HOWTO: Make a POWERFUL smart TELESCOPE! Better than much bigger telescopes!

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Better and cheaper than eVscope and Stellina!
This is a fun project (for yourself, for parent and child, or for schools!) to build your own smartphone-controlled electronic telescope on the cheap! Now this is all experimental, tons of things can go wrong, so please be aware of that, e.g. at your own risk! BUT all the equipment is reusable, and is overall great equipment for astronomy and astrophotography! You may also wonder why I didn't use the ASIAIR Pro - its live stacking is better... it's because its support of the AZ-GTi in Alt-Az is very limited...
As of 2023.3.3 : for lazy people out there, there is now a cheap alternative, the Dwarflab Dwarf 2 which I feature in my recent videos, bit.ly/3SyChXu
Total budged based on below links (as of time of writing): ~1,150 USD
All links below (except for Stellarmate) are affiliate links.
Mount: Skywatcher AZ-GTI with tripod
Buy from OPT: bit.ly/2DKgmuC
Buy from Amazon: amzn.to/3oR7w3g
Buy from High Point Scientific: tinyurl.com/me4h4k4e
If the AZ-GTi is out of stock, the AZ-GTe should in theory also work! Please note that I haven't tested this, so this would be at your own risk.
Buy from OPT: bit.ly/3bkW0p3
Buy from Amazon: amzn.to/3w1EXBJ
Telescope: Skywatcher EvoGuide 50ED II (a.k.a. DX)
Buy from OPT: bit.ly/3Dptoqp
Buy from Amazon: amzn.to/3aqj8lA
Buy from High Point Scientific: tinyurl.com/tmnja7ab
Camera choices (many more possible, but some suggestions)
ZWO ASI178MC (cheaper, smaller sensor, high resolution for more details, featured in video)
Buy from OPT: bit.ly/3p1Nljt
Buy from Amazon: amzn.to/3ltJzgc
Buy from High Point Scientific: tinyurl.com/4dr4wbmw
ZWO ASI485MC (bigger sensor for more field of view, high resolution for more details)
Buy from OPT:
Buy from High Point Scientific: tinyurl.com/3ym32727
ZWO ASI482MC (bigger sensor for more field of view, lower resolution but more light per pixel for faster light accumulation)
Buy from OPT: bit.ly/3Bxf0vR
Buy from High Point Scientific: tinyurl.com/53cec9vc
Mini computer: Raspberry Pi 4 4GB kit
Buy from Amazon (example kit, others are available): amzn.to/3v4S5FN
Mobile Battery (suggestion, it should be good enough): amzn.to/3BvnFPg
USB-C Cable: amzn.to/3v4TQmn
Velcro straps: amzn.to/3iM4MAC
Stellarmate OS: www.stellarmate.com/
Etcher: www.etcher.io/
Stellarmate App (I only tested Android version):
apps.apple.com/us/app/stellar...
play.google.com/store/apps/de...
Synscan Pro App (I only tested Android version):
apps.apple.com/us/app/synscan...
play.google.com/store/apps/de...
And if you get lazy, just buy a smart telescope directly!
Stellina: amzn.to/302jc8W
eVscope Equinox: amzn.to/3BoFjEq or tinyurl.com/us2ewrja
eVscope: tinyurl.com/58ksbwht
Channel Membership: / cuivthelazygeek
Support me on Patreon!: / cuivlazygeek
Merch: / cuivthelazygeek
External shop link: cuivthelazygeek.myspreadshop....
OPT Affiliate Link: bit.ly/2OIw6jH
RENEWED! High Point Scientific affiliate link: bit.ly/3lReu8R
If you wish to support me, you can buy anything from Amazon after following the below link:
amzn.to/3hTB5Ne
Follow me!
My Instagram: / cuivlazygeek
My Facebook page: / cuivlazygeek
00:00 Introduction
01:48 Parts needed
05:29 Initial build
09:33 Raspberry Pi OS install
13:39 First boot and initial configuration
20:37 Smartphone apps installation
21:50 Smartphone app setup
26:50 Mount setup
29:45 Connecting everything
31:13 Equipment setup from smartphone
34:21 App usage tutorial
40:28 Startup and shutdown procedures
41:35 Setting the mount start position
42:17 Daytime preparation: initial focus
45:18 Finishing touches preparing for the night
47:08 Using it under the stars!
54:50 Conclusion
Member icons: Designed by 3ab2ou / Freepik
Emoticons: Designed by macrovector / Freepik
Order of the Lazy Geeks slogan: Christopher T
Merch Design: Radu Chelariu
Intro Video: Radu Chelariu

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28 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 1,4 тыс.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

