Wednesday, August 04, 2010

Brief impression of the AstroTrac

I would say it's very attractive, it's compact and light weight.

However, when compared with the Takahashi TG-SP II, I would say the Takahashi should last longer. The parts are better made, the electronics are simpler and it should last longer. The Astrotrac is a bit too long, and the parts are not very thick, and it could deform over time?

Featurewise, the polarscope of the Astrotrac is better. It comes with an illuminator and it's bigger and more accurate. The Takahashi is too small and very hard to use when placed side by side. The Astrotrac has an autoguider port while the Takahashi has none.

Having said that the Astrotrac can hold more weight and it's lighter. There is no counter weight for the Astrotrac and you can hardly forget anything when packing up for the trip.

I should try the Astrotrac shortly, and see which one I should keep in the long run.

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