MSM Nomad Modifications - Things to make tracking the stars easier.

[@ericwilkes1840]

Another great video Richard, love people who are willing to take to gear with power tools (I am in the same camp). Have been using essentially the same process but with Polar align pro and found it amazingly accurate and convenient. One little tip I picked up from someone was when doing the alignment it is worth taking off your smart watch (apple watch etc) if you are wearing one as for weird reasons it can interfere. Was skeptical at first but was able to see it happening in the backyard. Thanks as always.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for checking it out Eric. I don't wear a smart watch but I'm not at all surprised it makes a difference .. our whole world is full of magnetic smart gadgets these days ..!!!

[@patford9943]

Richard, I enjoy your philosophy of keeping things simple! You never get overloaded with gear just because it’s hip and trendy.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I must be too old to be hip and trendy Pat ..!!!!!

[@JerryDell-j3s]

Some excellent modifications Richard. The few times I have been able to use my Nomad have yielded fine results! Take care, Jerry

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes I'm enjoying the Nomad Jerry. Thanks.

[@mikeoehl9566]

Thank you, Richard, these are outstanding modifications. I will most likely perform all of them as well. I really enjoy your channel and your enthusiastic way of providing viewers useful ways to improve their photography.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Very kind of you Mike. Thanks for watching.

[@OldGreyGoat01]

Hey Richard, thanks for taking the time to make this video to share your knowledge with us, it's very much appreciated 🙂

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome my friend. Thanks for watching.

[@GrowPhotography]

Many thanks for keeping us updated on your Nomad journey. With an overseas trip coming up I decided to order one and am patiently awaiting it's arrival. They are now offering an optional Vixen plate so I went with this so I can use it with my existing Skywatcher wedge - little heavier than the MSM option. I'm also very familiar with aligning this via phone apps so less of a learning curve.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes Greg, I saw the Vixen plate option . .very good move by them. Hope your overseas trip goes well.

[@nightscapejournals]

Nice job, Richard. Glad you’re still getting on with yours and great to have some mod ideas - mine arrived yesterday so looking forward to having a play! I can’t wait to shed a few pounds from my pack and leave the StarAdventurer at home a bit more!! Always enjoy the in-field b-roll at the end - reminds me how much I love this hobby! All the best and hope you’re well. 👍

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much Paul. Yes I'm going well .. .enjoying your content as well.

[@StarScaperPhoto]

There were some handy adjustment ideas Richard. Thanks for sharing!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks for watching as always Jeroen. An engineer friend of mine cringed a bit when he saw my drill work . .but it did the job.

[@StarScaperPhoto]

@@nightscapeimages.richard if it works it works! 😄

[@cicarda4350]

Hi Richard love your work as usual! I have a Nomad and also purchased the phone mount for Southern hemisphere alignment. I thought the base mount was overpriced and and did not like the horizontal adjustment so I purchased 2 of the Z mounts. I run one below the Nomad to give me horizontal and vertical angles. I attached an arca Swiss mount for the Nomad to attached and run the 2nd Z mount on top with a ballhead and camera. The phone mount screws into the Nomad and the phone stays in place so I can easily check alignment. Turn the phone around and you can, with a bit of fiddling, align to North C Pole and easier on the back. Seems to be working for 14mm, 20mm and 50mm lenses with up to 2 min exposures.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

That's sounds great. I'm not sure I'd trust 2 x Z plates to not flex a little bit though.

[@dennisblack4444]

Awesome video Richard, always love your mods and hacks.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks as always Dennis.

[@YoBroz-ix5rq]

Thnx!!! Thnx!!! Richard, it‘s as if you were listening to what i need😊

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching my friend, it's really appreciated.

[@YoBroz-ix5rq]

@@nightscapeimages.richard By the way. I already used the MSM mobile bracket together with its regular mount but just flipped the smartphone over (backside looking towards me). Than i just went to the camera side of the MSM and aligned using the southern pole with sky safari (i‘m in the Alps, northern hemisphere). Worked great. But inspired by your video i‘m already looking to find my hand drill.

