CHEAP v.s EXPENSIVE Telescope Gear?! 🔭✨💰

[@DamonScotting]

Links to all of the "Cheap" items featured in todays video😁👍🏼 : Gemini Autofocuser: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oEfJ0Lz Juwei-17 Mount: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_ooi3In9 Skywatcher HAC125: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_onaO5jp Pier extension: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_okGVt3t Celestron 63ed: s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_oEluNdH Astrostation: www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007904176998.html? Which one do you think offers the best value? 🤔💰🗣

[@robvercouteren]

There's even a more compact Juwei mount; the Juwei 14, which seems the AM3 equivalent, except for the price. That would be a nice thing (i just started this hobby so ill stick to what i have for the first couple of years) grtz

[@RodrigoPolo]

Is the Juwei-17 Mount compatible with the ASIAir? A list of cheaper and compatible components for the ASIAir would be great.

[@DarkDonnieMarco]

I’d take clear skies and a telescope made of potato. It feels like we have had cloudy skies for two years in the UK at the moment.

[@rickdurham264]

The same here in Germany too!!! 😭😭😭

[@BenGieCruz]

😂😂😂😂😂😂 and Belgium! Damn it!

[@elbass0]

And Denmark 😢

[@rizen3467]

I also have the gemini focuser, and it has been working great! Highly recommend it.

[@nygmangaming8623]

u connected it to phone or comptuer?

[@rizen3467]

@@nygmangaming8623 Connected it to my mini pc running NINA to perform auto focusing

[@Jhongerage]

Still plenty of room for harmonic mounts to be priced cheaper. There is very little novel engineering in them, and the materials cost is tiny.

[@JoepsAstronomy]

Great video! Finally someone who offers real alternatives instead of sponsored expensive gear. Astrophotography seems like a nice hobby, until you realize that just to get started with a simple average setup you have to spend at least 3000-4000 currency, and that is without software (which could easily cost you another 500 or more).

[@ToumalRakesh]

You forgot the pier extension in your summary. I got the Gemini EAF, the pier extension and the Juwei-17 mount. All three working fine. The only thing that didn't work was a new Touptek ATR2600C which came with a nice little hole in the sensor (!). But yeah the Juwei looks and feels amazing and works perfectly in kstars/ekos

[@portech7577]

Just ordered the Gemini focuser to go with my Askar 71F so I'll be able to comment on its performance shortly, albeit weather permitting, so unlikely to be in the next few years in the uk 😂

[@stripes7214]

Great video, thanks for shedding some light on these products, they really often do the same job for half the price

[@KevinRudd-w8s]

In the UK I've come to the conclusion that its pointless spending a fortune on gear like mounts and focusers because you are never going to be using anything for long enough to wear things out. I bought an EQ6-R Pro mount seven years ago, so far this year I've used it eight times, most of the time these days I use a small refractor mounted on a Star Adventurer GTi controlled by an ASIair, dead simple to set up and use even in the dark, some nights, most nights, you only get an hour or two to image so its pointless trying set up a a large expensive set up. The Juwei 17 looks to be pretty reasonable for the money, even if the quality isn't the same as the others, and there is no proof it isn't, it will probably take years of use in the uk for any defects to show.

[@astrodad-simonb277]

Great content Damon, do you have a video of how you built you piers ? Thanks ! Simon

[@julianm12345]

Regarding the Skywatcher HAC telescope, what's the strange patterning you can see (on the front element?) around the 6:10 mark? Is it some type of reflection, as it looks to have a straight edge. If so, a reflection of what?

[@anderson.krs95]

Man amazing videos, just subscribed. Keep up with this kind of video, we shall break out the vendor's fences and embrace cheaper options.

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

I've got the Altair 60ED & I have to say it's a great little performer so I'll be looking forward to watching your review, I also have the Gemini focuser but it came to me without a temperature sensor which I did order with it & a dent in the casing, the seller from Ali express only offered a dollar a compensation which I thought was laughable so not worth the hassle. However the focuser itself does work so I guess all is not lost.

[@ati3x]

I bought Gemini focuser. That working quite well. Not so much time to test that, mazbe 5-6 times. Last time was around -7 celsius, and simly "freezed". Then i checked the options and the "motor warm up" was not engaged. I hope that will help mext time. Here in sweeden not so many clear night, and these are mostly in winter time. Someitmes around -15 celsius.. So I hoping that will help!

