Thanks Nico, I got one partly based on your review. The single counterweight has been replaced by 2 smaller dissimilar ones instead. Making balancing smaller payloads now possible. I also found that very old EQ3 style weights work too. I actually keep the included weights as spares for extreme balance situations. Spot on with the relevant details as usual. You can tell the difference between those who have a head knowledge. And those who have an actual practical knowledge. You are so convincing because you are in the last group. Thanks
Interesting. Their media images still show the single weight. Are the two weights white or the more common black color? I'm hoping that if I order one and I get the older single style they will send me replacements since my more common platform will be my mirrorless camera and lenses.
You can make simple counter weights using 1/4" lead wire, used for making fishing weights. Simply tightly coil it around the shaft. The lead comes in 1lb and 5lb
So happy to see this new mount! It really fills in a need, and it does look very good for portable setups. Excellent overview Nico! I'd be interested to see if it works with GreenSwamp Server, although I don't see why not. Direct USB connection, which I assume is the same as other SW mounts, should just work with EQMOD or GSS as long as the right COM port is selected, and baud rate is set to 115200!
I thought you were on an astrophotography withdrawal, but glad to see you popping around ;) The mount looks cool but if guiding, I don't think it will perform better than the AZ GTi and is still overall twice the size and weight.. The wedge is much better but here you could get a smaller detachable WO wedge as well (important when carrying it around in a hiking bag). But maybe where this mount can work great is not to have to guide (for beginners or when packing extra light) and as a jack-of-all-trade when you are at a more stable site and want to guide to improve performance.
Curious to see the debug read-out with SyntaTester (from the GSS group). I would expect a mechanical setup similar to the AZ-GTi. Can't wait to get my hands on this thing and take it apart... :)
Hello nebula photos, you really got me interested in Astro photography! I used your guide as a reference to take 200 1-2s Orion nebula photos and stacked them. This initial session really got me into the hobby so I made my own automated barn door tracker (which actually works!!) I will use this weekend. Your videos are truly amazing and inspiring thank you! Hoping for clear skies for both is us.
Bought the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi Mount w/tripod and pier extension, arrived today AND... I think they heard you about the counterweight issue with lighter loads because it comes with two counterweights: 1.5lbs and 3.5lbs so one can go from 1.5lbs to 5lbs.
Much better in depth explanation then every other channel (not hating, just saying, thank you). You continue to show your passion and knowledge. Rock on
Thanks for a great review. This is the first I have heard of this mount and will definitely buy one. I am currently using an AZ-Gti in EQ mode while travelling. It works nicely but time for an upgrade.
I haven't opened it up to see if they are spring-loaded, but the specifications in the user's manual states the worm gear is copper and has a diameter of 15.8mm, while the wheel gear is aluminum alloy and has a diameter of 92mm.
Ordered a used GTi from High Point Scientific a couple weeks ago and I'm very impressed with it so far. One thing you mentioned Nico, was the loosely attached polar scope cover. I did notice that the tabs on the cover press right against the battery holders, so what I did was very carefully pare down the pointed edge of the two clips where they meet the battery holders. The tabs now fit much tighter. Your mileage may vary of course, but with a used unit I didn't feel bad making a slight mod. I also wrapped a small wire around the elusive battery cover screw and looped it around a knob on my tripod. Hopefully I won't lose it in the dark again! Thanks for all your helpful vids!
Great video and lots of great info. For future project with this mount see if you can get a 60mm telescope (Williams optics, Apratura etc), with field flattner, mono camera, filters, filter wheel, electronic focuser, Guide scope and camera, ASI AIR PLUS and dew heaters. See if the mount will handle it and kind of sub time you can get with round stars. As this would be the perfect portable setup or setup for people with physical disabilities that prevent them from having a much larger mount. You asked for future idea's and I would love to see what this mount is capable of. Keep up the great work.
Thank you as always for the review, got one on order now will be a good mount for when I don't want to or can not bring my EQ6 R pro. FYI weighed my 72 edf with image train came in at 9 pounds.
Great review, Nico.. I was able to get my hands on one and finally took it out tonight. I was a little disappointed in the two adjusting knobs/screws for azimuth. They didn't offer much adjustment, and were flimsy. You mentioned the scope cover, and I'm really not sure how that passed into final production. A couple of strategically placed magnets could have been used. Aside from those issues, I'm excited for more time and clear skies!
Nico, on the Star Adventurer GTI mount I found if you spread the weights with a couple of inches between them balance can normally be achieved。 I did not have a camera setup but did have the SVbony 60mm guidescope attachedand was able to balance the rig.
First, for additional counterweight options, there are 3D print specialists out there making all kinds of photography accessories, including counterweights. Starting a chat with one of them would likely result in them making something to your specs. I recently bought a counterweight set for my SA 2i, in case I need a little more than what it came with. You can fill each cannister with whatever density filler you need, so you can customize the weight. I used fish tank gravel, mostly because it's cheap. But you could use much denser ball bearings for more weight if needed. Secondly, I'd be interested in seeing, or knowing, how this compares to the AZGTI. Cuiv the Lazy Geek did a couple of videos last fall showing how to (somewhat easily) adapt the AZGTI for astrophotography, and I've been considering buying one, but the availability has been so hit or miss for several months, and the sellers have been jacking the price up 2-4x the MSRP. I'm finally starting to see the prices come down as normal availability is more consistent, but after learning of this tracking system, I would definitely want to see how the two compare before spending the money on either one.
I also want to know how this mount fare against AZ GTI in the Eq mod. I wonder if I should have waited a little longer. I bought AZ GTI with a few extras to make it Eq mount a few weeks ago without knowing this mount coming up.
Thanks for the review, Nico! I’m still looking for my first mount, and while I think this new GTi looks great, going beyond the payload limit is the thing holding me back. It’s going to be easy to surpass once additional equipment gets added or larger scopes get involved. Still, seems like a terrific option for people as a first mount!
@@dgv646 Really? NOBODY should consider a mount that is $330 cheaper than the EQM35? Even people who are fine with just using a small scope? You're incredibly self-absorbed.. gross..
I got the star adventurer 4 months ago and then this comes out. An affordable go to mount is exactly what I wanted but I got the star adventurer instead so whoops
I received a new Star Adventurer GTi this week, vintage 2023, and it has two separate counterweights that weigh 1.5 and 3.5 pounds for the same total of 5 pounds so it would seem that the lighter load balancing issue has been taken care of this time around. There is even a sticker in the user manual in the what's-in-the-box section covering I would presume was last year's 5 pound counterweight. Same crappy polar scope cover though, and there still needs to be a captive screw on the battery cover.
I hope so too since I have the ASIAIR. Receiving this mount tomorrow. I'm excited. Of course, forest fires in the west will delay my utilization of this new gear.
Very interesting mount. Fixing the main reasons why I never went for the star adventurer. As much as it is a great mount, the lack of DEC and GoTo limited it's uses for me. 1- being lazy. 2-planning multiple targets per night or mosaics. I "need" more though then what this mount offers.. Cooled camera, asiair, guiding, filterwheel, maybe a dew heater, etc. Drawing quite a bit of power.. So, as I would need a big battery for that already.. and doing all my photography 5 meters away from a power socket.. being "off the grid" isn't high on my list of requirements.. And rather have something like an EQM35 or Celestron VX, and have the additional weight capacity. Either way, interesting mount. Maybe for the future.