[@dhg1960]

Hi Richard, a great video with lots of useful ideas. The MSM Nomad looks interesting,

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

It's a very good tracker David. Hope you're well.

[@akkarparkiamopas3401]

I hope the MSM manufacturer has come to read and address these issues. It would be good if you can send this video to them so that they can improve their product.👍

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Well to be fair to MSM. The vast majority of their customers are in the northern hemisphere. .and they tend to use the laser attachment rather than the phone mount.

[@gavinheppenstall766]

Great video Richard, great idea. Clear skies waiting for my new lenses to arrive.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

What lens are you waiting on Gavin ..???

[@gavinheppenstall766]

@@nightscapeimages.richard The 14mm 1.8 GM & the 24mm 1.4 GM.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

@@gavinheppenstall766 Fantastic

[@gavinheppenstall766]

@@nightscapeimages.richard but of a learning curve to get comfortable with the A7 4 in the dark, fright mode is a game changer being able to see in the dark 🖖

[@gavinheppenstall766]

Bright Mode 🤣

[@dw.in.michigan]

Great video! Thanks, Richard. That Artcise EB36R ballhead doesn't appear to be available here in the US. They have some that are similar through eBay, but I am guessing they are quite a bit more expensive - dual notch and larger ball diameter. I'll keep an eye out for it. Hopefully Amazon will carry it at some point. That give you had in your MSM EQ base was similar to an issue I had with my Sky-Watcher base. After many videos, I finally discovered I could take it apart and add in another washer - had to make my own from a piece of thick plastic, but it works great now.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I actually bought that Artcise ball head directly from AliExpress in China. I think most of these brands cut corners with the manufacture here and there Derek.

[@stepheng4500]

Howdy neighbour. I sympathise about the weather. Melbourne city lights and cloud is my life. Just picking up on a comment you made. Would you consider a video about trackers, alignment, and what images look like when its out of whack, and basic troubleshooting? I reckon there'd be some interest. Love your work.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks Stephen. I've already done quite a few videos about trackers. You can see those here: kzbin.info/aero/PLAYKmqkUeSM9CQ2l5zOSr479ZmlusOlpN I will certainly be doing more videos about the use of trackers moving forward.

[@ВладимирСеребрянский-ф9р]

Very useful information. Thank you very much for it!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

You're very welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@ВладимирСеребрянский-ф9р]

@@nightscapeimages.richard I have already watched almost all of your videos and learned a lot of interesting and useful things there. I look forward to your new videos!

[@gailsweb]

Great information Richard - I have continued to learn from your videos since the workshop last year but the biggest challenge is finding clear skies in a city! I’m also interested in the tripod and head/base you use in the video as they look very sturdy!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes it's always a challenge shooting nightscapes anywhere near a city ..!!! I'm using the Artcise AS80C tripod. It has a built in leveling base which I find awesome. They do come on special from time to time. www.amazon.com.au/INNOREL-Professional-Birdwatching-44pounds-Adapter/dp/B07JYZW9RF

[@gailsweb]

@@nightscapeimages.richardthanks Richard!

[@castlefamily873]

If you are in Sydney Barrenjoey headland is a good spot

[@markegan2974]

Thanks for testing it out mate

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Well it seems to be working quite well Mark. Have you received your replacement tracker yet ..??

[@markegan8514]

@@nightscapeimages.richard I did mate msm were very professional in helping me out , hopefully we get some clear skies next week

[@MSACoachMike]

The screw in the Arca-Swiss is a useful failsafe. The nodal rail I use has one and it saved my camera from crashing to the ground one time when something wasn’t tight. I agree with your assessment about the MSM Alyn Wallace Z mount. I find that it flexes too much when and tend to just use it to rotate the camera 360 degree function when making panoramas. Love the MacGyver modifications you made! Is a Richard Tatti line of Astro gear coming to MSM sometime in the near future?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Haha, no I doubt that will ever happen Mike, appreciate you watching.

