GoTo in the Star Adventurer has Arrived!

Order from High Point Scientific: tinyurl.com/sw...
I'm on Patreon! / nebulaphotos

[@YoBroz-ix5rq]

Thorough information. Perfectly presented without disturbing background music. Thnx.

[@CookedLight]

Alyn Wallace recommended your channel, I suspect you will get quite a few new subscribers from this quality content 🤘🏻

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

So happy to see this new mount! It really fills in a need, and it does look very good for portable setups. Excellent overview Nico! I'd be interested to see if it works with GreenSwamp Server, although I don't see why not. Direct USB connection, which I assume is the same as other SW mounts, should just work with EQMOD or GSS as long as the right COM port is selected, and baud rate is set to 115200!

[@astrodysseus]

I thought you were on an astrophotography withdrawal, but glad to see you popping around ;) The mount looks cool but if guiding, I don't think it will perform better than the AZ GTi and is still overall twice the size and weight.. The wedge is much better but here you could get a smaller detachable WO wedge as well (important when carrying it around in a hiking bag). But maybe where this mount can work great is not to have to guide (for beginners or when packing extra light) and as a jack-of-all-trade when you are at a more stable site and want to guide to improve performance.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

@@astrodysseus Merci Laurent-Philippe! Yeah I'm still taking a break , I haven't imaged in months!

[@thimitri1]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Looking forward when you do...

[@andrebremer7772]

Curious to see the debug read-out with SyntaTester (from the GSS group). I would expect a mechanical setup similar to the AZ-GTi. Can't wait to get my hands on this thing and take it apart... :)

[@Wolfie6020]

Hey, just wanted to say thanks for showing me Green Swamp Server. That is all I use now with the Skywatcher mounts.

[@entropytango5348]

Thanks Nico, I got one partly based on your review. The single counterweight has been replaced by 2 smaller dissimilar ones instead. Making balancing smaller payloads now possible. I also found that very old EQ3 style weights work too. I actually keep the included weights as spares for extreme balance situations. Spot on with the relevant details as usual. You can tell the difference between those who have a head knowledge. And those who have an actual practical knowledge. You are so convincing because you are in the last group. Thanks

[@ElGrecoDaGeek]

Interesting. Their media images still show the single weight. Are the two weights white or the more common black color? I'm hoping that if I order one and I get the older single style they will send me replacements since my more common platform will be my mirrorless camera and lenses.

[@johanneshedtjarn3726]

Really interested in your vixen plate/rail. Brand and model? Length? Looks perfect to mount the guider that way. Have othetwise been mounting it on an L-bracket at on side of the camera, but this seems more stable regarding where the center of gravity for the rig occurs.

[@davidgonzalezmartinez38]

yes. I think its more interesting

[@Gefbcddhhvx]

Love your vids man

[@AjaySingh-yl7yy]

Hello nebula photos, you really got me interested in Astro photography! I used your guide as a reference to take 200 1-2s Orion nebula photos and stacked them. This initial session really got me into the hobby so I made my own automated barn door tracker (which actually works!!) I will use this weekend. Your videos are truly amazing and inspiring thank you! Hoping for clear skies for both is us.

[@Chopper153]

Do you live in a light polluted area? I live in a Bortle 9 city and struggle to get any images.

[@TehDipiinDots]

The Polarscope LED addition was much needed

[@ChopperChad]

Live stacking with the ASI Air and an iPad is what has me interested in this.

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

You can make simple counter weights using 1/4" lead wire, used for making fishing weights. Simply tightly coil it around the shaft. The lead comes in 1lb and 5lb

[@garymaker409]

I would love to see this with the ASI AIR PRO. That would make a super lightweight package to hike with.

[@tonytravlos8248]

Ordered a used GTi from High Point Scientific a couple weeks ago and I'm very impressed with it so far. One thing you mentioned Nico, was the loosely attached polar scope cover. I did notice that the tabs on the cover press right against the battery holders, so what I did was very carefully pare down the pointed edge of the two clips where they meet the battery holders. The tabs now fit much tighter. Your mileage may vary of course, but with a used unit I didn't feel bad making a slight mod. I also wrapped a small wire around the elusive battery cover screw and looped it around a knob on my tripod. Hopefully I won't lose it in the dark again! Thanks for all your helpful vids!

[@lukomatico]

Superb initial overview of the mount Nico!! Great work putting this together and presenting man :-) Can't wait to see more! Clear skies!