Great video Nico, thank you. Could you add your Redcat 51 , ZWO autoguide scope plus OSC camera and auto focuser on your cheese plate to the GTI or would that be too heavy of a payload?
Great review. I am a beginner looking to get the gti for my first mount with my dslr and small lens. Would love to see more videos showing all the auto-guiding capabilities and how to connect it to a computer and run the guiding
Really interested in your vixen plate/rail. Brand and model? Length? Looks perfect to mount the guider that way. Have othetwise been mounting it on an L-bracket at on side of the camera, but this seems more stable regarding where the center of gravity for the rig occurs.
Hi! First of all for sharing your knowledge with us. I am wondering if you would be doing a complete A to Z tutorial on the GTi in a future video? Like from setting it up to the different ways to connect and mount your camera etc, and also how to use (if someone chose to) an ASI Air Plus and a guidescope with it. I don’t know anything about dithering, guiding etc, so that’ll help greatly. I plan to use my Canon 300mm prime lens with a 1.4x TC with this setup. Would I need any additional dovetail plates etc to attach a ballhead onto which the camera would go? Thank you.
6:35 You can add tension to the Polar scope cap, heat the prongs individually with a hair dryer until hot, then a little outward pressure, hold until it cools. It will not be falling off when hit. I did it with my Star Adventurer Pro, works like charm.
@@paulboone714 On the star adventurer you heat the cap by the locking tabs with a hair dryer. When the cap is very warm you add pressure from the inside of the locking tab and move it about 1/16" outward. When the inside of the tab is in line with the outside of the cap when it cools you are adjusted properly. For the GTI you do the same to move the tabs outward, but the tabs are a little TOO LONG and hit the batteries in the holder. Take off 1/16" from the LENGTH of each tab until it locks in place when the batteries are in place. DO NOT TAKE OFF MORE than 1/16" from the lock step on the locking tab. I don't know their Engineers are but they need some tips................
Can't wait for your video on backlash. I hear it in a lot of videos but I have no clue what it is. I have an idea based on context, but I only know what backlash means in regards to fishing, lol.
Nice overview... have been looking forward to this release. Here's a use case for you: we're thinking of recommending it as a portable mount for the upcoming 2024 total solar eclipse. (1) Can you use the cell-phone SCP boresight (aka "The Rackley Technique") to get a rough daytime polar alignment and/or (2) can you use planetary objects to get a good daytime polar alignment?
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll see how accurate I can get polar alignment with those methods. I have tried the Rackley method with other mounts before, but my trouble was the phone compass never seemed to work correctly when it was close to other metal objects (the mount). My favorite daytime polar alignment method, was old-school compass and string plus a magnetic declination adjustment for the location. The other thing I did was just use a solar filter and adjust polar alignment until the sun had very little drift (I assume that's the same as the 'planetary objects method'?) In any case, I'm positive any of these methods would work just as well with the GTi as any other EQ mount.
@@NebulaPhotos Yes, the compass and drift methods do work and are good fall backs. To really take advantage of a GOTO, I was wondering about 2 or 3 object alignment using planets during the day. One would need to be careful about proximity to the Sun of course, but planets are easy targets in full sunlight (even naked eye in some cases), so I've wondered about that for a daytime polar alignment. The Star Adventurer Mini does have a lot of metal, and it does throw off my cell phone magnet a bit when I use the Rackley technique... but the offset seems to be stable. I can setup during the day, and then check with the polar scope at night, and can get some reproducible results. The key is that the SAM has a nice flat surface upon which I can place my cell phone while I tweak the alt/az polar adjustments. A brief look at your vid suggests this mount has a curved surface, that might be a bit more difficult to repeat-ably position a cell phone. I'm planning to purchase a mount in the next couple of weeks to try some of these tests... but I'd be very interested in your results, and any tips you might have in this direction!
I only recently got my 2i a few weeks ago… didn’t know this was in the works. It’s tempting, but I may hold off for a bigger mount since I’ll eventually want to mount bigger scopes to it.
I need to test more. You might be able to just go with no counterweight at all, or someone mentioned iOptron sells lighter weights that should fit this bigger CW shaft.
For balancing lighter setups I had an extra iOptron counterweight that i used on my 2i. I took it to a local engineering firm with the GTi's bar and asked if they could mill it out to fit, five minutes and ten pounds later I had a one kilogram counterweight.
Hey Nico, thank you for another great review! You mention the Ioptron Smart EQ being a similar mount/competitor, however, what about Explore Scientific iEXOS-100…that seems to be a portable eq mount, but not much info/few reviews. Any familiarity with that mount…possible review from you? Also, I know you come down to my neck of the woods to image in Charlestown RI/Ninigret…hope to bump into you sometime.
Wonderful video, thank you for sharing. I'm just in the infant state of getting involved with astrophotography. I'm still trying to decide on what mount to purchase. I’ll be using a Nikon z9 with a 17 to 28 f/2.8 and my 180 to 600 f/6.3 lenses with the mount I choose. The mounts I’m currently considering are iOptron SkyGuider Pro and the Sky watcher star GTi or wait an save for the EQM-35. With the iOptron SkyGuider do I need to purchase the ipolar or can I purchase a Autoguide setup. Also read there’s issues with the wedge on the. Sky Guider.
Cool Niko! I'm eagerly awaiting this star tracker, to be paired with a 50mm or a 62mm refractor. The phone connectivity and go to was a selling point for me. I had considered the Zwo AM3, but at more than twice the cost, minus tripod, pier, asair, polar scope, weight or bar, and battery source (all EXTRA!!!) the choice was easy to make. ($740.00 is not inexpensive, but seems fair for what you get: a great, portable travel rig optimized for light telescopes or cameras.) Thanks for posting!!!
thanks for the review and providing the details of the mount. This certainly apears to be a good travel mount, just 2 pounds heavier than sa2i. I also like the way you mounted the camera and samyang 135mm f/2.. I do have similar vixen dovetails, but it doesnt look so nice and doesnt has those markings.
Now that a number of people have received this mount and are collectively seeing issues in particular with the RA and DEC axis coming loose with a fair amount of play in them I'd be curious to see if you are now seeing the same thing? On CN you can search and see in particular a number of users have gone to opening up the mount and putting plumbers tape on the threads of the restraint bolts for both these axises, which appears to remedy this issue but users should not have to be cracking open their new mounts just to fix such a trivial issue that the manufacturer 1) Should have seen and 2) Should have fixed.
The specific one I used I believe is a Losmandy V-series Universal 11" dovetail plate. But any brand's Vixen or "V" - type universal dovetail plate that is fairly long will work.
I ended up going with the AZ-GTI: it's officially alt-az only, but lets me mix and match components to go equatorial. May be the wrong choice, but it suits my tinkerer's nature.
Nice initial review! Is there any one of those trackers that doesn't need [visual] polar alignment? I have a somewhat decent view from my back balcony, but my neighbor's house blocks the view to Polaris...
