Why Everyone Keeps Sending Their Telescope Here

[@DSOImager]

Reading through the comments here, I think a lot of folks are forgetting that there are different aspects to this hobby. We each have different parts that we get enjoyment from. For example, I know people who love to tinker with their rigs. Some people enjoy getting the most out of modest gear. Some people enjoy being outside. And yes.. some people like to sit at a desk, remote in and harvest data. For me, I don't like tinkering. I don't enjoy the routine of setting up, polar aligning, tearing down.. that part of the hobby got old real fast for me. Designing a rig, putting it together, and then collecting data.. lots of data, that is what I enjoy. And yes.. I enjoy processing.. sometimes I wish I could process as a career, lol. Anyway, I don't think anyone should besmirch anyone else for putting their scope at a remote site. I know Trevor was kidding but I'm seeing a little tension in the comments.. reminds me of the reaction from some when Smart Telescopes starting showing up. Personally, I run three rigs in my bortle 5 backyard. I'm not far from starfront and have considered possibly sending a small rig with a OSC down there. The price is excellent and all the rigs they are housing demonstrates pent up demand for this kind of service. I wish them well. CS!

[@regp5]

@@DSOImager How dare you come to the internet and be reasonable. For shame!

[@Jcorban08]

@@regp5😂

[@Jcorban08]

Jokes often contain a hint of truth, revealing how someone is really feeling.

[@sonicsound84]

Well said.

[@bdharrtle]

This is the fairest comment. Each according to his own.

[@tombock336]

Keep seeing my scope in the video! Been loving my experience having a rig there.....Starfront staff has been awesome.

[@Caedo12]

I'm with you, Trevor. I love astrophotography, not only because it allows me a conduit to share my passion with friends and family, but it gives me an excuse to get back under the stars and view the night sky with my own eyes, which is where this passion began.

[@Paul_Johnston]

"But when the community signs on it doesn't feel so lonely anymore..." That hit so hard for me. I need to get out more myself even with as busy as life as gotten. There isn't much of a community for astrophotography here where I live so seeing more of this facility does make me very happy.

[@AstroBackyard]

Glad you felt that too - after I recorded that I almost hugged Nathan

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

Wow he's really building up! On another note, it had a kinda eerie walking through a graveyard vibe, when Ash said, "Oh there he is."

[@NebulaStarsandGalaxies-g5e]

I've wanted an observatory of my own for 30 years. Job, kids, wife, etc. kept that from happening. Dream almost died. I live under Bortle 8 skies with probably less than 30-40 clear nights a year. Having a scope at SFRO, while not my OWN observatory has opened up a whole new world of possibilities. And I can still have a scope in my backyard and shoot narrow band when the conditions allow. Now I am drinking from a firehose of data to process. A good problem to have.

[@Orozco_PNW]

I bet it sounds cool when things start up and everything is slewing! ⚙⚙

[@sageastreaus7905]

I too was thinking of sending one of my rigs in time too but nothing beats going out on your own, finding a nice spot, and taking pictures of the night sky on your own, under a blanket of stars. I definitely understand the convenience of sending your setup there if you arent able to take pictures every night, or have access to dark skies, but for me, im lucky to live in Nevada where i also get extremely dark skies and most nights are clear. But amazing thing what Astrofalls is doing for astrophotographers who dont have those privileges

[@dustinballinger5661]

it helps justify more than one scope... so there is that

[@regp5]

@@sageastreaus7905 A lot of us do both.

[@NebulaStarsandGalaxies-g5e]

DO BOTH!!!

[@KartikAtre]

More power to Bray and colleagues! Lovely to see so many telescopes there and so many people in this hobby. To me however, and as an amateur, the journey is as important as the destination. To wait for clear skies, get frustrated, wait again, then get a few, scramble to set up your gear, struggle with seeing, and finally, finally see those subs role through...Now that's fun! However, I'm glad such options exist.

[@leedavies9158]

Well said!

[@StarPicturesMiami]

I've been live at Star Front since last August. My experience has been fantastic. The tech support is great. Been imaging for 11 nights straight!

[@capturethephotons2078]

I feel you. i love my backyard and am lucky enough to shoot on a week night and get up for work, shoot flats while i get ready, pull the telescope off the mount in a quick routine, pull my counter weight then cover my mount for the day and come back to the same backyard and do that process in reverse. Astrobackyarder foooo life here!!! clear skies

[@Rick_B52]

I think it's an amazing concept and such a great way to allow people to get photos they would never be able to get if you lived in highly light polluted skies.

