So you went out and bought a iOptron SkyGuider Pro. You’ve assembled it, read the instructions, maybe even watched a YouTube video on how to use it, and you’ve covered the basics. But you find yourself wondering if it could be any better. Well, it could be heaps better.
I’ve been using the SkyGuider Pro for a few years and it’s a great little star-tracking stand, but I’ve hit a few snags that I think could be improved upon.
I want to preface this guide by saying first that you don’t need anything extra to take quality astrophotography with this mount. But in my experience, items that can make doing something easier are well worth considering. I’m more likely to keep doing something if I like it, and all of the items on this list will make image gathering much easier and more enjoyable. I have spent the past few years buying and testing different products. and I’ve found five items that greatly improve the mount’s usability. Keep in mind that these categories are optional and if you’re lucky, you might have gotten a few hits from other projects.
Rotating base with Arca Swiss Clamp
The first revelation I have is that the pan (tilt) adapter that comes standard on the SkyGuider’s top axis is pretty awful to use. The tightening screws are constantly entangled with each other and it’s not the rotation of the fluid, causing the entire setup to jump unexpectedly when rotated around this axis. It just leaves so much to be desired. Therefore, it is essential to replace the standard mount with a panning base to reduce any errors caused when shooting the camera on this axis. Additionally, the Arca-swiss clamp makes leveling, setting, and shredding a breeze. I searched for “panning base” and bought mine on eBay for $30.
Right angle viewfinder with polar range adapter
I’m getting older (which I can hardly admit) and I hate having to get down on one knee to align the mount properly. With the camera and everything mounted on top, this becomes even more difficult. So I found a right angle eyepiece that can be attached to a polarizing lens. It’s much easier now to align to the pole and I can see all the demarcation lines in the pole range. The 2.5x zoom on the eyepiece allows for finer fine-tuning. I’ve found set on Amazon for $70.
Counterweight extension bar
I discovered pretty quickly that the lens and camera combo I chose to use for astrophotography was quite heavy and almost impossible to balance accurately with the standard equipment provided. Thankfully, Williams Optics makes an extension bar that allows you to release the counterweight further to allow for more precise (and easier) balancing with heavier loads. This item allows me to use a full frame DSLR with a 100-400mm lens without balance issues. Williams Optics sell this for about $30.
Green Laser Pointer
I found that I could speed up setup and pole alignment using the laser pointer. Finding Polaris in the polar range can be difficult without help. So, after many frustrating nights trying to eyeball Polaris in the polarized range, I bought a green laser pointer and flashed it through a polarized eyepiece. This way the green laser is directed at whatever the polarization range sees, so it makes initial setup much faster. Any green laser will do, You can find them on Amazon for about $20.
* WARNING: Do not use the laser pointer when an aircraft or helicopter is in flight nearby.
Bahtinov mask
Ultimately, if you’re struggling to find the perfect focus or believe there’s always room for improvement, then you’ll want a Bahtinov mask for your lenses/lens. There’s no cheaper, cleaner way to set perfect focus that I know of. Just get one that matches the outside diameter of your lens, smash it in front of everything, and adjust the focus until you see all the diffraction spikes intersect. You can buy them this.