Yes, see my follow-up review to the GTi where I compare it to the Benro Polaris: ua-cam.com/video/fj3carj27ag/v-deo.html The Benro Polaris does not require a view of Polaris to use it (I know - confusing product name). It's pretty cool, but also more expensive than any other small star tracker I know of because it does other things as well (automated panoramas, etc.).
11:34 - Correction to bring: the SkyGuider Pro can be powered by USB while tracking, using a battery pack for example. While camping most people will have battery packs with them. I never bring AA batteries myself. Plus, 4x Enelop Pro batteries have around the same capacity as a 10000mAh power pack that could also be used to charge one's phone or something else. With AA batteries there is no safe guard while if using a power pack with the SGP, once depleted it will still track using the internal battery.
Good points. Do you know if the USB battery pack can re-charge the SGP internal battery as well? I'm usually using my battery packs to run the dew heater strips. I get your point that you can just buy more USB battery packs instead of AAs, but I find the AAs handy esp. since they are easy to find even at gas stations.
@@NebulaPhotos it's written in the doc that the SGP can be charged with a battery pack. And indeed, an SGP is just 2000mAh so any battery pack now has more capacity. With an USB amperage meter I have measured my USB dew heaters and they are all between 6.8-9.8 Wh (1.37-1.96Ah). So rounding that to 2Ah (10Wh) - 10A/50W for 5 hours and adding 2Ah (once or twice) to recharge the SGP during the day (or power the SGP in an equivalent way) leads to ~12A per day. So a cheap battery pack of 26800mAh should run for 2 days at least (without considering what would be left in the SGP internal battery).
Concerning Counterweights there is a 1.1 kg counterweight for Vixen Polarie and an iOptron 1.35 kg counterweight available. Both with a 20mm diameter hole, so they should be usable in theory.
Hi Nico - thanks for the great review. I'm curious if there is an existing adapter, or some other way, to mount a PoleMaster polar scope to this mount? Mike
Question: what is more important, the camera being level or the polarscope being level? If I level the tripod, head and camera the polarscope is not vertical. 0 is at about 3 o'clock.
Great vid Nico. Any updates on further testing that you mentioned ie the dec backlash tuning and the use of the USB port with a EQMod/NINA type setup. I have one on backorder and would like to know what to expect ;) Cheers man !
Really appreciate all the superb videos you put out! After going back and forth, I think this would be a good first mount (once it becomes available) though the EQM-35 isn't that much more(?) My S1R and Sigma 150-600 is well under the limit, and still has room for adding some more gadgets I suppose. I know you can get a guide scope with camera, though I have to admit I'm still unclear on what exactly the benefit would be. I would love a super simple (most importantly fast) way of setting it up in terms of quickly locating polaris, not sure if that could be accomplished by that setup? (i.e. guide camera works with pc to do this?)
Yeah they are fairly similar in price and capability. Pros for the GTi: more portable, WIFI. Pros for the EQM-35: comes with hand controller, holds more weight. Personally, I also didn't like the design choice with the EQM-35 to have the partially exposed gearing, and having to connect bulky wires between the motor drives, but this may not bother you at all.
@@NebulaPhotos Thank you for the response! I'm binging on your videos now and figuring out everything about guidescopes, polar alignment, plate solving etc. lol
Great review. Any idea why mine won't go to any celestial object? The Go TO function does not work after I 3 star align it. The tracking works perfectly for long exposure photos , I am perfeclty aligned to Polaris but it just won't go to the celestial objects, it will point to random locations on the sky when using GO TO function. Anything I am missing out? Thanks.
Sounds like some setting is wrong in the app, so it doesn’t know where it is. First thing to check is that it’s actually pulling the correct Lat Long from your phone.
Congrats. One question. I would like to know your set Up. How do you connect the ASI ZWO mini to dovetail? What screw and dovetail do you use?? Thanks a lot
Can I bring this thing in the middle of the desert without internet? Will wifi hotspot work, or do you have to be within home wifi signal at all times? Thanks for sharing Nico!
Thanks for replying Nico. I love your intuition and channel. Im just beginning with astrophotography and looking for a good mount to start off with. This GTI really looks great to start off with, having the app along side to help you out. Would it be wise to spend a few more hundred $ to get maybe the HEQ5 for more weight? Right now Ill be using 135mm, 300mm prime lenses with my mirrorless camera. Maybe in the future get refractor to get a closer view at galaxy's + nebulas, is that possible on this mount? Thanks a lot pal!
@@Rainy78 Yes, it can make sense as it gives you the opportunity to upgrade to a bigger telescope down the road. The biggest I'd put on the GTi is a 60mm (360mm focal length) refractor while the HEQ5 can handle an 80mm refractor (600mm focal length). Only other consideration is portability. But if you will always be transporting the mount by car (not airplane or hiking with it) than it doesn't make much difference. They make a version of the HEQ5 called the HEQ5i now that includes a Wi-Fi dongle if you'd rather use the app vs. the traditional hand controller. You can also control either of these mounts with ASIAir or a Windows computer.
Thanks Nico, very nice video. Most times you have discussed comms using a windows platform. It would be nice to discuss comms with Apple Mac. Also please display what actually comes with the unit. Thanks would be grea.t
Hi Nico. I’ve been following your channel since I stared2 years ago. I like the setup you have on this video with the cooled cam, filter wheel and DSLR lens. I know the video is about the mount but, can you please explain what adaptors you’re used to fit it all together. Thanks.
Hi Niko, I have really enjoyed your reviews, this set up seems to be really good, love the tracking feature for a dead set newbie like me. Could you give a quick opinion, I have either a Canon D60 with a Eos 10-18mm F4 5-5.6 IS STM wide angle lens plus an EF 70-200 F4 telephoto lens. I also have a Nikon D5200 with a Sigma DC 18-250 3.5-6.3 telephoto lens and wondered if this set up would work for it or if I should go for the Mini AZ-GTi (mainly in relation to the balance issues with the counter weight of the new one). Happy sky snapping. Boofy.
Hi Nico and thanks a lot for the video! I've got one and i have one question: i've got a constant backslash on DEC, also with 100% aggressive. The photos are ok (also 300" shots) also polar alignment is very good. Do you have the same backslash or someone had it? Bye! Marco
Yes, at around 17:10 I mentioned I too got backlash in DEC, and that had an effect of long settle times if dithering in both axes. Haven't had time to see if I could tune it. Might just be the best the mount can do in such a small package at this price point.
Nico! Thank you for all of your videos! So helpful. I just bought the Sky Watcher SA GTI, but now I'm a little worried. I bought it because I was hoping to be able to do deep sky imaging with my big lens, AND wide field landscape Astrophotography, like I've been doing for years with yhe GTI. Your video has me very worried. Can the GTI still not support small loads like a Nikon Z7 and Nikkor Z 20mm 1.8? No new counterweight system or anything? Thanks either way! Clear skies!!!!
Yes, no problem. You have three options: 1. Use it without the counterweight shaft and counterweights entirely. For very light loads this is likely fine and won’t damage anything. 2. For ultra light loads, you can also try with the counterweight shaft installed, but no counterweight. The shaft itself will provide some weight. 3. You can order lighter counterweights that fit this shaft. Sky-watcher in the UK offers them, but if in the US, I’ve heard iOptron makes a 3lb. Weight that fits as well.
