Introduction To Astronomy - Full Presentation

Book Review: Chris Woodhouse's "The Astrophotography Manual: A Practical and Scientific Approach to Deep Sky Imaging (3rd Edition)

This post will serve as a "placeholder" for what will eventually be the full/detailed review of the awesome new third edition of the book: 'The Astrophotography Manual' by Chris Woodhouse

"The Astrophotography Manual" by Chris Woodhouse is an indispensable guide for both novice and seasoned astrophotographers aiming to delve into deep sky imaging with a scientific approach. If you’re a fan of using CCD cameras for your astrophotography: Then you’ll love this book!

This comprehensive manual combines practical advice with theoretical insights, offering a thorough exploration of the techniques and equipment necessary to capture stunning images of celestial objects.

Woodhouse begins by laying a solid foundation in the fundamental concepts of astrophotography, making complex topics accessible even to beginners. He covers essential equipment such as telescopes, cameras, mounts, and accessories, providing detailed explanations on their selection and usage. The author's emphasis on understanding the underlying principles ensures readers grasp not just how to use equipment, but why certain choices are optimal for specific imaging goals.

One of the book's standout features is its integration of scientific principles into practical application. Woodhouse meticulously explains the physics of light, optics, and celestial mechanics relevant to astrophotography. This scientific approach enriches the reader's understanding, empowering them to make informed decisions in their imaging endeavors.

Practical techniques for image acquisition, processing, and enhancement are meticulously detailed throughout the book. From planning and executing imaging sessions to post-processing techniques using software like Photoshop and specialized astrophotography tools, Woodhouse covers each step with clarity and expertise. The inclusion of workflow examples and troubleshooting tips ensures that readers can navigate common challenges effectively.

Moreover, the book addresses advanced topics such as image calibration, stacking, and noise reduction techniques essential for achieving high-quality astrophotographic results. Woodhouse's guidance on achieving color balance, enhancing detail, and managing dynamic range enhances the reader's ability to produce professional-level astrophotographs. Awesome stuff!

Beyond technical instruction, "The Astrophotography Manual" inspires with its stunning imagery. Woodhouse includes breathtaking examples of deep sky objects captured by himself and other astrophotographers, showcasing the potential of modern equipment and techniques.

Chris Woodhouse's "The Astrophotography Manual" is a definitive resource for anyone passionate about deep sky imaging. Its blend of practical advice, scientific understanding, and inspirational content makes it a must-have for enthusiasts seeking to advance their skills and capture the wonders of the cosmos through photography.

Whether you're starting out or looking to refine your techniques, this book provides the knowledge and guidance needed to excel in the fascinating field of astrophotography.

Review: The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount and TC40 Tripod from ZWO - Part 2 of 2

Review: The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount and TC40 Tripod from ZWO - Part 2 of 2

Once you use a harmonic drive mount, such as The AM3: It would be very difficult to go back to any kind of normal (non-strain wave) mount!

The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount from ZWO

The AM3 was just a pleasure to use; it’s the sort of situation where the equipment is  almost “out of the way”. It’s not a burden (like many other conventional mounts can be). It allows you to focus on other aspects of your astrophotography.

• Insure that the mount shows up in your list of Available Networks / Select it on your smartphone/or tablet (this also helps make faster connections in the future).
• Bring your mount/rig outside - Mine is always ready-to-go, with The AT80EDT refractor on it. I’m sure this is common practice (with small-medium sized refractors).
• Set-up rig: pointed North (polar alignment). Supply power/plug-in, power on.
• At this point, you should be able to launch The ZWO Mount software, and select an object to slew to. 

While we’re on the subject of polar alignment… Polar alignment with The AM3 harmonic drive mount is different than what you’re used to…

So, I might go as far as to say that: In the beginning, you might miss the original way of polar aligning (I did!).

When you’ve done something the same way for many, many years – it’s not easy to learn/get used to a new way of doing it. 

With The AM3 Mount:

• You make sure that your rig (mount & scope) are in the Home position - Not Park. *For those who aren’t aware, there’s a difference!
• Then, you point your scope to your respective polar alignment position. For those of us in The Northern hemisphere, that is the NCP / near Polaris (“the North Star).

*Home Position, is the position in which you would point/align your telescope to the North celestial pole (for those of us living in the northern hemisphere). The South celestial “pole” / area for those in the southern hemisphere, to put it in simple terms. 

