Join our growing Community for additional help and support including 1 on 1 time if needed! www.patreon.com/DarkRangersInc? Support the channel and a company that supports astrophotography for all gear related purchases Agena Astro has the best prices and fastest (free) shipping times ! agenaastro.com/?rfsn=7545037.59bc8b
Really enjoyed this video from the cheese curds to the awesome cabin - that looked super fun! Very thorough and all your dedication shines through. Clearly these take hours to make and review and we appreciate all your hard work.
Nice review. One important aspect of the Losmandy mounts is being able to dismount the Gemini controller and take it out of the weather. If you are setting up semi-permenant outside under a tarp this protects the electronics from moisture and bugs. Most other mounts have circuit boards (computers) imbedded in the mount.
@@edwardgill1042 yeah great point I never use the controller on either mount. I also like the fact that as you said they don’t really build any electronics into the mount itself. Some people see that as a negative, but it was actually done deliberately as USB and other technology goes out of style. They don’t stick you with useless tech on your mount
Great video! I'm a little biased here (own a G11T), but Losmandy mounts are superlative. The build quality is excellent. Coupled with outstanding support from both Losmandy and the online community these mounts are a win-win. The support component I've experienced is a true differentiating factor. Scott and Tanya are both very responsive (both email and phone) in short time. Currently looking for a portable mount and have been researching SW mounts. After this video, looks like a GM811G is the front-line winner. I'm experienced with the Gemini-2 system (no learning curve) and certainly handle the spare Refractors I have. If you're in the market for a new mount give Losmandy a look-see!
I own a AM5 and bought a Linear from Avalon last week. The AM5 is really great for visual and smaller FL like my FRA300. It can handle my 115/805 LZOS too, but even with good guiding you can see that the stars are a bit blured out. With the Avalon there are all stars pin point. I therefore think that the normal mounts are indispensable and continue to have a right to exist. For a beginner with lenses or a small telescope like the FRA300, such an HD mount is wonderful. However, with larger telescopes, you can already see that it is worth using a normal mount.
@@blayzer8871 Avalon are super nice and the preferred mount of another partner of the channel Primaluce. The only issue I have with them is the price point per capacity would be a little tough for the majority of my viewers. Last I checked the 40-ish pound capacity was in the 6k range. It’s definitely worth it the quality is top notch and no meridian flip is awesome. If somebody has the budget for a premium build, it’s definitely a company that I would have people look at. How do you like the LZOS? I really like that the include all their spot diagrams on their website with all the different reducers. Transparency is a big factor for me which is why I like Stellarvue since they give you a Strehl and Double Pass Collimation test.
@@darkrangersinc The build quality of the Avalon is realy nice. But your right, the price... The Linear can carry as much as the EQ6r, but the mount itself is lighter and also belt drive is way better (zero backlash) and also you dont need ever to do a service like new belts or relubricate. Here in Germany the Losmandy you showed cost about 5500€, same price as for the Avalon Linear. The LZOS is the best scope I had so far. I had: 120 Apo by Askar FRA500 by Askar FRA300 by Askar Skywatcher 130PDS (fully modded, with carbon tube, spider and so on) 150PDS (same mods as for the 130) Orion 80/600ED SVbony SV503 70ED Intes 180/1800 Non of these scope can win a fight against the LZOS. I bought it used for a really good price. You cant get it new anymore. There is a version with FPL53 by APM. They could be good. But I think the LZOS glass will be better. But there are other great scopes like the 100/800 with LZOS glass. Unfortunately LZOS is from russia and its not possible to get the glass anymore at the moment. Everything you see are stock items and the prices are riding like... But its 100% worth to buy one. These scope are made for life and re build like tanks. The reducer and flattener by APM (Riccradi) are great too. But I bouth a variable flattener. So there is a litte focuser attached so reach perfect backfocus is easy. I like the Stellarvue scopes as well, on the paper. You cant get them here in Germany. I sold all of my scopes and stayed with the LZOS for smaller objects. The FRA300 for widefield. The Intes 180/1800 for planets and visual. The Orion 80ED for visual.
So.. do i just add them to the stacking process? Like later in pixinsight or siril? I understand taking the images but its integration into the final photo
@@lostmypicks yeah in WBPP there’s a tab for darks, just match the sensor temp, exposure length and make sure no light gets into the image so it’s totally dark. Usually 20 is a good minimum. If you’re not using a cooled camera try to match the temp it was when you took the photos.
Another great video. I have a G11 arriving this week. I decided to go with Losmandy based on your endorsement of their great customer service. I had one question after I placed the order and Tanya replied almost instantly. I am very excited for the new mount and can’t wait to try it out!