[@NebulaPhotos]

Thanks Luke!

[@AstroDragon33]

Much better in depth explanation then every other channel (not hating, just saying, thank you). You continue to show your passion and knowledge. Rock on

[@frank5angels308]

Great video Nico, thank you. Could you add your Redcat 51 , ZWO autoguide scope plus OSC camera and auto focuser on your cheese plate to the GTI or would that be too heavy of a payload?

[@NebulaPhotos]

That would work. I think that would be at about 10 pounds give or take.

[@enoughalready4450]

Hey Nico, thank you for another great review! You mention the Ioptron Smart EQ being a similar mount/competitor, however, what about Explore Scientific iEXOS-100…that seems to be a portable eq mount, but not much info/few reviews. Any familiarity with that mount…possible review from you? Also, I know you come down to my neck of the woods to image in Charlestown RI/Ninigret…hope to bump into you sometime.

[@flyingmedic]

Great review as always. Thank you.

[@marcomanenti9966]

Hi Nico and thanks a lot for the video! I've got one and i have one question: i've got a constant backslash on DEC, also with 100% aggressive. The photos are ok (also 300" shots) also polar alignment is very good. Do you have the same backslash or someone had it? Bye! Marco

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, at around 17:10 I mentioned I too got backlash in DEC, and that had an effect of long settle times if dithering in both axes. Haven't had time to see if I could tune it. Might just be the best the mount can do in such a small package at this price point.

[@mikedresen6321]

Hi Nico - thanks for the great review. I'm curious if there is an existing adapter, or some other way, to mount a PoleMaster polar scope to this mount? Mike

[@13_cmi]

I got the star adventurer 4 months ago and then this comes out. An affordable go to mount is exactly what I wanted but I got the star adventurer instead so whoops

[@5219spark]

Wonderful video, thank you for sharing. I'm just in the infant state of getting involved with astrophotography. I'm still trying to decide on what mount to purchase. I’ll be using a Nikon z9 with a 17 to 28 f/2.8 and my 180 to 600 f/6.3 lenses with the mount I choose. The mounts I’m currently considering are iOptron SkyGuider Pro and the Sky watcher star GTi or wait an save for the EQM-35. With the iOptron SkyGuider do I need to purchase the ipolar or can I purchase a Autoguide setup. Also read there’s issues with the wedge on the. Sky Guider.

[@kevinashley478]

Can't wait for your video on backlash. I hear it in a lot of videos but I have no clue what it is. I have an idea based on context, but I only know what backlash means in regards to fishing, lol.

[@michaelnixon6672]

Nico, on the Star Adventurer GTI mount I found if you spread the weights with a couple of inches between them balance can normally be achieved。 I did not have a camera setup but did have the SVbony 60mm guidescope attachedand was able to balance the rig.

[@AntonioPena1]

Nico, thanks for great review, will be nice to test it with ASIAIR plus. Thanks for sharing

[@rhealdubreuil]

Great video and lots of great info. For future project with this mount see if you can get a 60mm telescope (Williams optics, Apratura etc), with field flattner, mono camera, filters, filter wheel, electronic focuser, Guide scope and camera, ASI AIR PLUS and dew heaters. See if the mount will handle it and kind of sub time you can get with round stars. As this would be the perfect portable setup or setup for people with physical disabilities that prevent them from having a much larger mount. You asked for future idea's and I would love to see what this mount is capable of. Keep up the great work.

[@swsantos]

I received a new Star Adventurer GTi this week, vintage 2023, and it has two separate counterweights that weigh 1.5 and 3.5 pounds for the same total of 5 pounds so it would seem that the lighter load balancing issue has been taken care of this time around. There is even a sticker in the user manual in the what's-in-the-box section covering I would presume was last year's 5 pound counterweight. Same crappy polar scope cover though, and there still needs to be a captive screw on the battery cover.

[@wolfgangkuechle9085]

Very nice first look at the product, thank you! Do you think this is still usable on an image scale of 2 arc seconds or is this pushing the limits too far? Does it use an RJ45 cable for the hand controller / eqmod or is it the RJ16 found on the AZ-GTI? Since the price is already quite close to the EQ-35 a comparison between the two would be very interesting. I'm very happy to hear that goto accuracy is quite good, it was less than decent on my AZ-GTI sample. Looking forward to further videos and your further experience with it.

[@traveladdict196]

Did you get the direct USB to work? I have tried everything on my Windows 11 laptop and it will not work for me.

