At the start I was looking at mostly just visual things. That was all I had done in the past 50+ years since I started as a teen ager. You look in an eyepiece and see neat stuff. It didn't take long to find that my interest in photography also carried over in the astro world. I’d been doing photo stuff for decades, and over the last few years with various cameras and lens combos for picture taking. That expanded into drone photography, in which I still am very active.
After doing some searching (not clearly enough I found out later), I settled on getting a Meade Starnavigator NG 130mm
So my basic question is what tips and tricks others have found for setup things, layout, tear down, etc...that make life easier for those who start this hobby just before sunset and go well into the night.
Here are a few things I found that do help:
1. I have a big container that holds all the assorted small gear. I put each into a zip lock bag that is clearly labeled. Finder scope, cameras, cords, etc.
2. I bought a 2x4 foot folding table. I put a solid yellow towel across it as that keeps stuff from sliding around and makes them easy to see in the dark.
3. I drive an electric car and power most of my gear from the cig lighter. A long cord from that goes to a 300W A/C converter that produces 110V out. I use a white extension cord to go from car to scope/table. White is easy to see at night so you don’t trip on it.
4. I got a large portable hard drive that I connect to the laptop. I store all astro imaging data there. Then carry in inside later to transfer to desktop systems.
5. I got a small USB hub that I velcro to the tripod legs. Then all camera, scope, and mount connections go to it and a single USB cable to the laptop. Less cord tangle that way.
6. I use a motorized focuser. I keep a small spreadsheet database to show the common focus values for the different gear combos. Each camera, eyepiece, focus reducer, combo...has a different focus value. While they are never exact, they provide a good place to start to be in close focus.
7. I got a small fold-able wagon with big wheels (like the ones people use at the beach) to haul the little stuff around. It will hold all except the scope, mount and tripod. In places where setup is further from the car, it’s way easier than 15 trips carrying one big item at a time.
What ideas and tricks have others here found that help? What are the time savers? What to you do to speed up the setup and tear down process? What things help with overall image quality?
