They’re awesome and they see me as a valuable asset and the feedback I get from all of you guys. that’s the type of company I want and these other brands are looking for something similar. Somebody who can test the gear and report back and give reviews for people to be able to get exposed to their product and also have an element of how to use it within the review video to make it simple
@@darkrangersincPlus 1 here for Player One. I live in Japan and have been purchasing direct, very quick to answer emails, even when not related to a purchases, very quick delivery and top notch quality thus far. All working with INDI drivers.
@@darkrangersinc Well, you're not likely to fund any US based camera manufactures. Outside of extremely expensive cameras designed to be actual scientific tools that is. You're limited to the Chinese suppliers. Player One has definitely worked with its user base to improve products and I believe already has a good relationship with Lukomatico. I know I've been able to reach out to Sean from Player One and give my feedback personally as well as troubleshooting. In my opinion they are a great company doing some really good things in a very niche market.
Longtime Pegasus Astro fan; I use almost all of their gear and it's great!
Been using the NYX-101 for several weeks now it’s been fantastic as well as their ultimate powerbox V3 to run my Mele and the rest of the gear. On my SVX140 I just added their falcon rotator V2 and it’s all been great.
Times with the rotator, I have to unplug it and plug it back in for it to be recognized by Nina, but I think mine is still quasi prototype phase, and I made sure to let them know
Awesome! I'm glad to hear that they make some pretty solid gear. I've been using it for a while now. I have the V1 of the falcon rotator and it absolutely changes the game as I'm sure you're experiencing. Their support has always been really responsive for me, however their forums not so much. That being said, I've always had great experience with their support team.
I don’t own a lot of ZWO stuff. Just the AirPro, 2600MC Pro and 290mm mini. I like the fact that they all work well together, and the ease of use of the AirPro. It worries me though that ZWO won’t open the Air up to other camera manufacturers. BTW - my 2600MC Pro had problems and ZWO took care of me well, and fairly quickly. Am I an outlier? I don’t know. But customer service is so important with these expensive “hobbies”. I suspect digital camera manufacturers like Sony, Canon and Nikon are much more receptive to their customers’ issues! Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦
Keep an eye out for the coming Astro Station from Touptek, rumoured to be open to all cameras
@@ScottDavies I have two cooled cameras from ToupTek, i bought them immediately when i knew about them back in 2021 and 2022 when most people are either ZWO or QHY, i do also have two QHY cooled cameras and happy with them and only 1 ZWO cooled camera, simply i will buy from any brand as long the price is good for me, if a product cost $2000 from one brand and 6 billions are buying it while another brand of very similar same content having it for $1500 i will buy that brand, very simple, now ToupTek followed ZWO/QHY path and they increased prices of their cooled cameras significantly to those brands unfortunately.
You are the reason I'm leaving the ZWO eco system- looking forward to the adventure - helpful video!
Informative.
Interesting.
I have a asiair mini and it's not been polar aligning or plate solving and I about had it I'm looking to go to Nina or sgp
Do you have accurate focus and the correct focal length programmed in?
Is the Eagle really good replacement for the AsiAir? I’m primarily using my cell phone to control my rig and I’m concerned that the Remote Desktop of the eagle would not work as well on the mobile device as the native app of the AsiAir….
You can use Remote Desktop with you phone or tablet as well. I’m mostly using my tablet but I have used my phone to check on how everything is going or make some small changes. I mean there are always going to be some trade-offs, but the pros are outweigh the cons with Nina and the eagle.
I only have two ZWO products… a TC40 tripod (which I’m gonna try to sell), and the ASI224MC. There will likely not be a single addition to that list.
AP Mach1+Takahashi TOA130 has been an absolutely bulletproof combo for nearly 10 years. It's also a huge advantage to have Tak's US vendor 2.5 hours away too.
Most ANY Chinese company is going to be very similar. Customer service is just not high on their list of priorities. They rather assume that low price will win more often than not.
Chris M from Tak? Are you in Texas?
Haha I’m only an 1.5 hours from the Stellarvue shop! That’s why I’m driving there on Monday to pick up the SVX102T that I just ordered 🎉🎉
Yes, I'm in Austin. Definitely worth the drive to get pieces and parts and fit them in the shop.