[@MSACoachMike]

@@nightscapeimages.richard Never say never, Richard. They will undoubtedly see this video and they hopefully would want to improve their products in order for them to sell more of them.

[@bencollins7684]

Hi Richard, great video. Why would you use either of the phone mounts you have shown rather than something like the Leofoto PC-90II which still achieves the 90 degrees between the arca clamp and the phone, but it's also much smaller?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching Ben. That Leofoto mount looks very good. I've not seen this one before. Maybe I should give it a try.

[@mikedavis1110]

Richard which MSN package version would you recommend ? Not sure about the differences between the packages and I have basic understanding of the MW still photo process. I did take your advice on the Voltron’s 16mm lens and very impressed on the image difference between 2.8f! I use a z9 z14-24/z24-70 & D850-14-24/24-70 on weight setups. Thanks

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Hello Mike. It depends where you are located in the world. Here in Australia the laser is a waste of time. But in the northern hemisphere, many people find it very helpful. I think some sort of wedge base is the way to go, and as you've seen from this video .. I love the Alyn Wallace V plate for mounting a ball head to. I'm pretty sure you can ask MSM to supply whatever components you require. They are very responsive to messages.

[@AstroRoad]

Handy little mods there Richard. I've pulled my EQ wedge apart too and was wondering the same thing. Did you just pick up some extra nylon washers from the green shed? Also have a dislike of those azimuth screws. I've screwed mine in nice and firm and use them as thumb holds to rotate the panoramic base.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks Dominic. I had some washers laying around. . probably did originate from Bunnings.

[@billblanshan3021]

Thanks for sharing the video. You can buy 90° Arca Swiss brackets, I bet it might be easier using one of those and then use a phone clamp attached to it. That way the tolerances would be better

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

That's a great suggestion Bill. I'll check it out.

[@jerrythompson]

Thanks Richard, good info. I'm using a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer, the original. It is working well for me but I have been thinking about picking up the MSM Nomad for when I don't want to deal with weight, etc. On another subject, whereas you are a fan of the Nikon Z6II, I was in hopes that Nikon would loan you the Z6III for review. I've seen several reviews of the Z6III on other channels but none using it after dark. Your opinion of the new Z6III would most certainly be of more value to us nightscapers than what we have seen so far.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks Jerry. I've just purchased a Z6iii and will be doing extensive testing in the next weeks. I'll be doing a video about it then.

[@jerrythompson]

@@nightscapeimages.richard I look forward to hearing the results of your testing.

[@mariopereira8261]

Richard, thank you for sharing your transformations to improve the performance of the M.S.M Nomad, after watching the video I already changed the washers on my Skywatcher Star Adventurer and now I no longer have any wobbles and I'm going to add the screw in the wedge for the Nomad. Richard already had the opportunity to test the new Nikon Z 6 III ?? Thank you Richard for another great video, hug

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much Mario. I purchased a Z6iii and took delivery this week. I'll be doing lots of testing.

[@mariopereira8261]

@@nightscapeimages.richard Congratulations Richard on purchasing the Z6 III, you will undoubtedly provide an excellent review on the camera's performance at night, which is what we are most interested in, as no one has yet addressed the camera's night performance in nightscape. , I suppose Richard will also talk about whether the camera has had any improvements in Timelapse, no one has addressed that part yet. The Nikon Z 6 III also went on sale here in Portugal this week, but it costs an exorbitant price of €3,200 just for the body. Have a good trip on your next road trip. Hug

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

@@mariopereira8261 Thanks again Mario

[@eastwest1827]

Smart! I will experiment more with this. Currently I am using the Polar align app which wants your phone flat and there is no fixed position on the phone mount then. However, if I first align the tracker horizontally using a level app and then leveling the ball head (the mount’s) it seems to work decent for me. A bit fiddly but gives ok results. Another problem is that it’s possible to mount the phone not flat in the holder if you are not careful to. Thanks for the tips, enjoy your channel! 😊

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching. Yes you can change the orientation of the phone mount, but as you say there is no guarantee of it being square.