@@NebulaPhotos This is so great to hear. I am beyond excited to get it. I am also planning on using it to shoot the upcoming eclipse, so I need to get practicing. Thank you again for your reply, for this video, and for all other videos you make. You are an amazing resource. Clear skies!
If you were thinking about expanding your options would the 35eqm be a better choice its not much more and does it have all of the same features of this one ? Im using a dslr and 15-30 mm 70-200 and 400mm prime.
Has features like atro timelpase that are included on 2i version? I want to choose one of them in a future, but i like more astrolandscape pictures and timelapses videos.
Nico, thank you for your review! From your experience w/ the GTI, how strict you think the 5 kg load weight limit is? My [500mm f/4 lens] plus [Vixen bar] + [camera] = 4.95 kg (!). I'd like to add the ASIAIR+, which is 0.30kg. The total would be 5.25 kg. Would that be doable? Thank you for your input.
Ops, correction: I forgot to add Finder+CCD, 0.5 kg. So the total w/o the ASIAIR will be already 5.20 kg... Would 5.20 kg work? I'd fix the ASIAIR somewhere else. Thanks again.
@@NebulaPhotos Nico, thanks for the reply! You're right; it's the guiding gear, a ZWO 30f4 scope w/ their 290mm Mini CCD, similar I think to what you showed in your review mounted on your Vixen bar. I'd be attaching that guiding gear to a Canon astro camera w/ an L-bracket. You're right; good balancing might be critical to avoid damaging any mount gear. Thanks.
I just received my Star Adventurer GTI from the new production run and the single 2.5kg counterweight has been replaced by separate 0.7 and 1.6kg counterweights.
@@NebulaPhotos Understood. It’s not your responsibility. I greatly appreciate your advice and opinions. Just being new to the hobby, like many and interested in this mount, I wouldn’t want to end up buying everything, having it ready to go, then learn that a main component up to 10 months away with no alternative but to wait.
How do you mount the guide scope *under* the dovetail like that? I really appreciate the placement because it brings the weight closer to center and less clutter. Also, how do you cable manage the back of the guide scope camera with it being so close to the GTI? Do you use right angle connectors? Thanks!
Excellent first look, thank you! Could you not improve the backlash by using the backlash adjustment in the SynScan Pro app? The hand controller also has that adjustment, to give the Dec axis a short jolt to take out any hesitancy or delay, but still avoiding overshooting. Lots of people will want to know how it works with an ASiair, with it connected to your mobile device, so the GTi can’t be connected as well. Thanks!
Nice video. After you polar align then turn on live view on the DSLR, should Polaris be in the center of the live view screen or off center according to the position in the app? Thanx for the info.
It will be slightly off-center but not in the position according to the app, because for that to work you have to take into account field rotation of the camera sensor vis a vis the rotation of the reticule. So the app really should just be where on the circle, Polaris should be in the polar scope not the camera screen.
I just subscribed to your channel a couple days ago, do you have a tutorial on how to use this setup? I'm a total beginner when it comes to astrophotography.
Not exactly the same setup, but this is a tutorial with a similar setup for beginners: ua-cam.com/video/YXAz_csd-iE/v-deo.html and then I also have beginner tutorials with no tracker at all like this: ua-cam.com/video/pXcRKoxTPVg/v-deo.html
I'm looking to get myself this for Christmas and I just want to know if this is a good first time purchase. I already have a Celestron 4se telescope, looking to expand in the future, and I've done untracked photography with just my dslr and a few photos of the planets and moon for a while now. You think this may be a good purchase, or should I consider something else that can hold more weight for future telescope purchases or should I consider something smaller and better manageable
Great video and review. Can you do 3 Star polar alignment with the app? Also, with the 2i, I think the two screws at the base of the head you need to turn for polar alignment are rather clunky. Does this one also have those two counter roating screws? I think the 35M has a much more precise spindle/worm gear for turning the head during polar alignment?
On the SA that I have now, I can use a USB to an external battery to power it. Can this be powered the same way or do you need a different connection and power source for side stepping the batteries to power it via external means?
Thanks for the great overview Nico! I just picked up a SA 2i a few weeks ago and was hoping that I could use it with my AT60ED and small mirrorless camera (Samsung NX mini). Unfortunately with the small sensor size and the 360mm FL of the scope, it was just a struggle trying to dial in my target. I was thinking it would really be nice if they made a SA that had full goto capability. What great timing for this release!!! I think this mount would be the perfect pairing for my setup as it seems like the perfect grab and go setup. Did you get a chance to test out the battery life using alkaline and/or eneloops?
Thanks Nico, I got one partly based on your review. The single counterweight has been replaced by 2 smaller dissimilar ones instead. Making balancing smaller payloads now possible. I also found that very old EQ3 style weights work too. I actually keep the included weights as spares for extreme balance situations. Spot on with the relevant details as usual. You can tell the difference between those who have a head knowledge. And those who have an actual practical knowledge. You are so convincing because you are in the last group. Thanks
Interesting. Their media images still show the single weight. Are the two weights white or the more common black color? I'm hoping that if I order one and I get the older single style they will send me replacements since my more common platform will be my mirrorless camera and lenses.
Thorough information. Perfectly presented without disturbing background music. Thnx.
Love your vids man
You can make simple counter weights using 1/4" lead wire, used for making fishing weights. Simply tightly coil it around the shaft. The lead comes in 1lb and 5lb
So happy to see this new mount! It really fills in a need, and it does look very good for portable setups. Excellent overview Nico! I'd be interested to see if it works with GreenSwamp Server, although I don't see why not. Direct USB connection, which I assume is the same as other SW mounts, should just work with EQMOD or GSS as long as the right COM port is selected, and baud rate is set to 115200!
I thought you were on an astrophotography withdrawal, but glad to see you popping around ;) The mount looks cool but if guiding, I don't think it will perform better than the AZ GTi and is still overall twice the size and weight.. The wedge is much better but here you could get a smaller detachable WO wedge as well (important when carrying it around in a hiking bag). But maybe where this mount can work great is not to have to guide (for beginners or when packing extra light) and as a jack-of-all-trade when you are at a more stable site and want to guide to improve performance.
@@astrodysseus Merci Laurent-Philippe! Yeah I'm still taking a break , I haven't imaged in months!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Looking forward when you do...
Curious to see the debug read-out with SyntaTester (from the GSS group). I would expect a mechanical setup similar to the AZ-GTi. Can't wait to get my hands on this thing and take it apart... :)
Hey, just wanted to say thanks for showing me Green Swamp Server. That is all I use now with the Skywatcher mounts.
Hello nebula photos, you really got me interested in Astro photography! I used your guide as a reference to take 200 1-2s Orion nebula photos and stacked them. This initial session really got me into the hobby so I made my own automated barn door tracker (which actually works!!) I will use this weekend. Your videos are truly amazing and inspiring thank you! Hoping for clear skies for both is us.
Do you live in a light polluted area? I live in a Bortle 9 city and struggle to get any images.
