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weatherandsky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 1847
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Have you guys seen or tried this? I was thinking if it is very protable it would make a great unit for taking on vacation, or trips where space is very limited.
http://www.astrotrac.com/
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Kerry
* Weather and Sky Photography *
QHY-8, Canon 40D unmodded, Meade DSI-C
Meade 12" LightBridge
Astro-Tech 8in RC
Celestron C6-SCT
Sky-Watcher Equinox 80mm APO
Omcon 4.5" Newt
Celestron Skymaster 15x70
Canon 50 f1.8, 100 f2.8Macro, 100-400 f4.5-5.6L, Sigma 17-70, 18-50, 28-300
CGE, CG-5 GT
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MartyT
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/28/07
Posts: 682
Loc: Kansas City
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You could build a motorized "barn door" tracker that probably works just as well and save at least $900 of the $980 you'd spend on that gizmo...
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Celestron CGE / C-11 (CGE-1100)
Megrez 90 FD APO / 0.8x FR/FF vIII
QHY8, 350D, DSI Pro, SPC900NC
KWIQ Guider (QHY5)
ETX-125AT
12" Lightbridge
My Astrophoto Gallery
Astronomical Society of Kansas City
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weatherandsky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 1847
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Ya you're right it is pretty pricy. Where I live it is selling for $699 + $159 for the polar scope. Looks cool though  Is it easy to make a barn door tracker... and is it portable enough to fit in your suitcase?
Here is a review...
http://astro.forumup.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=3699&mforum=astro
and another...
http://www.astronomyreviews.com/allscopes/astrotractt320.htm
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Kerry
* Weather and Sky Photography *
QHY-8, Canon 40D unmodded, Meade DSI-C
Meade 12" LightBridge
Astro-Tech 8in RC
Celestron C6-SCT
Sky-Watcher Equinox 80mm APO
Omcon 4.5" Newt
Celestron Skymaster 15x70
Canon 50 f1.8, 100 f2.8Macro, 100-400 f4.5-5.6L, Sigma 17-70, 18-50, 28-300
CGE, CG-5 GT
Edited by weatherandsky (01/20/08 10:49 PM)
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NeoDinian
Experienced Postmaster
Reged: 10/05/05
Posts: 12714
Loc: Rockford Illinois
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I also believe it's WAY overpriced for what it is... But I do like the design...
Got me re-thinking how I want to build my barndoor.. Rather than a hinged "Lifting" barndoor, I was thinking trying to build something like this... I believe this configuration would help and allow you to have a heavier load, and/or use a smaller motor and not worry about the load on it.
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Neo... (Jeff)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
10" LX200-GPS/SMT UHTC "Draco"
 Rockford, Il.
NeoDinian's Eye on the Sky!
Coming soon:
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PGW Steve
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/03/06
Posts: 632
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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I've got one and I love it. Yes it is a few bucks but it works very well, and that is worth the price of admission. I haven't done a pile of shooting with it, but at 200mm I've done some 5 minute exposures with nice tight stars. I did however, make a pretty fancy wedge for it rather than use a Manfrotto gear head. I've got a Manfrotto 488RC2 ball head on it and it has no problem holding my 40D/Battery grip/70-200f2.8. The only negative is it is so easy to set up, it makes me take it out in the middle of the night when it is -24C and mess around for an hour or so. It functions fine in any weather I care to be out in. I'll post some pics of the rig tomorrow, if you do a search of my posts you will see a couple shots I've taken, again I'm just getting started in this. I've taken it to Arizona on a plane and it's awesome to have the capability. You never know when you can get some dark skies and you will be prepared.
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A-P 1200GTO - On the list for a Mach1GTO
14" LX200R OTA
FSQ106ED Tak .75 reducer +1.6 extender
WO Megrez 80mm 600mm triplet APO
WO ZenithStar 66 Triplet ED APO
EQ 6 PRO, HEQ-5 PRO
Astrotrac TT320, Manfrotto 475&488
DSI PRO II W/filters, Orion SSAG
Hutech 40D and Unmodded EOS 40D
16-35mm f2.8L II, 24-70mm f2.8L,70-200mm f2.8L IS 300mmf4.L, 400mmf5.6L
31T5,22T4,13E,9T6,8E,5T6,3.5T6
5’X8’ Wells Cargo trailer to haul it in!!!