[@DLMVegas]

Thanks much for all the videos you do. I have the original Move Shoot Move. I do have the V and Z brackets but hardly use them. For me they don't feel that sturdy. Especially when adding a Nikon D810 Full Spectrum and the 14-24mm lens on top of them.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes that's a common comment. I wouldn't use the Z bracket but I find the V plate ok with my gear.

[@JeffreyMcPheeters]

Thanks for the great tips. The only variation I use is Neewer and others make magnetic plates for MagSafe mounts and I have a case on my iPhone with small steel plate so I attach one of those magnetic disks with an Arca Swiss plate attached. Level into horizontal is easy enough with built in app or even the camera apps have levels built in so the camera is perpendicular to the horizon.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching Jeffrey, appreciate your comments.

[@pabloyanez2235]

Fantastic video. Interested in the Nomad if it allowed me to shoot say a 150-200mm f2.8 lens for 60-120 seconds... Any chance you have tried something in this range and length of time?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

No I haven't used that focal range on the Nomad. . but that's not it's strength . .it's small and light weight .. most suitable for wide angle lenses.

[@izham.a]

Hi Richard, This is a bit off-topic from your video, but I wanted to mention the new Z6iii. The specs look very impressive for a hybrid photo/video camera. I was wondering if you might get a chance to test it out for astrophotography and vlogging, especially compared to your Sony A7S3. Thanks!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes I have already taken delivery of a Z6iii and will be doing some intensive testing moving forward.

[@GrantMcKenzie-p4c]

Where do I buy the Alyn Wallace v mount? Can't find it anywhere. P.s. Fantastic channel... Love it.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much. See here: www.moveshootmove.com/products/z-v-platform-designed-with-alyn-wallace-preorder?srsltid=AfmBOor5XOHS-jIe9FvrCFlJ102vejNyVeTAMTOS7GVh4nZRMlrphTWh

[@andrewleno591]

Richard excellent job, I assume that you spend alot of time with this tracker and by doing so you came with all this improvements. Thanks for sharing that. Bases on your experience what the longest focal length it can handle? I was thinking to take some really small tracker and use with it small camera like a Pentax Q with 4.65 crop factor, so witg 85 mm focal length it will give a 395mm effective focal length. I curious will it handle it.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks Andrew. Yes I have used the Nomad quite a lot. I've never shot anything longer than 85mm on it myself. It's not designed to carry heavy weight .. not sure what the weight of your Pentax Q would be. For heavier setups I'd go with a Star Adventurer GTI

[@Drinu1985]

Hi Richard, first of all I love your very informative videos, thankyou for your clear explanations!. I'm looking at improving my astro photography and its time to invest in a star tracker and I'm interested in the MSM Nomad, however I'm a little bit concerned about its payload capabilities, on their website they claim its 3.5kgs, that is fine for wide angle setups however I would like to do telephoto shots too maybe also some deep sky stuff. My telephoto setup would be the Canon R7 and the RF 100-500mm which equate to around 2kg in total. On paper it should be capable to handle this weight but I'm worried about the balance / payload shift when fully extended to 500mm. Do you think the Nomad would be able to handle such a setup ? Thanks in advance and keep up the good quality and passion you put in your videos!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

The Nomad is a really nice compact tracker, but it wouldn't be my choice for long focal length work. I think the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer 2i is better for that work. I only use the Nomad with wide angle lenses and at that it is excellent. It's not just the weight limit . .things like weight distribution etc come into it. The counter weight kit supplied with the Star Adventurer is really helpful for long lenses.