UPDATE: the ZWO Seestar or the Dwarflab Dwarf II are good alternatives to this build and cheaper too: tinyurl.com/3n62hpzx or bit.ly/3SyChXu. UPDATE: While I got great feedback from users who completed the project, others have noted that they had trouble with the software part (I assume referring to Stellarmate) that didn't work for them. Obviously this is a big problem. I haven't used Stellarmate for a while (got into an astro-slump, e.g. abandoning the hobby for a while) so I don't know what the latest status is. However, please be aware of this if you are thinking of doing this project. The process is very interesting, and pretty much all of the purchases can be reused for normal astrophotography, but you have been warned. UPDATE: if you already have a DSLR or mirrorless, you could use that instead! New video describing this here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RnaxryPSfzc.html ! Some samples taken from a light polluted area (Bortle 7) by a self-processed "noob" to the hobby! ibb.co/Wg6FbMZ ibb.co/7XgYxs7 ibb.co/8sx1ps8 UPDATE: the latest image of Stellarmate is already up to date with good wifi connectivity and so the upgrade dance is no longer necessary! And it can now fully be done from the app (device tab). Who's going to try to build this?? I love the concept of smartphone astronomy with telescopes like the eVscope or the Stellina - but while I admire the technical implementation of those telescopes, I'm not a big fan of their lack of modularity. Want a better sensor? Buy a new eVscope, there's version 2 out! Want a light pollution filter? Too bad, you can't! Also for the geeks, I used Stellarmate rather than ASIAIR because the ASIAIR doesn't have good support for Alt-Az AZ-GTi. Otherwise I would have gone the ASIAIR route.

@naturealbums 2 года назад

definitely going to try this but maybe get a better mount not sure which.

@chaotician23 2 года назад

I'm probably not going to build this entire rig, but I'm definitely going to give Stellarmate a go!

@Matemburg 2 года назад

I have raspberry, and scope(600m f5.9) and tripode :) and i wonder if AZ-GTI is good for me ? because i want start taking photos of night sky. I Love this setup and i dont know if i could adapt this setup to astrophotography?

@MethiasZa 2 года назад

Why not an astroberry setup? Similar to Stellamate (also uses Ekos).

@brunofigueira4970 2 года назад

Have you tried it on EQ mode?

@NebulaPhotos 2 года назад

Such a cool build! Thanks for putting this all together Cuiv! I'm sure it's going to inspire many to make their own Smart Telescope 😃

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks so much Nico! I really hope so! :D

@nasawing8221 2 года назад

@@CuivTheLazyGeek putting this in a Box and selling it could be profitable 🤭

@lwizzit 2 года назад

This is remarkable. I’m putting together an astrophotography rig, but I’m sorely tempted to build this little guy too now.

@kinunshele 2 года назад

I'm just about to sell some music gear to do this and hope to use it with an astro club I'm starting at my school... Thank you for the info! Great idea

@kennethholmedal9694 2 года назад

Baught one.. 😁

@salomon1639 2 года назад

It's so good to see these types of videos again. This is what made me love your channel and content. It reminds of older videos (ie setting up network to download pictures from acquisition computer to processing computer). You're awesome. I love it and love your enthusiasm. Thank you so much

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you Salomon! I won't hide that this video took hours and hours and hours of work :) There's no more "let's build stuff" videos coming up as well, once I get to shoot them :) As always your long-lasting support and viewership of the channel is extremely appreciated!

@davestephens9463 2 года назад

I have been watching videos all week trying to decide what to get. I learned more in an hour from you than anyone else. Thank you. I'm going to try and build something like this.

@johnlewis4073 2 года назад

Cuiv, I simply love your enthusiasm and creativity with projects like this. Brilliant video that I have only just come across, but definitely something I am going to do with my ED50. Thanks for your inspiring hard work in putting these things together. J

@FatherOfTheParty 2 года назад

Awesome tutorial, love your enthusiasm. Something to do with my grandkids when they get a little older. Thanks for taking the time to put such a high quality demonstration together.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks so much for this feedback Paul! I hope that when the grandkids are old enough this can be a fun project :)

@1966wasp 2 года назад

Best of all the RU-vid astro channels.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks Wayne!!

@bluegrassmagee8697 2 года назад

So nice to see you posted OPT as one of the suppliers, Ive been friends with the owners for over 30 years. Your Info Is the best ever and really enjoy your inventiveness.

@cmahar3 2 года назад

I love how excited you get when the rig slews to a target, plate solves, and self-aligns. That's how I felt the first time I plate-solved successfully, and the first time I got auto-guider working. Such cool stuff we have available right now in amateur astronomy.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks have progressed so much! I remember back when Plate-Solving was not yet a thing... At the very beginning I spent hours getting Astrotortilla to not work at all :D

@cmahar3 2 года назад

@@CuivTheLazyGeek First time I got PHD working on autoguiding I was giddy, had to drag the wife outside & show her. She didn't care, but made the appropriate polite sounds.

@DingDong-fq2mo 2 года назад

Would be great to see an update on this. One suggestion: Starizona has a field flattener for the evoguide 50 that gives 55mm backfocus, instead of the native 17.5mm, making it even more versatile.

@DoubleBullet 2 года назад

I’d love to see an update on it aswell. I can see many places where it can be enhanced on and I’m wondering the cool ideas people would come up for it.

@americansafarico 2 года назад

Simplicity always has a bit of genius to it. You’ve succeeded in making this so simple even I can understand it. Bravo!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Wow, thank you so much for that feedback Don, it means a lot!

@ClearAmbientSkies 2 года назад

Great video! Even the simple details are covered. Pre-focusing! That applies to all non-AF rigs.