@@jimperciaccante6137 congrats and glad to hear! That combination of the G11 and 140 is my favorite setup. Like any semi-permanent setup it took a little bit to totally dial it in but now it’s on autopilot. I just fire it up on NINA load the sequencer and hit play. If you have any questions, they have an awesome 16-ish part series done by their former media guy, Brian and it’s fantastic. It covers some of the tips that I did in the G11 video and many more.
@@darkrangersinc I am absolutely eyeing a Stellarvue 140 as my next purchase. Nico @nebulaphotos was responsible for my initial setup which has served me so very well over the past five years. You are helping me put together rig 2.0.
Losmandy is a cut above most import mounts. They are locally made and assembled. And have a big support community. Hard to go wrong with a Losmandy. The harmonics are nice too, but as you push focal length then even with decent RMS, the big guide spikes from the harmonics can affect subs.
@@bbasiaga exactly right, I do like NYX-101. However, lightweight is the enemy of stability when it comes to the stuff and I think people overestimate the amount they’re going to actually move stuff around. I find most people maybe do a couple trips a year tops. So I wanted to show that there is an equatorial option out there that’s kind of a medium weight and still very viable for those occasional trips. If you die hard every month going on a dark sky trip and harmonic is probably the way to go. But that’s a pretty small market based on the feedback I get from all the folks that reach out.
@@d.fresh.750 thanks, this one took a little longer and more effort, but I thought for those who enjoyed the longer form content, it would be interesting to see what goes into one of these reviews. For the money Losmandy is tough to beat when you look at the price per pound of capacity it’s right in line with many lower quality options but you get US made craftsmanship. Plus the fact They’re all modular and can interchange parts is great in the long run. One thing I didn’t mention in this one that I did in the last review is the fact that they really go out of their way to make sure you can upgrade them retroactively. That’s one reason they don’t have a USB hub on the actual mount you get some of that on the computer itself but as you know, USB goes out of fashion, so they don’t want to include something in the actual mouth that will go out of style
Join our growing Community for additional help and support including 1 on 1 time if needed! www.patreon.com/DarkRangersInc? Support the channel and a company that supports astrophotography for all gear related purchases Agena Astro has the best prices and fastest (free) shipping times ! agenaastro.com/?rfsn=7545037.59bc8b
Very nice set up and scope. I have a Stellarvue 80 A and I like it. Use it often. The SVX140T is a very nice telescope. I would like to have one. But More than I can afford.
@@davidaaaa4611 80-90mm is my recommendation for everyone to start with or own. The 140 is definitely one to aspire too I have been in the hobby for 5+ years in deepspace and 7+ if you include milkyway I’m glad I waited because it’s of course a bit more challenging to use a heavier scope with more focal length. You can get amazing images with an 80mm enjoy!
@@darkrangersinc I got my 1st telescope 63 years ago. The largest I have had was a 17.5 dob. I ordered the mirror from coulter and a kit and put it together. Yes I really like my Stellarvue 80A. I agree with you 80 or 90 is good for someone to start with.
Your vids are great. Just signed up as a patreon member for you. You do such a thorough job of explaining things in an easy to follow format. Thanks for all of the hard work you put into your videos.
Learning to solder your own power cables really helps to reduce the 'bulk'. It's quite cheap and easy, amazon for tools and youtube for instructions. Give it a try!
Hi Ryan. I am waaay too late to the party (the potato chip dust on the carpet are being vacuumed as I type this.😁), but I just had to share how pleased I was regarding your candour & realistic observations re telescope advertizing & choosing the right brand. I have been in the hobby for 50+ years, and IMHO you absolutely nailed it! (Ok...yes, I am biased...my friends call me a "Refractor snob" as I own 1 Stellarvue refractor (Raptor 102T) & 2 other 'premium' scopes...😁). Also, I have been extremely impressed with your other reviews & tutorials. Your channel is a superb resource!👍 One thing I'd like to add is that going with a brand like Stellarvue, AP, Takahashi, CFF, TEC, etc.) is re-sale value.🤔IF (and it's a big "IF") one can afford one of these scopes, one can be secure in the knowledge that these scopes do not depreciate in value much & sometimes go up in value (esp. AP!), so starting with a top-notch smaller scope & taking really good care of it, then down the road, selling it to fund a larger one, is a great approach. That may not necessarily work for mass-produced brands. 🤔 Keep up the great work Ryan! 👍
Ryan have you tried to run the nyx with alpaca. That would be a helpful video for me. I’m confused on what WiFi these devices are connecting to. I use Starlink out remote and my mesh network at home. My equipment is connect to the mini pc and I connect to the mini pc. I’m so confused lol how this alpaca works
Thanks. I was about to buy an AM5 and will now NOT buy any more ZWO products. That kind of failure rate and horrible customer service is not acceptable. Thanks!! Finally an honest video. I am so very sick of “influencers” blowing smoke and telling me everything is wonderful. Much appreciated.
