Beginners Guide: Set Dwarf in Equatorial Position & Image - Avoid Field Rotation

[@shaunlynch4735]

That is the simplest and easiest explanation of field rotation and how to counteract it I’ve seen! The illustration with your moving hand is genius and now I finally get it. 🙂 Cheers from a Dwarf owner and new astronomer.

[@AstroQuest1]

Glad it was helpful Shaun! Good luck with the astro joiurney. It's constant learning. Cheers

[@Dwarf-Encounters]

Welcome to the neighborhood! This video is very educational. It teaches me new things to try. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope to see you here with another post! Thanks.... RJ

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks RJ. Cheers

[@teacfan1080]

I'm getting one of these soon and am as green as they come with astrophotagraphy. I've been binge watching dwarf 2 videos trying to learn beforehand. Your explanation of polar aligning was the clearest so far, thanks!

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks, Glad you enjoyed it! - Cheers

[@kirkchase5048]

Thank you so much for this, will defiantly do this next time, did Bodes for 1.5 hours and can only use a small crop from it

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks Kirk! Good luck with it. Cheers

[@whatmattersmost6725]

First... Glad to see more videos from you!!

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks, More to come - at least for little while!

[@neilwilliamyoung]

I was a little scared to polar align due to the base issues. But last night i was shooting the Heart Nebula and the rotation was just to much. Your method of polar aligning saved the day bud. I'm not bang on and it's still has a bit of rotation as i type. But huge difference.....Thanks for the tip, It seems to be working great.

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks Neil, Glad it helped! Cheers!

[@alanharbinson9004]

Great video, used this technique for the first time with the dwarf lab last night and it made. Huge difference in the tracking. Thank you for posting!

[@AstroQuest1]

Great to hear Alan!- Cheers!

[@tuff-duty]

I just watched your video. I “liked” and “subscribed”! As a raw beginner, your tutorials should really help me use the Dwarf 2.

[@AstroQuest1]

Awesome, thanks for commenting! Good Luck

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

Great video kurt I really do like these Dwarf ii telescopes I think it would be a great thing to have or outreach.

[@AstroQuest1]

I think so too! You can also use this for looking at wildlife during the day as well. Cheers

[@Katzenrads]

Good tutorial thanks! I am looking to buy Dwarf and would like to try out the dwarf from my apartment with Bortle 9 skies in Chicago 😅 this winter. I get a very clear view of NE-E skies. I suppose the UHC filter would help. I will have to roughly polar align because I can't see Polaris from my apartment, hopefully that helps.

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks, Good luck with it! - FYI, there are other narrowband and light pollution filter that can be connected to this which would work better then he one Dwarf supplies. Try this one first though.

[@Katzenrads]

@@AstroQuest1 Thanks. I plan to buy an adapter to attach the 2" Optolong filters that I own.

[@chippatents]

thanks, i wish i could buy the 3d printed adapter, is it available anywhere?

[@AstroQuest1]

Sorry Chip, Not that I know of. You might want to post the question on the Dwarf FB page. Good luck

[@timothyjennings-pj7zs]

What lens are you using to pola line with, is it the wide or telephoto lens

[@AstroQuest1]

The telephoto Lens. The polar alignment does not need to be supergood just as best as you can get is since the exposures are for 15 sec max. It just has to be good enough to prevent the field rotation. Good Luck

[@berndschoenfelder4818]

Just be aware that for the first shipped Dwarf 2 batches the base plate cracked when doing polar alignment. I do not know if that issue is fully resolved now. Some people 3D printed additional base plate supports to make sure the Dwarf will not fall of the tripod.

[@AstroQuest1]

Wow, thanks for the info. Mine worked fine so I was unaware of the issue. Cheers

[@denodan]

Yes true there. Yes a very wide field of view, so if your say 2 degrees or even 5 then it wont be that bad for Dwarf 2. Unless I could hook up my ipolar then will never get it perfect unless Dwarflabs offered a polar alighment feature which have requested

[@AstroQuest1]

That should work fine.