@deanwlkr 2 года назад

Very inspiring! I've been getting into astrophotography since getting my first dslr over a year ago. I think I'm going to build this or something similar. Thank you for the video!

@jiffijoff9780 2 года назад

Awesome tutorial Cuiv. Your enthusiasm is as bright as the light accumulated sky results. Thanks so much for sharing 💪👍🍻

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks so much!!

@jayantnandy 2 года назад

One of the best tutorial for astrophotography DIY I have seen in a while.. Keep up the great job with same enthusiasm..!!!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks Jayant! Glad this was of help!

@honestozzy244 2 года назад

Bravo, Cuiv! This is an astrophotography video equivalent to a baseball grand-slam homerun. So much so that you inspired me to purchase an AZ-GTi from a local vendor (Cloud Break Optics). And I already have a Raspberry Pi looking for a new project. Thanks for all the time and effort that you devoted to this video.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you so much for that feedback! It was indeed a large amount of time and effort put into this project and video, and I'm glad to see it resonates :D

@anthonywarwick6090 2 года назад

This is so perfect. Everything you need to know and save some $.Wish I saw this 6 months ago before buying so much expensive gear and a lot of it unnecessary. You should get an award 🥇 for contribution to astrophotography

@alwyndsouza2351 2 года назад

Thank you for this wonderful Video. I teach astronomy at a college. I’m going to try and build this It will be a great way to get my students involved!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

That is awesome to hear Alwyn! While making this video I had in mind exactly this kind of teaching scenario, whether in a school or college setting, or as a parent/child activity. I hope your students enjoy the build and the challenge! Also, I will soon be releasing a similar tutorial, but based on DSLR/Mirrorless camera and lens, which should make it easier to try for people who own such a camera in the first place :)

@deepdiver0101 2 года назад

the evoguide 50 is great. With the two element flattener (17.5 mm backfocus perfect for many cameras) is becomes a 4 element scope with two FPL53 elements and wide field. Its such a good little scope for imaging as well as guiding.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Yep! I've always thought about getting a flattener for it (at the initial release, I think Starizona was the only one making a flattener, now SW does too), it's such a neat little scope!

@w4m0330 2 года назад

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Hi, Cuiv, I have both the stock flattener and the starizona flattener v2. Both works perfect for my ASI2600MC pro. Good thing for the later is, the v2 has 55mm back focus and I can even use OAG and filter drawer (I do not have filter wheel) with the 2600 camera setup. Although a bit of under sampling, I like this setup, wide field that I can capture heart and soul in one frame. Stars are sharp edge to edge. I tested even with my Nikon D810 full frame camera, and it works decent to the edge!

@revolting887 2 года назад

really looking forward to watching this later Cuiv, so glad you're giving some recognition of a great Open Source astrophotography project!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks! Both Astroberry, Kstars, EKOS, and Stellarmate are amazing!

@Chris-kr3lc 2 года назад

WOW how amazing is that! This is exactly what I am looking for. Thanks for putting your time and effort in putting this video together 👏

@amk7055 2 года назад

Impressive Cuiv. This can be an excellent project for many local astronomy clubs who want to invest in something like this for public sky observation events.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks AM! Exactly my thoughts!

@lukomatico 2 года назад

This is simply brilliant Cuiv!! A superb idea and build, awesome job mate! :-)

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks man!!

@thorshammer5166 2 года назад

What a great video! I love your enthusiasm and your teaching skills! Keep up the awesome work!

@stefanoc.930 Год назад

One of the most useful, clear and complete tutorial ever. Thank you very much Cuiv! 👍

@ChucksAstrophotography 2 года назад

Very impressive, Cuiv!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Hey Chuck! Thank you!!

@macaaris1018 2 года назад

Big fan chuck

@joethurber8617 2 года назад

Thanks Cuiv! I am new to astronomy and astrophotography. I used these instructions combined with some of your other videos and created a similar project. I used the AZ-Gti with tripod, the EvoGuide 50DX, the ZWO ASI485MC, the Sky-Watcher Field Flattener, Mele Quieter 2 mini PC, Synscan, and Nina. My viewing location is relatively dark and in my backyard, so I can remote desktop to the mini PC and control everything from in the house. There is quite a learning curve for the software, but I'm gradually getting there. I've had some successful nebula pictures so far. I really appreciate your efforts to help us learn this subject - thanks for sharing!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Awesome to hear and well done!

@philippededeurwaerder4267 2 года назад

Hello Joe I have (almost) the same setup, Azgti EvoGuide with FF and 485MC, all run by Asiair. But so many clouds since I assembled this all… Could you share some of your pictures ?

@joethurber8617 2 года назад

Well, Phillippe, I'd like to share but cannot figure out how to insert a photo here. Anyway, I hope you have a clear sky soon. Orion Nebula seems to be an easy target with my setup and location lately.

@philippededeurwaerder4267 2 года назад

@@joethurber8617 You can look for me on Messenger maybe ?

@bill2009utube 2 года назад

Thanks very much. I had tried stellarmate with the same camera but with an eq mount and slightly larger scope. I just got lost in the many pieces of software on different platforms. Your video is excellent and i'm looking forward to trying again following step by step.

