We Try STARFRONT: $149 Remote Observatories Under Bortle 1 Skies!

[@StarPicturesMiami]

I am so grateful I found Star Front. When they talk about hosting small telescopes, I can tell you my Seestar S50 just got installed last week! What a difference in imaging results from my Bortle 8 to this super dark skies of Star Front. Their tech support team is outstanding. Now I can control my Seestar from my couch without having to drive for hours to a dark place. Totally worth it for me.

[@dustinballinger5661]

Hi Guys, I met you out at Starfront while I was dropping off my telescope with my two daughters... such a great place and videos like this will only help Bray meet his goal of world domination of remote observatories

[@GalacticHunter]

Yes I remember, it was super nice meeting you!! Hopefully you're also getting some awesome data from there!

[@robe4314]

I’m so glad these guys exist to shake up the remote observatory market. Their competitors are wildly more expensive and they need competition. I just started the hobby but as soon as I get my sea legs I’ll be renting a spot! With them all the success.

[@yobb89]

11:50 forgot to use flats and background extraction? talking about flats, will the observatory chuck on a flat panel when needed ?

[@astroimagers]

😎 this remote imaging industry is getting more interesting. 🎉

[@jesuschrist2284]

Do i send my crap gear to uganda or texas? Tough choice :)

[@AshA-ww8hc]

It's really the Netflix of remote Observatories. It is going to completely shake the industry.

[@gomanastro]

great job on this...i was just there 5 days ago and did my drop off (from Phoenix), looking forward to getting first light soon.

[@thedarksideobservatory]

Thanks so much for the information!

[@astrocarone9671]

$149 starting point is so good

[@robe4314]

Their competitors are insanely more expensive! These guys are much needed competition!

[@tomhoskins4913]

Great Video!

[@nickambrose8606]

Do you use a rotator ? Or it’s just such a wide field you can crop in ?

[@robmailconway]

How do you create calibration frames remotely? or did you create a selection of master calibration frames of different durations before you installed your equipment? Will you be in France for the start of the Olympics? good luck with the move, best wishes from Rob in Ireland.

[@jango71]

That you consider 150 to 300 USD per month reasonable speaks worlds about the pricing structure on astrophotography material.

[@AdioAurel]

Is there a place to buy this Galactic Hunter t-shirt?

[@weatherchaser1166]

I wonder if they allow you to sub lease your scope.

[@crairdin]

Yes, they do. There are some terms, but they're reasonable. Here's what they told me when I asked that question: We do not currently have any restrictions preventing this, but we do require that: 1) Any pier with more than one user recognizes that the person who made the initial reservation deposit (thus in our systems as "the customer") is solely responsible for communicating with Starfront as the "primary customer." Any additional users must communicate through that primary customer for Discord tickets or email. This is to prevent a scenario where multiple users have separate communication threads with Starfront for a single pier, which increases both the likelihood of stranded/miscommunication as well as taking up significantly more of our technicians' time. Multiple/all users, however, are all more than welcome to engage and chat in our public and customer-only Discord channels without these "primary customer" restrictions. 2) All payments/invoices/charges for that pier (for tech support, etc.) will be made to the person who made the reservation deposit. Starfront does not bill other users or customers that are not in the company's records and systems.

[@geoffnash3098]

Are you guys still living in nevada? I heard you were moving to france? I would love to see a bottle 1 sky I live in a bottle 8. Its horrible so many lights. I want to move out in the country but its expensive so I do the best I can.

[@M31glow]

Moving to France! Also, Great post

[@pompeymonkey3271]

Hmmm. It seems that demand for remote installations is becoming saturated. I see hosting prices getting lower and lower globally.

[@JK-gn9qi]

How to focus the guidescope?

[@yobb89]

9:40 looks like you guys need a boilermaker to make some better piers, maybe a bend knee pill

[@cristusvincit]

Bienvenue en France !

[@pleaseholdadvertising7883]

Man, if you can make it work with a Seestar at Starfront, sign me up!

[@florianschollbrock]

Isnt it right in the Tornado Alley? I mean the location is great but in case of a Tornado (lets hope not), is the equipment save with an insurance or do you have a risk of loosing it? I know Texas is huge and the chance of a Tornado Hit is pretty small, but never say never.

[@Minotauro79]

It's not.

[@dallas4269]

incredible

[@jesuschrist2284]

How much did rdo charge?

[@AstroJWA]

How do you do calibration frames?

[@AshA-ww8hc]

Either you use a motorized cover / flat panel, or use skyflats. They can put a cover on your scope and you can take dark frames and use them for a very long time.

[@yobb89]

about $50 aud a week in bortle 1, not a bad price

[@MakeTheNightBright]

maybe a stupid question but how do you capture a image 48 hours? Does it take pictures during the day as well? Or just every night with a total of 48 hours? I am confused as a beginner

[@GalacticHunter]

Several nights added together, during the day it stops!

[@jrags35]

Are you going to keep this site after the move ?

[@GalacticHunter]

Yes

[@MatthewHolevinski]

The TOS seemed pretty hostile towards visitors

[@afryhover]

Bortle-1? I'm not sure about that.

[@jedidiahwest4619]

Looks like bortle 2 to me but still really good price point. I’m definitely thinking about putting my rig in there

[@brentnewton7055]

Even most Bortle 1 sites aren't often Bortle 1, and its an overall poor measurement of sky quality either way. During prime Milky Way season the Milky Way itself could make the sky a bright Bortle 3, for example, and airglow has a similar though typically lesser effect

[@samwarfelphotos]

Meh, for imaging there’s not even such a huge difference from B4 on down

[@GalacticHunter]

I've been to a Bortle 1 site before (near Tonopah, NV) and visually, this was exactly the same. Bortle scale is a tricky thing to measure though, it can vary a lot but when I was there, it did look like B1.

[@davidemancini7853]

Do not hang up on bortle numbers,is the seen what important!you can be on bortle one with horrible seen and you still can do jack shit LOL especially with large aperture telescopes.

[@mpk2707]

I guess your setup is not 149.

[@matej.mlakar]

149 is the price per month to have the gear at that place.

[@mpk2707]

@@matej.mlakar correct, but not for the setup he installed.

[@matej.mlakar]

@@mpk2707 I dont think it was ment to be 149 setup to begin with? Just the rent of for this place compared to other places

[@mpk2707]

@@matej.mlakar If you check the prices on the homepage there is a price based on swing diameter. 32", 48" and 58". Respect to Bray for the pricing, making remote Observatory available for most of us. Now we just have to buy some extremely expensive equipment to put inside the obsy.

[@LittleHubble]

Not worth it

[@southbronxny5727]

Can you explain why not?

[@nickambrose8606]

Would be totally worth it for me. I just need to get better at managing a remote setup

[@LittleHubble]

@@southbronxny5727 It makes the hobby ass. Unless you are of course there, but if you are on home far away from those its pointless, you miss the point and passion of the hobby. Also its not even your telescope or own stuff, your basically using someone elses stuff

[@StarPicturesMiami]

I'm all set up with my Seestar at Star Front and it is totally worth it! I love it.