Edited by PGW Steve (01/20/08 11:26 PM)
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PGW Steve
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/03/06
Posts: 632
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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another
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A-P 1200GTO - On the list for a Mach1GTO
14" LX200R OTA
FSQ106ED Tak .75 reducer +1.6 extender
WO Megrez 80mm 600mm triplet APO
WO ZenithStar 66 Triplet ED APO
EQ 6 PRO, HEQ-5 PRO
Astrotrac TT320, Manfrotto 475&488
DSI PRO II W/filters, Orion SSAG
Hutech 40D and Unmodded EOS 40D
16-35mm f2.8L II, 24-70mm f2.8L,70-200mm f2.8L IS 300mmf4.L, 400mmf5.6L
31T5,22T4,13E,9T6,8E,5T6,3.5T6
5’X8’ Wells Cargo trailer to haul it in!!!
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PGW Steve
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/03/06
Posts: 632
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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last one
Edited by PGW Steve (01/20/08 11:28 PM)
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Samir Kharusi
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/14/05
Posts: 982
Loc: Oman
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I believe that all who own it are very happy with it. I do not own one, but at the end of the night I have learnt that for truly portable imaging, not only do you need excellent tracking (which I expect the AstroTrac does deliver) but also very accurate polar alignment and a very stable tripod. Both the latter demands cost a lot to be both light and easy to adjust. Eg carbon fibre tripod legs, geared head for polar alignment and a sturtdy ball&socket easily add up to $1000+. Some people already own this stuff for normal photography and for them I'd say the AstroTrac is a no-brainer to go for. On the other hand, most people do not already own all the "essentials" and will have to purchase some or all. For them I'd recommend the Kenko Skymemo with its dedicated tripod @ about $1200. All you need extra is the camera and lens. Here is M31 that I took with it:
and click here for my full review.
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Bored? Peruse my website:
http://www.samirkharusi.net/
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weatherandsky
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 1847
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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THanks for the comments guys.
Yet another piece of gear to think about.
PGW Steve the photos are great, thanks for sharing them... it's definately a nice looking unit!
Samir .. excellent results from such a little unit!
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Kerry
* Weather and Sky Photography *
QHY-8, Canon 40D unmodded, Meade DSI-C
Meade 12" LightBridge
Astro-Tech 8in RC
Celestron C6-SCT
Sky-Watcher Equinox 80mm APO
Omcon 4.5" Newt
Celestron Skymaster 15x70
Canon 50 f1.8, 100 f2.8Macro, 100-400 f4.5-5.6L, Sigma 17-70, 18-50, 28-300
CGE, CG-5 GT
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Bill Weir
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 1297
Loc: Metchosin (Victoria), Canada
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THere are two members of the Victoria RASC that have the Astrotrac and another that has the Skymemo. Both are thoroughly satisfied with their purchases. Both provide very accurate tracking. The advantage of the Skymemo is that it doesn't need to be reset after 2 hours. like the Astrotrac does.
Hey Steve, have you tried your Megrez and camera on it, or do you just use the camera with telephoto?
Bill
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6'' Orion SkyQuest
12.5'' f/5 Custom Truss Dob
William Optics 80mm ZenithStar ED II
f/5 25" newtonian on a giant GEM, any time I want
Observing sessions grand total for 2008, 121.
So far in 2009, 92
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Brane
super member
Reged: 07/02/06
Posts: 168
Loc: Slovenia, Europe
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My test for Astrotrac from yesterday. I put Pentax 75 SDHF f/6,7 500mm and Baader UHC filter ( very light polution backyard ). I used polar scope for polar align. 10x35sec ( next time 45 sec ), Canon 40d ISO 800. Satisfied for 500mm.
Brane
Edited by Brane (01/23/08 02:26 AM)
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donsinger1
sage
Reged: 10/28/07
Posts: 298
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Steve:
I have the AstroTrac, and in my opinion the only major deficiency has been the lack of a solid attachment method to the tripod that could also be used as a wedge....the Manfrotto Heavy Duty geared head works ok, but it adds another joint that flexes which can get frustrating.
You have solved that problem. I would love it if you could have one made for me...I would pay a fair price. You can email me off-line at don@singerspdx.com
Thanks,
Don
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Fun Stuff:)
Portland, OR
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Samir Kharusi
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/14/05
Posts: 982
Loc: Oman
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Quote:
Steve:
I have the AstroTrac, and in my opinion the only major deficiency has been the lack of a solid attachment method to the tripod that could also be used as a wedge....the Manfrotto Heavy Duty geared head works ok, but it adds another joint that flexes which can get frustrating.