@derekokeeffe9919 2 года назад

This is great. I've been using INDI and EKOS in my observatory for the last 4 or 5 years. Its fantastic to see it evolve into something like this

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

The Stellarmate dev really has done a great job with the app!

@Wolfie6020 2 года назад

Thanks Cuiv, you brought me to Green Swamp Server and I have never looked back. I like what you did here too. I have the AZ-Gti and the ZWO 178 already, just need the scope and RP4. A nice new project to look forward too. Cheers.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

It's going to be a fun project for sure!

@fazergazer 2 года назад

Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Color in the dumbbell from this tiny little scope. From Tokyo. This is 100% fantastic. I guess the near zenith tracking is harder for that little mount. I wondered how the stacking handles field rotation, at longer subexposure times that would appear in each frame, but as long as focal length isn’t too long the stacking must be including rotation between subs and of course translation. This is a game changer. And for a fraction of the price of the EEvscope or Stellina. Also great for teaching. Could be a cool build for a junior high school all the way to adults. Some parts you might get even cheaper as it is flexible. And folks learn many principles of Astrophotography You’ve done a great thing here assembling this kit! I see Nico of Nebula Photos and a Charles of a Chuck’s AstroPhotography are enthusiastic too! You and all of these folks and Galactic Hunter, Dylan O’Donnell, and Trevor Jones have been inspiration to all!!!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks Geoffrey! Yes, I think it can be a super cool project for kids with their parents, etc. Gives a taste for the hobby and a sense of accomplishment that the eVscope or Stellina cannot provide :)

@jonathanr2830 2 года назад

Wonderful and very surprising! I am encouraged to add this fascinating affordable and capable smart telescope with camera option to my ideal wish list. Thank you very much for your fine work and presentation. Great job!

@syedhasan404 2 года назад

A perfecrt tutorial. everything is so well explained!! Great job man!! Looking forward to many more such cool tutorials from you.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you so much Syed! I'm working on a similar tutorial, but using a DSLR or mirrorless with lens :)

@marvinwhisman3333 2 года назад

I just finished the build. I used pretty much the same things you did since as luck would have it I already had most of it. Having watched a few other videos on similar builds I really want you to know what a great job you do of explaining things. You have an amazing attention to detail that is extremely helpful. I know you spend a lot of time rewatching and making minor corrections to your videos which must be very time consuming. One thing you mentioned was using a Bathinov mask to do a fine focus. Any chance at some point you could include a section in one of your videos about using this technique. Thanks again for all you do. P.S. The new version of this using a camera is great and simplifies the setup process.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you so much for that feedback, and for your support Marvin! I'll cover the bahtinov mask at some point, thank you! :D

@fergalflynn3688 2 года назад

Hi Cuiv, I have loved watching this build and in fact am in the process of building my own smart telescope based off of this design using the Az-GTI mount. I have seen other videos you have created with this mount, using it in equatorial mode. I am wondering if it is possible to do this with this smart telescope setup? Would there be a difference in accuracy? I am also wondering would a ZWO ASI183MC Pro be too powerful for this kind of setup, as I already have one? Thanks in advance. Fergal

@jurgenketterer7531 2 года назад

Thank you, Cuiv, for posting this video ... what a great project!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you!

@AndreaGualdi 8 месяцев назад

Thank you so much, Cuiv. I have done the same setup and it works perfectly! 🙏

@GlaucusBlue 2 года назад

This is amazing, would have been great to see some fully stacked photos to see what this is capable, and also some upgrade paths for better mount and scope. Would love something so easy i can throw in the car and be up and running so quickly and easy.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks NH! Yep, maybe I can do follow-up videos on this :)

@xIswiggy 2 года назад

@@CuivTheLazyGeek please do a follow up, I’m super curious to see how an end result would look on other common space objects, maybe moon, Andromeda, etc🥺😊

@mathieucarbou 2 года назад

I would also love to see a video on how to upgrade this setup :-) I really love it! I was reluctant in going into buying Astro hardware because of the complexity / price / weight. On my side, I know RPI and such very well (did a camera control app on a RPI Zero W), so the fact that we could plug together little pieces like that to achieve quite good results is impressive for me! Thanks a lot!

@powellcappel4692 Год назад

Thanks very much..brilliant video. Very tempted to try this! Just one correction: the Stellina and the Vespera have autofocus, unlike the EVScope. Even though I have a Stellina, I am interested in a more wider field of imaging so perhaps might take this route which you have so kindly explained. One question: is it possible to focus using the video function? So you can get instant feedback? Assuming you have enough bright stars in the FOV?

@mrbutchee1 8 месяцев назад

Thank you Cuiv this is awesome! I have been researching like crazy for my first rig.

@zaugitude 2 года назад

Excellent overview, thanks! So much information that can be used in almost any setup.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you!

@michs1708 Год назад

Awesome Build and tutorial Cuiv! could you put a wedge under the AZ GTi and polar align it? turn it into an equatorial mount. Would the go-to function still be workable or would that screw up that feature?

@stevenickolls8016 2 года назад

Absolutely fantastic project Cuiv, the various softwares and ballet with various wi-fi controls might be challenging for some of us oldies but I'm up for a challenge. Look forward to any further videos you make. 👍

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks Steve! Yes, there's other ways to go about it faster (wired connection, smartphone app, etc.) and I agree it's the most complex part of the process...