Alyn Wallace recommended your channel, I suspect you will get quite a few new subscribers from this quality content 🤘🏻
Live stacking with the ASI Air and an iPad is what has me interested in this.
Bought the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi Mount w/tripod and pier extension, arrived today AND...
I think they heard you about the counterweight issue with lighter loads because it comes with two counterweights: 1.5lbs and 3.5lbs so one can go from 1.5lbs to 5lbs.
Much better in depth explanation then every other channel (not hating, just saying, thank you).
You continue to show your passion and knowledge. Rock on
Superb initial overview of the mount Nico!! Great work putting this together and presenting man :-) Can't wait to see more! Clear skies!
Thanks Luke!
Thanks for a great review. This is the first I have heard of this mount and will definitely buy one. I am currently using an AZ-Gti in EQ mode while travelling. It works nicely but time for an upgrade.
PS. Can you confirm this has spring loaded worm gears like the Az-Gti?
I haven't opened it up to see if they are spring-loaded, but the specifications in the user's manual states the worm gear is copper and has a diameter of 15.8mm, while the wheel gear is aluminum alloy and has a diameter of 92mm.
Ordered a used GTi from High Point Scientific a couple weeks ago and I'm very impressed with it so far. One thing you mentioned Nico, was the loosely attached polar scope cover. I did notice that the tabs on the cover press right against the battery holders, so what I did was very carefully pare down the pointed edge of the two clips where they meet the battery holders. The tabs now fit much tighter. Your mileage may vary of course, but with a used unit I didn't feel bad making a slight mod. I also wrapped a small wire around the elusive battery cover screw and looped it around a knob on my tripod. Hopefully I won't lose it in the dark again! Thanks for all your helpful vids!
I would love to see this with the ASI AIR PRO. That would make a super lightweight package to hike with.
Great review as always. Thank you.
Great video and lots of great info. For future project with this mount see if you can get a 60mm telescope (Williams optics, Apratura etc), with field flattner, mono camera, filters, filter wheel, electronic focuser, Guide scope and camera, ASI AIR PLUS and dew heaters. See if the mount will handle it and kind of sub time you can get with round stars. As this would be the perfect portable setup or setup for people with physical disabilities that prevent them from having a much larger mount. You asked for future idea's and I would love to see what this mount is capable of. Keep up the great work.
Nico, thanks for great review, will be nice to test it with ASIAIR plus. Thanks for sharing
The Polarscope LED addition was much needed
Very detailed thank you again can’t wait to see you use it and see some more awesome photos…
Great review Nico!! Looks promising.
Thank you as always for the review, got one on order now will be a good mount for when I don't want to or can not bring my EQ6 R pro. FYI weighed my 72 edf with image train came in at 9 pounds.
Great video, very nicely put together and great to have that intro added to it. Not like some other "reviewers" tend to do. ;)
Great review, Nico.. I was able to get my hands on one and finally took it out tonight. I was a little disappointed in the two adjusting knobs/screws for azimuth. They didn't offer much adjustment, and were flimsy. You mentioned the scope cover, and I'm really not sure how that passed into final production. A couple of strategically placed magnets could have been used. Aside from those issues, I'm excited for more time and clear skies!
Excelente felicitaciones y gracias , saludos desde Colombia
Thanks for great explanation. Have been looking at AZ GTi for a small refractor but looks like this is much better
price seems significantly higher though
Nico, on the Star Adventurer GTI mount I found if you spread the weights with a couple of inches between them balance can normally be achieved。 I did not have a camera setup but did have the SVbony 60mm guidescope attachedand was able to balance the rig.
First, for additional counterweight options, there are 3D print specialists out there making all kinds of photography accessories, including counterweights. Starting a chat with one of them would likely result in them making something to your specs. I recently bought a counterweight set for my SA 2i, in case I need a little more than what it came with. You can fill each cannister with whatever density filler you need, so you can customize the weight. I used fish tank gravel, mostly because it's cheap. But you could use much denser ball bearings for more weight if needed.
Secondly, I'd be interested in seeing, or knowing, how this compares to the AZGTI. Cuiv the Lazy Geek did a couple of videos last fall showing how to (somewhat easily) adapt the AZGTI for astrophotography, and I've been considering buying one, but the availability has been so hit or miss for several months, and the sellers have been jacking the price up 2-4x the MSRP. I'm finally starting to see the prices come down as normal availability is more consistent, but after learning of this tracking system, I would definitely want to see how the two compare before spending the money on either one.
I also want to know how this mount fare against AZ GTI in the Eq mod. I wonder if I should have waited a little longer. I bought AZ GTI with a few extras to make it Eq mount a few weeks ago without knowing this mount coming up.
JUST BUY A 3D PRINTER.
Thanks for the review, Nico! I’m still looking for my first mount, and while I think this new GTi looks great, going beyond the payload limit is the thing holding me back. It’s going to be easy to surpass once additional equipment gets added or larger scopes get involved. Still, seems like a terrific option for people as a first mount!
yeah, that's why nobody should consider this mount, the EQM 35 is by far a better choice
@@dgv646 Really? NOBODY should consider a mount that is $330 cheaper than the EQM35? Even people who are fine with just using a small scope? You're incredibly self-absorbed.. gross..
I got the star adventurer 4 months ago and then this comes out. An affordable go to mount is exactly what I wanted but I got the star adventurer instead so whoops
I received a new Star Adventurer GTi this week, vintage 2023, and it has two separate counterweights that weigh 1.5 and 3.5 pounds for the same total of 5 pounds so it would seem that the lighter load balancing issue has been taken care of this time around. There is even a sticker in the user manual in the what's-in-the-box section covering I would presume was last year's 5 pound counterweight. Same crappy polar scope cover though, and there still needs to be a captive screw on the battery cover.
Would love to see the possibility of ASIAIR compatibility.
My first thought as well. Perhaps it will be seen as an existing mount by Skywatcher?
I hope so too since I have the ASIAIR. Receiving this mount tomorrow. I'm excited.
Of course, forest fires in the west will delay my utilization of this new gear.
@@ThePinoyAggie it is still out of stock. Did you get it from high point scientific?
@@abisography yes, I received my copy. Got to used it once so far and the go-to feature makes framing easy.
Very interesting mount. Fixing the main reasons why I never went for the star adventurer.
As much as it is a great mount, the lack of DEC and GoTo limited it's uses for me.
1- being lazy. 2-planning multiple targets per night or mosaics.
I "need" more though then what this mount offers.. Cooled camera, asiair, guiding, filterwheel, maybe a dew heater, etc. Drawing quite a bit of power.. So, as I would need a big battery for that already.. and doing all my photography 5 meters away from a power socket.. being "off the grid" isn't high on my list of requirements..
And rather have something like an EQM35 or Celestron VX, and have the additional weight capacity.
Either way, interesting mount. Maybe for the future.
That is useful information! Thank you
Great video Nico, thank you. Could you add your Redcat 51 , ZWO autoguide scope plus OSC camera and auto focuser on your cheese plate to the GTI or would that be too heavy of a payload?
That would work. I think that would be at about 10 pounds give or take.
Super informative video, great job Nico! Might have to pick one of these up for myself...need a "mini-me" for the EQ6-R.