The “Park” position, was/is designed for use in an observatory. Those operating inside any type of observatory, would utilize the Park position, to keep the telescope out of the way, when opening/closing the dome.

I know, pretty neat, right? 

Everything is, of course well-covered, and illustrated in the (freely downloadable) user manual. 

However, I will mention page 16 of the user manual; and draw your attention for a moment, to figure 3.4.1 entitled ‘How to adjust the latitude?’

Why this particular figure? Because the number 341 is some kind of lucky number for me, so there you go – maybe it’ll bring me some luck if I mention it in this review?

Some additional (selected) Specs:

• Uses Strain wave gear + Synchronous belt technology; with a reduction ratio of 300:1
• Typical periodic error of only +/- 15"
• Latitude adjustment range: 0 to 90°
• Maximum slew speed of 6° per second (pretty fast in use).
• Mount can operate down to -40° Celsius 

There are two gears, to adjust the latitude on The AM3 Mount. This is done using the included M6 Allen key – by loosening two hex screws (counter-clockwise).

Gear 1: goes from 0° to 60°. 

Gear 2 goes from 30° to 90°. Again, it is all well covered, and illustrated in the (downloadable) user manual.

Switching The AM3 Mount from Equatorial mode to Alt–Azimuth mode, is done via the hand controller. You press and hold the ‘C’ (cancel) button, while turning on The AM3 Mount’s power button. When you release the ‘C’ / cancel button, the status indicator light turns to green, from red.

...Currently “migrated” to DSLR-based AP

Upon deployment, on subsequent nights, you’ll most likely just need to make a mild adjustment (to get accurate polar alignment).
Luckily, the overall accuracy of the mount helps matters.

Pros:

• Lightweight, easy to move around/re-position.
• Able to hold large telescopes, without much concern about balance/balancing, etc.
• Robust, accurate, and fairly quiet.
• Ability to function in equatorial, as well as Alt/Azimuth mode!
• Boasts many features, including: WiFi, Bluetooth, and (wired) hand controller.
• Operates seamlessly with just about all astrophotography software out there.

Cons:

• Relatively expensive, compared to several (conventional) mounts out there.
• The TC40 Tripod (which suits it best) may be considered a little expensive (although it can be found for as low as $349 at Astronomics).
• Polar aligning will take some getting used to…

During my test period: I have used The AM3 Harmonic drive Mount in a number of different ways:

• The conventional way: Using more than one model of refractor telescope for astrophotography (as seen in photos above).
• Using both dedicated Astro camera (CMOS) and DSLRs.
• With just a DSLR and telephoto lens.
• As an Alt/Azimuth Mode mount: For both telescope, and binocular visual observing!

Just to give you an idea.

These are very low cost Barska brand binoculars (15x70)

I hope to get a chance, to try a nice sized binocular telescope on this mount – personally, I think it would be a lot of fun!

I also enjoyed attaching my Canon DSLR and lens directly to this AM3 Mount, with great results (still post processing)…

The AM3 is obviously a versatile tracking mount, for more than just astrophotography - Although admittedly, I’m probably one of the few people who’ve actually used it for visual observing! Yes, it may seem a bit odd…but it is nice to know it can do it.

Aside from doing your polar alignment in a new, different way…The only obvious, and real “obstacle” I can see, is the slightly higher cost.

There are many astrophotographers, trying to accomplish some good astrophotography, while staying within a reasonable budget. For folks like us, the expense poses a bit of an obstacle. 

However, I could not see anyone spending the same amount of money on a non-strain wave mount.

As for a few specific examples, take the top end mounts from Sky-Watcher…

Equatorial, GoTo mounts, such as:

The HEQ5

The EQ6-R Pro

The AZ-EQ6 Pro 

The bottom line, is that The ZWO AM3 Harmonic drive equatorial mount can be found for as low as $1499 US dollars at Astronomics.

So - this would be my recommendation (which, for many, will seem like a “no-brainer”) - if the Go To mount which you are considering, costs as much as (or more than) The ZWO AM3, I would advise you to go for The AM3. 

However, let’s not forget the tripod. If you don’t have a suitable/sturdy enough tripod - you’re obviously going to need one. 

You may find yourself leaning towards getting the TC40 Tripod from ZWO – because, of course, it fits the AM3 mount like a glove. They were basically made for each other. So you must take into account the expense of ZWO TC40 tripod, when considering the total cost of your mount.

