2B. Filter Wheel Installation 

Sorry you had such a hard time with this filter wheel, but your pain is my gain. I'll definitely use the threaded filters. Thank for the these classes

You can magnetize screwdrivers temporarily by rubbing a strong magnet up and down over the screwdriver. the magnetization works for at least several hours, especially for the tiny little screws. Thanks for the informative video!

Dear Peter, I just wanna say thank you for your great ASI tutorials! It will help me a lot on starting with astrocam imaging starting today after 11 years of DSLR astrophotography!

Another quality video. Thank you Peter! I really enjoy how your channel is mindful by answering what most beginners would ask. I'm beginning to get a grasp of the hobby a lot better than a year ago. Can't wait for your next video and clear skies to you :)

Thank you for that information. I have the same filter wheel from ZWO. But I bought 2" Filters from Baader with a metal ring on them. You are right: it is so much easier to put them in. You just have to spin them by hand to get them in to the slots. And you don't have to worry about the right side.

Hi Peter: I agree installing the filters in the ZWO filter wheel is a pain. I did use a magnetic screwdriver and that made it easier. The easy way to see what side of the ZWO filter is coated is to hold the filter over a white paper then hold a pen or screwdriver just above the surface. If you see only one reflection of the pen or screwdriver then that side faces the camera. Badder filters made it easier by inscribing a small arrow on the edge of the filter making it easy to identify what side faces the telescope. Love your channel!!!

Love your video. But, fortunately, I do not share your frustration mounting unthreaded filters into the ZWO EFW. Came up with some helpful ideas for others: Loupes- When dealing with small pieces and parts seeing better allows finer work. Search “head loupe magnifier” Look for 3X magnification or better. Should be able to find inexpensive loupes to aid this project and others. Lighting- I found the ambient light in the kitchen inadequate to see clearly. Pulling over some additional lumens from an articulating desk lamp angled properly made seeing easier. Computer Driver (magnetized)- The ZWO driver was perfectly adequate for the EFW case screws, but I found too large for the small filter holder screws. A computer driver set with a right sized, precise, magnetized driver, very helpful. I had a better sized driver for the smaller screws and that made a big difference. Tweezers (small)- Small flat tipped tweezers, used for stamp collecting or for tweezing eyebrows worked great for manipulating those tiny screws. Pick up each screw by its edge. Insert each of three screws into the holes of the thin black filter retainer first. Orient the retainer properly, holding it by the edge with tweezers, between the screws. Then place the retainer with screws gently upon the filter, being sure the screws are above their holes. Tighten first screw 1/2 way, then the second and third until all are engaged. Then tighten completely to secure. Filter Orientation- Good point checking to be sure your filters have or do not have a preferential orientation. Be sure to verify this with you filter installation instructions or manufacturer. I installed 31mm unthreaded Astrodon Gen 2 E series LRGB and 3nm Ha, O3, S2 and N2 in my ZWO 8 position EFW. I was surprised when Doug at Farpoint Optical told me there was no right or wrong side to the Astrodon filters I purchased. The filter glass was uniform throughout, and could be mounted either side towards sensor or scope! Check with manufacturer beforehand. Orient filters properly the first time. Save frustration by wasting perfect imaging days and eventually figuring your filters were not properly installed. Hope this comment prevents filter installation frustration for others.

My ZWO 7-position EFW came with a screwdriver that had a magnetized head, so maybe they've gotten enough feedback from past buyers that they made that no-cost but very helpful change. For those who go with the 36mm Astronomik LRGB filters, they are omnidirectional -- you can install them either way. They also have an advantage over the ZWO filters in that they have an opaque black perimeter, so you if feel clumsy doing delicate work wearing latex gloves, you can get away without them with the Astronomik filters if you're careful.

So glad I just bought the 2” threaded filters!

Thanks for sharing this. I've been thinking about investing in a filter wheel. Looked at the unmounted filters, but this is the first video I've seen that showed how to mount them into the wheel. So definitely appreciate your candid opinion about the experience. Guess I'll stick with 2" screw ins LOL.

I appreciate you keeping it real and telling it like it is! Screw in filters it is! 😀 Great video, thanks. 👏👏👏

Nice work yet again. I like that you do this live and we can see a real life version of what happens when you do this for the first time cos its reveals the problems everyone else will face. So a magnetic screwdriver is a desirable option. Might I suggest having a very bright light source light a 100 W lightbulb or equivalent and trying to look at its reflection by reversing the filters. I used optically coated glass a lot and it tends to produce a metallic ghost of a highlight when reflecting using the coated side. The uncoated side should produce a more natural coloured & more pronounced reflection. Anyway, looking forward to see you put this gizzmo into action!

Thank you very much for the detailed explantation ! it was very useful for my own installation of these filters

If you need to work with small screws, use a magnetic screwdriver or get a small magnet and stick it to the screwdriver while you do this work. If you shine a light at the filter you should see the difference looking at the inside edge *through the glass* of the filter. I’m learning astrophotography but have been doing microscopy for many years. Darkfield microscopy relates to astrophotography in many ways.

I appreciate you trying it hard way for us 😃 and showing us what to avoid buying.

I just got this FW and this video was super useful, thank you!

You are bang on Peter the screw in filters only go in 1 way so are super easy to install.But be aware if people are doing that make sure you watch the hight of the filter most are ok but I found the astrodon filters in the zwo wheel rub against the top of the housing causing jamming thats a super pain in the butt. Sorry you had a real hassel with your install I am sure it will be worth it👍

I was just fitting my filters to the same wheel and noticed the last two filters were purple and realised they might have a direction! I then cam across your video, sadly there were no instructions on all this with the filters particularly as they aren’t cheap! Thanks for the video.