[@Drinu1985]

@@nightscapeimages.richard Thankyou for the advice and for addressing my concerns 😃

[@briantjones7603]

Richard, love the content. Thanks for sharing your experiences. Question: Do you have any concerns with accuracy of the smartphone gyro/GPS… mounting it near metallic parts (ie, MSM phone holder, Arca mounting plate, tri-pod head).

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes I think about that all the time Brian. That's why I prefer to set the polar alignment without the actual tracker being mounted. And another reason why I love the nylon Sky labs phone mount. I have encountered lots of interference when trying to align next to a tin shed or power lines etc.

[@john543]

For the MSM phone mount mod, can you point me at the fastener on the top, I can find the Arca Swiss small rig 2146B plate that looks like what you have, but no idea on the part on the other side. Thanks for the excellent reviews, I will be ordering the whole system.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much John. Any Arca Swiss plate will work. All I did was add another bolt that I had lying around to make sure that plate doesn't skew sideways. Anything would work. . and if the arca swiss plate is tight enough it shouldn't move anyway. . I was just making sure.

[@fionaanderson1392]

Thanks for another great video Richard. I have been using Photo pills, but find it very hard to line up a black cross and black dot at night 😊

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes that's a very good point you make Fiona.

[@KingSpicyNoodles]

The screw on the arca Swiss is a great tip.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for watching.

[@josepmbernaus]

Hi Richard! I have purchased the MSM Nomad with the polar wedge from MSM, but at the latitude I live (59 deg north), the wedge doesn't performe very well, as it is not very stable with the wait of the camera and lens. So, I am considering purchasing a replacement for this wedge, and I am wondering what would be better, the wedge from SkyWatcher or a geared tripod head (like the Benro GD3WH). Can you recommend one of these two items, or any other idea I could use to replace the MSM wedge? Thanks Richard, really appreciate your comments and recommendations!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Hello Josep. You can adapt the Nomad to a Sky Watcher base by using the Dovetail attachment under the Nomad. The Sky Watcher base is heavier for sure. I've never used the Benro 3 way head but it is a viable option for using under the Nomad for sure.

[@josepmbernaus]

Thanks Richard! Really appreciate it!

[@elgastronauta9760]

Thanks!

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Many thanks for watching.

[@nikkirix4659]

I have that same phone holder from MSM. I did that idea two months go.. then I saw this.. I am like.. why didn't I tell you.. lol. I have found that works well.. I am getting a much better alignment on my star tracker. I am thinking of getting Nomad, I suppose it would fit on the Sky Adv Tracker base where the Sky Adv Tracker sits on .. ?? or is that unit smaller or I just put another swiss plate underneath the Nomad unit. (that's probably work). I have the V mount.. just want to save a bit of weight limit when carrying the Sky Adv Tracker when I am walking about. Great video of info.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Hey Nicole, the Nomad comes with an arca swiss plate on the bottom .. but MSM have just released a Vixen Dovetail option which would fit straight on the Sky Watcher base. Great minds must think alike ...!!!!

[@humbersnapshot-wayneknight8523]

Hi Richard, in the uk and thinking of buying a star tracker for the first time. In your honest opinion, would it be the nomad or one of the skywatchers. Love your channel, keep up the good work 👍

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

For lighter duty weight I'd choose the Nomad or Star Adventurer Mini. For heavier loads I'd go Star Adventurer 2i.

[@humbersnapshot-wayneknight8523]

@@nightscapeimages.richard in kit form, which would you say is the easiest to polar align for a beginner?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

@@humbersnapshot-wayneknight8523 I polar align all of these trackers exactly the same way .. so there is no difference at all. But I don't use a laser or polar scope. I use a phone app with a phone holder.

[@blanejnasveschuk6351]

Hi Richard, Where did you get your Artcise EB36R? I am having a problem finding one. Discontinued?

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

They can be hard to find. I see them on Amazon regularly but other than that Ali Express.