[@lukomatico]

Such a cool video mate, and it's nice to see opinions from folks on both sides of the fence on the remote vs backyard debate! - Both sides are right really, as long as a person is having fun and getting value from their time (and money!) - that said, I'm certainly more of a backyard guy myself, the data/tech side etc I could care less about, it's more of the experience of capturing it and making the photos that I enjoy, I really think I'd lose that by going remote! Clear skies mate! :-)

[@AstroBackyard]

Thanks Luke! Totally agree

[@enriqueboeneker]

I have my rig up and running there, and I am so very happy!

[@briankotak403]

Pretty cool Texas ranch! Love those long horns! Bray saw a need and filled a niche. Good on him. I’ll just continue to brave the partly cloudy skies and frozen fingers! lol. Dr B from Manitoba, Canada 🇨🇦

[@ZxChase]

My rig is basically your travel rig . Besides the camera. I have a Canon EOS Rebel T3i, SA 2i , and the Rokinon lens. I’m in southern New Jersey. I am in bortle class 6 as well and every season I learn something new! I understand why people pay for this type of service but I would rather do it all on my own. $199 isn’t too steep when put in perspective… To each their own! I love the journey im on! Trevor you are the whole reason I pulled the trigger and got into all of this. Thank you and I hope you have plenty clear nights this fall / winter. 🌌 ❤

[@gregsuskin7366]

Incredible facility. Great to see how much it's grown since Bray first introduced it.

[@paulsmaglik5063]

I am ready to ship my rig there next week I can't wait.

[@weatherchaser1166]

After trying to add all of the scopes up, I figured around 50k a month min coming in once they fill up. To have all of your setup and trouble shooting done for you , with salaries, land, upkeep etc, that is a deal.

[@indysbike3014]

I never thought I could image at daytime. A different timezone gives many possibilities.

[@perry3928]

What an amazing program. Cheers starfront!

[@EdElliott57]

They just received my packages. So looking forward to get started down there.

[@dasimcoes]

What an awesome idea for people that can’t image from home.

[@tomatomaeg]

I love the business plan. Steady and predictable monthly cash flow to expand more

[@georgephilipvi]

And when the hobby reaches the point that this kind of redundancy is unnecessary, they can cut all the piers off and tie the roof shut, then turn it all into storage units!

[@jasondain8713]

Great video. I've been wrestling with the idea of sending one of my two rigs down there for a year or so. I did the math and it works out to be around $500 a month for 12 months with shipping, gear upgrades for remote shooting, insurance etc. While getting that many clear nights would be cool, I think after a time, it would just get repetitive. Considering 200 nights a year in Bortle 1 the amount of data acquired would be nuts. I'll probably sit on the fence for a while and may pull the trigger but I enjoy my home setups and travelling periodically to chase specific targets. I kind of think of it like watching wildlife through webcam or shooting fish in a barrel. I think he fills a great niche but maybe not something that is right for me at this point.

[@astro7996]

"Bunch of cheaters!" that was the best part of the video :) clear skies!

[@weatherandsky]

Ya I laughed so hard. Was not expecting that🤣👍

[@OMaMaRMY]

I can just google any astrophotography photo I want how about that 😏 Visual is king 😔✊

[@NebulaStarsandGalaxies-g5e]

Haters gonna hate..... :)

[@garyschnettler3678]

Oh no! We’re not cheaters! I just dropped off my telescope there 2 days ago. I think it’s going to be great. And I’ll still be imaging at home too, doing more planetary and solar. I agree that hands on is great, but remote is fun too!

[@Goblin_Hunter87]

How is this ‘cheating’? 😂

[@carltanner9065]

What a great service. This would be good for people who can't physically lug a system about and set it up, all the time. I have fibromyalgia and find it hard to move setups around because the constant aching and inflammation in my muscles prevents me from doing so on a regular basis. So, something like this would be ideal for myself. And, for others with similar conditions.

[@scorpianspirit5124]

It's no doubt quite the undertaking and when I first heard about what Bray was doing I was skeptical about how much demand there would be for this kind of service, but the results speak for themselves. That said, I am the kind of independent guy who loves the tinkering and that's part of the enjoyment I get doing things myself. I'm fortunate however to live under bortal 3/2 skies and I built my own observatory( at my home) on 5 acres in se Utah in a dry desert climate so something like this would not even be a consideration for myself. I can only imagine that there has to be a degree of stress with what Bray is doing, if not just the logistics alone. I'm sure things like insurance are not cheap and the worry of potential of a mega storm as we have seen in places lately where they shouldn't be. I wish him the best and hope that it continues to go as planned as Bray seems like a really down to earth good guy. My hats off to him for charging ahead and making it work, well done... Cheers from the high desert !