Great review. I am a beginner looking to get the gti for my first mount with my dslr and small lens. Would love to see more videos showing all the auto-guiding capabilities and how to connect it to a computer and run the guiding
Great in depth review. I too, would like to see this GTi mount controled with a ZWO ASIAIR Plus with a CMOS camera and guide scope.
thanks for your video
Really interested in your vixen plate/rail. Brand and model? Length? Looks perfect to mount the guider that way. Have othetwise been mounting it on an L-bracket at on side of the camera, but this seems more stable regarding where the center of gravity for the rig occurs.
yes. I think its more interesting
Hi!
First of all for sharing your knowledge with us. I am wondering if you would be doing a complete A to Z tutorial on the GTi in a future video? Like from setting it up to the different ways to connect and mount your
camera etc, and also how to use (if someone chose to) an ASI Air Plus and a guidescope with it. I don’t know anything about dithering, guiding etc, so that’ll help greatly. I plan to use my Canon 300mm prime lens with a 1.4x TC with this setup.
Would I need any additional dovetail plates etc to attach a ballhead onto which the camera would go?
Thank you.
Great video. I'd like to see how a Polemaster camera fits in.
6:35 You can add tension to the Polar scope cap, heat the prongs individually with a hair dryer until hot, then a little outward pressure, hold until it cools. It will not be falling off when hit. I did it with my Star Adventurer Pro, works like charm.
Oh man, I'd love to see a video on exactly how to do that, the cap is a pain in the butt!!!
@@paulboone714 On the star adventurer you heat the cap by the locking tabs with a hair dryer. When the cap is very warm you add pressure from the inside of the locking tab and move it about 1/16" outward. When the inside of the tab is in line with the outside of the cap when it cools you are adjusted properly. For the GTI you do the same to move the tabs outward, but the tabs are a little TOO LONG and hit the batteries in the holder. Take off 1/16" from the LENGTH of each tab until it locks in place when the batteries are in place. DO NOT TAKE OFF MORE than 1/16" from the lock step on the locking tab. I don't know their Engineers are but they need some tips................
Awesome review. Thanks.
Thank you, very comprehensive and useful info
Can't wait for your video on backlash. I hear it in a lot of videos but I have no clue what it is. I have an idea based on context, but I only know what backlash means in regards to fishing, lol.
Nice overview... have been looking forward to this release.
Here's a use case for you: we're thinking of recommending it as a portable mount for the upcoming 2024 total solar eclipse. (1) Can you use the cell-phone SCP boresight (aka "The Rackley Technique") to get a rough daytime polar alignment and/or (2) can you use planetary objects to get a good daytime polar alignment?
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll see how accurate I can get polar alignment with those methods. I have tried the Rackley method with other mounts before, but my trouble was the phone compass never seemed to work correctly when it was close to other metal objects (the mount). My favorite daytime polar alignment method, was old-school compass and string plus a magnetic declination adjustment for the location. The other thing I did was just use a solar filter and adjust polar alignment until the sun had very little drift (I assume that's the same as the 'planetary objects method'?) In any case, I'm positive any of these methods would work just as well with the GTi as any other EQ mount.
@@NebulaPhotos Yes, the compass and drift methods do work and are good fall backs. To really take advantage of a GOTO, I was wondering about 2 or 3 object alignment using planets during the day. One would need to be careful about proximity to the Sun of course, but planets are easy targets in full sunlight (even naked eye in some cases), so I've wondered about that for a daytime polar alignment.
The Star Adventurer Mini does have a lot of metal, and it does throw off my cell phone magnet a bit when I use the Rackley technique... but the offset seems to be stable. I can setup during the day, and then check with the polar scope at night, and can get some reproducible results. The key is that the SAM has a nice flat surface upon which I can place my cell phone while I tweak the alt/az polar adjustments. A brief look at your vid suggests this mount has a curved surface, that might be a bit more difficult to repeat-ably position a cell phone.
I'm planning to purchase a mount in the next couple of weeks to try some of these tests... but I'd be very interested in your results, and any tips you might have in this direction!
Great video, thank you. What is the support you are using underneath the camera? You don't see to support the lens.
Trying out the 'foot' of the QHY533M. It comes like that on that camera. Worked pretty well.
I only recently got my 2i a few weeks ago… didn’t know this was in the works. It’s tempting, but I may hold off for a bigger mount since I’ll eventually want to mount bigger scopes to it.
I'm still looking for a possible solution to counterbalance lighter setups.
I only got a mirrorless camera and a 135mm lens. Would that be too light?
I need to test more. You might be able to just go with no counterweight at all, or someone mentioned iOptron sells lighter weights that should fit this bigger CW shaft.
Go Niko, go Niko, go, go! Great review!
For balancing lighter setups I had an extra iOptron counterweight that i used on my 2i.
I took it to a local engineering firm with the GTi's bar and asked if they could mill it out to fit, five minutes and ten pounds later I had a one kilogram counterweight.
Hey Nico, thank you for another great review! You mention the Ioptron Smart EQ being a similar mount/competitor, however, what about Explore Scientific iEXOS-100…that seems to be a portable eq mount, but not much info/few reviews. Any familiarity with that mount…possible review from you? Also, I know you come down to my neck of the woods to image in Charlestown RI/Ninigret…hope to bump into you sometime.
Looks like an interesting mount, would like to see a video with ASI pro compatibility.
Wonderful video, thank you for sharing. I'm just in the infant state of getting involved with astrophotography. I'm still trying to decide on what mount to purchase. I’ll be using a Nikon z9 with a 17 to 28 f/2.8 and my 180 to 600 f/6.3 lenses with the mount I choose. The mounts I’m currently considering are iOptron SkyGuider Pro and the Sky watcher star GTi or wait an save for the EQM-35. With the iOptron SkyGuider do I need to purchase the ipolar or can I purchase a Autoguide setup. Also read there’s issues with the wedge on the. Sky Guider.
Cool Niko! I'm eagerly awaiting this star tracker, to be paired with a 50mm or a 62mm refractor.
The phone connectivity and go to was a selling point for me.
I had considered the Zwo AM3, but at more than twice the cost, minus tripod, pier, asair, polar scope, weight or bar, and battery source (all EXTRA!!!) the choice was easy to make.
($740.00 is not inexpensive, but seems fair for what you get: a great, portable travel rig optimized for light telescopes or cameras.)
Thanks for posting!!!
On my wish list. Great review.
When I see the prices for counter weight, I rather build one from wood...
thanks for the review and providing the details of the mount. This certainly apears to be a good travel mount, just 2 pounds heavier than sa2i. I also like the way you mounted the camera and samyang 135mm f/2.. I do have similar vixen dovetails, but it doesnt look so nice and doesnt has those markings.
Now that a number of people have received this mount and are collectively seeing issues in particular with the RA and DEC axis coming loose with a fair amount of play in them I'd be curious to see if you are now seeing the same thing? On CN you can search and see in particular a number of users have gone to opening up the mount and putting plumbers tape on the threads of the restraint bolts for both these axises, which appears to remedy this issue but users should not have to be cracking open their new mounts just to fix such a trivial issue that the manufacturer 1) Should have seen and 2) Should have fixed.
