My $400 'smart' telescope mount was a total waste of money

I got this fancy mount last year thinking it would make taking deep sky photos easier, you know, with its built-in computer and auto-guiding. It worked okay for about a month, then the tracking started to drift. I'd get these long star trails in a 5-minute exposure, ruining the whole shot. I spent hours trying to fix it, updating the software, checking the balance, everything. The company's help line just told me to send it in for a $150 service fee, which felt like a scam. Now it's a heavy paperweight in my garage. I should have just stuck with my old manual mount and saved the cash. Has anyone found a good, reliable brand for mounts that won't break the bank?

3 comments

3 Comments

murphy.lee25d ago

Long star trails in a 5-minute exposure" just sounds like a bad polar alignment to me.

hannah_williams25d ago

Could be, but some people actually want those trails lol.

uma_nelson6d ago

Watched a friend spend hours trying to get those long star trails on purpose.