[@Xindian_mapping_n_Edits]

Hi sir what a Dawes limit. For 8" it is 0.57". Dawes limit is related to what

[@kcole0619]

What an incredible business model! Love what you're doing. Maybe I'll have a scope there someday? In addition to customers purchasing and shipping their preferred scope setups (i.e. custom pricing model), you could also have a tiered model of pre-defined systems that customers can choose to subscribe to. This would make setup and support more efficient.

[@petermoy7934]

High point scientific actually is advertising such a turnkey system. It’s on their homepage.

[@leonidasyoutube]

You handled this topic perfectly. Well done and thanks as always.

[@3DAstroTC]

Folks buying one of the most portable mounts on the market to send to a remote site....aight then. But seriously though, I never bothered to look into this place and hear of personal reasoning for it, much respect Bray, and your team.

[@joeshmoe7967]

I think it is cool concept and it makes no difference to me how people collect their data, but I would greatly miss being outdoors under dark skies. Having a rig under Bortle 1 conditions would be awesome, but standing under them a whole different story. Also once my rig is up and running, I spend time with my big binoculars, looking at other stuff. I think a local club having a rig there would be a huge boost. Gatherings around a large monitor, EAA style would make for some good times, especially for those new to the hobby. I do love that there is a business case for this, as so many people live lives not even aware how awesome the night skies are. Now if only my lotto numbers would come up.... - Cheers

[@LouisXIVStreet]

I had no idea this was available. I think it is fantastic. We are in a world of increasing light pollution, and not everybody can go to a dark site., and I am sure there are people who have physical limitations that would benefit from this. I finally got a Star Adventurer and a new tripod, and I am in the process of figuring it out. I enjoy your videos. Thank you.

[@jimb7931]

I keep seeing my scope also! Been up for 9 nights now and had a great run so far with weather. Staff is great! Love to get out under the stars, but the weather in north east is spotty at best.

[@nickambrose8606]

Everyone should have a setup here ! We get clouds oct-June and it’s on my list to do

[@NebulaeFlames]

Oh Man! That "Bunch of Cheaters" was unexpected yet epic 😆🤣 Loved it 😂❤

[@stefanschneider3681]

Great video as always. And beautiful shot of the Milky Way, Lagoon anf Trifid popping out beautifully 🤩! But did you say „widefield“? I just re-discovered my beautiful 14mm lens 😅! I haven’t done the math, but it sure feels like it’s covering over a quarter of the whole horizon 😳🤩

[@MrGp3po]

Like many here, I have multiple scopes and it would be fun to have one in a remote, darker sky observatory. But I do enjoy the set up under the stars in my backyard, getting everything going, then just sitting back and watching the sky or playing with a visual scope. Gathering data is the most enjoyable part; post processing (mainly because I lack skills and don't enjoy all the computer time) is my least favorite. Maybe some day. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

[@mrnother]

How do they manage flat panel usage? I just think there might be a lot of stray light if a bounch of people start taking flats around your scope ...

[@Schizoid137]

I'm curious as to what could be accomplished if all those telescopes were to work collectively on a task. Kind of like when they link radio telescopes around the world to effectively make a bigger scope.

[@regp5]

Well they discovered a planetary nebula so theres that.

[@brentnewton7055]

As mentioned the "collective telescope" is already a plan, and entirely based on volunteer time since these are all privately owned. However this doesn't work quite like interferometry as that requires the light (whether radio or optical) to all hit a sensor at the same time in order to gain resolution improvements. The VLA has an interferometer based array but they use a system of tunnels and mirrors to ensure the light all reaches a given point simultaneously.

[@Schizoid137]

@@brentnewton7055 Interesting. Thanks for explaining.

[@vincejenkins1143]

Wow mind blowing to have this facility! Fab video Trev

[@francestabor6792]

Never knew these existed, thank you for sharing.

[@pattimaclaughlin8059]

What an amazing idea this is! Thanks for showing us!!

[@leeswanson4960]

Im impressed with those roll off roof buildings. You should do a video with info about them.

[@Mockingbird57]

I'm really excited about Starfront! They are only a couple hours drive from me and I'm planning to build a remote rig or three to send there next year. I currently run 4 rigs from my bortle 5 backyard, filled with trees. I have no access to south or west, so I miss a good bit of targets. For health reasons, I am unable to travel, so shipping some gear to Starfront works for me!

[@davidcohen4326]

Can you theoretically put the same settings on multiple of the same setups and multiply a stack of lets say Orion? Ie instead of 1 hour of integration from telescope you have 48 hours using 48 telescopes?