[@Name-1r]

Very detailed thank you again can’t wait to see you use it and see some more awesome photos…

[@VincentGroenewold]

Great video, very nicely put together and great to have that intro added to it. Not like some other "reviewers" tend to do. ;)

[@stelaras1]

Great review! Is this mount comparable to EQM-35 Pro in terms of guiding?

[@ujjwaldatta6713]

Hi! First of all for sharing your knowledge with us. I am wondering if you would be doing a complete A to Z tutorial on the GTi in a future video? Like from setting it up to the different ways to connect and mount your camera etc, and also how to use (if someone chose to) an ASI Air Plus and a guidescope with it. I don’t know anything about dithering, guiding etc, so that’ll help greatly. I plan to use my Canon 300mm prime lens with a 1.4x TC with this setup. Would I need any additional dovetail plates etc to attach a ballhead onto which the camera would go? Thank you.

[@scarman123]

Would love to see the possibility of ASIAIR compatibility.

[@lwizzit]

My first thought as well. Perhaps it will be seen as an existing mount by Skywatcher?

[@ThePinoyAggie]

I hope so too since I have the ASIAIR. Receiving this mount tomorrow. I'm excited. Of course, forest fires in the west will delay my utilization of this new gear.

[@abisography]

@@ThePinoyAggie it is still out of stock. Did you get it from high point scientific?

[@ThePinoyAggie]

@@abisography yes, I received my copy. Got to used it once so far and the go-to feature makes framing easy.

[@PilotPhteven]

Very interesting mount. Fixing the main reasons why I never went for the star adventurer. As much as it is a great mount, the lack of DEC and GoTo limited it's uses for me. 1- being lazy. 2-planning multiple targets per night or mosaics. I "need" more though then what this mount offers.. Cooled camera, asiair, guiding, filterwheel, maybe a dew heater, etc. Drawing quite a bit of power.. So, as I would need a big battery for that already.. and doing all my photography 5 meters away from a power socket.. being "off the grid" isn't high on my list of requirements.. And rather have something like an EQM35 or Celestron VX, and have the additional weight capacity. Either way, interesting mount. Maybe for the future.

[@juliomedina_astronomia8172]

Excelente felicitaciones y gracias , saludos desde Colombia

[@jrags35]

Thank you as always for the review, got one on order now will be a good mount for when I don't want to or can not bring my EQ6 R pro. FYI weighed my 72 edf with image train came in at 9 pounds.

[@stephanschmidt6579]

Great video and review. Can you do 3 Star polar alignment with the app? Also, with the 2i, I think the two screws at the base of the head you need to turn for polar alignment are rather clunky. Does this one also have those two counter roating screws? I think the 35M has a much more precise spindle/worm gear for turning the head during polar alignment?

[@rayphillips815]

Great review, Nico.. I was able to get my hands on one and finally took it out tonight. I was a little disappointed in the two adjusting knobs/screws for azimuth. They didn't offer much adjustment, and were flimsy. You mentioned the scope cover, and I'm really not sure how that passed into final production. A couple of strategically placed magnets could have been used. Aside from those issues, I'm excited for more time and clear skies!

[@astrocatinfo]

Great review Nico!! Looks promising.

[@ivanluhi]

Nice initial review! Is there any one of those trackers that doesn't need [visual] polar alignment? I have a somewhat decent view from my back balcony, but my neighbor's house blocks the view to Polaris...

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, see my follow-up review to the GTi where I compare it to the Benro Polaris: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJuWlJSon5dql8k The Benro Polaris does not require a view of Polaris to use it (I know - confusing product name). It's pretty cool, but also more expensive than any other small star tracker I know of because it does other things as well (automated panoramas, etc.).

[@ivanluhi]

@@NebulaPhotos thank you very much for the reply! I'll look into it!

[@raza.y]

Thanks for great explanation. Have been looking at AZ GTi for a small refractor but looks like this is much better

[@raza.y]

price seems significantly higher though

[@QawiemJamil]

This is what I’ve been waiting for! Does the sky watcher app offer aid in polar alignment?

[@vmeighan]

Hi Nico. I’ve been following your channel since I stared2 years ago. I like the setup you have on this video with the cooled cam, filter wheel and DSLR lens. I know the video is about the mount but, can you please explain what adaptors you’re used to fit it all together. Thanks.

[@absorbingphotons]

Super informative video, great job Nico! Might have to pick one of these up for myself...need a "mini-me" for the EQ6-R.

