UPGRADE your iOptron SkyGuider Pro (iPolar)

The iOptron iPolar Electronic Polarscope
Order the iOptron SkyGuider Pro: amzn.to/3C25cvK
Full Review: astrobackyard.com/ioptron-ipo...
In this video, I share my results using the iOptron SkyGuider Pro with the new iPolar electronic polarscope upgrade.
The final image is of the North America Nebula in Cygnus. This image includes 62 x 4-minute exposures (unguided) using a 250mm telescope and crop-sensor DSLR.
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#astrophotography

[@ldipenti]

OMG! I got one after seeing your video. Now my SkyTracker Pro is useful! So many wasted nights trying to polar align correctly on my bortle 8 backyard sky on the south hemisphere! You made me regain interest in this hobby with this video, thank you so much!

[@muthunag89]

Thanks man for putting out your videos.. for me, they not mere product review..They are also very educational. You are introducing newcomers like me to what's out there and the science of imaging the night sky.. One of your videos got me googling how these pictures are taken and I am glad I did that!

[@azflynbear]

Awesome presentation and the image at the end was worth the wait. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm for the hobby. I learned a great deal and am reenergized to push limits of my equipment.

[@Star-E-State]

That last part about protecting your passion had all the feels. Thanks man for all that you do! Many of us can't thank you enough.

[@xanderkeagan3774]

instablaster...

[@karssing160883]

Dude, I am a "professional" photographer and astro geek and looking for a telescope to buy. You opened up my eyes and now I know that starting off small is the key to a successful way to explore the cosmos. I even thought of the Meade 850lx but got that out of my system for now... Thanks for your super positive videos and energy! Gr Frank

[@tillsy23]

I first bought an NEQ6 Pro mount and a 10" newtonian as my first astrophotography set up, I was instantly in over my head. It was heavy, massive, so so complicated as a novice to polar align in my southern hemisphere and very irritating and time consuming as a whole. I sold it off and bought an 8" Dobsonian like you suggested as a beginner scope, now as I have progressed I think this is the most logical next step as I dip my toes into astrophotography again, I think this will be the start of a whole new life long obsession.

[@chrisberardi2304]

I am new to the hobby though I've always been interested in the physics side of things. I found your presentations most informative and practical. Thank you!

[@captbuscemi]

Great closing comment, Trevor. I'm pretty passionate about being as positive as I can in everything - negativity is contagious and needlessly brings down the tone of anything we care about. Love your passion and upbeat channel, don't ever change, and if the haters are getting to you, just delete them. Seriously not worth arguing, it only gives them the attention they crave.

[@alexbeck6414]

Great video Trevor. You have all the best toys! Love my SkyGuider Pro and will definitely be getting the iPolar add on. Even with my 100mm lens, the most I have been able to get unguided is 90 seconds or so. Adding a more sturdy tripod helped too.

[@josephallenphotography3480]

Thank you so much, I learned a thing or two by watching this video, you just gained another subscriber! Keep looking up my friend!

[@jimmyfleming3257]

I love this hobby. One of the best I ever had. Great video Trevor.

[@artsheart]

Protecting your passion is a crucial statement. Thank you.

[@thos759]

Just when I start to get frustrated along comes one of your videos and I’m off and running . Awesome Trevor !

[@photoggenes7443]

Yeah Trevor I'm going to make the plunge for the skyguider Pro with the ipolar camera. My knees are not very good and I'm older so this makes sense for me to get a better alignment. I also travel a little as well in this unit will save me a lot of space in my car. I don't have to Lug all my heavy equipment everywhere. Thanks for simplifying the process to for us newbies. Clear skies friend.

[@troypointerphotography]

Hi Trevor this is Troy in the UK thanks 4 that nice video and you are correct NEVER !! let anyone take the feeling away from you from the hard work you put in to get the Images you take - take care Troy

[@shawnewaltonify]

Stunning photo taken with the Skyguider pro! If you are going on vacation you can probably fit your laptop and a battery pack; and if not it only takes, as you said, 20 minutes to put the polar scope back in. You do an amazing job explaining the different equipment choices we can make. And again, I am really enjoying this photo. I think many will find it as amazing as I do to know what the Skyguider pro is capable of. It is an affordable way to get started in this hobby, and making the choice to upgrade is easy because you will want to keep it for your portable, travel, vacation setup. I want one.