In the spirit of not overlooking anything or leaving anything out: I’d like to mention, that for those who don’t mind spending a bit of money on an extra gadget - which will make your life easier - I would like mention The PoleMaster made by QHY. You can read about it, and see about ordering one, by visiting Explore Scientific (for starters).

The PoleMaster is a fascinating little gadget, which mounts onto the front of your telescope mount, and allows you to accurately (and easily) polar align. I have not used one myself, but it seems to be an ideal addition to an AM3 Mount.

I will add any additional items of interest to this review, as needed.

A huge thank you, to ZWO for the loan of the equipment for this review!

Next up, will be a review of The Astrophotography Manual A Practical and Scientific Approach to Deep Sky Imaging by Chris Woodhouse. This is the very latest, second edition. I can tell you right now, if you enjoy using dedicated Astro cams (CMOS) for your Astrophotography – then you simply must get this book ASAP!

Until next time,

Clear skies!

Review: The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount and TC40 Tripod from ZWO - Part 1 of 2

Review: The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount and TC40 Tripod from ZWO - Part 1 of 2

The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount from ZWO is a Strain Wave drive telescope mount.

Photo credit ZWO / Stock photo.

If you haven't seen it already, you should have a look at my 'Arrival and First Impressions' post.

Additional benefits of The Strain Wave Drive technology:

• You no longer need to even balance your telescope! This is great!
• There aren't any clutches to tighten or loosen, lock or unlock, etc.
• It is accurate! Strain Wave mounts experience very little periodic error (ZWO guarantees less than +/- 20 arcseconds (this is low enough to have no noticeable effect on your imaging).
• It may function in both Equatorial and Alt/Azimuth mode. 
• In addition, each AM3 and AM5 comes with a certificate, stating the (individual) mount's amount of periodic error - Awesome.

Arrival and unboxing...

Arrival!

Unboxed and set-up - On The TC40 carbon fiber tripod by ZWO:

Music to my ears!

The AM3 comes provided with a sturdy, styrofoam-like box (similar to what The Seestar S50 comes with). Also included in the box:

• The AM3 Mount
• A 2-meter long, angled, gold-plated USB cable.
• The unique PEC test report.
• A Quick Start Guide (Instruction Manual).
• The Hand Controller & Hand Controller cable (coiled, 2 meters long).
• 2 appropriately sized allen key wrenches (M6, and M4, for mount adjustments).

So this is a look under the main plate (dovetail holder) 

Obviously, this is a loaner unit / for review & testing

When you order one, it will be factory fresh!

The AM3 can carry 17.5 lbs of equipment without a counterweight. If and when the need for heavier rigs comes up - Installing the optional counterweight bar & counterweight, allows The AM3 to hold 28.5 lbs of equipment!

All from a small, lightweight mount, which itself weighs only 17.5 lbs!

It features:

• A strong load capacity of: 8kg- Without a counterweight - and 13kg with a counterweight installed.
• It can function as an equatorial mount -Or- As an Alt-Azimuth mount!
• It uses Strain Wave gear technology along with a synchronous belt system.
• The AM3 (and AM5) utilize a compact and lightweight design.
• The mount is provided with a hand controller, as well as WiFi, Bluetooth, and built-in Live Star Database.
• It is ASCOM compatible (of course), and may be recognized as a (Meade) LX200 (by older software systems).

Following up on this last bullet point: I have tested The AM3 mount with a plethora of currently available software - And I have yet to find a software application which doesn't instantly recognize, and work with it!

At the most basic level, The AM3/AM5 mounts may be controlled by the ASI Mount App (both iOS & Android) freely provided by ZWO. I like the fact that firmware updates are automatically prompted.

At first, I found it quite amazing, that such an advanced piece of equipment could be easily controlled via a smartphone.

Sharing some screenshots from the easy set-up process

beginning with the installation of standard ASCOM software/drivers:

Where you get the ASCOM software

Selecting/Installing (defaults) ASCOM software

When ASCOM Platform has been installed successfully, you'll see this:

The AM3 mount has a dual saddle; which means it can hold either a:

Vixen / V-Style -or- a Losmandy / D-style dovetail.