[@markattardo]

Gotta admit it's a very cool concept!!

[@lppiren6398]

The piers? Where can I find one?

[@myketripp3838]

Well, you do what you have to do! Very cool video.

[@weatherchaser1166]

What do you guys do for security?

[@mumbleeful]

Hi Trevor, what is the best ball mount you’d recommend using on a similar set up to yours in this video? Looking to upgrade as mine has the tendency to creep down. Thanks! 🌌

[@johnkasianowicz6536]

Were any light domes (e.g., Fredericksburg, Austin) visible?

[@Dbentzjr]

I would be trying to protect that area as much as possible against the elements such as weather, animals, etc. That is a LOT of telescopes in one place. They look very close together, I hope the calculations are correct for allowing ultimate freedom of movement between setups without worry about damage or other failures. Also, there should be at least a skeleton crew of well trained staff to oversee the lenses remain clean and clear. That place is a major responsibility and I pray that God oversees the entire project. What an awesome way to look at the night sky from some of the most peaceful and dark skies on the planet!!! I very much admire this. Clear skies!!!

[@Steaphany]

My Texas home and property offers a rural Bortle 3 with nearly complete view to the horizon.

[@TravelingStacker]

So does my OK home.

[@cuppasciencejoe]

Haha! "A bunch of cheaters" that last line in there put a smile on my face. But I think it's really cool what is being done here. And as you stated, I love the opportunity it offers people who might otherwise never have it. Super awesome!

[@KA4UPW]

Anything for sale insitu?

[@-SpaceFrog-]

How are they able to access it from hundreds or thousands of miles away?

[@regp5]

@@-SpaceFrog- Internet.

[@NebulaStarsandGalaxies-g5e]

I live in NJ and have a rig there but there are people in Asia and Europe too.

[@ManNoName-c9u]

Isn't there something missing imaging remotely? Like looking up at the sky?

[@dustinballinger5661]

To see clouds and light polution... nope, not missing it all all

[@LandonReid-l9l]

Good thing I didn't send my eyeballs there with my telescope, so I can still look up at the sky.

[@adamg-502]

@@LandonReid-l9l Wait - I wasn't supposed to include those in the packages I shipped????

[@bnkohrn]

Yeah, I was wondering where the sky went. I went outside, looked up, and it was just... gone...

[@mechkiller31st]

Cheaters as they may be, I would rather people get into and enjoy this hobby any way they can, then for people to NOT have this option just so I feel better about my Bortle 6 skies and 2-5 clear nights a month

[@AdamGtr86]

I'd be a little worried about spiderwebs starting to show over the lenses. Need to make sure they are checking for dust and other things over the lenses.

[@rickzirkle4557]

Question if all those scopes go after the same target I assume the pictures you get would be crazy using all of the data

[@johnsmith-rd9rr]

Thats been done

[@tonyzazzaro1275]

Your channel is amazing thank you. I’ve had a 5 inch backyard reflector for 20 years and I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly. I’m looking up my game. My budget is around $1000. I was thinking of an eight or 10 inch reflector. iOptron 12" f/4 Newtonian OTA has my interest. What are your recommendations. This is for viewing only and has to transportable. Thank you so much

[@richardlowe5880]

There is a lot of merit to both arguments, I sent my B team rig ( which got me some off colored comments in the Discord Server) I live in Central Cal and this summer has been brutal, plus Bortal 7 skies. I keep my A rig and head to Kings Canyon whenever I have time, and the weather permits. Hoping ultimately for a good experience at StarFront !

[@RamDasDiwakaran]

Dude left the cobweb cleaning snip in the video without editing it out, as a subtle feedback to the maintainers do be more careful 😆

[@deansongberg6891]

I get the idea of it but i would find it a hassle if i wanted my camera rotated to frame a specific target or if you needed to ring up and ask if someone can put a flat panel on to take calibration frames. On the other hand could you image every one of those scopes collectively pointing at one target on a collaborative image.

[@brentnewton7055]

More automation features are certainly needed to be truly remote, but motorized rotators and flats panels are still an option even from home

[@NebulaStarsandGalaxies-g5e]

I have been imaging there for a month. I have not needed any support from the team there. I can shoot darks and flats, rotate the camera, reboot my computer, turn power on and off, and get automated information about the status of the roof and the weather.

[@bruno3005]

Looks great, this site with all the gear. But for me, actually it is not a real option to send a whole gear to Texas from Switzerland because the freigth costs are tremendous and would be sufficient for another gear. What I'm wondering is, how this is insured. Are the costs covered in case of a rebuilt and replacement of the gear after a tornado visited the location? I hope that will never happen.

