About me
Astro Najar
México
Doing nomad astrophotography since 2014
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I started in astronomy in the year 2000 when I was coming out of college. I joined an astronomical club in Mexico and there I met people who did astrophotography, which interested me a lot. It was not until 2013 when I acquired my first DSLR and in 2015 the IOptron Skytracker, which allowed me to take more shots.
We can say that I practiced it more seriously way in 2017. I was based in Canada at that time, and given the complicated weather conditions in that country, it wasn't until 2018 where I was able to take and process a “decent” photo (in beginner terms) and that was my turning point to be able to acquire more equipment and practice it more in deep.
There are 3 main points that motivate me to do astrophotography:
1. The fact that we can take personal and amateur level photos of stellar objects at the level of photos that NASA obtained 20 years ago.
2. Theory made pure practice: applying all that technical knowledge for acquisition and processing. I don't like theory for theory's sake, like classroom astronomy, I need to go out in the field, take pictures and see stars.
3. Relax camping under the stars.
I'M NOMADIC - FULL TIME
Regarding astrophotography, I'm fully 100% nomad, that means I carry with my equipment every time I'm going out the city to do photo (astrophographic equiment and camping equipment as well, depending on the location). Aside from doing astrophoto, I like to be under the stars and to relax in the dark sky landscape. I do this because my limitations: At this moment I live in one of the biggest cities in México and I don't count with a own roof to set a permanent setup. Even though I had a chance to install a permanent fixed setup, I think I would miss somehow getting far away from the city and shooting the stars anyway.
MY GEAR
IOptron CEM60 + ES 127 mm
The powerful bazooka. The CEM60 mount is ideal to support telescopes like the ES 127 mm given its 60 lbs (27 kg) rated payload.
- Mount: IOptron CEM60 center-balanced mount (discontinued, replaced by the newer CEM70 model)
- Telescope: Explore Scientific 127mm f/7.5 Triplet APO Carbon Fiber refractor
- Focal lenght: 952 mm
- Cameras: Canon 4ti/5ti, ZWO ASI 2600 MC PRO.
Focuser:
-Moonlite 2.5 inch Large Format Refractor Focusers
Computer system
- Mele PC Mini fanless mini computer
- Pegasus Astro Ultimate Powerbox v2.0
Guiding:
-Orion CT 80 mm f/5.0 refractor
-ZWO ASI 120 MC-S
Other accesories:
- USB Dew heater bands for each telescope
- ZWO EFW Electronic filter wheel ( 7 places x 2" filters- mounted)
Evolution:
First version: without computer, using only intervalometer, DSLR
Second version: added computerized PHP2 guiding, still using intervalometer, DSLR.
Third version: added mini computer to automate the acquisition process with the astrophotography dedicated camera. (ASI 2600).
To view a more comprehensive review and details of this setup, click here. (coming soon)
Celestron AVX + ES 80 mm [deprecated]
I have this setup no longer available because I sold the ES 80 mm telescope a few years ago, given his really awful bad optics.
To learn more about the story of this setup, click here (coming soon)
Celestron AVX mount
- Canon t4i/t5i
- Telescope Explore Scientific 80 mm Triplet Carbon Fiber [depecrated]
- Orion flattener for short refractors
Guiding
- SV Bony 60 mm f/4 guidescope
- ZWO ASi 120 MM-S
Celestron AVX + Askar FRA 400
The great FRA 400. This scope was the perfect replacement for the ES 80 MM. This scope give you a nice flat field out-of-the-box.
- Mount: Celestron AVX.
- Telescope: Askar FRA 400.
- Focal lenght: 400 mm F/5.6
- Cameras: Canon 4ti/5ti, ZWO ASI 2600 MC PRO.
Focuser:
-ZWO Electronic Automatic Focuser (EAF) v2
Computer system
- Mele PC Mini fanless mini computer
Guiding:
-SV Bony 60 mm f/4.0 refractor
-ZWO ASI 120 MC-S
Other accesories:
- USB Dew heater bands for each telescope
- ZWO EFW Electronic filter wheel ( 7 places x 2" filters- mounted)
- Energized USB Hub
- Custom made 12v hub
To view a more comprehensive review and details of this setup, click here. (coming soon)
Automated Samyang 135 mm + Celestron AVX
- Mount: Celestron AVX.
- Lenses: Samyang 135 mm f/2.0
- Focal lenght: 135mm F/2.0
- Cameras: Canon 4ti/5ti, ZWO ASI 2600 MC PRO.
