Link to a bigger image I put on the Testar FB site here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/229519518411077 I'm about to head up to QLD via some nice darks skies around Broken Hill/Bourke/Charleville so should be able to give it quite a few nights useage over the next month.
Hi John,
That's a great result Especially so because of the image scale (2-3 arcsec/pixel) and the 5 minute exposures, not to mention how light the thing is for that performance!
what DC power cables are you all using? I've noticed that the DC and USB cables I've switched to interfere with the Dec axis turning as they bump into my EAF.
Anyone using right angled cables, and if so, where did you get them from?
Also, I've set up the new mount, and because the RA on this one is a lot less tight than the last one, I can now see that the counterweight provided is going to be insufficient. So I'll likely order the pier extension for this and add a second counterweight I have lying about (without the pier extension, the counterweight bumps into the tripod leg)
What about using the other counter weight hole for extra clearance? My DC cables are the ZWO supplied ones with the ASI air plus (hooked to a 12ah lithium) and some decent usb b type 3 cables from Scorptec for the cameras.
What about using the other counter weight hole for extra clearance? My DC cables are the ZWO supplied ones with the ASI air plus (hooked to a 12ah lithium) and some decent usb b type 3 cables from Scorptec for the cameras.
Good idea, John. I've switched to the secondary counter-weight hole for now and have the necessary clearance. For the cables, I've ordered some right angle adapters for USB and Power so they should come next week. In the meanwhile I'm just going to slew around a bit at home and see how the mount handles it.
One guy on Cloudy Nights had the same issue as me on the RA. He found that you could adjust a screw that's under the patent pending sticker, but that the RA backlash came back the next day.
Note that many mounts appear to be okay out of the box, but might start getting backlash very quickly after only a single night's use.
As my counter weight was 'just/almost' heavy enough for the Z61/fma 180 - I thought I might extend it just a little so I grabbed a 12mm x 50mm ss bolt from the hardware store. This allows me to slide the weight a little further down, or add some heavy washers underneath the weight. Found a nice wide 4mm thick nylon washer to act as the stopper.
For those that have now used theirs testing or out in the field, check your backlash in RA.
I'm starting to notice a little of this creeping in. I'm hoping that - as opposed to the tightness - the unit is just starting to loosen up a little, and things will even out. At the moment things seem to be going from one extreme to the other.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AdamJL
Note that many mounts appear to be okay out of the box, but might start getting backlash very quickly after only a single night's use.
This seems to be the situation I'm experiencing.
I should point out that thus far, I've just been using the batteries to see how the unit goes "as is" and to determine the portability issues (i.e., do I need to take a power supply each time I want to use it). I'll be connecting to a power supply tonight to see how things go.
I should point out that thus far, I've just been using the batteries to see how the unit goes "as is" and to determine the portability issues (i.e., do I need to take a power supply each time I want to use it). I'll be connecting to a power supply tonight to see how things go.
Hi Warren,
Based on the older, but similar payload AZ-GTi, I think you could expect something in the range of 10 to 20 hours use depending on how much tracking versus slewing you do and the capacity of your AA batteries. (This is based on reasonable* use and a battery capacity of something in the 2 to 3Ah range and a current draw** of 150mA tracking & 500mA slewing). It is also consistent with an earlier review I saw of the Star Adverturer GTi which suggested 2 (full?) nights of use were achieved.
*Reasonable is not 100% slewing
** From user test of the AZ-GTi on CN
I'm hoping that - as opposed to the tightness - the unit is just starting to loosen up a little, and things will even out.
If it's genuine backlash, it won't improve and isn't the mount loosening up. But if it's just getting a bit loose, that's good, because I know how tight that RA axis can be at the beginning (I couldn't even reliably balance the mount on my first copy)
If it's genuine backlash, it won't improve and isn't the mount loosening up. But if it's just getting a bit loose, that's good, because I know how tight that RA axis can be at the beginning (I couldn't even reliably balance the mount on my first copy)
Mate, I know. Part of me is whistling in the dark, so to speak. I have a HEQ5 Pro (Dual) that was...lets say firm when I first used it, and it needed a bit of use to (I think) get the lubricants moving around a bit. It's fine now.
I take your point about the 10 to 20 hours, I'm expecting somewhere in the 12 to 15 hours range as where I live it tends to be a bit chillier than the city and that can drain the batteries of things a bit quicker. If I get between 12 to 15 hours of use I'll be content - if it loosens up a little more.