[@blanejnasveschuk6351]

Richard, could not find EB36R on AE. Will go with NB46R… may be a newer CNC model. TY

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

@@blanejnasveschuk6351 Yes they keep changing and modifying these things all the time.

[@treeman3663]

Hi Richard Do you have any trouble buying from b&h I thought they don't sell internationally

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Over the years I've bought quite a bit of stuff from them . .not everything they have is available to Australia though.

[@Alnimer]

Thanks for the video, I use two phone holders, attached to eachother creating a perfict 90°! Photos sent to your email.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes there are always many ways to achieve what we need. Appreciate you watching.

[@carlreid4161]

I only read Alan Dyer's review yesterday as you did too Richard and I was going to ask you about the Nomad as I still have the original MSM Rotator which we know can be hit and miss, and I was thinking of which way to go next SWSA GTI, SWSA Mni, iOptron Skyguider Pro as I thought the Nomad wouldn't cut it based on my ownership of the earlier device. Great mods to their gear I agree some of it is top notch engineering but others need a little more thought. Do you need to balance the camera on the Nomad to get good star tracking, as with the old rotator you had to balance at 15 degrees off centre as it moves anti clockwise so it ''Pulls' and it defeated the object of buying the V plate as you were no longer level? Great video as always and the two minutes image from the Nomad looks great, very impressive.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much Carl. Alan's review was top notch. I love the Nomad. It's simple and easy to use. Seems really robust as well. The Sky Watcher trackers are probably a little more heavy duty but I can't fault it so far, and I've been using it exclusively for a while now.

[@carlreid4161]

@@nightscapeimages.richard I’m thinking of Tasmania and traveling light 👍

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

@@carlreid4161 Yes, light weight is the way to go on an aircraft.

[@lesladbrook4508]

Excellent Richard, maybe MSM will use your adaption to improve their system. (For a fee of course LOL)

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Always appreciate you watching Les. My modifications are probably skewed a bit for the Southern Hemisphere.

[@ralphwatson7036]

Have you yet given your opinion of the Z6iii? I wonder if it offers anything over the original 6 (astro-wise).

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

I've just taken delivery of one Ralph. I'll be doing some extensive testing.

[@ralphwatson7036]

@@nightscapeimages.richard Great! I look forward to hearing the results.

[@RobGaleSpecialVideos]

Excellent stuff Richard, I hope they take your mods on board at the manufacture stage, as the consumer deserves these things to be right straight out of the box. Looking forward to your walk-a-bout (road trip) and seeing where you go, hope it's a good one.

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks a lot Rob. I'm heading back to the Grampians next week . .just in time for rain and storms ..!!!

[@dave882]

The consumer doesn’t deserve anything. It’s a platform. Everything else is just stuff bolted onto it.

[@akkarparkiamopas3401]

I have had a MSM phone mount as I used to have MSM star tracker (Old version) and I had encountered what you are talking about regarding to the inaccurate 90 degree of that mount. So I have never used it since then. I don't know why MSM has made that kind of tiny ballhead at the joint of the mount, it should be fixed solid 90 degree joint to make polar alignment accurately. they have made it like a phone mount we have used in the car ...........

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Yes I think they are making it usable for having the phone either at 90 degrees or laying flat .. depending on which app is used. But I agree that the ball joint is the weak link.

[@rossthompson7727]

Gidday Richard, I am just starting with this venture and only have bare essentials with gear, but I am learning:) I noticed the tripod head in your video has what looks like an extension, sitting up from the actual tripod. Is this a device you have purchased? I dont know what to call it. Is it a head extension?? It's quite visible in this little bit of your video. kzbin.infoUgkxcf4NDM2bEedWhNnKIgHcHjBrOQUEt2W8?feature=shared

[@nightscapeimages.richard]

Thanks so much for tuning in Ross. It may well be this item. silencecorner.net/collections/atoll-series