While testing the mount, I also checked out how it would work for visual astronomy. I first tried the mount in Equatorial mode. It took a little getting used to: remembering the directions in which the scope moves, in relation to the movement of the joystick. 

Afterwards, I switched it to Altitude/Azimuth mode, and it worked much better! Much easier to get comfortable with it's movements. This mount can serve many functions. The indicator on the mount lights-up green to indicated Alt/Az Mode (Red for Eq Mode).

Initializing Auto/Online Update for the AM3 Mount:

The AM3 Mount is automatically updating itself - Very convenient!

I was running N.I.N.A. at the time...

The AM3 Mount successfully updated it's firmware - Neat!

Yes - That's N.I.N.A.

The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount may be ordered directly from The ZWO Site. 

If you live in The US, Astronomics carries the full line of ZWO Mounts and accessories. 

Additional features include:

• LED status indicator (bi-color) to inform you of the Mount's current role (Eq. or AltAz.), as well as any error conditions. As does the lighted Power-on button.
• USB port - A USB 2.0 port - For connecting to an ASIAIR, etc.
• Auto Guide port / Guiding port (ST4 cable).
• Hand controller port - This features a rocker-style joystick, which may be moved 8 directions.
• 12v DC power supply port.

Please note: The mount isn't provided with a power supply/plug. You can order the ZWO 12V 5A AC to DC Adapter, at time of purchase. ZWO manufactures Pier Extensions to be used by folks with much larger refractor telescopes. ZWO makes both 160mm (6.3") -and- 200mm (7.9") Extension Piers as available options for The AM5.

And, of course, the ZWO TC40 Tripod is perfectly matched to the AM3/AM5 Mounts.

At this point, I would urge you to visit ZWO's Page on The AM3 Mount, to see all of the technical features and specifications. There is even a Special WO RedCat Edition of the mount - A result of a joint project with Williams Optics - (another outstanding manufacturer of astronomy equipment). It's a Limited Edition, with only 35 units being made!

The AM3/AM5 mounts are very unique! They definitely take a bit of getting used to - The AM3 is unlike any telescope mount I've ever used. One of the main things you'll notice right away, is how easy it is to use. Once you begin using one of these mounts, it will be near impossible to want to use any other kind. Now, you'll have all this extra time available - from not having to adjust, and re-adjust the settings you would on a typical EQ mount.

All ready to go!

I've used The AM3 with all of the popular AP equipment control applications out there today. Including: N.I.N.A., APT, PHD2, etc.

As well as planetarium software, such as: Cartes du Ciel, Sky Safari Pro, and more! And it just always works! 

In addition to the TC40 carbon fiber tripod, which Astronomics happens to have a great price on; there are several additional accessories available - Which include:

ZWO Counterweight Bar, and ZWO Pier Extension for The AM5.

Note: I am not affiliate with Astronomics either, I just noticed that they offered ZWO products at good prices.

All ASCOM Components updated:

The AM3 (and AM5) Harmonic Drive Mounts from ZWO, are the kind of mount one would buy, when you simply want your equipment to work - and work well. If you are tired of mucking about with the "conventional" types of equatorial mounts: Loosening, and tightening clutches, spending time balancing everything (esp. if changing telescopes), having to carry/move an awkwardly shaped (and heavy) mount around - Then you should be looking into an AM3 mount.

And yes, you will pay a bit more for an AM3 Mount...But a Chinese adage comes to mind: "Cheap things are not good, good things are not cheap"

Stay tuned for Part 2 of 2 of The AM3 Mount review coming up...

Thanks again, and Clear skies!

Honest and Unbiased Reviews of Astrophotography Equipment Part 2

The point I'd like to make is: It might seem like there's a bit of a shortage, of honest, and unbiased reviews of astrophotography equipment. It's a shame, really. Sometimes, it's blatantly obvious which reviewers are "in the pocket" of some manufacturers. 

And before you jump to the conclusion, that I'm about to "paint myself" as the only one prepared to be honest about products - I'll point out 4 reviewers - Which I can think of off the top of my head (so far) who are honest & unbiased in their Astro product reviews:

Cuiv The Lazy Geek 

Nico Carver at Nebula Photos

Astrobiscuit

ScottCAstroPhotography

Now, there are some other excellent ones out there, it's just that these are four which immediately came to my mind. Those which I'm confident about…and I enjoy watching their videos as well!

