This years best purchase

[HarryD]

Hi to you all.
While waiting for some clear( ie no clouds) sky, I began to wonder about what people thought was their best purchase, this year, for this most expensive hobby. I know it's not the end of the year but I am going away on hols for 8 weeks :)
We all buy new stuff, generally after much research and advice. What was it that improved your observing/imaging, or made it easier? It's good to lean on other peoples experience.
I have a new PC, Skylake I7, SSD hard drives etc. A new 27" Eizo monitor.
A new guide camera, Lodstar X2.
A new mount, Losmandy G11. And last, but the best, a Polemaster.
The Polemaster has made my set up/take down task so much easier. Ten minutes to polar align, then check with the Guide Assistant in PHD2 to ensure <5 arcminute polar error and I'm away. The G11 has helped in this, much less fuss to adjust than my old EQ6.
I'll give the gold star to my Polemaster.
Cheers
Greg

[glend]

IMHO the best product to come onto the market so far this year was the ZWO ASI1600MM-C camera. Yes I bought one.

[silv]

A Samyang/Walimex/Bower 500mm 6.3 mirror lens, €90 2nd hand.
During daylight it's awfully disappointing because the photos are always slightly blurry and sort of misty. :(
Not so when pointing it to the stars: pinpoint and natural colours - just great! :)

The other revolutionary purchase will arrive today: a 14cm quick release plate with 2 1/4" screws.
This will hold the lens and my smartphone (as surrogate finder scope) side by side on the Nano.Tracker - to let me find Andromeda in the coming season!
I'm totally stoked about these 2 gadgets.
Not so much about the Nano.Tracker itself, also a this-year purchase.
Because it is not the Goto Alt/Az Merlin I really wanted but couldn't afford.

[Atmos]

My best purchase this year is definitely my ASA DSM60. Although I have actually changed my entire setup this year, changed telescope and camera. I consider the mount a better purchase than the others simply because it allows me to extra the best out of the rest of the setup. The EQ6 worked well when it wanted to which just wasn't as often as I could deal with considering the limited number of clear nights we have had this year.

[cfranks]

Mine is the WiSky wireless card from SoftwareBisque for my Paramount MX mount. I can now put my Intel NUC on the OTA, driving all functions, and get rid of all trailing cables for that OTA.

[barx1963]

Hmm... Polemaster is probably the leader in my gear acquisition saga this year, but in the last 12 months I have obtained:

AZEQ6 Mount
Atik One 6.0 camera
Atik Infinity Camera
Stellarvue SV102T-IS scope
4005 rigrunner

all of which I am really happy with!!

Malcolm

[Atmos]

The Polemaster is definitely a good piece of kit. I mostly use it for visual with my old black HEQ5 and my Tak DL (thanks Matt!) now that I am not using the EQ6 for photography anymore. What I HAVEN'T bought this year:
EQ6
HEQ5
CFW
Astrodon filters
(MAYBE) Orion 12" dob (cannot remember if I picked it up from Wagga Wagga in Dec or Jan).

Expensive Astro year this year, not planning on spending anything much after this though.

[Zuts]

Hi,

Edge HD 9.25, for AP but i've only used it for visual. Pinpoint stars to the edge, really happy. It's not a refractor but for a schmidt well...

AZ EQ 6, Not grab and go but in a carry bag for AZ easy to setup.

Atik Infinity, not so happy. But I've ordered a C6 (an orange one :)) and reducer so I will see.

ASI 290 MC, havn't used it yet (except for a bit of playing around on Saturn), but just ordered a Quark Daystar Chromosphere so hoping for some good images.

Thinking of selling my TV85 for an Esprit 120..

Cheers
All

[HarryD]

"Expensive Astro year this year, not planning on spending anything much after this though."

We all say this Colin but then the next must have comes along.

[Kunama]

I haven't really bought much this year ;) just a few scopes, a mount, couple of tripods, a couple dozen or so eyepieces etc

but if I had to nominate something that has made the biggest difference I would go with the fantastic :prey2: :thumbsup: AstroDevices Nexus DSC :thumbsup:

[spiezzy]

MMM where do I start
new G11
New 10" Truss Newt AstroGraph
Gemini 2
ASI 1600MC
new Light box (thanks Pete) on Order
New iMac for Imaging and in the Obs
cost me a fortune but the good thing about this hobby once you have some gear and want to upgrade you can sell the old gear and make up some money
but m favourite thing this year would be the G11 and Gem 2 make life so much easier with a very good mount and also my Light box when I get it I think to will improve my images to no end
cheers Pete

[multiweb]

A bigger umbrella... :rain:

[E_ri_k]

Mine was probably Sequence Generator Pro, and USB Focus kit. Autofocus in SGP is amazing, saves a lot of time!

Erik

[Craige]

Mine was a Moonlite Focuser with Hi Res steeper motor for my ED100 refractor.

Running through SG Pro it is so simple and after only a couple of Imaging runs I am sold. :thumbsup:

Craige

[StuTodd]

Got to be the Hartung's guide re-issue. Best $29 I ever spent!

[Slawomir]

...is yet to happen :)

[sil]

I'm hoping it'll be the Tiny1 Camera. Got it ordered and hoping it'll benefit my astrophotography.

[dimithri86]

G11 + apo

[ZeroID]

If the exchange rate allows it will be the ZWO ASI1600 .... I hope

[DJScotty]

I'll third the ZWO ASI 1600mm camera.

Cheers

Scott

[speach]

I was warned that this astrophotography was expensive, for the amount of money I've spent I could have booked on ' Virgin Space' or whatever it's called!!!!

[PRejto]

With little hesitation I would have to say it was Optec's FocusLock to use with my ONAG(s). The ability to image all night without re-focusing is pretty amazing. Lodestar owners + OAG can now take advantage of this with Optec's Lacerta.

A close 2nd is the SX-AO-LF. On my dual scope setup it has eliminated the problem of differential flexure between the two scopes allowing simultaneous imaging for up to 20 minute subs.

Peter

[SimmoW]

This thread explains a lot of the weather down south!!

The thread is also 'sponsored by the fabulous ZWO, manufacturers of the virus-like ASI1600' :rofl:

[Sol-Skysailor]

The transmission grating spectroscope, for sure!

[lazjen]

This is difficult to pin down to one thing. I've done a number of purchases recently to set up a new scope (refractor) that individually have aspects that qualify.

However, I think it's getting the Coronado SolarMax 60 DS that I'll pick - just because it opened up new opportunities for me. I can now image the Sun.

[g__day]

This year for me was getting Maxdome and TheSkyX all set up and working well with a Vixen Atlux / SkySensor2000-PC rig, and adding a ZWO 1600MM-C + seven slot filter wheel to take 36mm filters (L,R,G,B,SII,Ha, OIII) is I guess the bees knees!