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Avalon just teased a new motorised polar alignment base on Facebook - from the pic it looks like it may work with any mount (or at least any Avalon mount as it may need the Stargo to control)? I can’t find any details on it, but I know they do offer a conversion kit for their mounts for their current motorised pa - but it’s extremely expensive. Hopefully this will be a little more reasonably priced (although I’m not holding my breath😉)  |
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| I've alway thought it would be great to have motorized PA. Every time i turn a knob on the EQ6-R and overshoot the adjustment, I think of it! |
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The brochure on the table says it will work with third-party mounts. But their current motorised-PA uses the Stargo to control - if this is the same it would be a bit rubbish. Ideally you could fully-automate this via something like NINA 3PPA vs having to still manually move with hand/on-screen controller.. |
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| Waste of money or expensive toy, can't decide which one... |
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I heard back from Avalon Instruments about this:The Motorised Polar Alignment Base (it will be called Universal Polar Alignment System) will be probably released next week, so you are going to have more precise information really soon.Currently we can already tell you that this kit it will be compatible with every Avalon mount and every mount on the market with payload capability till to 50/60 Kg.The compatibility can be direct or through the use of adapters.The System movement range will be approximatively + / - 5 degrees on the ALT / AZ axis.The System can be moved manually with the knobs directly attached to the motors or through a software available for Windows and Linux, that will be provided with the item in it's package. |
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I stumbled across this base today and found this thread. Has anyone had an opportunity to test it out? I looked on the company website for a manual but could not find one--usually a deal-breaker for me, so hopefully a manual is out there somewhere. |
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I stumbled across this base today and found this thread. Has anyone had an opportunity to test it out? Do you need a manual. The screenshot of the controlling app above looks pretty simple/straight forward? |
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Dunk: Not everyone wants a manual because they need instructions. Some people want to understand what the device can/cannot do (for example performance limitations) as well as troubleshooting. If there is no manual or information available from the company that makes the device, the lack of materials can indicate just how 'invested' a company is in their product. Even if there is a manual but it is not in my native language, translator apps can be used so language differences aren't a concern. I've seen dozens of situations where a company has a seemingly straight-forward product, but then when something isn't working or breaks, having no troubleshooting or maintenance options often results in frustrating RMAs. If I was to purchase the mount and it needs attention, without a manual, I may be forced with having to RMA the mount and ship it internationally for something I could fix myself in 5 minutes. It's a mess and a nightmare that can be avoided if a company invests time into documentation to explain how the mount works and how to troubleshoot issues--it also demonstrates the company put in the time to make sure the customer understands the product so their ownership remains positive if a minor problem can be fixed without having to RMA anything. |
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Great points. Avalon are an extremely reputable company and provide very good support (I can attest) - it is entirely likely that this product is so niche that either (a) they have not written a manual or (b) they just haven't added it to the documentation section of their website. (As an aside: I also think if you are investing €1400 on this device you'd likely have a good understanding of how to use it...) |
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Dunk: The price is also a good reason to have a manual. I keep giving all of my winning lottery tickets away so I am very frugal when shopping for new equipment. |
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| Some documentation to show which mounts and tripods or piers it works work out of the box would good. If we don’t know the hole patterns how can we know how universal it is? |
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Some documentation to show which mounts and tripods or piers it works work out of the box would good. If we don’t know the hole patterns how can we know how universal it is? Did you check Avalon's website? Looks like they have pics of Skywatcher, iOptron and Celestron mounts and a base plate for the RST135. |
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| Yes I saw those shots. I have IOptron gear and there are several different hole patterns even just within the IOptron range and their own mounts will only fit into a subset of their own piers and tripods. It’s a complete mess. |
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While losing PA just by locking down the knobs can be frustrating, $1500 for a better knob twiddler seems like a lot…… If/when you can run an auto polar alignment routine as easily as an auto focus routine in your acquisition software, then I think it makes more cents….. Cheers, Scott |
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| It would have to be less ££ for me to bite for sure. I’m not bothered with lockdown PA shift though because (a) a few arcmin doesn’t matter for guided work and (b) o keep my bolts just tight enough to not have to lock them down. |
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| Seems expensive unsurprisingly. A good idea though. But I cannot help but imagine that a lot of people in the target group are probably imaging on permanent setups and not doing PA that frequently. |