[@AstroBackyard]

I appreciate that, Shawn! Thank you

[@FarEast_Raider]

I am truly excited about the future of this great hobby. It seems the past few years, the gear size was all the rage. The bigger the better, and result...better photos of deep sky objects. Now I can haul smaller, lighter gear to distant places for my photos. No longer restricted by gear weight and size to achieve the same quality of photos....very exciting times. To the mountains I go.... Great Vid Thank you. Clear Skies.

[@DonGoddardAllAboutPaint]

What you said at the end is very true. I just spent the last 3 days researching a new scope, mount, camera and filters (along with some other goodies) and ended up buying everything out of the lists you've given on your blog for new APers. I emailed you a couple of days ago hoping to get your suggestions on what someone like me, who is willing to research to no end, should buy. I was hoping for a suggestion in the mid-range of products so that I could skip through some of the lesser equipment. But you said something in a previous video (that I watched after I emailed you) that slowed me down. You said "Why would I want to rush through something I love so much?", and that hit me like a ton of bricks. I appreciate all that you do and the passion you have for this "hobby".

[@DonGoddardAllAboutPaint]

Oh, and I'm still waiting on those Patreon vids. ;-)

[@martynjohnstone6022]

Well I thought that I knew what I wanted for Christmas this year, then I saw this and have bought the Ioptron SkyGuider Pro with IPolar package. It’s just what I need for camping trips.

[@robdille3130]

Love your channel! Keep at it, thank you for sharing

[@Robservatory]

Really enjoyed the inspirational monologue at the end. Great work!

[@scoot4081]

Was just thinking about you channel lol. Glad you uploaded cause south Florida has a lack of good nights that aren’t cloudy or it hasn’t rained during the day .

[@petervisima4798]

Fantastic video as always, Trevor!

[@AstroBackyard]

Thank you Peter!!

[@ravengi4260]

You are my new favorite youtuber! So inspiering.

[@ScottDavies]

Mine too

[@ronbaldwin6382]

Nice review, and I'm glad to see you're developing comfort with "digging into" your equipment! :-) One comment regarding your concern of bringing external power because of using iPolar: The laptop is only needed for a few minutes during alignment. Otherwise, you won't need portable power (unless you keep hitting power buttons in transit, but that applies to the SkyGuider too.) But yes, if you're backpacking into a site, the weight of a tablet (Surface Go) or laptop is a consideration. Thanks for putting such great info out there! Love the Channel.

[@VideoOneMedia]

Keeping the rig portable is fairly easy, I have the skyguider Pro and iPolar combination. I use a Microsoft Surface to run the alignment, the software runs flawlessly. Clear Skies

[@VideoOneMedia]

@Don Mecher Still need the surface to do the polar alignment, once its set we're good... however I've just put a guide camera on as well so the surface will still be in use for that. ZWO ASI120MM and mini guide scope

[@mvdeehan]

Beautiful picture and worth waiting for.

[@seanmolony-redstickastro238]

Right On!! Now I can take the Tie Wraps and Velcro off my Polemaster I'm thinking about grabbing one of their CEM25P with goto to get the DEC control. I'm gonna test it against my Sky Guider Pro for my travel rig. It adds a little weight so we will see. I do love my SGP in a bag on my back.

[@VideoOneMedia]

iPolar arrived yesterday, Removing the driver board can be a little frustrating because of the clearances between the soldered pins and the case. Some gentle flexing at that point and it slides right out.. I was able to actually test it last night, the skies cleared nicely and I was able to test the polar alignment. Taking a 5 minute exposure with near zero drift on the image would have been impossible for me without the camera. I use a Nikon D5600 DSLR, 150-500mm lens ( set at 150mm ), ISO 800, F6.7. Bottom line... it works great. Thank you Trevor for your videos and insight.

[@simonpepper5053]

Once its been aligned using the laptop software can the laptop be disconnected?

