Thanks, Vlad! You're an advanced amateur with tons of experience in both visual and EAA. You hit on all the usecases for this type of EAA. Outreach, light polluted areas, camping. I have several fellow club members who've sold their extensive and expensive optical gear and gone to these for their simplicity of use. They love the tech! But, as you yourself have posted in another video, there are entry points for EAA for under $200 if you have even a small 6" reflector or an 80mm refractor. With those simple instruments (on a motorized mount) and a small camera, you can see the actual photons with your eyes (not a tiny lcd) and then make an amazing near real-time photograph of what you've actually seen with free software. I'm still an old die-hard visual observer who is about to try EAA. But not at $5K, or even $2K. I own a 20 year old $350 102mm f/4.9 refractor and a C8 f/10 reflector I bought used for $750.
Yup, no need to spend a lot to try this out. In reality like I said in the video your c8 should produce better images then these $3000+ EAA scopes anyhow!
You just reviewed a 2 year old telescope. There's 2 new models that have serious upgrades. I have the Eq2, and it's amazing. I use it way more than my bigger, bulkier scopes.
Yes I have friends with the newer badder shinier new models. I have seen the results from them. Nothing that I said in this video would change if I was using the new model.
I'm a late to the party new subscriber but I will comment anyway. I recently picked up a Nexstar Evolution C6. I've added a ZWO color camera & a Starizona Hyperstar. I also have a StarSense Camera so I can auto-align if I want. I can set it up to be functionally the same as this EV1. Yes, the EV1 is simpler to set up, but the SCT setup is much more functionally diverse. I can do EAA in the city, or if I want to do visual at a dark site, I can do that or anything in between with simple changes to eyepieces. I can attach the Hyperstar and see galaxies and nebulae in Dallas. I can attach a reducer if I want intermediate field of view. The EV1 would be great for some situations, like showing friends at the bbq in the city. But, I think as an interested amateur astronomer, I would get bored with it after a short while and want something more versatile. As tools, a computerized telescope can be much more versatile than the EV1.
You said it all for me Vlad. You see the 6" Celestron Origin Intelligent Home Observatory with RASA f/2.2 fast optics yet? $4000 at Agena. I now have the Az Pro with two dual Vixen/Losmandy saddles and 40 lbs. capacity. I can view, then go inside to warm up while imaging 20 second images through either a 102mm triplet or the 150mm .98 Strehl scope & 1/12th wave mirror. Come back out and get my stuff torn down and put up and have my images ready for processing.
@@AVTAstro My mount came in a case I could cut out the foam to for the 2nd saddle so once lined up no need to take them apart. Mostly I use my 127 Mak with my 102 triplet for double stars and planetary. The 6" gets used for deep sky photography in 20 second exposures. I collimate it every time, but the primary doesn't move, just the secondary from the vanes flexing, but it isn't ever bad. edit; I'm getting a C9.25 sooner or later.
Interesting that your folks enjoyed looking through the eyepiece. Manufacturers seem to be moving away from having an eyepiece; to reduce the cost I guess. It would be interesting to take the unistellar and a refractor camping and see which one people found more fun.
Yeah I have also heard from friends that have these scopes and do outreach people always want to look through the "eyepiece". People that do not understand the technology I think do feel like they are looking through the scope...😅🤣🤣🤣
The issue is, that a lot of people sort of expect hubble like views when looking through a small telescope. Using this technology, you get the image brightness of a big ass dobsonian, but using a light set up costing a fraction of a huge dob.
At the price they want for this thing I would have expected a couple more inches of aperture. You could get a decent 6" smart telescope scope and add a good quality CMOS deep sky camera for less money with far better results.
I agree that a better setup can be easily built than this for the money. What this has on diy eaa rigs is the portability and simplicity. A child could easily use this thing.
