Resources

After watching the video, I suggest you write out your own checklist to develop a pattern for setting up your gear. This is an example of my checklist for setting up. Download as: Word or PDF.

I found this guide [PDF] for making a tripod spreader very useful. If you have a different mount/tripod, it is easily adaptable. The guide is written by Paul Suroweic of the Michiana Astronomical Society.

To 3D print your own Bahtinov mask for accurate manual focusing, I suggest starting with AstroJargon's incredibly useful Bahtinov Mask Generator, which will generate a SVG file, you can then import that SVG file in to tinkercad, add a collar, and download as an STL file for 3D printing. For 3D printing, either find a local place/friend or you can try 3d Hubs to shop around for the best price. Here is an example of a Bahtinov mask I made for a Skywatcher 80mm doublet refractor:

Software and Apps

• Polar Scope Align Pro for iOS, $1.99
• The EQMOD Project for Windows, Free
• Cartes du Ciel cross-platform, Free
• PHD2 Guiding cross-platform, Free
• Sequence Generator Pro v.3, Windows, $99
• PinPoint 6.1, Windows, $149

Further Reading

• The Deep-sky Imaging Primer by Charles Bracken
• The Astrophotography Manual by Chris Woodhouse

Equipment mentioned in video

Mounts	Orion Atlas EQ-G
Optics	Stellarvue SVQ86 Astrograph
Cameras	ZWO ASI1600MM-COOL
Computers	Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, 5th Gen. (Windows 10 Pro)
Guiding	Astromania 60mm Guidescope Orion 1.25-Inch Extension Tube ZWO ASI290MM Mini
Polar Alignment	QHY PoleMaster
Filters	Astrodon 1.25" Mounted Tru-balance "E" Series LRGB, 5nm Ha, 3nm OIII, 3nm SII
Batteries/Power	Everstart Marine Battery 29DC MinnKota Battery Box AccuMate Battery charger-maintainer KRIËGER 1100 Watt 12V Power Inverter
Disclosure	Disclosure: I am trying out the Amazon affiliate programs. That means if you buy an item from them through a link on my web site, I get a small percentage of the purchase price as a commission. This doesn't increase your price! I am hoping to use any income from Amazon to help pay for hosting this website and registering the domain.