@misterd3979 2 года назад

You did a great job in explaining this project - I want to build this now!

@vrruiz 2 года назад

Very cool project, Cuiv! This is the first time that I see Stellar Mate in action. Some years ago I tried to do something very similar to this, but using an HDMI display with the Raspberry Pi. I love open source, and Indi has done a tremendous job making Linux and the Pi appealing to many vendors. But, Ekos is not user friendly, too cluttered. I can see a similar project being done using the ASIAIR. But anyway, well done!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks Victor! I tried with the ASIAIR as well, but it just wouldn't handle the AZ-GTi in AltAz well... Otherwise I would have gone that route...

@SzilardM 2 года назад

Hey Cuiv, thanks for the incredibly detailed guide, it has given me food for thought. I wonder if it would be possible/advised to add an Optolong Dual-Band L-eXtreme Filter into the mix to possibly get even better results? Also, would it be possible to fix the field rotation in post-processing? I would like to thank you for all of the videos you post, I have learned a lot by watching your channel :D

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

The latest stellarmate does some rotation while stacking - so if each frame is free of obvious rotation, so will the stack (but your telescope axis and mount axis need to be well aligned). As for filters, I'd probably go for a CLS-CCD or wider band filter before trying the L-eXtreme, but it certainly is worth a try!

@caronmj 2 года назад

Thanks so much for this. I’m doing it! So exciting!

@tdoubt100 Год назад

Just inspirational. Wish I’d found this a year ago. Thanks Cuive you’ve just rekindled my passion for astronomy and tinkering!

@TheExoplanetsChannel Год назад

Great video and channel. Is it possible to have a smooth transition between images during live stacking with stellarmate? I mean, I noticed a milli-second dark image between each live stack, and I'm looking for a smooth transition that jumps from one image to the other (to have a better feeling of 'live video'). I know it's not possible with Asiair; they have confirmed me that the loading icon that appears between exposures can't be removed. Ps.: I'm thinking about exposures like 1/4 sec, which I don't know if they might freeze stellarmate.

@leoncorns1450 2 года назад

The ED50 is a great little scope as a guide scope and as a stand alone. I would suggest the dedicated field flattener for it. I really love this set up you created Cuiv.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Yep, I've always been eyeing the flattener for it (originally Starizona - I think - made one before SW released their version of the flattener :) )

@leoncorns1450 2 года назад

@Richie Bricker Official Fan Site I brought a used one.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

@Richie Bricker Official Fan Site did you mean $275? If you add the flattener, it can be an affordable primary scope. Not a redcat, but not too far off, and cheaper.

@richiebricker 2 года назад

@@CuivTheLazyGeek I did not know that. I only seen one for over 400. $275 sounds like something i can afford. Does this one not work with dslrs at all or do ya just got to buy a mount?

@emilford 2 года назад

Starizona has the EVO FF Field Flattener which I ordered for $110 USD

@rickpaul9858 2 года назад

Thanks! Ordered my Canakit Raspberry Pi last week and got it mostly set up today. Appreciate your video. It helped a lot!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Awesome! Well done, and I hope it works well under the stars!

@Quirkiest 2 года назад

@Cuiv, I kid you not this is one of the most inspiring videos I have ever seen on YT - THIS is what RU-vid is really about! I had been thinking of buying an electronic telescope but balked at the price (and the fact they cannot view planets at all well), but now I know what I’m going to do! Thank you so much!

@MrJimmyjammmy 2 года назад

Awesome project idea. Especially when I already have all the stuff, even the exact same tripod. Do you think they'd be any mileage in using the ED50 flattener?

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

For assisted astronomy, I don't think the flattener would make a big difference - I'm really not seeing this as an astrophotography tool!

@physmc1 2 года назад

Careful Cuiv, I'm sure this will rattle the cage on a cloudynight forum (or two) XD. I agree with you though, technology is streamlined enough that it is not very difficult for someone with limited knowledge to assemble a starter kit at cheaper price.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Hahaha, I'd love to see some cage rattling :D Give me some links if that happens!

@ChristianPsencik 2 года назад

Wow this is so cool! Thank you so much for making this through how to video! I’m going to set up something like this to modernize my old telescope!

@ShevillMathers 2 года назад

You retain my number one in promoting astronomical activities and astrophotography with a wide range of equipment. Once again you share your detailed how to set everything up for newcomers, not just showing off a final image with little detail on how you got there. An A1 video presentation from the light polluted skies of Tokyo. Stay safe my Astro whiz, Greetings from the Southern Cross Observatory-Tasmania 42 South. 👍😁🔭

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks so much Shevill! I really wanted to describe the whole process, so others could do it :)

@stephanw196 2 года назад

Dear Guiv! Thanks a lot for this video!! I was looking for something like this for astronomy outreach! I would „reuse“ my normal gear for this. The RASA8 must be a beast for this purpose. Is there a reason why you chose StellarMate over ASIair? All the best!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Yes - I used Stellarmate because the ASIAIR doesn't have an easy way to control the AZ-GTi in Alt-Az mode - I tried really hard to make it work with the ASIAIR in Alt-Az, but couldn't, it simply would work correctly (e.g. drivers can point to the right target, but don't know how to track). For an EQ setup, I'd prefer the ASIAIR!