It's important to have at least some YouTuber's you can trust, for finding out the real deal about astronomy products.

You owe it to yourself to check-out, and subscribe to these guy's YouTube channels. You'll be glad you did! I watch them all the time. They're the real deal.

Astrobiscuit - Arguably, the most entertaining and informative/inspirational AP YouTube Channel out there. So good, you may find yourself coming back to watch some videos again and again! (I do!). In a word? Comprehensive.

Astrobackyard - Trevor Jones - Down-to-earth, easy-to-understand, useful Info on AP. Excellent for beginners. Information you can put to use immediately. Very useful recommendations & demonstrations.

Nebulaphotos - Nico Carver - Articulate, yet easy-to-understand, solid advice on AP for Beginners and beyond. Performs the most comprehensive tests/comparisons of hardware & software you've seen. As an example:

...Did he really test & compare every DSLR mod? Yes, yes he did!

Cuiv The Lazy Geek - This fellow...He gets his hands on ALL the latest equipment! Want to know what the hottest new AP gadget is? Cuiv will already have it, and be testing it! I've found out about all the latest AP gadgets by following his channel. I watch all the time!

       

ScottCAstroPhotography - If you’re a younger Astrophotographer, then Scott is the guy you’ll be able to relate to very easily. Not exclusively or otherwise limited to younger folks only! Younger generation Astrophotographers seem to go about their approach to AP in a slightly different way. They seem to want to get from point A to point B in the fastest way possible. Check out his channel and make up your own mind.

I do not plan on working on, or having a (successful) Astro YouTube channel. Creating excellent channels (like those) requires unfathomable amounts of work and effort. With my medical conditions, I wouldn't be able to, so I'm just an avid viewer. 

Writing reviews and blog posts, I can handle! 😀

And let’s not forget the books! When I’m not trying to capture images, organizing, stacking, or post processing (my attempts at) images of DSO‘s - I’m usually reading a book on astronomers of the 19th century. 

If you think you’d enjoy reading about these folks, then stay tuned: 

I’ll be sharing the titles of the books I would highly recommend, in an upcoming post.

However, I promise the next post you see here will be a thorough, and detailed review of the AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount from ZWO (my local weather has not been cooperating at all).

And finally, don't forget this brand-new book! It has just been made available for purchase a week ago! If you are one of those folks who have come to the conclusion, that dedicated CMOS AP cameras are the way to go - then you will especially love this book! It touches on many of the (scientific) reasons, why cooled CMOS cameras are superior for AP...

Full, detailed, book review is in progress; but again up next, is Part 1 of 2, of The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount from ZWO.

Until next time,

Clear skies!

Honest and Unbiased Reviews of Astrophotography Equipment Part 1

First, Smart Telescopes - My thoughts and experiences: Simple, not-too-technical explanations, of the (affordable) Smart Telescopes: The Dwarf 2 and The Seestar S50. I've been using The Seestar S50 a lot more lately.

Have you taken a good look at some of the images captured with the Seestar S50 lately? You can always go to the Seestar S50 Official Group on Facebook, and just have a look. What you see, generally, are average people acquiring some phenomenal photos of deep sky objects - using just a Seestar S50. 

Of course, there are some “outliers” who put in some extra effort, and a lot of extra time – and achieve really remarkable results. Probably the most amazing part of it, and this is coming from a bona fide astrophotographer, is that when compared to images acquired using conventional rigs: the results from the Seestar S50 are commonly as good, and often better, than those acquired while spending a lot more money (and time). 

I have spent a lot of my free time recently, simultaneously, adding components to the conventional astrophotography rig I have; testing it, etc. 

I've also been researching all of the different results which other hobbyists have been getting, using different combinations of equipment. Astrobin.com is a great resource, For doing some quick and easy searches – to see images acquired with specific equipment. 

Of course, I’ve been looking up equipment similar to the rig I currently have, as well as possible combinations of scopes and cameras, which I’ve considered upgrading to.

There are almost a dozen different scope / camera combinations I've considered: From Newtonian astrographs, to 6" SCTs, even considered the "exotic" (lol) Ritchey Chretien!  

And many cameras, from DSLRs to CMOS... And I could hardly find any (modestly-priced) combination, which would produce substantially better results than my Seestar S50. 

The only (affordable) scope I came across, which would show a noticeable improvement in overall image(s) were the popular 6" F/4 Newtonian astrographs (like this one - for one example). Or this one, which is at least in stock.