[@PVDriveWest]

Love the ending line!

[@Sergion-j8w]

Hi Trevor question I got do you sell any of the beautiful images you take?

[@cmahar3]

I am curious about their setup procedure. Whatever it is, it has to be reliable. Do they publish such things? Cable routing strategies, technical details of their setups, things they do every time they set up a scope.

[@KJC63]

what a great concept!

[@northpole8634]

I feel lucky living in a Bortle 3 area.

[@murraymacd]

😂 it’s one of my dreams to put a rig in one of these locations in South Africa, close to the Southern African Large Telescope.

[@murraymacd]

Or to start a business hosting telescopes there.

[@chrisstanley5647]

@@murraymacd Exactly what I was thinking re: a move to Thailand

[@gabrielwiklund6444]

Great video and sense of humour!

[@Pyroraptor.1]

Hey AstroBackyard. I have a small beginner telescope and I'll get a slightly bigger one later this year. Could you give me some tips?

[@OGParzoval]

Have you not setup the star hut after the move by now?

[@kenhalal375]

What a cool concept.

[@larrymansfield9393]

What an awesome idea

[@Mruniversefact]

Nice bro love from India ❤

[@jimcumming7966]

Never heard of this...crazy...crazy cool

[@МаксимКозлов-к4и]

Thanks!!!

[@erikmardiste]

Now this makes sense cheers.

[@rodpalm6398]

Man, this is so cool. 👍

[@Jcorban08]

Thank you for the super interesting video!

[@waynewheaton3210]

Would have been funny to see a Seestar in there.

[@bnkohrn]

What the fuck is a Seestart?

[@waynewheaton3210]

Nothing against the Seestar

[@NebulaStarsandGalaxies-g5e]

I think there people working on just that.

[@spaceadobo]

Nicely done 🫡

[@mostlymessingabout]

can't they all be aimed at the same target and get optical interferometry and upscale to a 20m equivalent mirror?

[@nicholasp8978]

Can I send mine from Athens Greece ?

[@scoobywrx05dw]

Trying out the Atlatl ?

[@stamatismetallin333]

Trevor my friend! Every video which you upload it is a happy lesson for me!❤

[@shafimchowdhury237]

Bro can i use gimbal instead of star tracker 😅

[@4280blkpowder]

So is it a monthly fee ie:$199 month or?

[@NebulaStarsandGalaxies-g5e]

3 or 4 levels of cost depending on how much floor space is needed for your particular rig. Cheapest is $149/mo. Typical is $199.

[@subodhshettyy]

On field sufferfest FTW 👊 Real deal for me is being out there under night sky than being a couch potato. Even if it involves 200kms of round trip in my case - I rather choose it over remote. The camaraderie and the conversations on field brings along is worth it all. Thanks for the video and glad you chose backyard over remote despite the visit :) Having said that - more power to Astrofalls - he’s quite an inspiration 🙏🏼

[@leedavies9158]

I enjoy getting images way more with my star tracker under clear skies. But i get much better images with my SW SA gti. Id love a better rig but between a young family and lack of time i have modest expectations and just enjoy any time under the stars. Everyone is on the journey, some just go further than others. Amateur, backyard, travel, remove. Do what gives you enjoyment

[@Dennis-tf2cs]

What is their internet setup for handling all that data?

[@dustinballinger5661]

They have fiber and business grade networking to the scope. besides the occasional outage from an upgrade or reconfigure its been better than my home internet

[@dhmccauley]

Its just not the same. Ive tried remote imaging for a year and the images just feel cheap and not earned. One of the best parts of astrophotography for me is that there is a story behind every image i take. I remember the people there with me, the challenges, the weather, and other unique events. Remote imaging just doesnt have any of that. But to each their own. Different strokes for different folks.

[@duty5127]

Well said!

[@chrisruthford4492]

I live in rural Texas, and have no need for this. But I'm glad that city folk have this available for them.😂

[@neilhankey2514]

I can't miss the connection to my scopes under my enviromental conditions, doing my best to enjoy the hobby. Part of the hobby is improving your equipment / technique etc. Like you said at the end, it feels like cheating. However, if you can afford it, and its what you want, then go for it.

[@muddyexport5639]

Thank you. News!

[@TheAceofFate]

When I first saw all those scops in the small scope building my first thought was oh no... These guys are going to get robbed... Then thought about that for a second.... LOL it would end up being the most well documented BY FAR of any robbery EVER! LOOOOOOOL