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Nice to see HF being used to great effect
Comment by Spad posted on K5 IIs & 21mm @ HF at 18/02/2024 - 22:15
Sold
Comment by Spad posted on FS: Star Adventurer 2i Pro Astro Tracker at 13/02/2024 - 02:04
That's cheating!!!
Comment by Spad posted on Spot the Nebulae at 12/02/2024 - 22:09
I am liking these
Comment by Spad posted on 11 FEB 24 setting Moon at 12/02/2024 - 18:34
Last night I mounted my K5ii with Sigma 50mm 2.8 Macro,on my EQ5. This was not counter balanced. It was also tracked but not guided.
I set the camera to shoot 60 second subs at 1600iso and f2.8. This is 30 light subs, 10 darks and 15 bias calibration images. The lens had a 48mm SV Bony UHC light pollution filter on.
I the pointed it at the cosmos, in the region if the Pollux Constellation...
See how many Nebulae you can spot!
These next two are to demonstrate the power of a Light Pollution Filter, in this case a UHC (Ultra High Contrast) Filter.
Without
With
I set the camera to shoot 60 second subs at 1600iso and f2.8. This is 30 light subs, 10 darks and 15 bias calibration images. The lens had a 48mm SV Bony UHC light pollution filter on.
I the pointed it at the cosmos, in the region if the Pollux Constellation...
See how many Nebulae you can spot!
These next two are to demonstrate the power of a Light Pollution Filter, in this case a UHC (Ultra High Contrast) Filter.
Without
With
Comment by Spad posted on Spot the Nebulae at 12/02/2024 - 04:15
These are fantastic!!!!
Comment by Spad posted on First shots with my K-3 ii at 11/02/2024 - 13:13
This is just epic!!!
Comment by Spad posted on The Langdales at 11/02/2024 - 00:06
I would rather buy from an actual Photographic retailer. Instead of feeding the horrid entity that Amazon is...
Plus I do not like my money funding a giant space penis
Plus I do not like my money funding a giant space penis
Comment by Spad posted on Pentax K-1 ii for £1299 at Amazon at 10/02/2024 - 16:36
Make price £280 inc RM SD
Comment by Spad posted on FS: Star Adventurer 2i Pro Astro Tracker at 10/02/2024 - 14:05
I know there are a few of you on here, that like dabbling in Astrophotography. So now I have decided to sell my Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro. It is no longer used, and it just sits in its case. This is because I have two tracking mounts. The smaller of the 2 can quite easily do what this does, with added bonus of being a goto system to. Don't get me wrong.... this is a great bit kit. It's also responsible for sending me down the rabbit hole!
You have seen the images it can produce!
What you'll get is the tracking unit, an equitorial wedge, two different mounts - one is for mounting a camera and smaller lenses via a ballhead, the other is for mounting larger lenses and small refractor telescopes. You can also mount telescopes up to 5kg in weight for visual work. That max load for imaging is about 3kg. I have mounted a Sigma 150-500mm plus a K3, K5II and K-S2. Also in the kit is a counter balance bar and 1.5kg counterweight. There is also an adaptor I had specially made. It is 3/8 to 6mm. This is so you can mount a guide scope at the end of the counter balance via the ballhead again. I used an SVBony 30mm guidescope and guide camera to good effect. I have also replaced the screw on the end of the bar with a wingnut.
The unit also has a polar scope, so you can align it to the the celestial pole. An app called Polar Aligner Pro, will show you where to place Polaris in the scope to achieve polar aligment. Another mod I got for this is a glow in the dark polar scope illuminator. Just shine a torch at it for 10 seconds and it will illuminates the polar scope.
This also comes with a cable release that goes from the snap port on the unit to your camera cable release port. You can then prigramme it via the SA Control app. Another cable is a USB power lead. You can use USB Powerbanks or a mobile mains adaptor. It is also loaded with 4 Lithium Energizer Batteries.
It mounts on a tripod, and also comes with an FLM P1 Rotator. This is so you don't have to orientate the tripod north. Trust me its much less fannying about! (If like me it was mounted on a none rotating tripod head). It also comes with a Giottos MH5310 Ballhead. This is used when you are shooting with light or small lenses, so you can orientate the camera to your target.
This has a wealth of modes from star, lunar and solar tracking through to timelapse and astro timelapse.
There is one issue. On the large lens/telescope mount. There is a nut to screw the lens tripod on to it. It did have a plastic knob, that unfortunately it split and came off. I have included a smaller spanner that can be used to nip it up. See images.
It also comes in an Oklop Bag that utilises the foam inserts from the box it was delivered in.
The unit also creats its own Wifi hotspot, that you link to it via an app on your phone or tablet. To programme it.
I am wanting £300 inc RM SD. Bearing in mind that a Pentax O-GPS2 Iis about 250 quidish... this is far far far more capable and will produce much better images.
There are lots of vdeo tutorials on YouTube.
You have seen the images it can produce!
What you'll get is the tracking unit, an equitorial wedge, two different mounts - one is for mounting a camera and smaller lenses via a ballhead, the other is for mounting larger lenses and small refractor telescopes. You can also mount telescopes up to 5kg in weight for visual work. That max load for imaging is about 3kg. I have mounted a Sigma 150-500mm plus a K3, K5II and K-S2. Also in the kit is a counter balance bar and 1.5kg counterweight. There is also an adaptor I had specially made. It is 3/8 to 6mm. This is so you can mount a guide scope at the end of the counter balance via the ballhead again. I used an SVBony 30mm guidescope and guide camera to good effect. I have also replaced the screw on the end of the bar with a wingnut.
The unit also has a polar scope, so you can align it to the the celestial pole. An app called Polar Aligner Pro, will show you where to place Polaris in the scope to achieve polar aligment. Another mod I got for this is a glow in the dark polar scope illuminator. Just shine a torch at it for 10 seconds and it will illuminates the polar scope.
This also comes with a cable release that goes from the snap port on the unit to your camera cable release port. You can then prigramme it via the SA Control app. Another cable is a USB power lead. You can use USB Powerbanks or a mobile mains adaptor. It is also loaded with 4 Lithium Energizer Batteries.
It mounts on a tripod, and also comes with an FLM P1 Rotator. This is so you don't have to orientate the tripod north. Trust me its much less fannying about! (If like me it was mounted on a none rotating tripod head). It also comes with a Giottos MH5310 Ballhead. This is used when you are shooting with light or small lenses, so you can orientate the camera to your target.
This has a wealth of modes from star, lunar and solar tracking through to timelapse and astro timelapse.
There is one issue. On the large lens/telescope mount. There is a nut to screw the lens tripod on to it. It did have a plastic knob, that unfortunately it split and came off. I have included a smaller spanner that can be used to nip it up. See images.
It also comes in an Oklop Bag that utilises the foam inserts from the box it was delivered in.
The unit also creats its own Wifi hotspot, that you link to it via an app on your phone or tablet. To programme it.
I am wanting £300 inc RM SD. Bearing in mind that a Pentax O-GPS2 Iis about 250 quidish... this is far far far more capable and will produce much better images.
There are lots of vdeo tutorials on YouTube.
Comment by Spad posted on FS: Star Adventurer 2i Pro Astro Tracker at 10/02/2024 - 03:58