Yessir M13 showed for us viewers. Do you know if the live view settings now affect the enhanced stacking image? It seems they were separate for the older app but now I think they must be
When I see these robot scopes I wonder if they are a hobby killer. Meaning if you are visual well you are not really seeing through the scope. If you are into astrophotography there is no way to change your rig or experiment to see what works to improve your photos. Either way there is no challenge. Maybe that is what you are saying about it.
@@AVTAstro I think the same may apply to visual. The more the scope removes you from the actions which lead to you seeing what is in the sky the more it robs you of your connection with the sky. My thought anyway.
That I certainly agree with especially when it comes to this scope. You don't align the scope, you don't find the object, you don't really see the object... LOL. I guess I'm not a good marketing person for this one;)
One big issue with this design, is like all reflectors, beginning open design eventually need taking apart the primary mirror as it eventually gets dusty, can you actually get into in. Perfer the new ZWO Seestar S50, which I have one on order and does the moon better, and sharper focus
I'm thinking about re-entering the hobby, and have been wondering about these. I'm in a moderately light poluted area (best nights glimpse the Milky Way), and my eyes aren't what they once were. How do you think this would work as a solar (eclipse) scope?
Like I said for someone that's in the city that's interested in deep sky it's a cool scope that will show you more(especially if eyesight is a challenge). Solar system wise(including the eclipse) I'd look elsewhere.
I am partially trmpted, but i want a good scope but i only do this once in a while.i have a 5" 200$ scope maybe considering upgrading the stand with a motorized one if i can find one on the cheap. But 5k$ no way i can invest in this as of right now.
@AVTAstro in the meantime, i ended up picking up an unistellar evscope for just over 500 used and tested it and worked. But now that it is home horizontal rotation only works one way and if it moves the other neither direction works. Ughhh waiting for support to see whats up. Cables and motherboard looks fine so i am guessing i have a software issue.
Vlad, I really hope you didn't pay for this...and you, as a ambassador of this hobby i think you should advise your followers to stay away from this "telescope". I mean this thing will definitely be a hobby killer for most of the buyers. ... For this money i would rather get a big dobsonian (12"-14") or a decent apo refractor ( 4"-5") that will beat anytime this "smart telescope". But if you live in the city...just drive to a dark spot...or watch UA-cam videos in 4k...
Yeah, this is kind of an interesting concept. In a way I kind of struggle with the point of these scopes. I do have several seasoned astronomy friends that use these scopes and totally love them. So there is a place for them👍
What is the problem in making a telescope that it is not for a minority of elites and can be used by everybody? Sorry if it destroys “your” hobby, but we believe that it’s better for astronomy and for the stars to have more people observing them.
I disagree, EAA is always better than visually. The EYE is very poor a seeing colour at night, so things look colourless cloud like colours. EAA brings out the colour. Its a step up from Visual astronomy
Um... I think I talked at leanth on what the eye is better at vs the camera. Sorry but I totally disagree with a blanket statement that EAA is better for everything compared to visual.
What's the point of watching something through a screen if you can see it live right through an eyepiece? Sure, probably it looks gorgeous with processing and bla bla, but in that case it's cheaper and easier to search for a picture of certain object on the web
Thanks, Vlad! You're an advanced amateur with tons of experience in both visual and EAA. You hit on all the usecases for this type of EAA. Outreach, light polluted areas, camping. I have several fellow club members who've sold their extensive and expensive optical gear and gone to these for their simplicity of use. They love the tech! But, as you yourself have posted in another video, there are entry points for EAA for under $200 if you have even a small 6" reflector or an 80mm refractor. With those simple instruments (on a motorized mount) and a small camera, you can see the actual photons with your eyes (not a tiny lcd) and then make an amazing near real-time photograph of what you've actually seen with free software. I'm still an old die-hard visual observer who is about to try EAA. But not at $5K, or even $2K.
I own a 20 year old $350 102mm f/4.9 refractor and a C8 f/10 reflector I bought used for $750.
