Astrophotography set up

7 years 8 months ago #490807 by Alex
Effron, where are you from?

BTW you are so right about the Adirondacks.   I grew up in upstate NY, there you can find some super dark skys!  

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7 years 8 months ago #490812 by effron
I'm from Los Angeles (grew up in Long Beach) now live in SW New Hampshire. I miss much about the west. Hot tip on night photography for people out there, the Owens river valley, south of Bishop....I haven't been there since I went digital.....:(

Why so serious?
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7 years 8 months ago #490825 by Alex

effron wrote: I'm from Los Angeles (grew up in Long Beach) now live in SW New Hampshire. I miss much about the west. Hot tip on night photography for people out there, the Owens river valley, south of Bishop....I haven't been there since I went digital.....:(


No kidding!  Do you get out here much?  Heck if you do... hit me up, let's do lunch or Starbucks!  

New Hampshire... are you out in the country?  

Thank you for making PhotographyTalk.com your photography community of choice.
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7 years 8 months ago #490834 by Adam Nagle
No going around light pollution.  Well there is, jump into your car or truck and just drive till you see no more light!  ha ha ha


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7 years 8 months ago #490840 by astrodave
Thats the one. Does a nice job of tracking for the money.

Ryan Obryan wrote: Hey Dave, just to clarify, you are talking about this one from Sky-Watcher:  www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home...%2C&is=REG&A=details

right? 



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7 years 8 months ago - 7 years 8 months ago #490841 by astrodave
No it actually looks like this. This was a test shot in March to see how my new imaging system would work this summer. That's the Astrovan in the foreground. It can be driven virtually anywhere but only up to 50mph.

Eliffman wrote:

astrodave wrote: Like everything else in life there is a need to know a budget. If you have unlimited budget I have a $25k mobile observatory with everything already to go. Top of the line gear and mobile. 

If not There are trackers for $300ish that work well at under 300mm. 

Additionally one of the major issues is weight the mount can care. For some of us its the amount of weight we can care. My main astro mounts can carry 250 lbs but they weigh in at 120 lbs so they are a pain to lug about hence my observatories.

For a DLSR setup a Star Adventurer or an Astrotrac are pretty easy to use and track well up to about 15lbs. I'd recommend either of those to someone wanting to "dabble".

Just my $.02



That mobile observatory sounds so cool, is that something you tow?




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7 years 8 months ago #490856 by effron

Alex wrote:

effron wrote: I'm from Los Angeles (grew up in Long Beach) now live in SW New Hampshire. I miss much about the west. Hot tip on night photography for people out there, the Owens river valley, south of Bishop....I haven't been there since I went digital.....:(


No kidding!  Do you get out here much?  Heck if you do... hit me up, let's do lunch or Starbucks!  

New Hampshire... are you out in the country?  


Kind of, but not far enough. A hundred miles to Boston, 240 to NY, and twelve to Keene , NH...(pop, 22,000). When I go west now, its to Seattle area, where my oldest son lives. Next trip we plan on heading to the area south of Mono lake. I miss the entire area from Bodie, Mono lake to the high Sierras....(I'm starting to tear up). I still have friends in SoCal so a trip is possible. I'd bump a line if coming....;)

Why so serious?
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7 years 8 months ago #490890 by Alex

effron wrote:

Alex wrote:

effron wrote: I'm from Los Angeles (grew up in Long Beach) now live in SW New Hampshire. I miss much about the west. Hot tip on night photography for people out there, the Owens river valley, south of Bishop....I haven't been there since I went digital.....:(


No kidding!  Do you get out here much?  Heck if you do... hit me up, let's do lunch or Starbucks!  

New Hampshire... are you out in the country?  


Kind of, but not far enough. A hundred miles to Boston, 240 to NY, and twelve to Keene , NH...(pop, 22,000). When I go west now, its to Seattle area, where my oldest son lives. Next trip we plan on heading to the area south of Mono lake. I miss the entire area from Bodie, Mono lake to the high Sierras....(I'm starting to tear up). I still have friends in SoCal so a trip is possible. I'd bump a line if coming....;)



It's beautiful country up there.  Plenty of old New England charm.  You might know, I grew up in upstate NY in small town called Argyle (Population 3,782!)  .  How many kids do you have?  

Seattle?  Great breweries up there.  Do you get into seafood much?  

My door is always open friend... I'll expect that call one day!  

Thank you for making PhotographyTalk.com your photography community of choice.
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7 years 8 months ago #490891 by Alex

astrodave wrote: No it actually looks like this. This was a test shot in March to see how my new imaging system would work this summer. That's the Astrovan in the foreground. It can be driven virtually anywhere but only up to 50mph.