[@sandyrane_stargazer]

Just got my Skyguider with inbuilt ipolar. Just waiting for clear sky. By the way you rocks!! Big fan of your nebula's photography.

[@robertdowns4890]

I've been watching your videos for a little over a year now and I am always amazed at your work. I'm starting out with a similar setup using my DSLR camera and lenses. I am currently trying to add the iPolar to my SkyGuider Pro and can't seem to get the electronics board removed. Did you, or anyone else out there that has done this modification, chronicle the remove and replace process with more detail than what is on your astrobackyard website?

[@AE5X]

Thanks for your many useful videos. I just purchased a SW Star Adventurer in anticipation of an upcoming trip to Big Bend NP in west Texas soon. I plan to use it with my 14mm Rokinon but am also considering a small telescope - and, dumb question, but what is the difference between a telescope with a 400mm focal length and a 400mm telephoto lens made for my DSLR? At what point does one become the other, ie is it simply a matter of usage that determines what we call it or is there more? Thanks again.

[@AmyAstro]

Very well said. This hobby is amazing and worth protecting. I value your opinion, and ultimately I make the choice. Thank you for sharing your videos! Clear Skies.

[@SteveKennedy2902]

Hi trevor, my dad was from Hamilton, and I grew up in Toledo, across the lake from you. I now live in a part of Texas where we have mostly clear skies and have embarked on the new hobby of AP. First, thank you for your informative videos. I recently purchased a previously owned version of the iOptron Star Tracker mount from a classified ad on the cloudy nights webpage not realizing that the version I was purchasing includes the iPolar upgrade. As you know, and explain in your video, the iPolar upgrade modifies the scope built into the device with a software driven camera that allows one to polar align using a computer. Just because I’m a lawyer doesn’t make me smart ... lol .... as I had no idea that the device I bought had this specific upgrade ... and I didn’t figure this out for a full day ... I can laugh now but for about an hour this evening I was struggling with why my device is different than what is described in several other KZbin videos. How funny is that. Anyway ... after watching your video, I figured it out. So thank you for indirectly informing me that I bought something slightly different than what was expected. I am wondering if the mandatory use of the computer and software has made this product unworkable or undesirable for you. I see you use a laptop for some of your work, but taking a laptop to the shores of the lake with a bulky power supply on a camping trip seems cumbersome, so I would be interested in hearing whether adding the iPolar alignment upgrade and software to your protocol worked for you.

[@prashantnz]

Thank you sir. Best review ever.

[@scottfillmer]

Great review, I’m about to pick up the iOptron SkyGuider Pro as my first mount on your recommendation. Quick unrelated question, how are you seeing the temps of the frames coming out of your Canon 60Da? Are you doing a direct capture on your laptop? I’m starting off using a Sony a7iii and the Sigma 14mm 1.8 and 50mm 1.4, thanks for all the work you put into your channel!

[@tomthompson3941]

Very informative video ! I have learned so much from all your videos. Was curious about something and was hopeful you might chime in . I was thinking that the ZWO cmos cameras were all the rage and was wondering why you use the DSLR cameras most of the time? Does a DSLR perform better than the ZWO cmos cameras for certain situations ? Thanks

[@ScottDavies]

Another great video Trevor 🙏 Can I ask you what is the size of the kendrick dew strap? Asking cause I'm thinking about getting the redcat and aren't sure if it's 2 or 3 inch?

[@bofblog]

Great video, pity about the heat build up with cam and the extended subs , they say most heat comes from the battery, some photographers use a mains battery pack and lessen the heat build up, not sure if one would work with a power pack like you discussed in the Astro pod cast but probably would and handy on a camping trip too

[@MuwexPelaa]

Can you use such guider/tracker for other filming also like sliding kinda shots or something? If so, could you kindly link/make a video about it? Big thanks and love your videos! Keep up! :)

[@vladimir-morozov]

iOptron missed an opportunity by not providing iOS/Android support. Ability to hook it up to a phone (via cable or Bluetooth) would have made this a killer product.

[@danwray5626]

Yes, Iwould have considered this if it would work with iOS.