Very very simple, i started astrophotography back in 2017 with no knowledge, but even that time i wasn't a fanboy to one brand, so although i bought ZWO cameras, i didn't end up dying for them and get every single setup by them, and by years passing i felt like they are trying to keep people under their own products, exactly what is happening with Apple, i was an Apple user for several years beside Microsoft and Android so i was very safe to just move away and not drowning into eco system, and i will do that even with all other things in life and products, i learnt lesson in life that i should never be addicted to one brand eco-system no matter what the quality, and i am happy where i am now with ZWO and non ZWO products, or better say with eco-system brands and non eco-system brands.
Ryan - do you have any plans to look at alternative mounts like the RST-135 or NYX-101? I was literally ready to order the AM5 until I saw your video. Now I'm leaning toward the NYX-101.
I just got the NYX-101 in with the Pegasus shipment I mention. It’s great thus far have 2 nights of imaging. Watch my SCA260 review where I show that the AM5 could not slew it at full speed out of the bottom of a flip even though it’s below the 44lb capacity with counterweights. The NYX-101 handled it no problem (without counterweights) and I’ve added a camera rotator, powerbox and mini pc so it’s actually heavier. It’s basically a full Pegasus rig other than the camera and scope. I was getting .4 guiding last night no problems 🤫. I Don’t want to spoil the review coming but 1000% recommend it over the AM5 the version with the power saddle is super is super nice. I’ll put the link below for the channel if you can use it before grabbing anything from Agena it helps the channel.
bit.ly/3TXN1kM
Looking to get the Pegasus NYX 88 especially if it has the power saddle 😊
@@ScottDavies from a DRI link in Agena I hope 😉❤️. Yeah that one looks good it’s even smaller and more compact but still holds a sold capacity.
I was still considering ZWO just because they are the mainstream option, but after hearing your follow up I'll reconsider. The AM3 looks like a great value mount though... so I'm conflicted.
I want a good mount that's about $1500 that can grow with me and has a good weight limit. I'm a bit constrained by my AZ-GTi at the moment even though I use it in EQ mode. I want to add a autofocuser, and field flattener but they would be too heavy for my current setup.
The EQ6R Pro is $1700. If you want portability than get the AM3
@@ballashoes Do you think that using the EQ6R Pro would be a good decision? I see how powerful and stable harmonic drive mounts are and I don't want to regret my choice when I get the money.
@qwertymonsta both will work great. The eq6r is a beast that will handle a lot. It's all about portability, if you can build a pier for the eq6 do that. If you need to carry out your gear every time, get an am3.
There's youtube videos showing eq6 vs am5
Losmandy has some lighter weight options definitely check them out. Was there latest version of the Gemini software? It’s literally as plugged and play as the AM5 was to NINA and the ASIAIR!
and the EQ6r as mentioned is solid.
Check out MeowAstro mounts if you really want a strain wave… I have the UMi 17 (am5 equivalent) and it has been so amazing.
Funny how ZWO asked to post a follow-up video asking you to say that they do indeed stand behind their products. What if they didn't know that you have a RUclips channel? Probably just kept ignoring the emails until you stopped emailing them. Were any of the products purchased through a reseller? I'm guessing a big reseller like Agena can push their buttons and demand support on your behalf. Thanks for sharing your experiences!
If they would have acknowledged that they know there is a service issue, and perhaps taking some of the feedback, including the screenshots of comments I sent to her and made a commitment to get better as well as get the mount out on time I would have given them some positive press.
I don’t hold grudges in fact I want all companies to do well and do right by their customers. My hope is still that they get better and hopefully they do but they’ll be doing so without my $$ or recommendation.
These are the default options if the car in your garage is a G Wagon. =\ I agree they are great. But a build with them will be 1.5x the price of similarly performing product. 100%, you get what you pay for if you need support.
ZWO has grown faster than they can support... and the reputation of their arrogant attitude toward support is catching.. my am5 has started to shark tooth tracking in RA.. problem is I need clear skies to diagnose..