This is my current set up: 

How it started...

How it progressed...

How it ended up...

(still in progress)

• A ZWO AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount, on a ZWO TC40 tripod (this is currently on loan from ZWO).
• An Astro Tech AT80EDT (apochromatic triplet refractor).
• A 2” Astro Tech field flattener.
• A (soon-to-be-modified) Canon 550 / T2i / DSLR.
• A ZWO 30mm Guidescope 
• A ZWO ASI120MM Guide camera

Software, which is being tested extensively is:

• ZWO’s suite of standard ASI applications.
• N.I.N.A.
• PHD2
• APT - Astro Photography Tool
• SharpCap 
• Astroberry

These are all very good, but for now the ones I’ve settled on are:

APT

 &

SharpCap 

I like using APT because it gives you real time feedback on everything that’s taking place: There’s live view, you can look at your actual sub frames, you can see the battery status of connected equipment, etc. 

I just find it all intuitive and very easy to use. I may also be a bit biased, because it’s the software I’ve used in years past.

I purchased a license for Sharpcap software; I’m looking forward to trying it’s live stacking feature.

Among the DSLR combinations I was looking into, were the following: 

Canon 550D + 80/90/102mm refractors 

Canon 5D Mk II (inspired by Astrobiscuit!)

Canon 60Da (inspired by Trevor Jones – Astrobackyard)

Nikon D5300 (inspired by Nico Carver – Nebulaphotos)

       &

Canon SL2

Canon T7i

       &

Nikon D5600 (inspired by Jerry Lodriguss – Astropix).

Other cameras by Canon which I’ve been looking into:

6D MkI

6D Mk II (full frame sensor)

5D MII

5D Mk III

450D (because of how inexpensive and versatile it is).

Other cameras by Nikon which I’ve been looking into:

D7500

D5500

D850

D810A (full frame sensor)

D600 (full frame sensor)

D700 (full frame sensor)

Until next time,

Clear skies!

Brand New Astrophotography Book Has Arrived!

Something else which has just arrived here for review - Is this amazing, brand-new, 3rd Edition book: 

The Astrophotography Manual 

A Practical and Scientific Approach to Deep Sky Imaging

The book hasn't been released yet

(soon!) So, it's very exciting!

Well, I've had 3+ straight weeks of snow, rain, and clouds here. And finally had my first clear night this week. Still haven't had too many opportunities to test The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount yet; but the 2-Part review is in progress...

And Part 1 of 2 will be coming up next.

Soon, I will add a pic to this post - Of how my rig is coming along:

Still more to do…

For now, here's the latest shots from my Seestar S50:

The Monkey Head nebula, 31 Minutes, very minor post processing on iPhone

M3 - Almost no post processing

Only 8 Minutes!

Until next time,

Clear Skies!

The Night Photo Summit! It’s Coming Up Fast!

A little news flash:

The fourth annual Night Photo Summit 2024 is fast approaching!

Have you ever seen photographs taken at night, which literally take your breath away?

This is an amazing opportunity, to learn how incredible, breathtaking, night photographs are made! 

Have you ever wanted to learn how to create art using your DSLR camera?

Come and learn, from all of today’s Modern Masters from around the world – who use the DSLR as their paintbrush and canvas, when capturing night scenes guaranteed to blow your mind!

Check out this Jam-packed schedule!

To get your tickets!

I will be talking about how The Seestar S50 from ZWO has opened the floodgates for folks wanting to do astrophotography – without having to learn Astrophotography!

I’m hoping to add a few more links on related info, to this post soon. Such as National Parks At Night! in the meantime, don’t miss out! – the clock is ticking!

Clear skies!

The AM3 Harmonic Equatorial Mount from ZWO - Arrival and First Impressions

The AM3 Harmonic Mount from ZWO - First Impressions

AM3 stands for Asi Mount 3 represents the model # (3 for the smaller model, 5 for the larger).

The AM3 Mount & TC40 Tripod arrived very quickly (in only a few days) to me; in (upstate) New York. I was happy to learn that ZWO has a US location, which isn't very far from me at all! Since I don't have a tripod which would be worthy of holding this amazing AM3 Mount: I requested the loan of ZWO's TC40 carbon fiber Tripod as well.

Happy Day!