[@Dwarf-Encounters]

Hello there, I am curious to know which side of the Dwarf 2 telescope should it face. Right now, looking at your video, you have the logo side facing south and the notched side (back) facing north. Is this the correct way for polar alignment? I have heard the telescope alignments are mixed up. One says the front and another source says the opposite. We need this information so it will operate it correctly when aligning the scope to the pole star. Can you help us on this procedure. Thanks, Ron & Maryellen

[@AstroQuest1]

Good question. Orient it the way it was done 2:31 and after in the video. That is the orientation that was used where it worked. Cheers

[@Dwarf-Encounters]

@@AstroQuest1 I will watch the video again and see it's orientation at 2:30 in the video. Thanks for the info. Clear skies, RJ

[@Dwarf-Encounters]

@@AstroQuest1 I just watched that part of the video at 2:30 and it shows me your orientation that is the front side of the Dwarf faces south, and the notched back side faces north. Cuiv had the same setup. Many thanks for your help and your video! 🎉 RJ

[@AstroQuest1]

You're welcome, Good Luck

[@supergamer3186]

The new dwarf 2.0 app is released can you make an update video?

[@AstroQuest1]

Yeah, I saw that it has. The weather and time will determine when an update is made for me. Cheers

[@juliano191]

So wheres the EQ mount? Lost me there. Are you rotating your Alt/Az mount every so often? Also, any time you use the dwarf in Astro mode, do you point lenses straight up? Completely lost and cant get it to calibrate. HELP!!!!

[@AstroQuest1]

Hey Juliano, If you want to use it in Alt Az mode which is what I suggest for now, Just put it level and point the camera towards the sky and have it do its calibration. After you are good with that (a few days of imaging) and you want to try Equatorial mode, you point the camera vertically and orient the whole dwarf towards Polaris and then do the alignment. Good Luck

[@juliano191]

Okay, thank you

[@roman24124]

When i try to callibrate it moves on thr ground not ulwards do i need a tripod or the onr it comes with

[@AstroQuest1]

Interesting, I start by pointing up and then it does go down but then goes back and points up and finishes the calibration. I do use a bigger tripod but have used a the one it came with, however, I placed it on top of my car to get a larger field of view. Might want to try that, if that does not work, contact Dwarf. Good luck

[@roman24124]

tried that but its so cloudy right now it fell of due to wind and but it was fine suprisingly cameras fine and insides im quite happy with my new telescope but the weathers not@@AstroQuest1

[@AstroQuest1]

The weather is a constant battle... @@roman24124

[@jerrykapchan103]

I’m a little confused here are you saying you did two different calibrations with, and without polar alignment, and the first Calibration should be done at night correct? before polar aligning? Additionally, I guess you focused on the bright star or daytime, focusing on a distant object prior to doing the video so focusing on star before the first calibration was already completed?

[@AstroQuest1]

Hey Jerry, sorry for the confusion. The answer is yes. I first demonstrated what you would normally do - without polor alignment. I then did it with polar alignment. Cheers

[@jerrykapchan103]

Thanks!… you mentioned you were in the north east of US if you don’t mind me asking where are you located? I am in Stamford Connecticut.

[@AstroQuest1]

@@jerrykapchan103 Yeah I am not too far away in Monroe, CT

[@jerrykapchan103]

👍😊..,.you sounded to me like a “Nutmeger” 😂clear skies!

[@jerrykapchan103]

I live off exit 35 on Merritt …up the road from Nature Nature Center…very heavily wooded…not too good for astrophoto …do you know of any dark areas in lower CT that would be a good location to use D2?

[@FishingFloridaWater]

Well I'm not sure what yours was looking at before you started using the polar align way but I guess if at 11:11 time in the video is the only stacking cut off your getting for about 60 minutes of captures not bad.

[@AstroQuest1]

Yeah for it does, it is pretty impressive.