Ballsy mate, really putting yourself out there, which is appreciated
Haha thanks. Well, fortunately, at this point, this is still just something I do to give back to the community and not prof from so there’s not much anybody can really do to me. Besides, if sharing openly and honestly diminishes my channel in anyway then I don’t want to keep doing it in the first place.
Yes! StellarView, Vic Marris is a gentleman and a friend. 🎉. Another choice is Losmandy and is another winner from my viewpoint too. Your other choices are good, but I don’t have working experience to back my thoughts,😊
Yeah Vic mentioned Losmandy right away so it was a no brainer plus he distributes them and the same quality and customer service almost like the same exact mindset
Taking one for the team.. Good job👏.. I use an altair astro camera and their customer service has always been second to none
Couple people now saying good things about Altair thanks for the feedback and thanks for watching :)
when you have a complete ecosystem you cant afford to treat your customers like this, in for a penny in for a pound, i just started buying stuff and i will be following this to make sure i am a more informed customer.
Pegasus Astro for focusers, power management, mounts, PlayerOne for cameras, filter wheel and OAG, Sky-Watcher for Esprit refractors, AZ EQ6 and Eq8, Celestron or Lacerta for reflector, Mele for on-board Pc, NINA, Pole Master, Chroma filters, flat screen from Artesky and you have no pb. No eco system like ZWO or PRIMALUCE.
Glad that combination is working for you. It’s pretty specific though and a lot of folks really like the ease of the Eagle. It’s only an ecosystem if you choose to use the Play software, which is 100% optional. Pegasus has the unity software which is essentially the exact same thing so if you support Pegasus, they do the exact same thing I have an ultimate power box V3 running a Mele and an Eagle 5. I like the eagle a little bit more but both are totally doable
All of these companies are trying to create an ecosystem between their products so they all communicate and work well together it’s just whether or not they are open platform meaning you can use other brands and Pegasus and Primaluce allow you to incorporate whatever brand you want because they run off of Nina
Tell your North American suppliers that I will be the contact for Australia 😅👍🏻🔭🌌
Will work for glass 😂
Cheers
Si
With probably 15k - 20k invested in ZWO products, my experience over the last 8 months have been similar. An AM5 that's useless as well as two ASI Air Plus, all under one year old, a couple defective from day one, their support ignores my well constructed emails and have left me swinging in limbo.... I own three of most everything they sell and about 8 cameras but not their scopes, I soon will become as vocal as you...
Altair Astro cameras.
Ryan, good video. Did ZWO not honor ur 2600mm warranty due to u opening camera? Secondly, did u consider Askar as a telescope supplier?
I never opened the 2600 MC before them denying it. The only reason I ever opened it was because I had to do the repair myself since they would not warranty it. That’s also why I never opened my AM5 to try to fix the guiding issues because I know once you open up their products, they immediately use that as the excuse to not warranty it and further blame you.
The most recent issue with my 2600 MM I have never opened that camera. The only one that I’ve ever opened up was the MC about a year ago now.
Regarding Askar unfortunately, they are not much better… The off axis guider mirror chipped that I did a review on. I reached out and they wanted $100 plus $50 in shipping to get it out lol (for just a tiny little mirror and two tiny screws)
Keep in mind the entire unit is $170. so I went back-and-forth with them over a couple days and they went to $50 plus $50 in shipping. I finally pulled the “YT channel card” which I really never want to do and all of a sudden shipping was $12.69 and the mirror was only a few dollars.
So they literally were just trying to screw me out of about $125.
Also, I know a lot of their smaller scopes do perform well, but I’ve seen a lot of testing data on their higher end scopes. They are not testing in the scopes one at a time like stellarvue to ensure they’re put together well before the factory. So they don’t really know for sure if they are collimated well. I’m not saying that they are bad scopes, but they’re not anywhere near the same level of care and attention to detail that goes into an SV scope
@@darkrangersinc Sorry I meant 2600mc. How could they deny with a 2 yr warranty? Also, what about Askar?
I use gear from ZWO, Player One Astronomy and Touptek too.
Haven't had reason to contact zwo yet but had a problem with a PO camera, great customer service and replaced within a week!
