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Old 28-10-2017, 12:25 PM
DarkKnight (Kev)
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DarkKnight is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Morpeth NSW
Posts: 177
Hi Jason,

I can totally relate to what you are doing with your astrophotography.

I'm a keen photographer who became interested in photographing nightscapes and a few of the more visible nebula. I started looking at the mount that you have and before I knew it I'd been sucked into the gear acquisition vortex, with my supposed needs and their associated costs spiralling out of control.

First an upgraded EQ6, not terribly portable as I have to leave home to see more than the odd patch of sky, and more recently an HEQ5 Pro, which I'm selling, more portable, but the add-ons were getting out of control.

A month or so back I had a serious talk to myself and tried to re-asses just what I wanted from my astro photography. And I came back to what I said above, "photographing nightscapes and a few of the more visible nebula." For that I don't need a GoTo mount, guiding, and a 'scope costing thousands of dollars.

To that end I've picked up a Star Adventurer, highly portable and user friendly. I'm now looking forward to getting out there instead of finding excuses not to pack forty-odd Kgs of gear into my ute.

Of course in the two weeks that I've had it the clouds have rolled in so I haven't tried it in anger yet, but have familiarised myself with it indoors and found I needed a couple of cheap extras for the polar 'scope that will aid my usage, an adapter to stabilise the illuminator and a right- angle viewfinder. Fingers crossed the weather man is right and I'll get first light in a couple of days.

My wide angle lens had a whoopsie a while back, chipping the front element and possible de-centering some elements, so when the HEQ5 sells I'll probably get a Samyang 12mm f2.8, a stereographic lens that should be good for the Milky Way and nebula, and with 180° FOV I can crop the fuzzy edges.

I can also relate to the 'noises in the night' bit in your video as I was at a local dam recently for a Milky Way shoot with reflections in the dam but got so spooked by some strange noises that I packed up and bolted. I kept thinking about the supposed sighting of a panther not far from where I was and the eradication program for packs of feral dogs in the area.

I'm hoping to return to the area in the next day or so but I'll take my minder with me, Roxi the Staffy.
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