Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro Pack – Motorized Dslr Night Sky Tracker Equatorial Mount for Portable Nightscapes, Time-Lapse and Panoramas – Wi-Fi App Camera Control – Long Exposure Imaging

Product Information

Multiply the time difference of your time zone from GMT 0 by 15°: this will tell you the longitude of your LSTM. NOTE: Positive GMT time zones are to the East of the Greenwich Meridian (GM). Negative GMT time zones are to the West to the GM. There are different ways to set up your gear and to polar align your mount, depending on the kind of gear you use and the kind of astrophotography you intend to do. As an added benefit to amateur astrophotographers, this tripod includes a spreader for added stability and a handy eyepiece tray. You will also see some more values such as Astigmatism and Coma. Again, these are measured by the interferometer when we take measurements of the optical surface after adjustment. These are values which ideally would be at 0 but as our test optics are all curved lenses, there will always be astigmatism and coma present. The lower the number, the less of these aberations you will effectively see but with most refractors, you can buy field flatteners which will compensate for the coma anyway. The astigmatisms value is explaining the error between the symmetrical curvature of the lens. Basically, no lens will be perfectly symmetrical, the lower the astigmatism, the more symmetrical the lens surface is.

In this guide I intentionally avoided discussing advanced topics, such as guiding: before arriving there, in fact, one should first master the use of the Star Adventurer in its basic configurations. Time-lapse capabilities are also not discussed here, as I am focusing on astrophotography. The SkyWatcher Star Adventurer Pro in the wide astrophotography (left) and deep sky astrophotography (right) configurations.

What's in the Box: Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi Go-To Equatorial Mount

Interfaces: USB, ST4 Auto-guiding, SynScan Hand Control Port (Synscan handset available separately), DSLR Shutter Release Port, Built-in Wi-Fi Module The Auto Guider port is where you plug the ST-4 cable to guide the Star Adventurer (only in right ascension). But how do you set this scale, and what is the LSTM for your location? It is time we get a grasp on what links the Standard Time to the LSTM. Earth revolves once every 24hrs (give or take), thus every 15° of longitude from the Standard Meridian of Greenwich (London) there is a LSTM for a time zone: this defines the Universal Time (UT) or Standard Time. This world map shows the different LSTM each 15° of longitude from the meridian of Greenwich and how this is correlated to the Universal Time. (Image credit: Journeynorth)

Here is a single 1.5-minute exposure @ ISO 3200 using my Canon DSLR and RedCat 51 refractor on the Orion Nebula. I’d say those stars look pretty round, wouldn’t you?All you need to do is to calculate by how many degrees you have rotated the Polar Scope. Let’s assume that after having framed the Pleiades, the mark for October 31st on the Date Graduation Circle is now pointing at the mark for 2 a.m. on the Time Graduation Circle. This means you have rotated the Polar Scope by +2 hours. I really like the controls for moving the mount in RA and DEC. You can easily change the slew speed to your liking, and it’s smooth and responsive. Choosing a target (whether it’s for star alignment or to GoTo) from a long list of objects is a much better user experience than navigating through one object at a time on the hand controller screen. May I add to your mentionning of the SAM a manual well hidden feature : the payload of the SAM is raised to 4kilos when the mount is balanced, which is only 20% less than the adventurer pro. But the mechanism is probably lighter.

The tripod that comes with the GTi is much smaller and lighter than the one you would find on a full-blown equatorial mount. It’s not much to look at, but it actually feels surprisingly solid. There are some nice grippy, rubber feet on it. The world map below shows the actual time zones for GMT and these are far to be regular. Time Zones in the World. Polar alignment is vital and the Star Adventurer 2i has a built-in polarscope, which can be used for both Northern and Southern Hemispheres, and we found it worked without any extra calibration. The external polarscope illuminator does its job well, but it does need to be removed before adding the camera equipment for wide-field imaging. Vital stats At Rother Valley Optics, one thing we pride ourselves on is customer service and quality of our equipment. When we test your telescope, we will ensure that it is of the highest quality otherwise, we will reject the scope under our strict quality control and test another model for your peace of mind. One of the main values to look at when testing a refractor is the Strehl ratio. The higher this number, the higher quality lens you have. At Rother Valley Optics, we will guarantee the highest possible Strehl ratio for your telescope. We will aim to provide 0.95 Strehl or higher on Takahashi, RVO Horizon, William Optics and many more! Generally, the higher the Strehl ratio, the lower the Astigmatism and Coma meaning a better image quality from your instrument.

Summary

Upon receiving your Star Adventurer, you will probably stare at the box in awe for a few minutes and then post the unboxing procedure on your social network. If you don’t see Polaris (or Octans), you can still polar align by using the so-called drift align methods, and one of the most common is the DARV Alignment. I was able to take impressive 60-second unguided exposures at this focal length, and with a spot-on polar alignment, I am sure I could even longer. If I were to add a small autoguiding setup, I am confident that 5-minute exposures are absolutely possible. With its 5kg payload capacity, the Star Adventurer GTi is well-equipped to handle your DLSR or mirrorless camera sporting a wide-angle or telephoto lens plus accessories, a small aperture astrograph with a dedicated astronomy camera, or simply an OTA for visual use via its 45mm dovetail saddle. The included adjustable height stainless steel tripod is a stable platform for the mount and includes a handey accessory tray.

Before heading out under the stars, you must perform a couple of easy tests to ensure the reticle is aligned to both the rotational axis and the Meridian Indicator engraved on the side of the Polar Scope. Testing The Polar Scope’s Reticle Alignment To The Rotational Axis. The Star Adventurer has a port for auto guiding. I haven’t used this function myself for two reasons. 1. I don’t have a guide scope & guide camera, and 2. the Star Adventurer can only guide in Right Ascension (RA). If you have never used an equatorial mount for astrophotography before, the first thing you need to know is that polar alignment is critical. The Blue Horsehead Nebula captured using the Star Adventurer GTi and Radian 61. (2.5 hours exposure) Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi To make polar alignment more comfortable and to avoid kneeling on the ground, you can get a right-angle viewfinder for the polar scope. Shutter Release Cable For Your CameraThis adapter allows you to mount a ball head on the Star Adventurer. This configuration is particularly interesting for starry landscapes, as you retain full control on how to frame the scene. The Declination Plate And Counterweight The declination plate, for astrophotography using heavy gear and the counterweight. The simplest and fastest solution is to get a cheap red dot star finder you can mount on your camera hot shoe. The Star Adventurer has a port for auto guiding. I haven’t used this function myself for two reasons: The final way to be sure Polaris is visible in the view of the Polar Scope is to use a green laser. A classic green laser 303. Speaking of portability, the GTi is powered by (8) AA batteries. Even with brand-new batteries, the power light on my copy of the GTI continues to flash (as if the batteries were getting low). I am told this is a firmware issue that will be sorted out before the official launch.