@jonkjon 2 года назад

I just finished building something similar only a bit more pricey. I am using the EvoGuide 50DX, Starizona FFV2, ZWO120mini and SVBony 30mm guide scope. It's mounted on a ZEQ25 and controlled by Stellarmate on a RPI4. I'm also going to use my new ASI533MC on it. Haven't had a chance to try it all out yet but tomorrow night is looking pretty good!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

We think alike! :) That's a great setup you have!

@StargazerMan 2 года назад

This is fantastic. You have an excellent way of making the complex sound easy! I will be making exactly this as I've all the parts except for the Ras. Pi.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you! I hope you enjoy the build!!

@speedbird3955 2 года назад

Just what I've been looking for - Thanks

@fernandoapausa4931 2 года назад

Wow Cuiv! This is so cool! I absolutely need to do it, specially when I’m right now completing my portable AZ-GTi based astrophotography rig. I guess operaring this little mount on the equatorial mode will improve things, letting for longer exposures to be stacked, right? I need to have a look at Stellar Mate and understand how could I run it with the stickPC I’m currently using for capture on this portable rig. It is possible or do I need a separate raspberry unit? Actually, isn’t there any Windows based software that makes this live stacking? A plug-in for NINA??

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Absolutely, equatorial mode will give much better results - and also you can then use the ASIAIR, which has better live stacking capabilities. I think for Stellarmate you need a Raspberry Pi - but for Windows there's always Sharpcap Pro, and Darkarchon's free live stack plugin for PixInsight!

@michaelocarroll339 2 года назад

@@CuivTheLazyGeek fantastic video thank you! I was interested by Stellina but did not purchase it due to it's crazy price. What EQ mount would you recommend in combination with ASIAIR?

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

@@michaelocarroll339 oh I can't recommend anything in particular, there are so many good mounts out there (and it also depends on the payload). With just this small scope as the Payload, a SmartEQ Pro from iOptron or an EQM35 from Skywatcher would likely work quite well!

@michaelocarroll339 2 года назад

another question, currently I have a Celestron Nextstar go to telescope. Do you think I could use it instead of Skywatcher AZ-GTI with tripod? Sorry for the maybe silly question...

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

@@michaelocarroll339 in theory it should work! There is a driver for it in Stellarmate, but I haven't personally tested

@JemCruz 2 года назад

Amazing, can we get more videos of what you can capture?

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Good idea!

@paulderby6380 2 года назад

Cuiv, thank you so much for putting this video together. I ordered and put together the pieces that you recommended and got everything up and running earlier today. Can hardly wait to try it out on some clear skies in out light polluted location. I'll be taking this setup along with one of the ready to go commercial offerings so that people at our astronomy club outreach sessions can see what can be done at different price points. The main difference I see in the two approaches is the much more complicated APP to run the setup in your video compared to the far more intuitive, but limited, user interface in the turn key commercial solutions. It will be fun to set up both side by side and help the people interested in imaging assisted astronomy decide the trade off between cost and complexity.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

I think overall the turnkey solutions will win every time in terms of pure ease of use - but maybe they're kind of boring? The lack of upgradability also really irks me... They're like smartphones, to be thrown away when a new exciting processor or sensor comes along...

@paulderby6380 2 года назад

@@CuivTheLazyGeek the user experience with an evscope is pretty amazing. You setup and roughly level the tripod, put the scope into the cup and tighten the screws. Push the power button and start up the app. 5 or so minutes later you touch the target you wish to acquire. Then you watch the app and see the stars zip by to the approximate location and you watch a couple of iterations of the object getting centered. While all this is going on up to 10 observers can follow along on their smart phones and capture and text or email what they are seeing. Another touch of an icon and the scope goes into advanced image mode and captures and stacks a you watch the image improve in real time. That’s the $3k value added over the build your own device. I totally agree on the limitations of non modularity. Not being able to easily add a filter or change the sensing camera or change the optics is definitely frustrating. If the StellarMate user experience for the build it yourself approach gets improved then there could be huge adoption to buy and integrate at a way cheaper price point. Until then a lot of folks with the tech skills will still follow your excellent lead and build up an imaging scope but will still face a steep learning curve trying to navigate through the complexities of StellarMate’s usability.

@fazergazer 2 года назад

Glad to hear the developer is planning on adding rotation to the alignment!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Yep! Looking forward to that!

@actudoran 2 года назад

Darn ... I am tempted to build one ;) I got a small frac 80/400 I might put to good use ... Or my Samyang 135 .... Just got my asi 290 equivalent from svbony. Was actually considering a small mini pc to also incorporate in my image acquisition running Windows pro to use remote desktop client ... That will give me the freedom to use APT or Nina ☺️ Just wish me luck with my finances ... Don't know if you inspire me or I use you as an excuse to spend more

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

I'm happy to be of service! Whether I'm inspiring you or am just a excuse to spend more, mwahahahaha! :D

@fazergazer 2 года назад

Ditto in spades! Raring to go!