[@simonwatts524]

I have the Gemini focuser and its great, a lot lighter than the ZWO eaf. I also saved over £100 on a Touptek 5x2 inch automatic filter wheel, which is also great.

[@h.n.4060]

I own two gemini focusers, so obviously I like it. I wish the dimensions of it were smaller, so it was a similar size to the ZWO focuser meaning accessories for it would also work with the Gemini, but it does what you need it to. Paying 200 dollars for a servo is highway robbery, and at that point you might as well use an arduino to build your own. The price of a gemini though is low enough to make the effort of making your own focuser not worth it.

[@kristofcappoen43]

I love your video the only thing that is missing is the usability . . . With good nights being scares I like the plug and play environment that ZWO offers. Maybe this should be part of this review.

[@caspase888]

Is Gemini EAF compatible with ASIair? Thanks for the wonderful video 👍🏻

[@aaronsmicrobes8992]

I am also really interested to know.

[@GustavoSanchez64]

No, ASIair only works with zwo equipment. The only exception is canon cameras. Everything else must be zwo for it to work.

[@jamesw5713]

@@GustavoSanchez64 Well ASIair also works with non ZWO mounts (Celestron AVX for me). I am guessing there were no ZWO mounts when first came on the market.

[@Joel-pg9sm]

Take a look at the Astrotech AT60, looks very similar to that Celestron.

[@kevinedw2002]

I absolutely love my astrostation

[@JurassicEditz2002]

Awesome video!

[@Space_fin]

Keep up the videos I have learned alot from you

[@SpringLocked...]

PLEASE REVIEW THE CELESTRON NEXSTAR 4SE!!

[@henrychongyuchungmoe1808]

0:28 why is there a random firework?😂😂

[@cdubsgt1777]

Wait if the zwo asiair is better than the aatrostation and cheaper, isn't that a win for cheap?

[@jeremys9672]

Very nice video, I would like to make 1 remark about the ZWO Asiair that should be added. At 8:10 it is said you can use only ZWO camera's. Maybe you referred to guide cameras. My Nikon D7100 is compatible with it. I have an Asiair Plus. It is true that you have to stay with the ZWO products for some other parts but camera wise there are some more options. There is a list of compatible camera's available on the ZWO website.

[@aaronsmicrobes8992]

I use an asiair with a sky watcher mount, and before I got a zwo camera a few months ago I was using a canon DSLR. This is an older model AA, but it still gets updates so I assume the same is true for newer models.

[@40Sec]

Yep, I wish more people would make that distinction. I used my Canon T5i with my AA+ for a year before I moved to an Asi533mc, and it also worked fine for polar alignment / plate solving.

[@DoronTshuva770]

and the gemini EAF is great

[@VRzichtbaar]

Hi Damien, As many others I am also always trying to get the most for my money. I do like your video but the end is a bit disappointing because the combination of your findings will not result in a working setup. An alternative for the ASI AIR must be used for the cheap and draw equipment. I do think that you should have mentioned the Astroberry/Raspberry PI solution. Yes it needs some fiddeling but it can control al the other components that you recommended. P.S. I am now using the Juwei 17/Askar500/Phase One Poseidon/ZWO EAF combination which is not cheap but absolutely a bargain given the top performance.

[@minzin-xd5xk]

Man I wish I have one of your telescope 😀

[@DoronTshuva770]

what about the juwie 14? why no one talks about it? its much much cheaper, is the reason since its simply bad?

[@nikaxstrophotography]

it's too new and has a small payload

[@DoronTshuva770]

@ it’s newer then the 17? Didn’t know

[@samkeethlunkad9863]

Love from India 🇮🇳 ❤

[@brunoqueiros2971]

I still can´t afford a basic eq goto mount, i gotaa stick to my tripod, dslr and lens, sad to be in this hobby without money

[@nygmangaming8623]

36 seconds ago?

[@MrREX-sy4rz]

❤

[@Reverend-JT]

8:13 the added moral issue is that they've essentially locked down open source software for profit. Stellarmate for me.

[@Cheapass-tro]

If only I could afford that 'cheap' mount. Great to see some competition against ZWO but now we need competition for Juwei to really bring down the prices. I use OnStep for a focuser, which is cheap, just a stepper motor and bracket. The OnStep controller already has the stepper driver for it.