Review: Skywatcher Star Adventurer Mini

[Phil Hart]

Skywatcher Australia asked me to provide a review of their new 'Mini' Star Adventurer portable tracking/timelapse motion control mount.

This falls into the category of 'things that end up taking a lot longer than you expect', but I have posted a review on my site:

philhart.com/content/star-adventurer-mini-review

Would be very interested to hear about other people's experience with this mount as they happen.

cheers
Phil

[dannat (Daniel)]

thanks phil good review, the rewind astro timelapse feature appears innovative

[skysurfer]

Nice device, but does the app have the ability to review the pictures taken with the camera on the much larger Android screen ?
That would be a great help on focusing. I do that with DSLR Controller over USB (CR2 files over wifi is way too slow), while using the 26 years old Super Polaris as tracking device which tracks neatly up till 600mm and 4 minutes with the Canon 6D without guiding.
The Star Adventurer Mini cannot handle my ED110, but it can carry my 6d+70-300L and even the new 100-400LII (which I don't have). Both lenses are very sharp in the edges at full aperture, like the 200/2.8L.

The polar scope should just find BQ Octantis (+6.9) (not Sigma which is too far off the Pole!) which can be put into the center of the field and that is accurate enough.
I did that sucessfully with my Vixen SP and had no tracking errors at 600mm and 4 minutes.

[dannat (Daniel)]

from my reading don't think you can review pics [just a out mount/pic setup]
could be wrong though

been checking prices -a few places have the mini at higher price than the standard star adventurer

[Phil Hart]

Originally Posted by skysurfer

Nice device, but does the app have the ability to review the pictures taken with the camera on the much larger Android screen ?
That would be a great help on focusing. I do that with DSLR Controller over USB (CR2 files over wifi is way too slow), while using the 26 years old Super Polaris as tracking device which tracks neatly up till 600mm and 4 minutes with the Canon 6D without guiding.
The Star Adventurer Mini cannot handle my ED110, but it can carry my 6d+70-300L and even the new 100-400LII (which I don't have). Both lenses are very sharp in the edges at full aperture, like the 200/2.8L.

The polar scope should just find BQ Octantis (+6.9) (not Sigma which is too far off the Pole!) which can be put into the center of the field and that is accurate enough.
I did that sucessfully with my Vixen SP and had no tracking errors at 600mm and 4 minutes.

The Mini wi-fi connection is just to the mount, which has no awareness or connection to whatever camera you have sitting on it. I'm not aware of any mounts that connect through to the camera as well?

If you need wi-fi to connect to camera then you'll have to do one at a time. i.e. connect to camera for focus etc, then connect to mount to initiate timelapse.

I wouldn't be trying to use something this small and lightweight to image at anything above 200mm. You might be able to manage something in a desperate situation but big lenses at 300-400mm really need a more typical equatorial mount.

Phil

[Phil Hart]

Originally Posted by dannat

from my reading don't think you can review pics [just a out mount/pic setup]
could be wrong though

been checking prices -a few places have the mini at higher price than the standard star adventurer

hi Dan

i guess you have to check what's in each package to really compare prices? default seems to be that Mini is just marginally cheaper than original star adventurer.

Phil

[Rigel003 (Graeme)]

Thanks for the review, Phil. Ioptron have released a new, more compact, tracker called the Skytracker Pro. Have you had a chance to check this out or compare with the Star Adventurer Mini?

[Phil Hart]

Originally Posted by Rigel003

Thanks for the review, Phil. Ioptron have released a new, more compact, tracker called the Skytracker Pro. Have you had a chance to check this out or compare with the Star Adventurer Mini?

Interesting.. we'll have to wait for someone else to review that. Doesn't have the app based control so flexibility for timelapse motion control is probably not as good. Would be good to see how the tracking performance goes though.

Phil

[Wavytone]

A few weeks ago at Terrey Hills someone had a C5 on one of these (!) - it was fine for visual use, though the obviously not for AP. Strictly manual operation as it has no slewing abilities, sidereal tracking only.

[skysurfer]

Originally Posted by philiphart

The Mini wi-fi connection is just to the mount, which has no awareness or connection to whatever camera you have sitting on it. I'm not aware of any mounts that connect through to the camera as well?

If you need wi-fi to connect to camera then you'll have to do one at a time. i.e. connect to camera for focus etc, then connect to mount to initiate timelapse.

So it does not support 'infrastructure' wifi ?
Otherwise one can use a wifi router with which camera + mount are both connected or, in the field without wifi network, even use the camera as hotspot (the 6D has both) and connect the mount to that.

[The_bluester (Paul)]

I have to speak to the IT guys at work. I decided to have a look at the review but it was blocked by the web filter.

The reason: Category "Astrology" not permitted. I am surprised that Perry Vlahos did not storm in and yell at them!

Nice review now that I am at home and can read it.

[Fred_76]

Thank you Phil for your detailed review.

I also bought the SAM and made a review that I posted on the CloudyNights forum.

I agree with your conclusion but warn people expressely NOT TO OVERTIGHT THE SADDLE LOCKING KNOB.

This is indeed a poorly designed part of the mount. The knob is screwed in the saddle to lock it on the RA shaft. Only two threads are used in the threaded hole. As the saddle material is quite soft (aluminium), the threads will break one day or one other. I hope Skywatcher will fix soon this mechanical non sense.

Here is a picture I took :

http://www.webastro.net/upload/image...1486655586.jpg

Therefore you shall be VERY carefull not to over tight this knob as you could easily destroy the fragile aluminum threads.

Fred