Computer system
- Mele PC Mini fanless mini computer
Guiding:
-SV Bony 30 mm f/4.0 refractor
-ZWO ASI 120 MC-S
Other accesories:
- USB Dew heater bands for each telescope
- ZWO Filter drawer for EOS lenses
- Energized USB Hub
- Custom made 12v hub
To view a more comprehensive review and details of this setup, click here. (coming soon)
IOptron SkyTracker + Several lenses
This was my first formal deep sky astrophotography setup that served me as well as wide field setup. depending of the camera lenses I was used at the time.
This is also my battle horse when I travel. Even though there are many more advanced camera trackers, I did a lot with this simple setup.
I still keep it, but I rarely use it because I acquired a second Celestron AVX so I can automated the acquisition process.
- IOptron Skytracker
- Canon t4i/t5i
Lenses
-Samyang 135 mm f/2.0
- Lenses Canon Stock 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 + Tiffen Double fog Filter (for constellations photography)
Rokinon 10 mm f/2.8 + conventional tripod
Believed or not, you can do some amazing night landscape photography with this setup, is simpler still incredible. This is the setup I use when I don't want any complications at all. Also, I put it to work while the more robust telescopes setups are doing their all-night work.
It is used to produce startrails photography, timelapses videos and wide night-sky photo, that includes Milky-way photography. I like to have fun with it in taking night photos of my bigger setups while they are capturing the night sky.
-Conventional fixed camera tripod.
- Lenses: Rokinon 10 mm f/2.8
- Canon t7i DSLR Camera
Sky-Watcher Skymax 127mm Maksutov-Cassegrain
This is the most recent family member. I bought this little scope with planetary astrophotography in mind, given his large focal length (1500 mm). I could use the Explore Scientific 127 mm I already had, but for taking photos of the moon and planets not worth the effort of assembly it. I already tested it a couple of times, and it was nice for taking Moon photos. Planets are not excellent given his aperture (I would need a bigger mak in order to get more resolution) , but for starters and practicing are ok. And besides that, what I have in mind with this telescope is having a nice tube for moon watching and photos, that is very light weight and easy to assemble.
Accessories / individual components
Canon t3i, t4i, t5i, t7i DSLR Cameras
I started in 2013 with the Canon t4i. Then in 2015 when I acquired the IOptron SkyTracker I realized that while the camera was busy taking shots I could take wide field shots, but having only a camera I had to choose one shot or the other, so I bought the additional t5i.
Later I bought the t7i. The next step I took was to modify the t4i and t5i to remove the infrared filter so they can capture the Hidrogen-alfa component from the saky; and for the t4i I added a cooling system. While my previous two cameras were in tyhe process to be modified, I saw an offer for an used t3i modified for full spectrum which included an Astronomik filter and an IDAS-LP for light pollution. ( I no longer have the t3i).
Actually I almost avoid the use of t4i and t5i for deep sky astrophotography given I acquired two dedicated ASI 2600 cameras. I only use one of them when I have my 3 battlehorses setups working at the same time.
ZWO ASI 2600 MC PRO dedicated astrocameras
At last, In 2022, I decided to take the step of (almost) fully automated the acquisition process using N.I.N.A. Oh God, oh God, why I took me so long to do this ? When I finally succeed to take a deep sky photo with N.I.N.A. and a computer, even though I used my canon t5i DSLR, then I decided to go full with a dedicated astrocamera. The ZWO ASI 2600 MC Pro was the ideal choice, given that is one of the more recent models and the quality is excellent, better than the DSLR in my experience. Other features include the sensor cooling, no amp-glow, excellent resolution. I have in mind sell my cooled Canon t4i DSLR in order to acquire a third ASI 2600.
Guiding / automated acquisition components
I have 4 telescopes for guiding: 2 assigned to telescopes, one for camera guiding and the last one for a spare setup .
Telescopes
- Orion CT 80 mm f/5.0 ( assigned to ES 127mm)
- Orion Deluxe Mini 50mm Guide Scope f/3.25 (spare)
- SV Bony 60 mm f/4.0 ( assigned to Askar Fra 400)
- SV Bony mini 30 mm f/4.0 ( assigned to 135 mm + avx)
The ZWO ASI 120 MM-S / MM-C are the ones of the cheapest planetary cameras yet can be using for autoguiding giving excellent results.