You have solved that problem. I would love it if you could have one made for me...I would pay a fair price. You can email me off-line at don@singerspdx.com
Thanks,
Don
No idea what a "fair" price would be, but that wedge is some very nice workmanship! An alternative, if you do not manage to convince him into making you a similar wedge, could be the Kenko Mini Tripod for circa $400. It does have buttery smooth alt-az adjustments for polar alignment and a flat top to attach anything desired.
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Bored? Peruse my website:
http://www.samirkharusi.net/
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PGW Steve
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/03/06
Posts: 632
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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Quote:
Steve:
I have the AstroTrac, and in my opinion the only major deficiency has been the lack of a solid attachment method to the tripod that could also be used as a wedge....the Manfrotto Heavy Duty geared head works ok, but it adds another joint that flexes which can get frustrating.
You have solved that problem. I would love it if you could have one made for me...I would pay a fair price. You can email me off-line at don@singerspdx.com
Thanks,
Don
Don,
Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to come up with a fair price. Making small quantities isn't something that is economical, plus I tend to overkill stuff I make for myself. On the one I made for myself, I made the three big knobs, plus the turnbuckle screws out of titanium. I heard a rumor that Astrotrac/Kendrick has a wedge in the works. I've sent them pictures of mine so it'll be interesting to see what thiers ends up looking like. Some day I'd like to make larger volumes of this stuff but I have to keep making the stuff that brings in the money for now.
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A-P 1200GTO - On the list for a Mach1GTO
14" LX200R OTA
FSQ106ED Tak .75 reducer +1.6 extender
WO Megrez 80mm 600mm triplet APO
WO ZenithStar 66 Triplet ED APO
EQ 6 PRO, HEQ-5 PRO
Astrotrac TT320, Manfrotto 475&488
DSI PRO II W/filters, Orion SSAG
Hutech 40D and Unmodded EOS 40D
16-35mm f2.8L II, 24-70mm f2.8L,70-200mm f2.8L IS 300mmf4.L, 400mmf5.6L
31T5,22T4,13E,9T6,8E,5T6,3.5T6
5’X8’ Wells Cargo trailer to haul it in!!!
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donsinger1
sage
Reged: 10/28/07
Posts: 298
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Steve:
Totally understand....it is that lust one feels when they see a piece of astro gear that addresses an issue exactly the way you think it should be. That really shows craftmanship, and that is hard to elicit from just a photograph!
Glad to hear that Kendrick may be working on this...I think I will email them for encouragement...it is a great device and the tracking accuracy is very good.
Don
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Fun Stuff:)
Portland, OR
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JWW
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/12/05
Posts: 1107
Loc: Arizona or Mexico hard to tell
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What is the benefit of the wedge?
-JWW:>?
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PGW Steve
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/03/06
Posts: 632
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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Quote:
What is the benefit of the wedge?
-JWW:>?
makes polar alignment a breeze and stays aligned unless your feet meet the tripod 
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A-P 1200GTO - On the list for a Mach1GTO
14" LX200R OTA
FSQ106ED Tak .75 reducer +1.6 extender
WO Megrez 80mm 600mm triplet APO
WO ZenithStar 66 Triplet ED APO
EQ 6 PRO, HEQ-5 PRO
Astrotrac TT320, Manfrotto 475&488
DSI PRO II W/filters, Orion SSAG
Hutech 40D and Unmodded EOS 40D
16-35mm f2.8L II, 24-70mm f2.8L,70-200mm f2.8L IS 300mmf4.L, 400mmf5.6L
31T5,22T4,13E,9T6,8E,5T6,3.5T6
5’X8’ Wells Cargo trailer to haul it in!!!
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ericjacob613
Photon Hog
Reged: 05/25/07
Posts: 3754
Loc: Santa Barbara CA
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I had the chance to use an Astrotrak for one night when a Canadian friend visited here in Santa Barbara. They are very impressive machines. Very lightweight, very compact design, and very quiet. If I were shopping for a replacement for my CG5 I would consider an Astrotrak.
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"Is that boy on the moon again?" - Gumby's Dad.
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