Thank you so much for another thorough review of a product, especially this one! I recently ordered the Nomad and have not tested out yet. This video helps me so much THANK YOU!!
Hi Paul, Nice video with (as usual) very extensive explanation and lots of interesting information. I completely agree with you that it is much more fun to experiment yourself instead of using a Seestar for example. I think that Seestar users will quickly get tired of the hobby because you have to do very little yourself. Experimenting yourself is educational and even if you use simple equipment, it is your result. (Good idea, those red lights on the legs of your tripod. :) Clear skies, Paul2
Hey Paul2. The smart telescope concept is good overall, but not for me! The red lights on my tripod are from AliExpress and sometimes necessary to keep people from accidentally bumping it. Occasionally my viewing site gets a bit busy. This was a fun video to make. Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers, PAUL1
They are a really nice visual experience. Since the binocular lens aperture is nearly ten times the iris of your eye, everything is so much brighter! Cheers Matthias!
Hi Paul - Cool video! My wide field setup is a little bit different than yours, but like you, I have a lot of fun with it, and it's very portable. Using a Rokinon 135, along with an ASI183MC-PRO, ASIAir and a Star Adventurer tracker. Living in DC, with a bortle 7 sky, and all the light pollution, it can be difficult to locate targets, so your suggestion of using constellation binoculars is fantastic! Just ordered a pair! Thank you!
It's great to hear feedback like that! Thanks for commenting. I highly recommend the SKY ROVER brand that was mentioned in the video. Best wishes and clear skies. PAUL
Hi Stuart. It is a good question and I must admit that I am now; not sure of my answer. When using a GOTO mount with both Right Ascension (RA) and Declination (DEC) tracking like the ZWO AM5, guiding will easily compensate for a few degrees of off-level as I showed in one of my previous videos. And with a good polar alignment, a level tripod is not critical either, even without guiding. I thoroughly examined this in a previous Astrophotography Japan RUclips video episode #25; the answer is clear. A level tripod is not a requirement. With the MSM Nomad, the critical point is whether the plane of the star tracker rotational surface from left to right across the diameter is parallel with the horizon from West to East. If it is, AND the laser is aligned with the Celestial North Pole, then the rotation will mimic sidereal movement. Thinking about this in 3D is difficult. The question is whether the Altitude wedge can contort in two dimensions and still align the Nomad parallel to the horizon and perpendicular to the NCP from an off-level base. If that is possible, then leveling is indeed not critical. Thanks for forcing me to think about this. It probably follows the same logic as my previous GOTO mount alignment studies. Hence, on second thought, I may have been wrong on making that claim. I intent to test this when I get my new Nomad (and make another video in October). I have never seen any data about it for single axis star-trackers. SORRY, I cannot give you a definitively answer......YET. But I now suspect it is NOT critical (just easier to get polar alignment).
@@jpastroguy in my experience having the tripod perfectly level is not critical when using a small star tracker. When using the Nomad I only check that the tripod is level enough to not fall over while the gear is rotating.
@@jpastroguy With a single axis tracker, the only thing that matters is that the axis of rotation of the disk is parallel to earth's rotational axis. The horizon doesn't come in to it. The level (or otherwise)of what the tracker is mounted on doesn't cone into it. The motion of the scope/camera depends on the alignment of mounting plate and nothing else.
@@StuartAnderton Thanks Stuart, I agree. You just found a more elegant way of saying it than I did, but our ideas were synced. So star trackers that are polar aligned are no different than GOTO mounts that are polar aligned. It is the polar alignment that is critical. And good polar alignment is apparently synonymous with "the axis of rotation of the disk is parallel to the earth`s rotational axis". I appreciate the feedback and corrections.
It's nice that there is someone who remembers Alyn Wallace, his work and his beautiful images 👏👏👏
I think there are many that remember Alyn. But it needs to be repeated occasionally to keep his memory alive! Cheers Massimo!
Thank you so much for another thorough review of a product, especially this one! I recently ordered the Nomad and have not tested out yet. This video helps me so much THANK YOU!!