This was so exciting! That I had to share my "first look" at the boxes!

Beginning to remove The TC40 from it's shipping box.

Each piece of equipment arrived double-boxed, and in perfect condition. 

Regarding The TC40 carbon fiber Tripod: When I first learned the retail price of this tripod; I was taken aback a bit. However, after having hands-on experience with it:

I realized it is truly amazing. It is a very well-designed, carbon fiber tripod, and is very sturdy! While being very lightweight at the same time. It's easy to set-up and fold-up for transport - Both for temporary transport: from one observing spot to another (when you move 5 to 10 meters); as well as more "permanent" relocation: Such as from one city or town to another! It's simply a pleasure to use; and it's obviously the perfect match (in fit & finish) when coupled with either an AM3 or AM5 Mount.

The legs only extend one length, so the tripod doesn’t sit very high, when at maximum extension. I found it to be perfect for my needs, although some people might prefer a taller tripod.

When moving from one observing spot to another (just a few meters, for instance), I can lift and move it very easily. Try that with a typical mount! Try that with a large SkyWatcher mount...You may end up getting tripped-up! They are very awkward and heavy to move - even if only a few meters! High Point Scientific also has them in stock.

I remember reading many good things about The AM3 / AM5 Mounts, from fellow hobbyists on The Cloudy Nights Forum. They have always been highly regarded; and frequently recommended as excellent astrophotography mounts. Especially for users of medium to large refractors; as well as those seeking a grab and go mount for visual observing!

Can you recall anyone ever recommending one of the larger/bulky GoTo mounts for visual users? Me either. I think it says a lot about the value and utility of these mounts from ZWO. Even though there seem to be differing opinions, regarding it's suitability for visual-only users. 

I've come across forum posts, where some say it's not a good choice for visual use. Well, I've used it as a visual-only mount, with my Astro Tech 80EDT refractor, and it served the purpose well.

So, as part of my evaluation and testing: I used The AM3 for visual observing only, for several nights. I found it to be be very comfortable and intuitive to use. I used all of the basic/default settings; and became very familiar, and comfortable with the scope's movements in relation to the joystick control.

Coming up next, will be Part 1 of a 2-Part full Review of The AM3 Mount...

Until next time,

Clear skies!

How Affordable Smart Telescopes Are Changing The Hobby (Part 2 of 2)

Continued from a previous Post - How Affordable Smart Telescopes Are Changing The Hobby (Part 1 of 2)

So… I was thinking of buying this telescope for a while… if you click on that link, it will bring you to the Amazon page where I ordered it. 

I actually had this 6 inch Dobsonian reflector, on my Amazon Wish List… Then out of nowhere, the price dropped by $70 - so I got it.

Collimating The SkyWatcher Virtuoso 6” Dob

I surprised myself, with how easily and accurately I was able to get it’s mirror perfectly collimated; and also get the red dot finder zeroed in. It’s been so long since I set up a telescope (almost 2 years). Yet, I felt as though I could do it in my sleep; or on autopilot, without even thinking about it.

Not the best Pic... I was just fooling around basically: I simply held my iPhone up to the 25mm eyepiece. This was taken through a double pane glass window

So the reason why I wanted this SkyWatcher scope, was so that I could do Astrophotography of planetary nebulae (and other DSO's) - using a dedicated ZWO Astro (CMOS) camera.
There are one or two people on YouTube and Instagram, using this same scope to get nice Astrophotos of small, deep sky objects - So I wanted to get it...
It’s my first computerized, “GoTo“ scope. Luckily, you can use it as an old-fashioned, point-it-yourself, telescope as well. 

I eventually did that, because I was losing patience with its GoTo system’s alignment process. The GoTo alignment application didn’t give any confirmation/feedback on whether or not it was successfully aligned, etc. So I found it a little confusing at the time. Pointing wasn't exactly spot on.

So, there’s a perfect illustration of how these new smart telescopes have really spoiled me! Did you ever stop to consider, how accurately these smart scopes are at centering objects? They never miss!

Well, in any case, it’s been sent back: because, I feel like I was somehow “going backwards” with no good reason to do so.

That is not to say, that I am through with visual astronomy, and observing. No way. 

I’ve always had a great appreciation for vintage optical instruments, especially microscopes and telescopes. 

In the case of microscopes, I consider myself at the intermediate level of experience - In restoring vintage microscopes; I have successfully restored dozens of them. 