Eliffman wrote:

astrodave wrote: Like everything else in life there is a need to know a budget. If you have unlimited budget I have a $25k mobile observatory with everything already to go. Top of the line gear and mobile. 

If not There are trackers for $300ish that work well at under 300mm. 

Additionally one of the major issues is weight the mount can care. For some of us its the amount of weight we can care. My main astro mounts can carry 250 lbs but they weigh in at 120 lbs so they are a pain to lug about hence my observatories.

For a DLSR setup a Star Adventurer or an Astrotrac are pretty easy to use and track well up to about 15lbs. I'd recommend either of those to someone wanting to "dabble".

Just my $.02



That mobile observatory sounds so cool, is that something you tow?




Astrovan?  No no Dave... that is the Command Station 3.0!  ha ha ha Seriously that rig is cool as heck!  What does the inside look like?  

Thank you for making PhotographyTalk.com your photography community of choice.
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7 years 8 months ago #490938 by effron
Dave said "dabble" in reference to astrophotography. That was my giggle producer of the day!...
NICE RIG!

Why so serious?
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7 years 7 months ago #490945 by effron

Alex wrote:

effron wrote:

Alex wrote:

effron wrote: I'm from Los Angeles (grew up in Long Beach) now live in SW New Hampshire. I miss much about the west. Hot tip on night photography for people out there, the Owens river valley, south of Bishop....I haven't been there since I went digital.....:(


No kidding!  Do you get out here much?  Heck if you do... hit me up, let's do lunch or Starbucks!  

New Hampshire... are you out in the country?  


Kind of, but not far enough. A hundred miles to Boston, 240 to NY, and twelve to Keene , NH...(pop, 22,000). When I go west now, its to Seattle area, where my oldest son lives. Next trip we plan on heading to the area south of Mono lake. I miss the entire area from Bodie, Mono lake to the high Sierras....(I'm starting to tear up). I still have friends in SoCal so a trip is possible. I'd bump a line if coming....;)



It's beautiful country up there.  Plenty of old New England charm.  You might know, I grew up in upstate NY in small town called Argyle (Population 3,782!)  .  How many kids do you have?  

Seattle?  Great breweries up there.  Do you get into seafood much?  

My door is always open friend... I'll expect that call one day!  


Argyle, a little over a par five from the Adirondacks! I have two grown sons, my oldest is the photographer and lives in Seattle, (works out of Boston). When I visit we head out, Olympic peninsula, or Rainier area, next time we're going eastern Oregon via 395 south if weather allows. 
My wife and I drive over to Maine occasionally for seafood dinner.....:)
If I win powerball as expected, I'll be driving my new Suburban west...
DO expect a call!!

Why so serious?
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7 years 7 months ago #490960 by Ontherocks

astrodave wrote: No it actually looks like this. This was a test shot in March to see how my new imaging system would work this summer. That's the Astrovan in the foreground. It can be driven virtually anywhere but only up to 50mph.

Eliffman wrote:

astrodave wrote: Like everything else in life there is a need to know a budget. If you have unlimited budget I have a $25k mobile observatory with everything already to go. Top of the line gear and mobile. 

If not There are trackers for $300ish that work well at under 300mm. 

Additionally one of the major issues is weight the mount can care. For some of us its the amount of weight we can care. My main astro mounts can carry 250 lbs but they weigh in at 120 lbs so they are a pain to lug about hence my observatories.

For a DLSR setup a Star Adventurer or an Astrotrac are pretty easy to use and track well up to about 15lbs. I'd recommend either of those to someone wanting to "dabble".

Just my $.02



That mobile observatory sounds so cool, is that something you tow?




Ok, this is killer shot.  Now that light looks like something out of the movie "Thor" where Thor is getting 'shot' to Earth!  Really, what is that?


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7 years 7 months ago #491010 by James F
Was that a food truck that you converted to the astrovan?  Does the top spin around? 


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7 years 7 months ago #491055 by astrodave

James F wrote: Was that a food truck that you converted to the astrovan?  Does the top spin around? 


Yes it has a dome that rotates with the telescope. You can see the other observatory to the background on the left. I think it used to be a Laundry delivery truck at one point. 

To Alex it looks pretty cool. Lots of blinky things and wires. I don't think I have an inside view. Here's a timelapse i did in the other observatory if you want to see it.



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7 years 7 months ago #491056 by astrodave
This one is kinda fun if you like Pink Floyd and don't mind a slow melodic pace.



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