Yup, no need to spend a lot to try this out. In reality like I said in the video your c8 should produce better images then these $3000+ EAA scopes anyhow!
You just reviewed a 2 year old telescope. There's 2 new models that have serious upgrades. I have the Eq2, and it's amazing. I use it way more than my bigger, bulkier scopes.
Yes I have friends with the newer badder shinier new models. I have seen the results from them. Nothing that I said in this video would change if I was using the new model.
I'm a late to the party new subscriber but I will comment anyway. I recently picked up a Nexstar Evolution C6. I've added a ZWO color camera & a Starizona Hyperstar. I also have a StarSense Camera so I can auto-align if I want. I can set it up to be functionally the same as this EV1. Yes, the EV1 is simpler to set up, but the SCT setup is much more functionally diverse. I can do EAA in the city, or if I want to do visual at a dark site, I can do that or anything in between with simple changes to eyepieces. I can attach the Hyperstar and see galaxies and nebulae in Dallas. I can attach a reducer if I want intermediate field of view. The EV1 would be great for some situations, like showing friends at the bbq in the city. But, I think as an interested amateur astronomer, I would get bored with it after a short while and want something more versatile. As tools, a computerized telescope can be much more versatile than the EV1.
Hey Mark, thanks for subscribing! Totaly agree with what you said👍
You said it all for me Vlad. You see the 6" Celestron Origin Intelligent Home Observatory with RASA f/2.2 fast optics yet? $4000 at Agena.
I now have the Az Pro with two dual Vixen/Losmandy saddles and 40 lbs. capacity. I can view, then go inside to warm up while imaging 20 second images through either a 102mm triplet or the 150mm .98 Strehl scope & 1/12th wave mirror. Come back out and get my stuff torn down and put up and have my images ready for processing.
With your setup I'm sure you will get better results. Just a lot more hassle getting in ass setup and working.
@@AVTAstro My mount came in a case I could cut out the foam to for the 2nd saddle so once lined up no need to take them apart. Mostly I use my 127 Mak with my 102 triplet for double stars and planetary.
The 6" gets used for deep sky photography in 20 second exposures. I collimate it every time, but the primary doesn't move, just the secondary from the vanes flexing, but it isn't ever bad. edit; I'm getting a C9.25 sooner or later.
Interesting that your folks enjoyed looking through the eyepiece. Manufacturers seem to be moving away from having an eyepiece; to reduce the cost I guess. It would be interesting to take the unistellar and a refractor camping and see which one people found more fun.
Yeah I have also heard from friends that have these scopes and do outreach people always want to look through the "eyepiece". People that do not understand the technology I think do feel like they are looking through the scope...😅🤣🤣🤣
The issue is, that a lot of people sort of expect hubble like views when looking through a small telescope. Using this technology, you get the image brightness of a big ass dobsonian, but using a light set up costing a fraction of a huge dob.
At the price they want for this thing I would have expected a couple more inches of aperture. You could get a decent 6" smart telescope scope and add a good quality CMOS deep sky camera for less money with far better results.
I agree that a better setup can be easily built than this for the money. What this has on diy eaa rigs is the portability and simplicity. A child could easily use this thing.
Yessir M13 showed for us viewers.
Do you know if the live view settings now affect the enhanced stacking image?
It seems they were separate for the older app but now I think they must be
Sorry not sure about that one.
Absolutely love your on screen personality. Sooo laid back. By comparison, you make Floyd the barber and Perry Como look like they have ADHD.
Thanks!
for the price point, I would hope we would have an LCD screen and a good o'l fashion glass view that could be switched between the 2
Both good ideas!
You may ve interested in Unistellar's Citizen Science program. A good example would be their contribution to the DART mission.
Yeah I have heard of it. I think it's a really cool idea!
When I see these robot scopes I wonder if they are a hobby killer. Meaning if you are visual well you are not really seeing through the scope. If you are into astrophotography there is no way to change your rig or experiment to see what works to improve your photos. Either way there is no challenge. Maybe that is what you are saying about it.