Great review, heads up - I’ve always used a surveyors tripod, really stable, affordable and light to carry.
Can you go into detail with the syncscan pro app? Or updated video 2024
I was wonder what dovetail plate you are using, I like the idea of mounting the guide scope like you have pictured.
The specific one I used I believe is a Losmandy V-series Universal 11" dovetail plate. But any brand's Vixen or "V" - type universal dovetail plate that is fairly long will work.
I ended up going with the AZ-GTI: it's officially alt-az only, but lets me mix and match components to go equatorial. May be the wrong choice, but it suits my tinkerer's nature.
Nice initial review!
Is there any one of those trackers that doesn't need [visual] polar alignment? I have a somewhat decent view from my back balcony, but my neighbor's house blocks the view to Polaris...
Yes, see my follow-up review to the GTi where I compare it to the Benro Polaris: ua-cam.com/video/fj3carj27ag/v-deo.html The Benro Polaris does not require a view of Polaris to use it (I know - confusing product name). It's pretty cool, but also more expensive than any other small star tracker I know of because it does other things as well (automated panoramas, etc.).
@@NebulaPhotos thank you very much for the reply! I'll look into it!
Great information 👍, what is your settings here ?
This is what I’ve been waiting for! Does the sky watcher app offer aid in polar alignment?
11:34 - Correction to bring: the SkyGuider Pro can be powered by USB while tracking, using a battery pack for example. While camping most people will have battery packs with them. I never bring AA batteries myself. Plus, 4x Enelop Pro batteries have around the same capacity as a 10000mAh power pack that could also be used to charge one's phone or something else.
With AA batteries there is no safe guard while if using a power pack with the SGP, once depleted it will still track using the internal battery.
Good points. Do you know if the USB battery pack can re-charge the SGP internal battery as well? I'm usually using my battery packs to run the dew heater strips. I get your point that you can just buy more USB battery packs instead of AAs, but I find the AAs handy esp. since they are easy to find even at gas stations.
@@NebulaPhotos it's written in the doc that the SGP can be charged with a battery pack. And indeed, an SGP is just 2000mAh so any battery pack now has more capacity. With an USB amperage meter I have measured my USB dew heaters and they are all between 6.8-9.8 Wh (1.37-1.96Ah). So rounding that to 2Ah (10Wh) - 10A/50W for 5 hours and adding 2Ah (once or twice) to recharge the SGP during the day (or power the SGP in an equivalent way) leads to ~12A per day. So a cheap battery pack of 26800mAh should run for 2 days at least (without considering what would be left in the SGP internal battery).
Concerning Counterweights there is a 1.1 kg counterweight for Vixen Polarie and an iOptron 1.35 kg counterweight available. Both with a 20mm diameter hole, so they should be usable in theory.
Hi Nico - thanks for the great review. I'm curious if there is an existing adapter, or some other way, to mount a PoleMaster polar scope to this mount? Mike
Question: what is more important, the camera being level or the polarscope being level? If I level the tripod, head and camera the polarscope is not vertical. 0 is at about 3 o'clock.
Recently bought one of these. Am using it with a short tube 80 for EAA.
Great vid Nico. Any updates on further testing that you mentioned ie the dec backlash tuning and the use of the USB port with a EQMod/NINA type setup. I have one on backorder and would like to know what to expect ;) Cheers man !
Not yet, but hope to test more on the next clear night
Really appreciate all the superb videos you put out! After going back and forth, I think this would be a good first mount (once it becomes available) though the EQM-35 isn't that much more(?) My S1R and Sigma 150-600 is well under the limit, and still has room for adding some more gadgets I suppose. I know you can get a guide scope with camera, though I have to admit I'm still unclear on what exactly the benefit would be. I would love a super simple (most importantly fast) way of setting it up in terms of quickly locating polaris, not sure if that could be accomplished by that setup? (i.e. guide camera works with pc to do this?)
Yeah they are fairly similar in price and capability. Pros for the GTi: more portable, WIFI. Pros for the EQM-35: comes with hand controller, holds more weight. Personally, I also didn't like the design choice with the EQM-35 to have the partially exposed gearing, and having to connect bulky wires between the motor drives, but this may not bother you at all.
@@NebulaPhotos Thank you for the response! I'm binging on your videos now and figuring out everything about guidescopes, polar alignment, plate solving etc. lol
Great review. Any idea why mine won't go to any celestial object? The Go TO function does not work after I 3 star align it. The tracking works perfectly for long exposure photos , I am perfeclty aligned to Polaris but it just won't go to the celestial objects, it will point to random locations on the sky when using GO TO function. Anything I am missing out? Thanks.
Sounds like some setting is wrong in the app, so it doesn’t know where it is. First thing to check is that it’s actually pulling the correct Lat Long from your phone.
@@NebulaPhotos Thanks. Will double check that.
Congrats. One question. I would like to know your set Up. How do you connect the ASI ZWO mini to dovetail? What screw and dovetail do you use?? Thanks a lot
Can I bring this thing in the middle of the desert without internet? Will wifi hotspot work, or do you have to be within home wifi signal at all times? Thanks for sharing Nico!
Yep, you can. It creates its own Wi-Fi network and you don’t need internet for it to work.
Thanks for replying Nico. I love your intuition and channel. Im just beginning with astrophotography and looking for a good mount to start off with. This GTI really looks great to start off with, having the app along side to help you out. Would it be wise to spend a few more hundred $ to get maybe the HEQ5 for more weight? Right now Ill be using 135mm, 300mm prime lenses with my mirrorless camera. Maybe in the future get refractor to get a closer view at galaxy's + nebulas, is that possible on this mount? Thanks a lot pal!
@@Rainy78 Yes, it can make sense as it gives you the opportunity to upgrade to a bigger telescope down the road. The biggest I'd put on the GTi is a 60mm (360mm focal length) refractor while the HEQ5 can handle an 80mm refractor (600mm focal length). Only other consideration is portability. But if you will always be transporting the mount by car (not airplane or hiking with it) than it doesn't make much difference. They make a version of the HEQ5 called the HEQ5i now that includes a Wi-Fi dongle if you'd rather use the app vs. the traditional hand controller. You can also control either of these mounts with ASIAir or a Windows computer.
Thanks Nico, very nice video. Most times you have discussed comms using a windows platform. It would be nice to discuss comms with Apple Mac. Also please display what actually comes with the unit. Thanks would be grea.t
Hi Nico. I’ve been following your channel since I stared2 years ago. I like the setup you have on this video with the cooled cam, filter wheel and DSLR lens. I know the video is about the mount but, can you please explain what adaptors you’re used to fit it all together.
Thanks.
Hi Niko, I have really enjoyed your reviews, this set up seems to be really good, love the tracking feature for a dead set newbie like me. Could you give a quick opinion, I have either a Canon D60 with a Eos 10-18mm F4 5-5.6 IS STM wide angle lens plus an EF 70-200 F4 telephoto lens. I also have a Nikon D5200 with a Sigma DC 18-250 3.5-6.3 telephoto lens and wondered if this set up would work for it or if I should go for the Mini AZ-GTi (mainly in relation to the balance issues with the counter weight of the new one). Happy sky snapping. Boofy.
