It was not near as cold as shown in Matt’s outside setup in the prior 2/9/2020 blog post containing his article in the Cedar Amateur Astronomers newsletter. The only addition he needed to add for his Remote Video Astronomy setup was a USB3 extension cable attached to the cable of his Video Astronomy Camera and run it along with the mount hand controller cable through his convenient patio door. Be sure to read his article for some very good tips.
I also used a USB3 extension cable but added a SkyFi module at my telescope which allowed me to control the mount from inside wirelessly using SkySafari on my iPhone as shown in the following diagram.
Since I was controlling the mount wirelessly, the only cable run I had was the USB3 extension cable snaked through a window on the Motorhome.
Portable
This is a basic+ RVA setup that is extremely portable and great to take with me on our travels. The telescope and mount are lightweight and easily carried in cases. The tripod and the cable bin could be put into a suitcase if you are flying to your destination (the mount could also be packed in a suitcase if needed).
In addition to the DS10c camera, the telescope case has room for the camera nosepiece, a 2” 0.5x focal reducer, a 2” filter and a small spare camera.
Flexible
Instead of the MCR-80, I can take a Celestron 5” telescope that is also in a easy to carry case and fits nicely on the SkyProdigy mount.
I originally purchased the SkyProdigy 130 which comes with a great light weight 5” Newtonian telescope that is ready to go for Video Astronomy at F/5 with no need for a focal reducer and works great with Video Astronomy cameras. This telescope is not as compact but is easy to carry in its original shipping box. I have found the SkyProdigy mount is able to work with a variety of lightweight telescopes. Here is a link to my original 2014 post about the SkyProdigy 130 for RVA …
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Super Power
I have a Rockpals 250-Watt Portable Rechargeable Lithium Battery Pack for super portability. This battery pack supplies 12v for the mount, 5v for the USB3 active extension cable and 115v for my laptop while I am next to my telescope. Since everything is then completely battery operated, I can set it up anywhere. In fact, I used this at the Grand Canyon Star Party to power my Evolution mount and laptop since we were set up in a parking lot with no electricity.
Video Astronomy anywhere
I am sold on using Video Astronomy for near real time viewing of the wonders in the night sky wherever we may go, whether I am next to my telescope or inside operating it remotely ... seeing objects in color and better than I could ever see looking through an eyepiece!