Thanks Xeteth
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Originally Posted by Xeteth
However, I will say that polar aligning my EQ6-R takes a matter of minutes through the use of Sharpcap's polar alignment tool. It requires a guide scope (or you can use your main camera if it downloads quick enough) and it's very easy to do.
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Sounds great... except for the price.
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Personally, I would be wary of any all-inclusive type product. The main point of a mount is to track the night sky, the extra bells and whistles would likely increase the price tag significantly and if anything breaks it could be a costly repair. Having your own guide setup gives you the flexibility of choosing equipment that will suit your needs.
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There's no real extra bells and whistles though; that's why I find it perplexing no one has done it. It's just a motor driven wedge and mount combo that rotates, controlling all axis of motion based on GPS. All of this stuff already exists, just not in one unit. The hardest thing, IMO, is the software side...
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Also I really enjoy the process of setting up for a night of imaging. Maybe that's because I'm still fairly new to astrophotography, but a fully automated setup that I just plonk down and press 'go' sounds a bit too easy.
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I get that, and then you wouldn't be the target market. Just like how Apple created an easy to use product in the iPhone and iPad, they tapped into a market of people with interest but no desire to spend time setting up things and fiddling around. There's a reason HTPCs have been replaced by streaming boxes, or CDs now a small market compared to Spotify, etc etc.
I'd imagine a lot of people don't have the patience to setup these things otherwise the hobby would be much bigger than it is; I'd much prefer to set it up in 5 minutes in my backyard to show the kids, rather than spend half an hour or longer making guesses.
The complexity (perceived or real) of astronomy and astrophotography is a barrier to entry.