Hi Nico and thanks a lot for the video! I've got one and i have one question: i've got a constant backslash on DEC, also with 100% aggressive. The photos are ok (also 300" shots) also polar alignment is very good. Do you have the same backslash or someone had it? Bye! Marco
Yes, at around 17:10 I mentioned I too got backlash in DEC, and that had an effect of long settle times if dithering in both axes. Haven't had time to see if I could tune it. Might just be the best the mount can do in such a small package at this price point.
Nico! Thank you for all of your videos! So helpful. I just bought the Sky Watcher SA GTI, but now I'm a little worried. I bought it because I was hoping to be able to do deep sky imaging with my big lens, AND wide field landscape Astrophotography, like I've been doing for years with yhe GTI. Your video has me very worried.
Can the GTI still not support small loads like a Nikon Z7 and Nikkor Z 20mm 1.8? No new counterweight system or anything?
Thanks either way! Clear skies!!!!
Yes, no problem. You have three options:
1. Use it without the counterweight shaft and counterweights entirely. For very light loads this is likely fine and won’t damage anything.
2. For ultra light loads, you can also try with the counterweight shaft installed, but no counterweight. The shaft itself will provide some weight.
3. You can order lighter counterweights that fit this shaft. Sky-watcher in the UK offers them, but if in the US, I’ve heard iOptron makes a 3lb. Weight that fits as well.
@@NebulaPhotos This is so great to hear. I am beyond excited to get it. I am also planning on using it to shoot the upcoming eclipse, so I need to get practicing. Thank you again for your reply, for this video, and for all other videos you make. You are an amazing resource. Clear skies!
Thank you for the infomative review. Can you tell me what autoguider and filter wheel you're using on the setup? Thanks
Autoguiding: QHY 5Lii mono + ZWO 30mm mini guidescope
Filter wheel: QHY CFW3S 7-position filter wheel with 1.25" filters
@@NebulaPhotos Thanks!
If you were thinking about expanding your options would the 35eqm be a better choice its not much more and does it have all of the same features of this one ? Im using a dslr and 15-30 mm 70-200 and 400mm prime.
Has features like atro timelpase that are included on 2i version? I want to choose one of them in a future, but i like more astrolandscape pictures and timelapses videos.
looking for the same answer
@@VitoPastore Ditto
Nico, thank you for your review! From your experience w/ the GTI, how strict you think the 5 kg load weight limit is? My [500mm f/4 lens] plus [Vixen bar] + [camera] = 4.95 kg (!). I'd like to add the ASIAIR+, which is 0.30kg. The total would be 5.25 kg. Would that be doable? Thank you for your input.
Ops, correction: I forgot to add Finder+CCD, 0.5 kg. So the total w/o the ASIAIR will be already 5.20 kg... Would 5.20 kg work? I'd fix the ASIAIR somewhere else. Thanks again.
Is the Finder+CCD for auto-guiding? I think as long as you are guiding and well-balanced, 5.2kg should be fine on the GTi
@@NebulaPhotos Nico, thanks for the reply! You're right; it's the guiding gear, a ZWO 30f4 scope w/ their 290mm Mini CCD, similar I think to what you showed in your review mounted on your Vixen bar. I'd be attaching that guiding gear to a Canon astro camera w/ an L-bracket. You're right; good balancing might be critical to avoid damaging any mount gear. Thanks.
Great review! Is this mount comparable to EQM-35 Pro in terms of guiding?
I just received my Star Adventurer GTI from the new production run and the single 2.5kg counterweight has been replaced by separate 0.7 and 1.6kg counterweights.
Oh, cool! That's a nice improvement.
Did you get the direct USB to work? I have tried everything on my Windows 11 laptop and it will not work for me.
Most vendors site availability is June 2023. (if they are providing it and not just listing as a pre-order)
Yeah, I'm not sure what happened there. Didn't know about the limited availability since this was a pre-release copy for review.
@@NebulaPhotos Understood. It’s not your responsibility. I greatly appreciate your advice and opinions. Just being new to the hobby, like many and interested in this mount, I wouldn’t want to end up buying everything, having it ready to go, then learn that a main component up to 10 months away with no alternative but to wait.
How do you mount the guide scope *under* the dovetail like that? I really appreciate the placement because it brings the weight closer to center and less clutter.
Also, how do you cable manage the back of the guide scope camera with it being so close to the GTI? Do you use right angle connectors? Thanks!
Great review!! Thank you!
Quick question: does it do auto meridian flip? Thanks!
Yes, it can.
Very informative. What is the software you downloaded to your phone? Can you please spell it? Thanks.
SynScan Pro App
Excellent first look, thank you! Could you not improve the backlash by using the backlash adjustment in the SynScan Pro app? The hand controller also has that adjustment, to give the Dec axis a short jolt to take out any hesitancy or delay, but still avoiding overshooting. Lots of people will want to know how it works with an ASiair, with it connected to your mobile device, so the GTi can’t be connected as well. Thanks!
Nice video. After you polar align then turn on live view on the DSLR, should Polaris be in the center of the live view screen or off center according to the position in the app? Thanx for the info.
It will be slightly off-center but not in the position according to the app, because for that to work you have to take into account field rotation of the camera sensor vis a vis the rotation of the reticule. So the app really should just be where on the circle, Polaris should be in the polar scope not the camera screen.
I just subscribed to your channel a couple days ago, do you have a tutorial on how to use this setup? I'm a total beginner when it comes to astrophotography.
Not exactly the same setup, but this is a tutorial with a similar setup for beginners: ua-cam.com/video/YXAz_csd-iE/v-deo.html and then I also have beginner tutorials with no tracker at all like this: ua-cam.com/video/pXcRKoxTPVg/v-deo.html
@@NebulaPhotos, thank you! 🙂
I'm looking to get myself this for Christmas and I just want to know if this is a good first time purchase. I already have a Celestron 4se telescope, looking to expand in the future, and I've done untracked photography with just my dslr and a few photos of the planets and moon for a while now. You think this may be a good purchase, or should I consider something else that can hold more weight for future telescope purchases or should I consider something smaller and better manageable
Great video and review. Can you do 3 Star polar alignment with the app? Also, with the 2i, I think the two screws at the base of the head you need to turn for polar alignment are rather clunky. Does this one also have those two counter roating screws? I think the 35M has a much more precise spindle/worm gear for turning the head during polar alignment?
Hi, what about the Periodic Error of this little nice Mount?
On the SA that I have now, I can use a USB to an external battery to power it. Can this be powered the same way or do you need a different connection and power source for side stepping the batteries to power it via external means?
Thanks for the great overview Nico! I just picked up a SA 2i a few weeks ago and was hoping that I could use it with my AT60ED and small mirrorless camera (Samsung NX mini). Unfortunately with the small sensor size and the 360mm FL of the scope, it was just a struggle trying to dial in my target. I was thinking it would really be nice if they made a SA that had full goto capability. What great timing for this release!!! I think this mount would be the perfect pairing for my setup as it seems like the perfect grab and go setup. Did you get a chance to test out the battery life using alkaline and/or eneloops?