[@henrysill9312]

@@danwray5626 That's good to know

[@sic04250f]

Yeah that's the main issue preventing purchase for me, I'd love to just connect my Android mobile phone.

[@kchonie2500]

I am in exactly the same boat, I would purchase this in a heart beat but the ipolar needs to have bluetooth capabilities and apps for both iOS and Android... Then you are completely portable. As an aside the MacOS app is still getting terrible reviews on the MAS, it apparently just does not work :(

[@adventureswithfrodo2721]

You realize it need a bit more computing power. But maybe in a few years.

[@alanalain4884]

Nice !.. Any video anywhere that you would know of which would show the step by step reticule removal and Ipolar mounting ?... Thank you.

[@steveamurray59]

Gee your yards looking good 🔭🇦🇺

[@Niragan]

Hi Trevor---love your videos. I live in Toronto downtown and recently bought a celestron 8SE + a ZWO385MC cam to photograph the moon and some planets. Was able to see just jupiter and the moon consistently but after watching your videos i now want to astrophotograph galaxies and nebulae as well. Can you lead me to a learning path and what i need to do? I have read so many stuff and now i am confused on which one to follow.I have no idea how to work any softwares and hardly any hardware right now. Thank you in advance!

[@2718rm]

Trevor, I have a very similar set up, but I've had some difficulty framing my shots...my focal length is~350mm, any recommendations?...i find the knobs to be a bit fussy

[@eplumer]

Nicely done video. How many back and forth passes do you normally do? Does the software give guidance as to which adjustments to make to get closer, e.g. "move AZ to east"? Thanks

[@Future_BayBay]

I've been wanting to upgrade the wedge on my Skyguider ever since I saw it on your site, but they've been backordered for months 😕 any insight on suppliers?

[@piotrjakuc6357]

Damn! I've got two hours of exposure for the same nebula! I'm in the midst of editing my picture, though. Unfortunately, I'm using the star adventurer pro instead, haha. I am planning to upgrade to the one and only EQ6 R pro, soon. As always, great video, Trevor.

[@CosmosSafari]

All I want to know Trevor, is how you do it with such cheap gear. Perfectly round and pinpoint stars. I feel like it's all in the polar alignment. Every time I see your images I question what I need to do to get there with the Astrophotography. Unreal buddy.

[@divshearer]

I wish the eye piece was angled to make it easier to view through when trying to polar align.

[@akkarparkiamopas3401]

Hi Trevor, thanks for a good video. I am living in Southern Hemisphere where the polar align is very difficult. Does The iPolar software can do polar align precisely even if we can not see any star for manual polar alignment? Cheers

[@timmbottoni3135]

Great video as always! You didn't mention the new WO Super High Precision Copper T-Mount I see you got. How is it? Is it truly better than the standard one? Let me know if you get a chance.

[@A_RosnerNZ]

I user aSkyGuider Pro - it's my only rig. With the iPolar. Being in the Southern hemisphere this is a tremendous time saver, as our pole stars are much harder to see and unless you're in a good Dark Sky site, you might not even see them at all.

[@nebulosityireland]

Hi, Firstly love your videos. I have a skyguider pro without ipolar (happy to stay that way for mobility reasons) can you recommend a small scope to use with it that will give great astro images. Hopefully not too expensive. Thanks

[@Sergeant_Nugget]

I just noticed this when you mentioned bringing a battery pack for the ipolar. Even if you went without the ipolar, you still have to bring a battery pack for that dew heater right?

[@pipe_dev_null]

I’m in the odd spot of trying to decide whether or not to pick up the iPolar (and/or ZWO ASIair). I currently use the Skyguider Pro with an Olympus MFT camera and some wide lenses. I also just picked up the Redcat51 with the intention of having an ultra portable setup capable of taking ~60” subs on the go. Now I’m not so sure about what I should do.. Do I really want to sacrifice the portability of my setup for better polar alignment.. Or should I just put that money into my next, more stationary setup like the EQ6-R Pro and a nice big refractor.. I’m thinking the latter. Thoughts?