Well I was comparing it more to visual use. I don't see this as an astrophotography tool.
@@AVTAstro I think the same may apply to visual. The more the scope removes you from the actions which lead to you seeing what is in the sky the more it robs you of your connection with the sky. My thought anyway.
That I certainly agree with especially when it comes to this scope. You don't align the scope, you don't find the object, you don't really see the object... LOL. I guess I'm not a good marketing person for this one;)
One big issue with this design, is like all reflectors, beginning open design eventually need taking apart the primary mirror as it eventually gets dusty, can you actually get into in. Perfer the new ZWO Seestar S50, which I have one on order and does the moon better, and sharper focus
I see that as a minor issue for most.
It seems like a lot of money for this type of image quality, however I could see how a lot of people could really enjoy this with very little effort.
Yeah I agree on the price vs image quality.
I'm thinking about re-entering the hobby, and have been wondering about these. I'm in a moderately light poluted area (best nights glimpse the Milky Way), and my eyes aren't what they once were. How do you think this would work as a solar (eclipse) scope?
Like I said for someone that's in the city that's interested in deep sky it's a cool scope that will show you more(especially if eyesight is a challenge). Solar system wise(including the eclipse) I'd look elsewhere.
Thanks. I'm enjoying your channel@@AVTAstro
Glad to hear that you like the content!
I am partially trmpted, but i want a good scope but i only do this once in a while.i have a 5" 200$ scope maybe considering upgrading the stand with a motorized one if i can find one on the cheap. But 5k$ no way i can invest in this as of right now.
Yeah these are certainly not mainstream accessible to most folks. But if that $400 ZWO scope works then that may change soon!
@AVTAstro in the meantime, i ended up picking up an unistellar evscope for just over 500 used and tested it and worked.
But now that it is home horizontal rotation only works one way and if it moves the other neither direction works.
Ughhh waiting for support to see whats up. Cables and motherboard looks fine so i am guessing i have a software issue.
This is good for outreach and school camps. If one component breaks then it's an expensive paperwight
That is quite true, good point. The scope does not look easily serviceable to me.
you other EAA scopes are better, due to a bigger image scale so easier to make out details and bigger aperture, thats the difference
👍
Vlad, I really hope you didn't pay for this...and you, as a ambassador of this hobby i think you should advise your followers to stay away from this "telescope". I mean this thing will definitely be a hobby killer for most of the buyers. ... For this money i would rather get a big dobsonian (12"-14") or a decent apo refractor ( 4"-5") that will beat anytime this "smart telescope". But if you live in the city...just drive to a dark spot...or watch UA-cam videos in 4k...
Yeah, this is kind of an interesting concept. In a way I kind of struggle with the point of these scopes. I do have several seasoned astronomy friends that use these scopes and totally love them. So there is a place for them👍
What is the problem in making a telescope that it is not for a minority of elites and can be used by everybody? Sorry if it destroys “your” hobby, but we believe that it’s better for astronomy and for the stars to have more people observing them.
Too pricey for me.
I haer you!
I disagree, EAA is always better than visually. The EYE is very poor a seeing colour at night, so things look colourless cloud like colours. EAA brings out the colour. Its a step up from Visual astronomy
Um... I think I talked at leanth on what the eye is better at vs the camera. Sorry but I totally disagree with a blanket statement that EAA is better for everything compared to visual.
The only thing looks better visually are star clusters
What's the point of watching something through a screen if you can see it live right through an eyepiece? Sure, probably it looks gorgeous with processing and bla bla, but in that case it's cheaper and easier to search for a picture of certain object on the web
All valid points, and ones I have thought about personally at great length. I will find that I enjoy EAA at times though!
I can see it handy, conserving power on your phone, can view object and turn your phone off or app. Other than that don't see a point