[@nelsonrivera6575]

Great video Nico , i havent had good experience with the SW app ,but ill try anyways ,but for reference ,will it work with ASI air pro or plus?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, it should.

[@Wolfie6020]

Thanks for a great review. This is the first I have heard of this mount and will definitely buy one. I am currently using an AZ-Gti in EQ mode while travelling. It works nicely but time for an upgrade.

[@Wolfie6020]

PS. Can you confirm this has spring loaded worm gears like the Az-Gti?

[@NebulaPhotos]

I haven't opened it up to see if they are spring-loaded, but the specifications in the user's manual states the worm gear is copper and has a diameter of 15.8mm, while the wheel gear is aluminum alloy and has a diameter of 92mm.

[@PsychMike]

Thanks for the review, Nico! I’m still looking for my first mount, and while I think this new GTi looks great, going beyond the payload limit is the thing holding me back. It’s going to be easy to surpass once additional equipment gets added or larger scopes get involved. Still, seems like a terrific option for people as a first mount!

[@dgv646]

yeah, that's why nobody should consider this mount, the EQM 35 is by far a better choice

[@itaialter]

@@dgv646 Really? NOBODY should consider a mount that is $330 cheaper than the EQM35? Even people who are fine with just using a small scope? You're incredibly self-absorbed.. gross..

[@johnmitchell2094]

Great video. I'd like to see how a Polemaster camera fits in.

[@antoniomariomagalhaes2521]

Nico, thank you for your review! From your experience w/ the GTI, how strict you think the 5 kg load weight limit is? My [500mm f/4 lens] plus [Vixen bar] + [camera] = 4.95 kg (!). I'd like to add the ASIAIR+, which is 0.30kg. The total would be 5.25 kg. Would that be doable? Thank you for your input.

[@antoniomariomagalhaes2521]

Ops, correction: I forgot to add Finder+CCD, 0.5 kg. So the total w/o the ASIAIR will be already 5.20 kg... Would 5.20 kg work? I'd fix the ASIAIR somewhere else. Thanks again.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Is the Finder+CCD for auto-guiding? I think as long as you are guiding and well-balanced, 5.2kg should be fine on the GTi

[@antoniomariomagalhaes2521]

@@NebulaPhotos Nico, thanks for the reply! You're right; it's the guiding gear, a ZWO 30f4 scope w/ their 290mm Mini CCD, similar I think to what you showed in your review mounted on your Vixen bar. I'd be attaching that guiding gear to a Canon astro camera w/ an L-bracket. You're right; good balancing might be critical to avoid damaging any mount gear. Thanks.

[@balboadancer751]

Thanks for the great overview Nico! I just picked up a SA 2i a few weeks ago and was hoping that I could use it with my AT60ED and small mirrorless camera (Samsung NX mini). Unfortunately with the small sensor size and the 360mm FL of the scope, it was just a struggle trying to dial in my target. I was thinking it would really be nice if they made a SA that had full goto capability. What great timing for this release!!! I think this mount would be the perfect pairing for my setup as it seems like the perfect grab and go setup. Did you get a chance to test out the battery life using alkaline and/or eneloops?

[@hael8680]

Great video, thank you. What is the support you are using underneath the camera? You don't see to support the lens.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Trying out the 'foot' of the QHY533M. It comes like that on that camera. Worked pretty well.

[@1pcmedic]

6:35 You can add tension to the Polar scope cap, heat the prongs individually with a hair dryer until hot, then a little outward pressure, hold until it cools. It will not be falling off when hit. I did it with my Star Adventurer Pro, works like charm.

[@paulboone714]

Oh man, I'd love to see a video on exactly how to do that, the cap is a pain in the butt!!!

[@1pcmedic]

@@paulboone714 On the star adventurer you heat the cap by the locking tabs with a hair dryer. When the cap is very warm you add pressure from the inside of the locking tab and move it about 1/16" outward. When the inside of the tab is in line with the outside of the cap when it cools you are adjusted properly. For the GTI you do the same to move the tabs outward, but the tabs are a little TOO LONG and hit the batteries in the holder. Take off 1/16" from the LENGTH of each tab until it locks in place when the batteries are in place. DO NOT TAKE OFF MORE than 1/16" from the lock step on the locking tab. I don't know their Engineers are but they need some tips................