Looking like a cloudy night here, so I'll give it a little bit of a workout with just a camera and lens and see how it goes. I'll let you know...
I'm noticing a little bit of RA backlash creeping into my mount. I've had it set to track at Sidereal for a few hours now. It's not as major as before but I can see it. I'm going to stop it in about and hour, and then run it overnight and see what it's like in the morning. If it's worse, it's going back to Bintel and I'm going to save for the AM5.
I'm noticing a little bit of RA backlash creeping into my mount. I've had it set to track at Sidereal for a few hours now. It's not as major as before but I can see it. I'm going to stop it in about and hour, and then run it overnight and see what it's like in the morning. If it's worse, it's going back to Bintel and I'm going to save for the AM5.
Do let us know how it all goes...hope you get a good result.
Having only a limited amount of knowledge of such things - the HEQ5 is the only other powered mount I own - I can confidently say that while the "tightness" of the unit has improved, it's done so at the cost of introducing a slowly increasing amount of RA backlash, with seemingly a little more becoming evident each time it gets used.
I powered the unit for about two hours the other night with a standard Canon 6D & 100mm lens. Power came from a Bluetti EB55 unit, and I was careful not to let cords get in the way. The power supply did seem to improve slewing a bit, however that RA backlash seemed to increase just a little as well.
If I had to guess - and that's all I'm doing -I'd say that working the factory lubricants through the unit to loosen it up has also somehow increased the RA backlash. I emphasise that's just a hunch. I'm not certain what they lubricants these ship with or how much is in there.
I'm going to set it up with a slightly heavier lens this evening, not for capture purposes but to see how it performs under a slightly increased load, probably a 70-200 f2.8L and a 1.4x extender. I'll let you know how it goes...
I realise a few others are having similar issues. I'm curious as to what sort of load (weight wise) people are putting on the mount and if that relates to any performance issues. There shouldn't be any correlation within the tolerances of the unit, but if anyone has any information, I'd be interested to hear it.
Do let us know how it all goes...hope you get a good result.
Having only a limited amount of knowledge of such things - the HEQ5 is the only other powered mount I own - I can confidently say that while the "tightness" of the unit has improved, it's done so at the cost of introducing a slowly increasing amount of RA backlash, with seemingly a little more becoming evident each time it gets used.
I powered the unit for about two hours the other night with a standard Canon 6D & 100mm lens. Power came from a Bluetti EB55 unit, and I was careful not to let cords get in the way. The power supply did seem to improve slewing a bit, however that RA backlash seemed to increase just a little as well.
If I had to guess - and that's all I'm doing -I'd say that working the factory lubricants through the unit to loosen it up has also somehow increased the RA backlash. I emphasise that's just a hunch. I'm not certain what they lubricants these ship with or how much is in there.
I'm going to set it up with a slightly heavier lens this evening, not for capture purposes but to see how it performs under a slightly increased load, probably a 70-200 f2.8L and a 1.4x extender. I'll let you know how it goes...
I realise a few others are having similar issues. I'm curious as to what sort of load (weight wise) people are putting on the mount and if that relates to any performance issues. There shouldn't be any correlation within the tolerances of the unit, but if anyone has any information, I'd be interested to hear it.
Hi Warren
My battery ran out during the night so I'm running more tests again today. So far, the wiggle hasn't become worse. I'll take a video and post it later and you can see what sort of wiggle I'm working with.
In terms of weight, my setup is 4.93kg, so I'm under the official limit. Might be able to save a few hundred grams by moving the ASI Air Plus onto the tripod but I don't think that's necessary.
I set the unit to track Saturn two nights ago, while I was observing through a refractor nearby (side issue: I never get tired of looking at the planets) and I don't think things have deteriorated with mine either, although there's no real sign of improvement. It seemed to perform just a little bit better with a little more load on it, although this may be bias on my part. More testing is needed in this area.
I did hear the unit make an odd noise on two occasions. The first time I thought it might have been just the unit making some minor adjustment to the temperature - it was a cold evening - but then I heard it again much later. Still not 100% certain what it was, a sort of wet clicking noise. My initial thought was some of the lubricants has thickened a little in the cold (about 2 degrees centigrade) and were becoming "tacky" if I can describe it in that manner, but I'm not sure.
It's raining here as I type, so I'm going to go right over the unit this evening and make sure everything is where it needs to be. Then I'm going to give it a real workout.
