Wasted $200 on a star tracker mount that barely worked for my DSLR

Bought this cheap star tracker off Amazon last spring for a trip to Big Bend. Thought itd help me get those long exposure shots of the milky way. Thing wobbled so bad even on a calm night every frame had trailing. Shouldve just saved up for a Sky-Watcher or something. Anyone else get burned by a budget astro gadget?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadea5321d ago

Did you check if your tripod's center column was fully extended? Sometimes the column itself introduces micro-vibrations that look exactly like tracker wobble in long exposures. I chased a similar ghost for weeks before realizing retracting the column and using just the legs made everything rock solid.

the_robin21d ago

Did you check if the tripod you used was actually rated for the weight? A lot of cheap star trackers get blamed for wobble when the real problem is the tripod underneath them flexing in the wind. I had a similar issue with a $150 tracker until I switched to a sturdier photo tripod with a hook for hanging my bag as a weight. The tracker itself was fine, the base was just too light for the job. Might be worth testing yours on something solid before you write it off completely.