You can get shielded cables so you can run them together. The cables that come with your equipment, normally are the cheapest in the market, not the best. PLL cables are also shielded, so it does help. Make sure your USB cables are rated for fast speeds and have the SS symbol or legend on it. Lastly, besides shielded, use braided cables. This prevents straining and rupture of the copper inside. Use velcro instead of zip ties. Keep it tight enough to hold, but lose enough in case of a pull.
I am glad I watched. I made the switch to PLL gear for my two CEHD scopes. I am currenlty looking to upgrade my cameras and was about to pull the trigger on the ASI2600MM-Pro, but I have been hearing the same issues you had with their customer service and that is something I have very low tolerance for (especially when the product is pricey).
I'm sure this is a very informational video for the very experienced Pixinsight user, but for someone looking for tutorial on using Pixinsight workflow as a beginner, I couldn't follow a thing you said. I guess maybe I will come back later after I get a bit better and understand more. Thank you for the time and effort of making videos for I would say the more advanced users.
Yea, just found this video. It hits home for me right now. Looking to break the shackles. Which, there really isn’t any reason because all of my equipment has worked flawlessly. From the stories I’ve read about the terrible customer service with ZWO, I realized I don’t want my eggs in one basket as it were. I’m buying the 2600mm from OGMA. So excited about a U.S. manufacturer!
I want to pull the trigger so hard on the 2600mm so bad! I just bought a C6 for a little reach, but not sure a full frame sensor will work with the C6. It would work well with my F/4 150P Quattro and my WO GT71. I should probably email them. Finally a U.S. based company!
Man, this guy is loaded with some cash. I just transitioned to astrophotography after two years of visual astronomy and still learning the Zwo eco system.
I'm confused by all your back-focus adjusting with spacers. If you are not using a reducer, there is no back-focus. The spacer rings on Petzval-like designs are just to bring the sensor into the middle range of the focus travel. Then use the main focuser. That's their instructions. Adding another spacer ring is just the exact same as turning the main focus knob -- there is no difference because all the internal lenses move together. Furthermore, because this scope is focusing the center stars smaller than your pixel scale, there is a whole range of focus where the middle stars will look focused. At least that is what WO's published spot diagram indicates. Therefore, if you want round stars in the corner, then focus on a star in the corner, and I bet the stars in the center stay round and pretty much focused. Focusing in the corner will be easier because you focus to eliminate star elongation, which shows up very obviously. Anyway, what did William Optics tell you themselves? Did they respond to your video? If not, did you ask them for a response? BTW, this is the same story for the Redcat series. I would always focus in the corners on those scopes, as well. One last thing: if WO doesn't have good control on the lenses vs. internal lens spacing, then they could have some field curvature. So if you focus in the corner to eliminate elongation, do the center stars grow enough to look out of focus? It would be sad if this were the case.
Concise, easy to understand and to-the-point! Thank you for this video. I have been struggling as a new PI user and this really helped with GHS. Your channel is an asset for the community.
Hi Ryan,on e again a really good re iew. I would like to add my point regarding zwo. We don't have many clear nights so they are precious, on this particular night, using my asiair plus, the mount kept disconnecting so I swapped to my asiair pro, changed all the cables and battery, all to no avail. These clear nights mean so much. Anyway I'm fed up with being letdown by the zwo kit I've decided to investigate other control systems such as Stellarmate.
What was the cause of the failure of the power circuit output of the ASIAIR, with all your controller board failures and other issues wondering if you had a power issue that caused downstream issues in all your components and they just failed within months of each other.
It would not be the best option for that type of pallet. If you click on the link, it will take you to the antlia filters I would choose the ALP-T narrowband set or at least start with the Ha-O3
Great video. Thank you!!! Have you ever generated NB stars with the Foraxx script? that tool is amazing for getting a pretty close RGB star look from NB data. I have fallen in love with foraxx stars with my NB images
I typically don’t use my DSLR or even my Mirrorless for Astro anymore. I do have a video comparing my Nikon Z72 to a OSC Astrocam. I tried to really only shoot in monochrome these days because the results are just that much better and with it being seemingly cloudy this year because of El Niño it’s tough to give up when I know the results won’t be as good. DSLRs are great for when you get started and don’t want to have to invest additional $$ into an astrophotography camera but if you stay in the hobby long enough to where you use a cooled monochrome camera or even a cooled OSC. You’ll find that your DSLR won’t be getting that much use for this kind of stuff anymore. I like it for Milky Way, and landscape photography still more because of the ability to quickly frame shots and change angles though.