[@GaryMCurran]

Awesome image. Were you using any kind of filter on the 60Da? I know Canon has made that a special camera for Astrophotography. I think, IIRC, one filter isn't in there making it a wider spectrum camera. I appreciate the way the Sky Guider Pro gave you stable shots for up to four minutes. The stars were sharp and crisp, insofar as I could tell. I'm also looking at the Williams Optics upgrades. I wonder if my ZenithStar 71 Achro would do as well. By the way, I've subscribed, so I'll probably post more responses to your posts. Thanks!

[@WilliamShaheen]

An evolutionary product; a brilliant video. Thanks, Trevor, for enduring the conditions to produce it. One of your best if not the best video.

[@JohnRavolta]

well damn! i literally JUST got back to Ascension Island last week(an island dead in the middle of the south atlantic, a few thousand miles from anywhere that resembles light polution), and had I known about this i would have bought one and brought my skyguider with me! i left it at home because last time I was here, it was damn near impossible to find the sigma octantis so i never used it. this would be perfect! I could have gotten some really great shots! oh well. Great review!

[@CountCarbsNotCals]

Yep the reason i wanted the sky guider pro was so i didn't need a computer attached. :) Tell us more about the remote shutter release and how to use in a video.

[@orionm4254]

Did you have issues at first noticing that the polar scope that is pre installed in the skyguider is not zeroed? It was off axis and had to adjust with a hex key when I first got the skyguider.

[@nguyenbw]

Thanks, and perfect timing. I was actually thinking of somehow adapting my polemaster to the skyguider pro. Now I have something to consider.

[@cgaftofcenter]

What music was that during the image reveal? Nice work, keep it up!!

[@simmias9397]

Did you do the install on the iPolar cam? If so would you be willing to do a vid on that

[@MacLovinBLCOBRDU]

Nice man !

[@guto35617]

Hi Trevor, amazing work! One simple question ipolar works in the southerm hemisphere? Cheers!

[@jamesf2697]

Will that mount support the zenithstar 81 apo with a dslr? Looking to get the z81 but not sure which mount to get.. thanks

[@DamianVines]

How much less of the red nebulosity would you capture if you were using a stock un-modded camera? In witch case, what filter would help if any?

[@JeffLarkin]

Are there similar products available for other mounts, such as the sky watcher star adventurer? Thanks!

[@jameswoods1939]

Hi Trevor, did you find that you need the extension bar with this light weight setup or its just better to have it and not need it? Also, I didn't notice if you had a ball head mounted for your scope... I'd guess its a mandatory accessory with this type of mount.? Very new to AP so apologize for what may be ridiculous questions.

[@travelanddrones]

Hi, I have a AVX Mount for my Celestron 6" scope. I'm about to buy the IOptron IPolar Finder, but I do know which is better: the IOptron IPolar or the PolerMaster QHYCCD finder? I trust your experience and knowledge, so I'd really appreciate your help and recommendation. I live in the Southern Hemisphere btw, in Chile. Regards and thks once again.

[@alibaba1870]

Thank you for your video, does this work with ASIAir?

[@caronmj]

You had me at Picard!

[@davidhaddad2202]

Hi Where did you get your constellation map saw in the video? Thank you

[@brucemullis479]

Have you tried flipping the counterweight shaft to to other side of the mounting bracket? Peter Zelinka did a video on it.

[@FAMUCHOLLY]

Cool! Thanks! BTW, VERY nice selection of music. Keep up the good work!

[@videoman4424]

do you have any videos on what is needed to mount the camera to the scope? I have a Nikon d7200. I understand that the camera has to be a certain distance from the scope to get sharp photos. what is the red base you have on the tripod? you talked about it in one of your videos but I cat find the video. You said it was an upgrade from the one that came with the SkyGuider pro.?

[@mavvynet]

Hi, once polar-aligned, is it okay to just switch off the laptop to save battery or why do people still bring mobile power packs for the laptop (in case it is only used for aligning Polaris)?

[@alessandrofiori5870]

Using the ioptron polar aligner with a ioptron skyguider pro and a dlsr with a 400mm lens, which max exposure time is possible to have? Does a general rule or formula exists?