[@dw.in.michigan]

First, for additional counterweight options, there are 3D print specialists out there making all kinds of photography accessories, including counterweights. Starting a chat with one of them would likely result in them making something to your specs. I recently bought a counterweight set for my SA 2i, in case I need a little more than what it came with. You can fill each cannister with whatever density filler you need, so you can customize the weight. I used fish tank gravel, mostly because it's cheap. But you could use much denser ball bearings for more weight if needed. Secondly, I'd be interested in seeing, or knowing, how this compares to the AZGTI. Cuiv the Lazy Geek did a couple of videos last fall showing how to (somewhat easily) adapt the AZGTI for astrophotography, and I've been considering buying one, but the availability has been so hit or miss for several months, and the sellers have been jacking the price up 2-4x the MSRP. I'm finally starting to see the prices come down as normal availability is more consistent, but after learning of this tracking system, I would definitely want to see how the two compare before spending the money on either one.

[@photonqopt]

I also want to know how this mount fare against AZ GTI in the Eq mod. I wonder if I should have waited a little longer. I bought AZ GTI with a few extras to make it Eq mount a few weeks ago without knowing this mount coming up.

[@riskinhos]

JUST BUY A 3D PRINTER.

[@legrandtc]

Should i buy this kit or a eq5 used? It's about the same price. I own a star adventurer gti and my photo kit (canon r6mkii and canon 500mm f4 v1) Is kind of heavy (too heavy for the gti in fact) but i want to upgrade to a goto system that can hold my equippment. Thanks for your videos they relly help me to find my way through the amazing astrophotography

[@boofyhalfpint8559]

Hi Niko, I have really enjoyed your reviews, this set up seems to be really good, love the tracking feature for a dead set newbie like me. Could you give a quick opinion, I have either a Canon D60 with a Eos 10-18mm F4 5-5.6 IS STM wide angle lens plus an EF 70-200 F4 telephoto lens. I also have a Nikon D5200 with a Sigma DC 18-250 3.5-6.3 telephoto lens and wondered if this set up would work for it or if I should go for the Mini AZ-GTi (mainly in relation to the balance issues with the counter weight of the new one). Happy sky snapping. Boofy.

[@mattpenn3972]

Nice overview... have been looking forward to this release. Here's a use case for you: we're thinking of recommending it as a portable mount for the upcoming 2024 total solar eclipse. (1) Can you use the cell-phone SCP boresight (aka "The Rackley Technique") to get a rough daytime polar alignment and/or (2) can you use planetary objects to get a good daytime polar alignment?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll see how accurate I can get polar alignment with those methods. I have tried the Rackley method with other mounts before, but my trouble was the phone compass never seemed to work correctly when it was close to other metal objects (the mount). My favorite daytime polar alignment method, was old-school compass and string plus a magnetic declination adjustment for the location. The other thing I did was just use a solar filter and adjust polar alignment until the sun had very little drift (I assume that's the same as the 'planetary objects method'?) In any case, I'm positive any of these methods would work just as well with the GTi as any other EQ mount.

[@mattpenn3972]

@@NebulaPhotos Yes, the compass and drift methods do work and are good fall backs. To really take advantage of a GOTO, I was wondering about 2 or 3 object alignment using planets during the day. One would need to be careful about proximity to the Sun of course, but planets are easy targets in full sunlight (even naked eye in some cases), so I've wondered about that for a daytime polar alignment. The Star Adventurer Mini does have a lot of metal, and it does throw off my cell phone magnet a bit when I use the Rackley technique... but the offset seems to be stable. I can setup during the day, and then check with the polar scope at night, and can get some reproducible results. The key is that the SAM has a nice flat surface upon which I can place my cell phone while I tweak the alt/az polar adjustments. A brief look at your vid suggests this mount has a curved surface, that might be a bit more difficult to repeat-ably position a cell phone. I'm planning to purchase a mount in the next couple of weeks to try some of these tests... but I'd be very interested in your results, and any tips you might have in this direction!

[@jimmydingo4752]

Greetings Nico. Longtime learner of yours. Quick question on the GTI, does Pole Master make an adapter for this mount? Thank you for your time my friend.

[@NebulaPhotos]

QHY hasn't released an adapter for the GTi. I've seen 3d printed ones on eBay. You can also get one of the dovetail plate adapters from Buckeye Stargazer or ADM. With those adapters the polemaster is underslung on the front of the telescope dovetail plate, and it will work with any mount. That's what I do.

[@jimmydingo4752]

@@NebulaPhotos Thank you as always kind sir.

