8 replies to this topic

[joeytroy]

I was asked by a handful of users to show off my ASI Air Pro rig. There is a total of 6 videos breaking down the following gear

 

ZWO ASI Air Pro
Sky-Watcher EQM-35 Pro
ZWO EAF (Electronic Auto Focuser) / Deep Sky Dad mount
ZWO 120mm Mono camera
ZWO 30mm Mini Guide Scope
Nikon D5000 DSLR Camera

 

 

YouTube Playlist

https://www.youtube....EOTQwggW_xf052m

 

01 Equipment Walkthrough

02 ZWO ASI Air Pro Settings

03 Polar Alignment and GoTo

04 Auto Focus, Acquisition and Dither

05 Meridian Flip, Bias and Darks

06 Flats and Outro

 

The final image is not the best due to satellite trails however it was only 10x300s for 50 minutes of exposure

[MadEquinox]

@joeytroy Thanks so much. Great series of videos to help aspiring AP noobs. Plus it helps that your equipment is within range of my budget 

[joeytroy]

Chris,

 

My pleasure! That is was what I was hoping for! It's been a lot fun shooting the stars and if I can assist others like I have been assisted here at CN, then to me it's a win.

[MadEquinox]

@joeytroy - What were your requirements or factors to choose the RedCat 51 over other refractors? I have seen a lot of great reviews but wanted to get your thoughts.

[joeytroy]

When I first started I didn’t have a clue. I spent a lot of time on Astrobackyard and really liked his blog, his videos and what he was capturing with a redcat and a dslr. I spent a lot of time reading and also looking at images on astrobin as well. And also was trying not to spend much on the hobby.

I originally bought a iOptron Sky Guider pro with sky polar with the cat but it didn’t work out so well for me so I sent it back and invested in the EQM-35 as it was a cheaper mount as after needing to buy a better tripod and buying the William Optics vixen bar and weight it was like $200+ difference so I took the extra money and went with the ASI Air Pro kit. It’s been a slow upgrade little by little.

My goal was to learn old school so I could appreciate the hobby more as I added technology to it. My first rig was a barn door with a 50mm Nikon lens and the dslr. If I had it all over to do again I would still buy the cat. It’s a decently priced wide field telescope and it’s a lot fun to use.

I feel like in the 3 months of images I have taken is just scratching the surface of AP. Once my ASI533 shows up I should really start to be able to get my feet wet with some amazing DSO. I am also fortunate to be living in Bortle class 4 skies and most days it’s clear skies.

I’m hoping to start capturing a lot more in the weeks to come when my camera arrives.

Best of luck on the decision!

[cougarone]

Been listening to your videos. Thanks for sharing as it really helps others get through many of the ins and outs of this hobby !!

[joeytroy]

Been listening to your videos. Thanks for sharing as it really helps others get through many of the ins and outs of this hobby !!

Thank you!  I am doing my best not to mislead anyone lol. I have learned a lot from reading, along with a lot of help from this forum but still have a lot more to learn as I am only 3 months into AP.

[MadEquinox]

You do a great job providing instruction. Hope you do a video on PixInsight and your post processing methods. 

 

Btw, like the blog!

Chris

[joeytroy]

Chris,

 

Thanks for the compliments! Yes I plan on doing some PixInsight with a little more in-depth tutorial in time. The big issue is I thought I was rocking and rolling with PI as my images looked pretty good IMHO then to come find out I was using processes that needed to be done in linear mode, instead I was using them in non-linear. So I didn't want to send anyone down the wrong rabbit hole till I get it all figured out properly. There is so much to PI and still getting my bearings on using it proficiently. Once I get my ASI533 and get it down pat my plan is to release my images along with some tutorials on how to process. My current thought process is probably release upto 5 different targets that you can't capture with a DSLR and go though my new improved process with PI. I may also release some of my old stuff on the DSLR as well for other new users not using a OSC.