Merry Christmas everyone - I hope the holiday season treats you kindly, with plentiful clear skies to test your new shiny astro goodies! 🎅🏽✨ Know of any other great astro items?! Visit firstlightoptics.com/ref/bbroastro for all your astro purchases! Next day shipping available and it helps me at no extra cost to you. Buying your astro items is a double win! Ho! Ho! Ho!
Nice list and some good ideas I haven't tried yet. Getting a power bank was a huge change for me and meant not having to either run out of batteries or leave the door open to run a power cable. My list would include a head torch, a bigger spirit level for my tripod and an illuminated reticle eyepiece. My number 1 is the asiair mini which helped me get into guiding and plate solving as well as finally letting me polar align without polaris. Definitely honourable mention to getting a better laptop as I struggled with an old one for years, a zippy new one was transformative for planetary photography.
I agree with your suggestions too! A red head torch is a must and *almost* soo very nearly included it. Battery banks for sure. I've actually recently got two big Jackery power stations for remote telescope operation. Really a list of top 25 was needed haha. I'm glad the AsiAir has got you up and going, it's a really good gateway into imaging. The one thing most people don't take into account is the computing power you'll need for stacking and processing. That's part of the total price that is often overlooked but is pretty mission critical, especially if you want to do planetary imaging.
The ASIAir Plus 256 has been a game changer for me as a relative newbie to AP. There's no way I could leave any gear outside here in Stoke. It would be gone in 60 seconds. 😄 Hopefully I can move back to North Wales soon.🤞
I did actually consider actually adding NINA to this list, but I also appreciate it's not for everyone and especially as so many newcomers are entering the world of astro via the Seestar. Yeah security is the biggest concern I hear about leaving an astro setup outside. I'm based just outside of Wales, the skies here are great 🙌
@@bbroastro NINA looks good. I have downloaded it to my PC, but not installed it. As my AP goodies are all ZWO the ASIAir is doing a fine job at present. If I do buy other non-ZWO gear then NINA will be utilised. Ah, nice, Welsh borders. I'm hoping to move to an SQM of 21.24, which will be miles better than the 19.4 I currently have. Although clear skies are currently at a premium anyway.🤷♂️
Your videography is more perfectly dazzling than any M&S Christmas Advertisement. Such magic , lighting, camera angles, excitement and fantastic "stuff" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I agree! You don't realise the value until you own one, or have those nights where you just pull off the cover and start your imaging sequence. It's even quicker than a roll off roof observatory haha!
I appreciate your concern! However, this setup has gone through many winter / summer cycles with no issues and the cables are looser than they look. From the camera down to where they connect, there are velcro ties to make sure there is no stress put on the connectors.
Merry Christmas everyone - I hope the holiday season treats you kindly, with plentiful clear skies to test your new shiny astro goodies! 🎅🏽✨ Know of any other great astro items?!
Visit firstlightoptics.com/ref/bbroastro for all your astro purchases! Next day shipping available and it helps me at no extra cost to you. Buying your astro items is a double win!
Ho! Ho! Ho!
Nice list and some good ideas I haven't tried yet. Getting a power bank was a huge change for me and meant not having to either run out of batteries or leave the door open to run a power cable. My list would include a head torch, a bigger spirit level for my tripod and an illuminated reticle eyepiece. My number 1 is the asiair mini which helped me get into guiding and plate solving as well as finally letting me polar align without polaris. Definitely honourable mention to getting a better laptop as I struggled with an old one for years, a zippy new one was transformative for planetary photography.
I agree with your suggestions too! A red head torch is a must and *almost* soo very nearly included it.
Battery banks for sure. I've actually recently got two big Jackery power stations for remote telescope operation. Really a list of top 25 was needed haha.
I'm glad the AsiAir has got you up and going, it's a really good gateway into imaging. The one thing most people don't take into account is the computing power you'll need for stacking and processing. That's part of the total price that is often overlooked but is pretty mission critical, especially if you want to do planetary imaging.
👍 for the ASIAir. Best recent purchase for me. Just a shame it's pretty much ZWO specific. Power station(s) are the next items on my list.
Totally agree on the Baader Diamond Steeltrack. Biggest upgrade I've ever made :)
The ASIAir Plus 256 has been a game changer for me as a relative newbie to AP.
There's no way I could leave any gear outside here in Stoke. It would be gone in 60 seconds. 😄 Hopefully I can move back to North Wales soon.🤞
I did actually consider actually adding NINA to this list, but I also appreciate it's not for everyone and especially as so many newcomers are entering the world of astro via the Seestar.
Yeah security is the biggest concern I hear about leaving an astro setup outside. I'm based just outside of Wales, the skies here are great 🙌
@@bbroastro NINA looks good. I have downloaded it to my PC, but not installed it. As my AP goodies are all ZWO the ASIAir is doing a fine job at present. If I do buy other non-ZWO gear then NINA will be utilised.
Ah, nice, Welsh borders. I'm hoping to move to an SQM of 21.24, which will be miles better than the 19.4 I currently have. Although clear skies are currently at a premium anyway.🤷♂️
Your videography is more perfectly dazzling than any M&S Christmas Advertisement. Such magic , lighting, camera angles, excitement and fantastic "stuff" ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ha Ha, M&S Astro vibes. I'll take it 🎅🏽
I WANT TO BUY THEM ALL!!! Love the sweater 🫎🫎
As scary as it may seem, the Steelrack focuser isn't too difficult to fit but is absolutely worth every penny.
Definitely agree. The adjustment on the mounting plate takes some degree of stress out of it. It's soooo solid!
365 is worth it's weight in gold!
I agree! You don't realise the value until you own one, or have those nights where you just pull off the cover and start your imaging sequence. It's even quicker than a roll off roof observatory haha!
👌
❤❤❤
OMG, those cables are too tight for winter. Lose them a little bit...
I appreciate your concern! However, this setup has gone through many winter / summer cycles with no issues and the cables are looser than they look. From the camera down to where they connect, there are velcro ties to make sure there is no stress put on the connectors.
Ooooohh
Wow, an early bird before the video has even dropped 😎
@@bbroastrohaha have notifications set to ON!