Had some contact with Touptek regarding firmware and customer service was a bit hit and miss.
I think the problems with these Chinese companies is obviously they're doing their upmost to sell products, problem is when issues arrive they don't have people with the language skills in English to throughly satisfy us! They are trying but need to improve! These are direct contacts I've had and probably better to purchase through a dealer in your own country to get better support!
Thanks for a great video 👍
Another thing keep an eye out for the Touptek astrostation
Moravian cameras seem to fallen behind the times, but I keep seeing they are adding new gear to the list on their site, but still show as unavailable. So, I don't know about them. I wish they would become more relevant though. We really need more major players in this field, because there is a serious lack of competition. Even QHY has fallen behind in sales compared to ZWO and Player one is just some people who split from ZWO and the 2 companies have been blackmailing each other ever since. I mean we had Meade, Celestron and some others, just 4-5yrs ago. Now they're all seem to be given up and no longer sell cameras. People only see ZWO, not even QHY gets mentioned often. Imagine Canon or Sony would jump on board making cooled cameras? LOL, they would level the field for sure.
When you say they fall behind the times, what do you mean? Moravian does have their C1-C5 lineup that have all the latest sensors and even the professional version of the chip if you want to upgrade and they have incorporated filter wheels if you wanted it and what seems to be more robust cooling systems. Companies like starlight express seem to really have stuck with CCD and if they can jump into CMOS and this new wave of technology companies like that could be an option.
Yeah, I like Nikon or Sony. If they would make a cool camera, it would be lights out you get Japanese quality I’ve owned a couple nicer Nikons, and they never stopped working knock on wood. my mirror took a spill from 5 feet on a tripod in Zion national Park cracked the LCD screen. It still works. It just has a crack in it and literally no issue with the camera. If it would’ve broke, I would’ve taken full blame and not at all faulted Nikon, but the fact it literally kept working like nothing happened is crazy lol
the problem here is. all of this brans are very expensive. at one point stuff just become overpriced and not worth it. looking at you astrophysics and tele vue
It’s cheaper than buying lower cost having problems, needing to either sell it, or eventually upgrade to better gear anyway. I’m not telling anybody not to buy ZWO. I’m just telling you brands to pick if you want to have a great experience with amazing customer service, and what I would consider a very good value.
Stellarvue handmade scopes with premium glass all test multiple times before leaving and amazing customer service where you can call and get somebody any hour they’re open usually the owner. For 20% more than a PHQ with un listed glass that’s mass produced and not individually tested before it leaves to make sure it’s actually in perfect collimation. I think that’s a tremendous value.
Losmandy G11 for a 60 pound capacity is very reasonable I actually think it’s under price for what you get. They do make models that have a lower capacity that are priced in line with stuff made in China which is absolutely insane.
Pegasus prices their stuff pretty close to ZWO but it’s just flat out better. Now that I’ve been able to use NYX-101 for several nights in out performs the AM5 and the scope (SCA260) that caused it to fail even though it was below the 44 pound capacity with counterweights was handled. Absolutely no problem by the Pegasus mount without counterweights. It is more money but it also has a 50% higher capacity so your future proof and it has a power box built-in so if you want to run a mini PC you don’t need to buy anything else to run it. You can get one of their power boxes and a Mele for about the same price as the ASIAIR.
There is a wave of Astrophotographers that wants this hobby to be fast, easy, and inexpensive. Great Astrophotography and many other hobbies, unfortunately are difficult, time consuming, and not cheap.
If people want to buy these brands and roll the dice, then that’s totally fine. I get it. Everybody has a different budget and commitment to the hobby. I’m speaking to my average audience member, which is pretty into the hobby and willing to put in the time and cost investment even if it means waiting longer to upgrade.
I know these companies will give you amazing products and back it up with customer service I could’ve chosen Takahashi, AP, Software Bisque, 10 µm, or Planewave. But I didn’t I picked stuff that’s priced in the middle between mass produced and ultra premium. Beyond what these brands cost you’re going to have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to see a real increase in quality. These brands represent what I think is the highest value per dollar. Even if it’s not the lowest cost option. I’d rather spend a little bit more and have an amazing product then save 20% and have it break and be stuck on my own. Read all the comments in this video and part one dozens and dozens of people have had the same issue. I’m not going to put my name on a recommendation that’s going to lead to the outcome. I just can’t do it.