[@vbs8099]

I'm looking at getting this gear...and I'm no astro guru.....but the iPolar is what, an additional component you can purchase from you then install inside the existing unit to allow for remote device alignment ? If so....do you need to use a PC or have they finally made the obvious step and gone bluetooth and via a smartphone ?

[@arthurfernandez7878]

Probably a silly question, but if you have the ASIAIR-Pro that plate solves to do the polar alignment, does that replace this device?

[@starhopper457]

Any tricks to aligning this thing if I don't have a view of Polaris? Neighbors oak tree completely blocks my view of NCP. I can "wing it" with a traditional GEM by using a drift alignment method but that's about it.

[@dylanbellmore3413]

What is the adapter used for the optolong filter between the m48 adapter and the camera called? My redcat didn't come with one and I'm unfamiliar with that part.

[@joelcito84]

Thanks a lot. Do you know if the iPolar will work in the southern hemisphere ?

[@Abstoss]

Hey mate, i recently found your channel and literally consumed all your videos. You are realy doing a great job here and I very much like your content. I did visual astronomy myself, but that was like 20 years ago and I stopped back then (can't remember why). Lately we cleaned out the cellar and I found my old 8" newtonian scope from back then. Sadly the mount (skywatcher eq-1 gen.1) has been damaged over all the time and is not refurbishable anymore. Long story short, I regained interest in this hobby and I would like to do photography this time and I am looking for a completely new setup, but this time I want to start small, refractor (like a redcat or ED80) with a light weight goto mount. I came across the StarGuider Pro aswell as the eqsmart pro and pro +. Can you maybe do a video abou the eqsmart pro (+)? It seems to be a mount inbetween a "real" eq-mount and the starguider and seems to be very interesting.

[@darrinrodriguez9700]

The filter you installed? can you provide a link to that? Thanks in advance.

[@dennisrkb]

how do you make sure your lens is parallel to the axis of rotation for the alignment?

[@micharu570]

Hi Trevor! Do you think Explore scientific ed80 will be better than sky watcher 150mm newt?

[@arunhvk]

hi, whats your opinion about sony a7iv and redcat 51 for deep space astrophotography?

[@slzckboy]

I got goose bumps when I saw the image

[@manuelauer1822]

How is the red rail called where is Camera/Lens combination is mounted on?

[@N4GW]

Thanks. I love your videos

[@AstroBackyard]

Thank you!

[@Flippy042]

Do you need to be connected to the internet during alignment or can this be done offline in the field?

[@danwray5626]

This is a neat rig, but I have about decided to spend just a little more and get the Sky-Watcher EQM-35 Equatorial GoTo Mount . Any thoughts?-

[@gewglesux]

I’m confused now. What’s the difference between this unit{ the Ipolar} and the skyguider pro? Thanks.

[@celson44elson52]

I think we need more specific information on filters in the links. Does the special filter for your Canon come in a Nikon flavor?

[@M31glow]

Trevor, how does this keep such accurate tracking for 4min? I understand that you are polar aligned... that I get. But when I use the pole master on my $3K mount and get polar aligned I still have tracking error and I can't go with 4 min subs ... too much error. Although, my scope has a much greater focal length. So, I guess that's probably the answer since it is a short focal length. Or is the iPole somehow also tracking after you polar align?

[@Pipe-organ-recordings]

Can a polemaster be used on this?

[@olympusneo]

Got super excited and went to ioptron website just to find out that ioptron smart EQ pro is not supported 😭.

[@vanmccomas6092]

Your videos cut down a lot of research time for me. I am sold on the Skyguider Pro and now on the iPolar. Thanks and keep those videos coming. Clear Skies!

[@ajveke62]

I just bought this already converted. Just starting out and ordered the Redcat 51 hoping for Clear Skies this upcoming weekend listen to your videos all day while I'm driving great inspiration very informative. Would like to see more videos on the sky guider Pro 3550a. I need all the help I can get. I'm sure you're half the reason why everything is backordered your increasing their sales Redcat William Optics skyguider ioptron. Keep up the good work clear skies.