This was the last vintage microscope I restored (and sold). It was equipped with the legendary Heine Condenser.

Here’s my latest project, a slightly more modern fluorescence microscope. I have equipped this microscope with a blue UV LED for its fluorescence light source.

This one recently sold on eBay

(needed to raise funds for astrophotography equipment).

During this past Autumn (October and November 2023): I was actively seeking vintage telescopes to restore and use!

Restoring and using classic, vintage telescopes, could be considered a hobby all by itself. There’s the challenge of finding a working, and/or restorable instrument. As well as the appreciation of its craftsmanship, optical performance, and history.

Well, back to the SkyWatcher 6 inch Virtuoso GTi Dobsonian. I set up the scope, and decided to just do some casual observing with it. The targets, were, of course, my favorite: Deep sky objects. 

I set the scope up on top of a sturdy, glass top, outdoor table on the deck. What I found out right away, was that it was difficult to look through the eyepiece whenever I had the scope pointed above about 45°. 

It got a bit worse when trying to observe DSO‘s closer to the Zenith: I had to stand on my tiptoes, in most cases.

So, it was quickly becoming less, and less fun. That’s when I decided to go and grab one of the smart telescopes. I believe it was the Seestar S50; and I simply set it up, alongside the scope on the same table. Of course, I had to be careful not to touch or move the scope; or touch the table at all basically – or the images being taken by the smart telescope, would be ruined due to the minor vibrations, completely messing up the stars/image, etc. 

However, it was an experience which quickly made me appreciate (once again!) the convenience and value of owning a smart telescope! 

I also found, that I was not happy with the images being produced by the two low cost eyepieces, which were included with the Skywatcher. I mostly used the 25mm EP; then switched to the 10mm EP, after centering the scope on M57 (The Ring Nebula) for example. 

I did get to see a fairly large scale image of The Ring Nebula. Which was somewhat reminiscent of the views I used to get with my 8 inch Dobsonian - not quite, of course!  But again, I did enjoy seeing The Ring Nebula at a much larger image scale. It happens to be one of the things that are lacking, when it comes to the affordable, smart telescopes: The ability to get close-up looks at the DSO‘s of interest.

Just to reiterate, and to make a long story short: The ultimate plan, was to image DSO’s using this 6 inch Skywatcher GoTo Dobsonian - and a dedicated ZWO Astro camera. I’ve seen one or two hobbyists doing the same thing (via Instagram posts). And, let’s not forget Tiago from Dobsonian Power! He does it all the time, of course – and very, very successfully! 

I decided that I wanted to give it one more try. So, I went ahead and ordered a Skywatcher virtuoso 150P GTi from a large/well-known telescope dealer. 

When the scope arrived, I could hardly believe that UPS was even able to deliver it: the outer and inner box were almost completely ripped in half! 

As if that wasn’t bad enough, when I took the scope out, set it up, and tried to use it: it didn’t work! 

It seemed that the Wi-Fi was defective. I was unable to connect to it using any device I tried (and I tried several). The icing on the cake, was when I went to carefully box it back up for a return – I had to do my best repairing, both outer and inner boxes, which again, were almost in two separate pieces. 

When I went to remove some of the original UPS labels: I saw that underneath, was the name and address of the previous customer who was sent this telescope! Yes, pretty awful, I know. 

So it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out, that this telescope was sent to some other customer, who then returned it for whatever reasons, and then the dealer just sent it back out to the next unsuspecting sucker: me. 

That is the kind of stuff you would expect from a small “Mom and Pop” shop, but not a large, well-known telescope dealer. Needless to say, I won’t ever order from them again. No, I'm not gonna reveal which dealer it was (not now, anyway).

So I was pretty bummed out for a while that things didn’t go my way – and that it didn’t work out for me.

In my case, the plan was for my dedicated camera to be the ASI178MC. 

However, I got frustrated enough not having the ZWO camera here yet… that I simply boxed it back up and returned it to Amazon.

The ASI178MC did finally get ordered, and is here now. However, it’s now attached to the back of an Astro Tech 80EDT  apochromatic (triplet) refractor! 

So, I am going to finally try to do some Astrophotography, using a dedicated Astro/CMOS camera. 

Well, there will be a lot more details and information on how that project is coming along in my next post. It’s coming along very nicely!

Until then, clear skies!