[@alneid2707]

Just wondering which adapter you used to connect the Rokinon to the filter wheel? It looks quite low profile.

[@chardpp]

Hi Nico. Very good video, as always. Do have a feel for how this tracker would perform with a Canon 5d mkiv (full-frame) in conjunction with the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary closer to the 600mm focal length?

[@NebulaPhotos]

With autoguiding, I think it would do well with that combo. Without guiding, not so good.

[@danstoisor4563]

I'm looking to get myself this for Christmas and I just want to know if this is a good first time purchase. I already have a Celestron 4se telescope, looking to expand in the future, and I've done untracked photography with just my dslr and a few photos of the planets and moon for a while now. You think this may be a good purchase, or should I consider something else that can hold more weight for future telescope purchases or should I consider something smaller and better manageable

[@MikeHammer1]

Nice looking mount and a very informative review. What about the Explore Scientific iEXOS-100? Have you had any experience with it? And just wondering which Somerville you are from as I am minutes from the one in NJ. BTW, my astro setup weighs about 8.5 pounds including an Orion ED80T-CF scope, 50mm guide scope and DSLR. My mount is the EXOS2-GT w/PMC8 controller which is open source.

[@davidgonzalezmartinez38]

Congrats. One question. I would like to know your set Up. How do you connect the ASI ZWO mini to dovetail? What screw and dovetail do you use?? Thanks a lot

[@Adrenalinejunkey]

If you were thinking about expanding your options would the 35eqm be a better choice its not much more and does it have all of the same features of this one ? Im using a dslr and 15-30 mm 70-200 and 400mm prime.

[@amitangane8581]

Great review. I am a beginner looking to get the gti for my first mount with my dslr and small lens. Would love to see more videos showing all the auto-guiding capabilities and how to connect it to a computer and run the guiding

[@PhilFXPhoenix]

Now that a number of people have received this mount and are collectively seeing issues in particular with the RA and DEC axis coming loose with a fair amount of play in them I'd be curious to see if you are now seeing the same thing? On CN you can search and see in particular a number of users have gone to opening up the mount and putting plumbers tape on the threads of the restraint bolts for both these axises, which appears to remedy this issue but users should not have to be cracking open their new mounts just to fix such a trivial issue that the manufacturer 1) Should have seen and 2) Should have fixed.

[@donaldmackinnon5587]

Very informative. What is the software you downloaded to your phone? Can you please spell it? Thanks.

[@NebulaPhotos]

SynScan Pro App

[@barryscully1820]

As someone who currently is using the AZ-GTI this looks like a much easier one to polar align and it has all the other capabilities. Do you know if this will work with the ASIAIR+ that I'm looking at picking up?

[@ryansuki6452]

Hi Nico! Love your content. As a newbie, there is some terminology that I'm unfamiliar with - in particular your use ot the terms "portal 8" and 'portal 4". I'm wondering if you can please explain what that means? Cheers!

[@NebulaPhotos]

Ah, sorry for the confusion. I'm saying 'Bortle 8' and 'Bortle 4' It's a commonly used scale for evaluating how dark a sky is at a given location. It goes from 1 (darkest) to 9 (brightest). Bortle 8 is a city sky. Bortle 4 is a rural sky.

[@alandyer910]

Excellent first look, thank you! Could you not improve the backlash by using the backlash adjustment in the SynScan Pro app? The hand controller also has that adjustment, to give the Dec axis a short jolt to take out any hesitancy or delay, but still avoiding overshooting. Lots of people will want to know how it works with an ASiair, with it connected to your mobile device, so the GTi can’t be connected as well. Thanks!

[@DannyBoy9685]

How do you mount the guide scope *under* the dovetail like that? I really appreciate the placement because it brings the weight closer to center and less clutter. Also, how do you cable manage the back of the guide scope camera with it being so close to the GTI? Do you use right angle connectors? Thanks!

[@Rotceh-r4g]

Cool Niko! I'm eagerly awaiting this star tracker, to be paired with a 50mm or a 62mm refractor. The phone connectivity and go to was a selling point for me. I had considered the Zwo AM3, but at more than twice the cost, minus tripod, pier, asair, polar scope, weight or bar, and battery source (all EXTRA!!!) the choice was easy to make. ($740.00 is not inexpensive, but seems fair for what you get: a great, portable travel rig optimized for light telescopes or cameras.) Thanks for posting!!!