[@pshearduk]

I've read reviews / tips which say to not use a "proper" tripod or even the one which comes bundled... who is right? Great video however, thanks

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks. Yeah the one that comes with it is fine but it is low to the ground which is ok if you have a large field of view. If not you a larger Tripod will give you more options plus it is easier to work with if it is near your height. The other issue is you won't be to polar align it because it will tip over. Good Luck

[@emmaarcher]

i noticed you didn't use the ND filters , is there a reason for this ?

[@AstroQuest1]

Ye good point, I was not looking at the sun or doing solar imaging, rather just setting up in the daylight so you can see what I was doing. Cheers

[@denodan]

None of the methods here work for us down here as no polar star. However I could use my ipolar and mount it on my Skywatcher eq mount and get it dead accurate with ipolar, but defeats the purpose of setting up quick. I can get it close here, but not perfect. In a telescope we can use the drift method, but it's not practical for dwarf 2, so use a compass, off set to ro true pole and set angle and its near enough. After 78 images stacked just seeing very minor field rotation, but 50x better than in Alt alz

[@AstroQuest1]

Glad you were able to get something workable. The good thing about only 100mm focal length is there is a little room for play. The greatter the FL the more accurate Polar Alignment needs to be. Cheers

[@Dwarf-Encounters]

How does Dwarf 2 rotate if you are in the southern hemisphere? North is easy, but south is not to easy. Just I ball it to some star at the south celestial pole. Some polar alignment scopes have nearby stars to align in the south. I use Polarie polar scope which has both stars on an overlay map. Best of luck! RJ

[@felipexlr50]

​@@Dwarf-Encounters The process to polar alignment is the same, just the ref point that changes, and is more difficult here in southern hemisphere, I got my alignment done, using the latitude for the vertical angle and point to south pole

[@woodswalker88]

I thought it was supposed to rotate to keep the target in view?

[@AstroQuest1]

Yes it does track to keep the object in view, however, in alt-az mode the object will rotate within the field of view whereas in equatorial mode (set to polaris) it keep the same orientation in the field of view.

[@astronogoias6875]

Aqui no Brasil não tem para vender , gostaria muito um desse pra mim fazer umas fotos

[@AstroQuest1]

I would go on their website , under contact and ask if they have a distributer in Brasil. dwarflab.com/ - Good Luck

[@felipexlr50]

eu importei o meu pelo site da Dwarf

[@fmsilva11]

thank you

[@AstroQuest1]

You're welcome!

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Kurt, That Dwarf II looks somewhat interesting for novice backyard astronomers, but I would get tired of it really fast. It appears to be very good at plate solving, autofocusing, and tracking, which certainly is a big plus for the device. I would imagine it would show the moon quite well, but not so much for the planets. It would be a good purchase for elementary school children to get interested in astronomy.

[@AstroQuest1]

Hey Pat, yeah, this is definately not for someone who already is an experienced astrophotgrapher using this as their main setup. However, if you are doing outreach, or you are a beginner, or at a camping party, or someone comes over for a visit and you want to show them some cool objects this is it. Also, this is so compact you can climb a mountain with it or toss into carry-on bage at the airport. Cheers

[@anglodutch8321]

Thanks for a great video. Sound is diabolical though. You keep hitting the mic.

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks fro the feedback and sorry about the sound. Sometimes I have it too sensitive. Cheers

[@astronogoias6875]

Muito bom e profissional 🇧🇷🇧🇷

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks for Watching.

[@denodan]

I just crop the image

[@AstroQuest1]

Yeah, that works to a certain point especially if the object is small. However, the problem is if your target takes up most of the field of view.

[@luboinchina3013]

Nooooooo. Where is the last stacked and edited photo? You cannot just say OK, That's all folks and no final image😂 We want the final photo😂

[@AstroQuest1]

Ha ha, Stay tuned, processing it will be my final video! Cheers

[@JamesKelly-ne3sm]

@@AstroQuest1 Just showing the final stacked image raw from the Dwarf would be great. It would show how the image looks without all of the processing after the capture.

[@AstroQuest1]

@@JamesKelly-ne3sm Yeah I will do both!