@Mrcloc Год назад

For the scope, I would have gone for an SV48P or SV503 70mm. You will get more field of view with the one you chose, but with a slightly larger sensor like the 482 or 585 you'll get that extra field of view. The 178 has terrible amp glow (it's what I use). But this is a really cool build.

@qwertasdfg8828 Год назад

I'd even take a 102 mm TS, why not? But I don't know what sensor it would have. Any ideas? - The matter is that I live within the most dark area known in the West Europe, and there is a temptation to try out smth being not a trivia.

@paulcizdziel3769 2 года назад

On the same night you did this in Tokyo, I was out in Yokohama using my new ASIAIR for the first time with an AZ-GTi mount and small refractor. Like you, I was truly amazed at the capabilities of these dedicated portable computer devices and software to find, plate solve, and center objects in the vast sky! Tutorials like this and inexpensive hardware and software (like you highlighted here) make viewing the heavens more affordable and entertaining. Great job and keep the videos coming! Clear skies!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks Paul!! The ASIAIR + EQ mount is an even better setup (but requires more setup...)

@josephearl Год назад

Thanks so much! Really appreciate your channel. Keep up the great work.

@jeffkelly4329 Год назад

Cuiv, since the software has never worked, and people have spent countless hours on this project I really suggest you pull these two videos down.

@CuivTheLazyGeek Год назад

Now that is interesting - I've received quite a few emails telling me they completed the project and it worked well for them, and I did use this for a while and had a lot of fun (before my astro slump). There are some bugs, and I sometimes had to restart the RPi but overall it worked. I already have a disclaimer in the videos description, but I'll add one as a pinned comment.

@itsdavepickford 2 года назад

THANK YOU SO MUCH i have most parts going to give it a go just waiting for the mount

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Excellent! Good luck with it!

@steveknight6329 2 года назад

Brilliant Video.. thank you for sharing !

@astrobob9432 2 года назад

Indeed, Cuiv! you are really knocking it out of the park, so to speak. Great job.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you!

@clovispremier2980 2 года назад

Great, great, great ! Thank you so much. I'm going to build it with my son. You are so inspiring...

@dmytropashko8209 8 месяцев назад

Great job! Thanks for detailed instructions.

@josecotayo7832 2 года назад

This is great! I was putting together a list of materials we would need in order to do some basic EAA for outreach at our museum and I'm glad I checked out your video haha. I was considering AstroBerry, but StellarMate seems more "ready-to-go" right off the box. Thanks for being awesome 😎

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

That is awesome José! If you have the funds AND you use an equatorial mount rather than AltAz, the easiest to use with its live stack feature would be the ASIAIR, but it's more expensive... Otherwise the Stellarmate with it's smartphone app works great!

@ricardoabh3242 Месяц назад

Wow 2 year old… I was looking for this in that time and abandoned… Extremely well done video… 1 months ago I was in Tokyo and did not think of trying to find you lol. The software is really good

@martynh5410 2 года назад

Great and informative with all the details covered. For a low cost and uncooled camera, I find the ASI 178MC to perform quite well for the brighter nebulae.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you Martyn! Yes, those uncooled cameras work pretty well overall

@robandjo2001 2 года назад

Really enjoyed that- an excellent set of instructions delivered with enthusiasm 👍

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks Rob!

@frankwiesner9681 4 месяца назад

Absolutely great. Thanks for this beautiful Video

@pauldringus6966 Год назад

Cuiv I did this build this past week using the Skywatcher GTI, Astro Tech 60 ED and ASI183. I had many issues with the mount not working in the app intermittently. I spent multiple frustrating evenings trying to make my set up work following your procedure. I contacted Jasem at StellarMate about these connectivity issues. Jasem who also has the GTI mount for testing purposes told me putting the mount in station mode was the wrong way. Jasem's testing showed that the mounts hotspot should be used and the stellarmate and tablet connected to it. I tried his procedure and everything works perfectly and is reliable. Thanks Paul

@kinunshele Год назад

Hi - how do you connect in hot-spot mode please? Do you do this in Stellarmate app or Synscan? I'm having multiple connectivity problems, as well as the camera refusing to capture images in the SM app... Very frustrating

@pauldringus6966 Год назад

@@kinunshele Jez the first thing you need to do is connect to the az GTI mount with SyncScan and take it out of station mode. Second connect to the Raspberry Pi using the stellarmate hot spot, go into the device settings, set the wifi connection to SyncScan' s wifi and reboot. Make sure your. phone is connected to the SyncScan network and then connect to stellarmate. I deleted my device profile and made a new one, start the new profile and you should be good.

@SamOne68 2 года назад

I don´t know what to say! This was.... TOTALLY .... WOW! The best I've seen in a loooong time. This hobbie has given me kind of headache for a year, but now I suddenly see the light in the tunnel. Thank you thanbk you SO much for this video! Love it!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks so much for that feedback Sam! I am so glad this is helping!

@sed6 2 года назад

Pure genius! Thanks for the links. The prepackaged proprietary ones have nothing over this, except price!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you!