Hi Peter, thank you for your Tutorials, i have your Deep Sky Course and its help me a lot in the beginning of this hobby. You are awesome!!! After 6 moth in Astro hobby today i already try setup my Filter Wheel with LRGB Ha OIII. SII stil wait from Astodon. So i have some information... I try Understand how finally corectly setup LRGB filters to FW Facing position, and after two days inspection in internet :D finally i write message to Astrodon (because i by this filters) and i receive Quick Answer from Peter Myers technical Director! "for both Broadband and Narrowband filters it doesn't matter what side is facing towards the camera or the telescope. ​The filters are multidirectional." So i hope maybe for you or guys who watching this video this information helpful. Of course Astrodon pretty expensive peace of glass :) but i was impress this answer. Thanks Peter for your Job.

Kind advice - use a surgical mask, especially if you're talking while doing this. Our mouths launch droplets. Beside the obvious germ problem, there's the filter contamination issue. :)

Great video, and I have exactly the same kit and it helped tremendously. However I didn't find it a big hassle. Magnetic screwdriver made putting the covers on easy - never dropped a single screw. Anti reflective coating, I think I figured which side is which on the LRGB. From the non reflective side if you look through the filter at the edge on the other side you can see where the coating stops - this is consistent and hopefully correct. The O filter was yellower on one side than the other, that according to your video of the ZWO site should be the coated side. Yes all a bit fiddly, and I should have worn a hair net, but I did grab a hat, and I wish I had a blower (blowing using my mouth, bad idea!), however all tolerable. Oh and 36mm filters allow for some very fast lenses like the Samyang 135mm f2, for which I have a project in mind.

Good video! I could tell you were frustrated. Helps us make a better informed decision on these things. My eq6-r mount arrived today. Still reviewing which scope I want. I’m looking at the Explore Scientific 115 with the FPL-53 glass. ZWO 1600 with the filter wheel is also my preference. Anyone else with suggestions, I’d appreciate it.

The 8 position ZWO FW is what I use with 1.25" threaded filters. For correct filter orientation, the motor should be facing the camera, and the screw heads facing the telescope. This is not specifically stated in the Manual, though the diagrams show it. But there are M42 female threads on each side of the FW, so potentially you could be putting it on reversed. Even though I used the threaded type, I still put in all the tiny screws to stop any light leakage hitting the sensor. But un-threaded would be a pain if you want to change out any filter, especially at night. Wow! Thanks, Peter.

Awww cmon Peter.. I wanna see the uncut version of you swearing at it and dropping screw everywhere!.. Awesome video mate, cant wait till the next one!

Excellent video Peter. I've always wondered why the 36mm filters can't be threaded...it just doesn't make sense!

Peter, what is your recommendation about the ZWO filters? Do you like it? Is baader better? Thanks for all the amazing videos you are creating to help us beginners here.

Is it hard to balance the tracker with the added weight of the filter wheel? Can’t wait to see the results.

Hi, I am using unthreaded 36mm filters from Baader. They have little arrows carved at the sides so you know which side has the coating. Installing was quite easy.

I wish I had seen this before i ordered the 36mm unmounted. I had such a hard time putting the screws in. And the best part, my cat leaped onto my desk into the wheel, the LRGB & HSO filters are mixed up. I could guess LRGB but I can't tell H, S, O filters apart. *cry*

Hi thx for the video. Is diffrent vignetting normal for each filter? I mean a really big diffrence. Lrgb is pretty much the same but sho is very a-semetic.

I have a Nikon 200-500mm f/5.6 lens with a 95mm diameter filter size as well as a nikon20mm f/1.8 with a 77mm filter size. I was able to find a Bahtinov mask for the 77mm diameter Nikon 20mm lens. However, I am unable to find one for the 200-500mm lens with the 95mm filter size. Any suggestions?

Good evening Peter, for the zwo 2600mm would I be worth this EFW 36mm?

Hi Peter! Im following your setup (alrdy bought all the setup u recomended). I was looking to upgrade my dslr camera to ths ASI 1600 mono, the kit 3 of zwo (with the 7 whell slots and the filters), but now with this video im doubting about the filters lol, did you solve the problem with the side position of the filters? Is there a way to finally see what is the right side?

Great video, I used a magnetic screwdriver,

I wonder if the threaded filters are less expensive The Ones I got were$200a piece and the pack of 4 was $300 Either way, thank you for the video it was very helpful.

Peter, Like always, you have helped me progress with astrophotography. I do have a question and I hope you can help me.. First, do you regret at all buying a mono camera? I am also looking into buying my first dedicated camera, and I am unsure if I wanted to go with a color or mono camera. Also, why did you got with the 36mm filters? why not go with the 31 mm or the 1.250 size filters? what what is the difference between them ? thank you again.. Rob

Are these ZWO LRGB filters really good? Which one would you recommend between ZWO and Optolong?

I've never used a filter wheel. I'm interested in taking better pictures. Is the idea that you take a red, then blue, then green picture and combine them later into a color picture?

Why do cameras have filters? I'm lost here

FYI, if the male thread on a filter goes the entire length of the filter (there is no shoulder on the male thread) it IS possible to screw in the filter in the wrong orientation. Think about it.

YUP.... 10 for 10 would never ever do unmounted filters again. DAMN pandemic cutting off supplies.