[@theunmotivatedphotographer1348]

Hey Nico,can u recommend any lighter counterweight for the mount?.and what is the recommendation for the weight of counterweight for lighter payloads ?

[@MacroCreative]

How are you managed to connect guidescope under vixen dovetail? It must be special vixen style dovetail. I wanted to use my SVBONY165 guidescope with SW evoguide 50ed together…I still can’t find nice bracket system for it.

[@mariospenard5125]

That is useful information! Thank you

[@astrobert1254]

Where did you get a EOS to M48 adapter that is so slim that you can actually use a filter wheel with camera?

[@rckjiang]

Great review!! Thank you! Quick question: does it do auto meridian flip? Thanks!

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, it can.

[@fromia1]

I'm still looking for a possible solution to counterbalance lighter setups. I only got a mirrorless camera and a 135mm lens. Would that be too light?

[@NebulaPhotos]

I need to test more. You might be able to just go with no counterweight at all, or someone mentioned iOptron sells lighter weights that should fit this bigger CW shaft.

[@williemacdonald72]

For balancing lighter setups I had an extra iOptron counterweight that i used on my 2i. I took it to a local engineering firm with the GTi's bar and asked if they could mill it out to fit, five minutes and ten pounds later I had a one kilogram counterweight.

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

Good video Nico! I wonder if you can use this mount also manually like the star adventurer, I know is an odd question, but let;s say one night you do not want to use the goto feature and just find an object manually, it can track after you pointed the telescope to a dso manualy?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, but you still have to turn on tracking from the app. No dial.

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

@@NebulaPhotos and goto wont work anymore I think until going back to home position and restart the mount. i was curious if you cans till use it like the star adventurer 2i. Good videos Nico. Clear sky!

[@NebulaPhotos]

@@GalaxyArtMedia that's correct, exactly. It doesn't have absolute encoders so it doesn't know where it's pointed if you point it manually.

[@GalaxyArtMedia]

@@NebulaPhotos Thanks for the answers, Forgot to ask you what you thinka fter comapring the Sa 2i and gti. You think the Star Adventurer 2i is worth keeping if you have also the Gti. i guess is more of a personal decision but was curious what you think.

[@NebulaPhotos]

@@GalaxyArtMedia Yeah, for me it would replace my iOptron SmartEQ, but not my 2i. But I guess time will tell how much I continue to use my 2i, if I buy a GTi. I have too much astro stuff clearly :)

[@shupingyin8082]

Is this recommended for a beginner? Im only used it to do tracked Milky Way In the feature maybe deep sky

[@kalef1234]

Hi Nico! Have you ever used that QHY533M (or similar) astro-cameras for landscape astrophotography? I currently use the Canon 6D on a star adventurer. I love the RAW quality from the old canon DSLRs and LOATH the raws out of my A7S, A7R II etc for astrophotoraphy. even if not in bulb mode, those sonys aren't that great. I'd VERY much be interested in the experience and results of using a cooled astro camera for astrophotography in the 14mm-50mm focal range.

[@BelmontHillTV]

Question: what is more important, the camera being level or the polarscope being level? If I level the tripod, head and camera the polarscope is not vertical. 0 is at about 3 o'clock.

[@GTheoMedia]

Great review. Any idea why mine won't go to any celestial object? The Go TO function does not work after I 3 star align it. The tracking works perfectly for long exposure photos , I am perfeclty aligned to Polaris but it just won't go to the celestial objects, it will point to random locations on the sky when using GO TO function. Anything I am missing out? Thanks.

[@NebulaPhotos]

Sounds like some setting is wrong in the app, so it doesn’t know where it is. First thing to check is that it’s actually pulling the correct Lat Long from your phone.

[@GTheoMedia]

@@NebulaPhotos Thanks. Will double check that.

[@donbarlow6435]

Thanks Nico, very nice video. Most times you have discussed comms using a windows platform. It would be nice to discuss comms with Apple Mac. Also please display what actually comes with the unit. Thanks would be grea.t

[@Markus421]

Is it possible to connect via WiFi to the PC? (Is there Software that supports it?) Since many modern Cameras also have a WiFi interface it would be possible to do everything without a bunch of cables.

[@DavidBradley263]

I only recently got my 2i a few weeks ago… didn’t know this was in the works. It’s tempting, but I may hold off for a bigger mount since I’ll eventually want to mount bigger scopes to it.