I must admit my hopes of this being a decent unit are fading.
Reading all your reports of the problems with the new GTi makes me feel sad - I had been hoping the new unit would be a good starting point for people just getting into astronomy / astrophotography.
What is Sky Watcher's track record like? Do they actively upgrade / refine their equipment over time?
Reading all your reports of the problems with the new GTi makes me feel sad - I had been hoping the new unit would be a good starting point for people just getting into astronomy / astrophotography.
What is Sky Watcher's track record like? Do they actively upgrade / refine their equipment over time?
Cheers,
V
Taking the first steps into astrophotography was why I first considered the unit. I've been a visual observer for years, largely of the moon and planets, and I've been seriously impressed by some of the deep sky astrophotography that I've seen (photography has been a hobby for years too - my wife says I have an obsession with lenses) and decided that I'd dip my toe into the deep, dark, still waters of astrophotography with the GTi.
I have to say that thus far, I'm less than impressed. I can see the potential of the unit, but I think that the one I have is going to be going back to Skywatcher. I don't know a great deal about their track record in upgrading or retrofitting equipment, but I can't imagine that it would be something that happens regularly. Oddly enough, both of my scopes & mounts - EQ3-2 & HEQ5 - are Skywatcher, and they're fine.
My feeling is that the GTi has been pushed into production a little quickly to meet consumer demand, and as a result some of the production hasn't been given the quality control it might. I'm sure that there are folks out there with units that perform well straight out of the box - but mine doesn't appear to be one of them.
Two videos showing the RA wobble I'm having. Anyone else getting this? It's not as bad as before, that's a blessing.
Mate, that first video didn't present at all for me. I'm getting something of that wobble, but as I mentioned previously, things seem to be reducing a bit. I think. I'm using tent pegs to secure the tripod that the GTi is sitting on as I want to eliminate any possible extraneous sources of movement.
It's a cold night where I am, predicted to get down to minus 4 but the skies are clear and there's no wind. I'm setting up the Star Adventurer next to the 150 Mak-Cas, and while I do some observing it's going to go through it's paces with a modded Canon 60D and a 100mm f2.8L lens. It's going to get a full workout for about two to three hours, and not to put too fine a point on it, this is the last chance it's going to get before I send it back. If it doesn't do any good, I'll have had enough. I'll let you know how it goes.
The GTi was setup adjacent to the 'scope I was observing through. Tent pegs were used to anchor the tripod it was on to the ground after the tripod was levelled, and the level was checked again after the unit was fitted. All good. None of the tripod legs were extended, and there was no wind. I was careful to balance everything.
Both the scope mount and the GTi drew their power from the same source, in this case a Bluetti EB55, which also powered a laptop and a dew heater. No issues there, plenty of power and no appreciable depletion of the power source over three hours.
Temperature was very cold - about -2 by the time I called it a night. The HEQ5 with a Skywatcher 150 Mak-Cassegrain and the GTi were both tracking Saturn. The GTi had a standard Canon 6D with a 70-200 f2.8L and 1.4x extender on it, as much to put a bit more weight on it as anything else. I wasn't going for fine shots, rather putting the unit through it's paces.
The result...Well, it didn't get any worse. Oddly though, it seems to perform better with a slightly heavier load. I don't have a small 'scope that would fit, but I'm wondering if anyone out there has been using a GTi with something like a Williams Optics Z 61, or something in that size range, and what their experience is with it. But I digress.
I say again that this is my first foray into astrophotography, and while I'm not intimately familiar with a lot of the advanced concepts, I've done a bit of reading - books, forums, magazines, published research - and having seen what the GTi produced as opposed to what can be done with other star trackers - I'm making sure I compare everything at the same level - the GTi falls short.
I'll be ringing the supplier on Monday, I think, and asking some questions about returns. As far as my own experience has been, the unit hasn't lived up to expectations.
Especially so because of the image scale (2-3 arcsec/pixel) and the 5 minute exposures, not to mention how light the thing is for that performance!
but the skies are clear and there's no wind. I'm setting up the Star Adventurer next to the 150 Mak-Cas, and while I do some observing it's going to go through it's paces with a modded Canon 60D and a 100mm f2.8L lens. It's going to get a full workout for about two to three hours, and not to put too fine a point on it, this is the last chance it's going to get before I send it back. If it doesn't do any good, I'll have had enough. I'll let you know how it goes.
