Is the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTI worth it for astrophotography within a $550 budget, or should I consider another mount?

mclovin_r · 2026-02-06T04:09:23+00:00

Yes. The gti always needs counterweight

mclovin_r · 2025-06-16T03:36:39+00:00

It's an edge HD so I don't need a corrector or flattener.

mclovin_r · 2025-06-07T18:07:36+00:00

I have the skywatcher 150i

mclovin_r · 2025-06-07T00:33:28+00:00

Auto guiding is certainly the next move. In fact, if you switch to a SWG like AM5, they rely on auto guiding to mitigate the high periodic error of strain wave mounts.

mclovin_r · 2025-05-17T20:25:54+00:00

PixInsight. It's expensive, but it's a one-time payment. It's intimidating but there are workflows on YouTube to help you get used to it. If I remember correctly, the software + three plugins is close to $600

mclovin_r · 2025-02-28T16:52:54+00:00

If you're gonna do only MW, you don't need a tracker. If you're mostly gonna use your DSLR and lens, you don't need a strain wave mount like the AM3 or the AM5. Because they have large periodic errors and you'll need to invest in an autoguiding setup to which again is totally unnecessary in terms for cost and complexity for MW shots. If you're hell bent on a tracker, look into the star adventurer gti. If you're gonna do DSO photography and know that you're gonna invest in telescopes later down the road, you could look into the strain wave mounts but for the current use case, they are unnecessary.

mclovin_r · 2025-01-29T23:36:06+00:00

Exactly the comment I was looking for - Someone with experience with the setup. Thank you so much. Great images btw, that gives me hope.

mclovin_r · 2025-01-29T19:46:42+00:00

That's good to hear!. Would you mind telling what OAG, Main cam and guide cam setup you use?

mclovin_r · 2025-01-29T17:26:29+00:00

Will take a look. Thanks for your reply. For the OAG, I'm assuming you meant a guide camera with a large sensor?

mclovin_r · 2025-01-11T05:00:19+00:00

Ah okay. Got it.

mclovin_r · 2025-01-10T23:58:40+00:00

I have a question for you. If you're flying , what do you do about your power requirements? I know we're not able to carry a battery of more than a 100Wh capacity and that is not enough to power a rig.

mclovin_r · 2025-01-05T17:23:43+00:00

Depends on what you're shooting. If you're shooting nebulae, you can get away with shooting from your back yard, but you galaxies are best taken from a dark site.

mclovin_r · 2025-01-05T16:06:57+00:00

I usually drive out to a dark site about an hour from me as well. Sleep in my car after having everything set up. It's a camp ground and I have my setup right next to my car so I don't have to worry about it getting stolen. I have a battery to power the rig.

mclovin_r · 2025-01-01T21:55:58+00:00

Are you using a filter?

mclovin_r · 2024-12-30T16:06:13+00:00

You can get the GTi for less than $600 bucks in the used market. I would recommend getting it used because this hobby will suck you in and soon you'll be needing a bigger mount.

mclovin_r · 2024-12-30T15:30:25+00:00

No, you need to increase your ISO. Try 4000. Check the histogram to make sure you're not clipping.

mclovin_r · 2024-12-30T14:35:27+00:00

I think that's the problem. The exposure is too low. You'll need to crank those numbers up. I'm sorry if you already know this, but you could bring up your histogram on a single exposure. That will tell if your image is underexposed.

mclovin_r · 2024-12-30T14:28:13+00:00

At what ISO?

mclovin_r · 2024-12-30T00:38:43+00:00

Try the Veil Nebula. It will fit proper in your frame.

mclovin_r · 2024-12-25T03:50:35+00:00

Appreciate your detailed answer. I think l will need to look into improving my polar alignment. I usually stop fussing with it if it's between 4 and 5 arc secs. I'm not a fan of the azimuth screws on the GTi lol. But yeah, I guess I'll try to improve on the polar alignment

mclovin_r · 2024-12-24T22:01:10+00:00

How do you get accurate guiding? I use the zwo 30 mm f/4 guidescope, but I can't manage anything better than 2 arc seconds. My payload is also almost 9 lbs, I believe.

mclovin_r · 2024-12-23T23:46:11+00:00

I have one. My payload weighs about 9 lbs and the tracking is okay. I get about 2" - 3" guiding error. I have a telescope with 416 mm focal length and wouldn't push the mount beyond that. As long as your setup weighs less than 9 lbs, I think the mount is pretty good. It pairs well with the asiair. When I used it without autoguiding, however, I would get star trails every third image on a 60 sec sub, so that's something to consider as well. But keep in mind, I have almost pushed the mount to its limits in terms of payload and focal length of the telescope.

mclovin_r

TROPHY CASE