@Legolam79 2 года назад

An excellent video, thank you. I have been thinking off building something like this and your video has given me the confidence to have a go!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks for that feedback and good luck with your build!

@Legolam79 2 года назад

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Hi Cuiv, I have built it and I am glad to say it all works fine! I have been trying to find out a bit more about the live stacking options in the StellarMate app. When you click on 'Live' and the options bar opens, there are two sliders next to the run and save icons. What are the purpose of these? They are both set to 3 but can go up to 10. as the live stacking runs continually until you stop it, I cannot see what they do and cannot find the answer in any tutorials. Keep up the good work!

@peterlaubscher3989 2 года назад

Wow - that is amazing - fund to build and use - this could get loads of people excited about this amazing hobby.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks Peter! That's definitely what I'm aiming for! :D

@mcsascsu Год назад

I will definitely rebuild it. Thanks for the video which was really well done and explained.

@dwightlethbridge2796 2 года назад

i thought this since I saw the introduction of the Stellina et al. I use a similar set up for EAA and have for a decade, first with Mallincams, then DSLR, and now a dedicated astrocam. For a small portable unit I used a Orion 4.5' F4 imaging Starblast OTA and now a 72 mm ED refractor with a ZWO 224MC camera. The mount is an EQ3 Synscan. I get good image scale for galaxies with the small chipped camera and the small chip eliminates the need for the field flattener/focal reducer so I can get a bit more image scale at the scope's native 420 mm fl. NGC 891 looked great, so good it fooled my friend into thinking it was take with a much larger scope.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Yep, that setup you have works great - it's amazing what we can do these days :)

@quallenfischergermany5425 2 года назад

Thank you so much to take such a lot effort into your video. I love your enthusiasm showed up here.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks so much for that feedback! It really helps keeping me motivated :)

@DavesAstrophotography 2 года назад

Well done Cuiv. Good project for someone new and into diy builds.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you! I think it can be a lot of fun :)

@psionmark 2 года назад

Huge thanks to Cuiv for posting this. I’d purchased various bits of kit in the hope of being able to do some EAA in the past, but all but gave up as I just wasn’t having any luck at all. Very likely user error, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. So I was very fortunate to already have a Pi (looks like the exact kit Cuiv is using), an AZ-Gti, a guide scope and a camera (SV305 in my case). I just needed to purchase StellarMate. I checked with the developer that the SV305 would work with it and they confirmed. I spent last weekend getting it all set up. Last night, a small break in the clouds. Set the scope roughly North and level and told it to go the Andromeda. Straight there and it began tracking, keeping it steady in the frame. That’s a good start. Some adjustments to focus and I began Live stacking. I only managed a couple of minutes of 20 second exposures, but WOW! This is the best result I’ve ever had on an type of EAA system I’ve tried. Thanks so much for this. I love your enthusiasm and I also experienced that first hand with my first few minutes of use. Can’t wait for some better skies 😄

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Mark, that is so awesome to hear! I'm so happy this is working well for you!! I know that feeling, I hope you can get clear skies soon!!

@matteash9829 10 месяцев назад

Thanks, this video was awesome. It inspired me to buy a Z61, AA+, and a SW AZ GTI. I love this setup, so smooth and easy.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 10 месяцев назад

Enjoy it

@amitpshesh 2 года назад

Thank you so much for this video! I was looking for a setup that was portable, just worked and was within my skillset. I have used a skywatcher 72ED on an Explore Scientific iExos 100. I connected the mount to the Raspberry PI using a serial connection (USB for this mount), and it worked with no issues! I have the Pi connect to my home Wifi, so that I can operate it from my phone without losing internet on the phone. Thanks again for the idea!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Excellent to hear, and well done!!

@michaelasbury5473 2 года назад

Thank you very much for this video. I shared it with a couple of friends who were interested in dabbling in astronomy.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thanks Michael!

@alokshrestha1151 2 года назад

Very impressive, I was thinking of buying new telescope for Astro photography you just changed my mind.

@gothicel 2 года назад

WOW!!! This is truly amazing. In years past I put together a camera setup for Astrophotography but lost interest because of the huge amount of efforts and money required to get good images. This video is really piquing my interest once again.

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Thank you! Astrophotography is truly an expensive hobby, but one of the cheapest ways to start would be with this setup, or even better, turning the AZ-GTi into a equatorial mount (I have other videos about that)

@rubberduck4711 2 года назад

Hey! Thanks for excellent tutorial! I already own the mount, a RasPi and a telescope, so I gonna try and build myself a smart scope!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Awesome! Enjoy!

@ravia.vkumar1080 10 месяцев назад

Wow.. having recently aquired a S50, I plan to do this build sometime ! Thanks for this wonderful video.

@mcmullanliam 2 года назад

I am off to build this now! Thanks for this tutorial ! Ordering parts

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Awesome! I hope it works!!

@tedr35 2 года назад

I followed your instruction to the letter...my setup works very well except for a somewhat buggy app. Good job!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Awesome to hear!! Well done!

@ZeliusDev 2 года назад

I'm going to make this 100%, i absolutely love astronomy!. Thanks for making the effort to show the world that it can be easy to do the things you love!

@CuivTheLazyGeek 2 года назад

Awesome, good luck and enjoy!