Hi Jill, great to hear from you again! Well, my timing is perfect! Good luck with the Nomad! PAUL
Hi Paul,
Nice video with (as usual) very extensive explanation and lots of interesting information.
I completely agree with you that it is much more fun to experiment yourself instead of using a Seestar for example.
I think that Seestar users will quickly get tired of the hobby because you have to do very little yourself.
Experimenting yourself is educational and even if you use simple equipment, it is your result.
(Good idea, those red lights on the legs of your tripod. :)
Clear skies,
Paul2
Hey Paul2. The smart telescope concept is good overall, but not for me! The red lights on my tripod are from AliExpress and sometimes necessary to keep people from accidentally bumping it. Occasionally my viewing site gets a bit busy. This was a fun video to make. Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers, PAUL1
Thank you! Maybe I liked the binoculars most...
They are a really nice visual experience. Since the binocular lens aperture is nearly ten times the iris of your eye, everything is so much brighter! Cheers Matthias!
Great video, thanks. Useful tips, especially the rubber gasket idea.
Hey Colin, thanks for watching. I glad you found it useful. Clear skies!
Hi Paul - Cool video! My wide field setup is a little bit different than yours, but like you, I have a lot of fun with it, and it's very portable. Using a Rokinon 135, along with an ASI183MC-PRO, ASIAir and a Star Adventurer tracker. Living in DC, with a bortle 7 sky, and all the light pollution, it can be difficult to locate targets, so your suggestion of using constellation binoculars is fantastic! Just ordered a pair! Thank you!
It's great to hear feedback like that! Thanks for commenting. I highly recommend the SKY ROVER brand that was mentioned in the video. Best wishes and clear skies. PAUL
Why is it important to level the tripod?
Hi Stuart. It is a good question and I must admit that I am now; not sure of my answer. When using a GOTO mount with both Right Ascension (RA) and Declination (DEC) tracking like the ZWO AM5, guiding will easily compensate for a few degrees of off-level as I showed in one of my previous videos. And with a good polar alignment, a level tripod is not critical either, even without guiding. I thoroughly examined this in a previous Astrophotography Japan RUclips video episode #25; the answer is clear. A level tripod is not a requirement. With the MSM Nomad, the critical point is whether the plane of the star tracker rotational surface from left to right across the diameter is parallel with the horizon from West to East. If it is, AND the laser is aligned with the Celestial North Pole, then the rotation will mimic sidereal movement. Thinking about this in 3D is difficult. The question is whether the Altitude wedge can contort in two dimensions and still align the Nomad parallel to the horizon and perpendicular to the NCP from an off-level base. If that is possible, then leveling is indeed not critical. Thanks for forcing me to think about this. It probably follows the same logic as my previous GOTO mount alignment studies. Hence, on second thought, I may have been wrong on making that claim. I intent to test this when I get my new Nomad (and make another video in October). I have never seen any data about it for single axis star-trackers. SORRY, I cannot give you a definitively answer......YET. But I now suspect it is NOT critical (just easier to get polar alignment).
@@jpastroguy in my experience having the tripod perfectly level is not critical when using a small star tracker. When using the Nomad I only check that the tripod is level enough to not fall over while the gear is rotating.
@@jpastroguy With a single axis tracker, the only thing that matters is that the axis of rotation of the disk is parallel to earth's rotational axis. The horizon doesn't come in to it. The level (or otherwise)of what the tracker is mounted on doesn't cone into it. The motion of the scope/camera depends on the alignment of mounting plate and nothing else.
@@StuartAnderton Thanks Stuart, I agree. You just found a more elegant way of saying it than I did, but our ideas were synced. So star trackers that are polar aligned are no different than GOTO mounts that are polar aligned. It is the polar alignment that is critical. And good polar alignment is apparently synonymous with "the axis of rotation of the disk is parallel to the earth`s rotational axis". I appreciate the feedback and corrections.
@@MrRatDotCom And of course you check that the MSM mount is polar aligned as good as possible. Thanks. My statement may have been naive.