Primaluce and Pegasus prices are way too far outside of too many astrophotographers affordability range, including myself. If I had to purchase their equipment I would not be in this hobby at all, and I would not be sending you 10 dollars a month. Please help us find more affordable equipment.
Hi Ryan - I really enjoy your channel and have learned quite a bit. I appreciate where you are coming from on this - customer service is very important. And as I can see in the comments, many people have issues with ZWO customer service. However, the items you are suggesting are on average twice as expensive as ZWO products. As one person commented, he/she wouldn't be into astrophotography if they had to pay the prices of the gear you are suggesting. Here's what I got:
ZWO AM5 = $2000. Losmandy 11G = $3395
ASI AIR plus = $300, Eagle 5 (cheapest ) = 1525
ZWO Filter Wheel = $400, Pegasus = $459
ZWO 2600MM Pro = $2000, QHY 600M-PH (cheapest) = $4599
Total = ZWO $4700, Yours = $9978
(or maybe $4570 more = $14548 depending on the version of Eagle 5 and QHY 600M to which you refer).
Feel free to correct these prices if you are referring to different gear.
I understand that you "get what you pay for" and the cost of replacing defective gear mounts up, etc. but perhaps you could price out the alternatives you are suggesting and note the increased cost is a consideration. Just saying...
The QHY 268 is basically the same price as the 2600 and would drop the total price by $2000. The rig I’m suggesting is also way more capable. The G11 can handle 50% more weight Nina is much more robust with the Eagle being Far Far more features, quality, and performance than the ASIAIR. You can spend less and have a horrible time or get what you pay for. I’m not telling anyone not to buy ZWO I’m just recommending a worthwhile alternative. It’s up to you if it’s worth the investment. It’s much cheaper to get the warning and buy the right stuff to begin with than going the cheaper route and having to replace it or upgrade later 🤷🏻♂️.
@@darkrangersinc Like I said "I understand that you get what you pay for and the cost of replacing defective gear mounts up, etc. but perhaps you could price out the alternatives you are suggesting and note that increased cost is a consideration." I anticipate you will continue this series of videos - just tell us the difference in the cost of the equipment you are replacing and the equipment you are recommending.
pegasus astro should be releasing a camera range at some point
They have a filter wheel, filters and OAG, so it would make sense
Ryan, great and innovative approach! Hopefully leveraging our collective voices means they will be heard. As an n=1 data point, my AM5 is 18 months old and has given me nearly no problems. The one hiccup it had was during the coldest days in winter it would fail in the middle of rotation during polar alignment if I was using the ASIAIR. I started branching out to other companies as well and now have a couple of MeLE Mini PCs running NINA, and haven't had any more problems. Following up my mount experience I have 3 cooled ZWO cams and 4 ZWO non-cooled. Both of my ASI2600s (I have an MM and an MC) intermittently "disappear" in the middle of a sequence. Additionally EFWs and guide cams plugged into their camera USB hubs will intermittently "disappear". I also tried upgrading to expensive, high quality custom cut USB cables but that didn't help at all. My current workaround is to unplug the 2600 from the Pegasus PPB and plug into a different USB slot. This will cause the PC to "see" it and it's connected peripherals almost everytime.
Clear Skies! Scotty in Dallas
Thank you for the thoughtful comment. My 2600mm is now playing the “disappearing” act I always upgrade to Pegasus Premium Cables and always have a couple on standby. Tried replacing the cable and power supply to no avail so in with it. I believe while they use the same sensors as other their circuit boards and connections are cheap. I have a friend who’s business greats motherboards for high end lasers and had him look at my 2600MC when the motherboard failed and his assessment of the circuitry was not promising. Using QHY 600M for a bit there’s no doubt there’s a quality increase but I’m hoping to find the miracle Cameras company with both quality and service. Interesting how it’s somewhat easy in every category BUT cameras :-/. Good luck with your situation I wish you best hopefully these videos will send a message that helps us all going forward.