Guide cameras
-ZWO ASI 120 MM-S (x1)
-ZWO ASI 120 MM-C (x2)
I got rid of the raspberries computers, but I want to keep this section for information. A few years ago, by 2019-2020, I was looking for a way to have a low consumption computer to use with PHD2 for guiding. At that time, I didn't even have the idea that windows mini computers existed, so one friend suggested me to use the raspberries with AstroPi3 , a script that installed all the astro applications needed to manage all the devices. Oh my, what a mistake. The process was long, too technical even for me (I'm software developer) and I spent almost all my time trying to installing the Ekos, KStars and the not so updated PHD2 for linux.The process was so complicated that I even did a tutorial so I can mainly keep track of every step. Worst, these mini computers were so awful handling power that the guiding camera disconnected every time. Some years after, I did a research and found a ton of windows minicomputers.
I throw away the raspberries and bought windows mini PCs instead; have them using since 2021 and everything work like a charm. I installed N.I.N.A., ASCOM and every other required software like device drivers, with virtually without any issue. Each telescope setup has its own mini PC and I control them remotely with my Surface Pro or my cellphone or a Samsung tablet I bought for that specific reason. Every mini PC connects to a portable USB router, that is responsible for generating the WiFi wireless network. With this model, I can control my 3 telescope setups at the same time effortlessly.
Mini PC
- MeLE Quieter2Q Fanless Mini PC Windows 11 Pro Celeron J4125 8GB 128GB ( x3)
Portable USB router
- GL.iNet GL-AR750 (Creta) Travel AC VPN Router
Power
I practice 100% nomadic astrophotography so I have to be well equipped with batteries that can last all night, even several days.
in the "ultra-portable" category, in the photo we see in the first line the heaviest batteries, which can even support a computer: AIMTOM BatteryPacks of 43A and 75 A, Celestron PowerTank and the MaxOak of 50 A.
In second line a battery-pack, also lithium, which are the ones that usually power Canon cameras, which last 3 full nights per camera. For this, I use a usb battery dummy.
I decided for this type of batteries because they come with several integrated outputs such as USB, 12v, etc. and because of their low maintenance.
In the heavy weight category, I present you the CHINS LiFePO4 12v 100 Ah (x3). One big battery for each mount-telescope setup - 1st Celestron AVX, 2nd Celestron AVX and the IOptron CEM60. I acquired these nice batteries because I decided that I didn't want to struggle with power anymore. One of these batteries can run one AVX setup between 2 and 2.5 nights approximately, in a single charge, until discharge. However, there is a test I never did: running the setups without the dew-heater bands, given that they are the accessories that consume the most energy. Maybe they could last stronger.
Each battery is encased in a battery box, that gives me the functionality of the connectors without zero complications. ( I added extra custom 12v connectors )
Nevertheless, when I go to a far location like the desert where there isn't any sign of civilization at all, and I planned to stay like for a week, I carry with me the "portable" Renogy 200 watts solar panel. After finishing using one setup, I connect a CHINS battery immediately to the solar panels so they can charge it during the day. At this moment, I only have carried with me one setup at time with panels and they charge the battery fast. One thing I want to remark tough: at this moment, I kinda laugh about their "portability". Yes, they are "portable" but also they are heavy.
Batteries
- CHINS LiFePO4 Battery 12V 100AH Lithium Battery 2000~5000 Cycles
Battery box
-ALL-TOP Smart Battery Box, 12V Marine Case w/ 50AMP Connectors
Solar panels
- Renogy 200 Watt 12 Volt Portable Solar Panel with Waterproof 20A Charger Controller
Other accessories
The controversial lasers. Whatever they say, they have made my life much easier. Without them I don't know what I would have done when I went to Chile and had to align to the south axis. I use them mainly to know where cameras, telescopes, mounts, etc. are pointing.
When I was acquiring data before the automation of the setups, lasers were quite necessary. Now, I almost never use them because I can locate objects by plate solving.
Dew heaters bands. Prevent the lenses from fogging up in high humidity.
Polemaster. This nice device has made me forget about the complications of polar alignment and has lightened my sessions because in less than 5 minutes I can align a mount with high precision.
USB Battery dummies for Canon. Another cool accessory. With these little gadgets, I forgot about having numerous batteries or using the famous batery grips (the accessory that allows you to attach 2 batteries to a camera). This allows you to connect your camera to any usb lithium battery-pack. Usually, a 20000 mAh usb battery pack will last up to 3 nights of continuous shooting.
If you are still shooting with DSLR, I encourage you to use them.