[@NikhilShahi]

Hi NIco. It seems that the wedge and the mount in this GTi are one piece. Can they be removed for transportation? If not, then it is not very portable and I will just stick to my 2i version. The SA 2i is just so portable and I can dismantle everything and put them into my camera bag. I don't think one can do that with this new mount?

[@NebulaPhotos]

Correct. It's all one piece.

[@sameerahmed1700]

Any issues with mounting the guidescope upside down under the dovetail bar? How long is the dovetail bar that you are using in this video?

[@primelricafrente]

Cool... Ill get this one... What lenses you can recommend for my a7s? Thanks from far NZ

[@bronco_fv]

The payload is 5kg. Is that for AP or do we have subtract 1/3 of that (leaving only ~3,5kg)? It’s an tempting package for a beginner (i.e. me)…

[@OrangesII]

Yeah it's generally a good idea to use only two thirds of that for better performance. However you can push it all through way to 11lbs, although not recommended

[@markhill8218]

Looks like an interesting mount, would like to see a video with ASI pro compatibility.

[@DRob1843]

Weird question. What does the box it comes with look like? Is it the same or similar packaging dimensions as the 2i? Reason I'm asking is I bought a hard case for the 2i and just slipped in the foam packaging that came came with the 2i into the hard case and would love to do the same for the gti. Thanks!

[@michaeledmonds3027]

Great in depth review. I too, would like to see this GTi mount controled with a ZWO ASIAIR Plus with a CMOS camera and guide scope.

[@bobslfcu773]

Nice video. After you polar align then turn on live view on the DSLR, should Polaris be in the center of the live view screen or off center according to the position in the app? Thanx for the info.

[@NebulaPhotos]

It will be slightly off-center but not in the position according to the app, because for that to work you have to take into account field rotation of the camera sensor vis a vis the rotation of the reticule. So the app really should just be where on the circle, Polaris should be in the polar scope not the camera screen.

[@CAPAstro]

Great vid Nico. Any updates on further testing that you mentioned ie the dec backlash tuning and the use of the USB port with a EQMod/NINA type setup. I have one on backorder and would like to know what to expect ;) Cheers man !

[@NebulaPhotos]

Not yet, but hope to test more on the next clear night

[@woody5109]

Great review, heads up - I’ve always used a surveyors tripod, really stable, affordable and light to carry.

[@hangerbird]

On the SA that I have now, I can use a USB to an external battery to power it. Can this be powered the same way or do you need a different connection and power source for side stepping the batteries to power it via external means?

[@MrStrativarius]

Nico! Thank you for all of your videos! So helpful. I just bought the Sky Watcher SA GTI, but now I'm a little worried. I bought it because I was hoping to be able to do deep sky imaging with my big lens, AND wide field landscape Astrophotography, like I've been doing for years with yhe GTI. Your video has me very worried. Can the GTI still not support small loads like a Nikon Z7 and Nikkor Z 20mm 1.8? No new counterweight system or anything? Thanks either way! Clear skies!!!!

[@NebulaPhotos]

Yes, no problem. You have three options: 1. Use it without the counterweight shaft and counterweights entirely. For very light loads this is likely fine and won’t damage anything. 2. For ultra light loads, you can also try with the counterweight shaft installed, but no counterweight. The shaft itself will provide some weight. 3. You can order lighter counterweights that fit this shaft. Sky-watcher in the UK offers them, but if in the US, I’ve heard iOptron makes a 3lb. Weight that fits as well.

[@MrStrativarius]

@@NebulaPhotos This is so great to hear. I am beyond excited to get it. I am also planning on using it to shoot the upcoming eclipse, so I need to get practicing. Thank you again for your reply, for this video, and for all other videos you make. You are an amazing resource. Clear skies!

[@phcalama]

Hi Nico. Now that you've had a chance to review this new mount how would you say it compares with the iOptron CEM26?

[@thethirdman225]

Damn you Nico Carver! 😁 Just when I thought I knew what I wanted, you pop up with this with everything I want but at AU $250 extra cost! Looks like a great mount and a definite winner, IMHO. All it needs is a lighter counterweight, which shouldn't be hard to find.

[@thethirdman225]

@Nebula Photos Just wanted to say thanks for putting me onto this. I finally got a Star Adventurer GTI. I've yet to use it because there has been way too much cloud here but first chance I get, I'll be out there capturing photons. Right now I'm trying to learn some of the features of the Synscan Pro app. Honestly, this was the best choice for me. I already had a tripod for it and just made total sense. Thanks again.