Question 1

Buying a complete telescope set V.S. Renting a remote telescope?

Accepted Answer

Purchasing a full astrophotography setup allows for hands-on observation and usage, giving a tangible sense of ownership. The trade-off is the substantial initial financial investment and the physical effort required to transport heavy equipment to dark sky locations, which also demands time and energy. However, for those with a private observatory or a suitable backyard, the hassle of travel can be avoided, and efficiency can be high. In such cases, the only limiting factors are likely to be the clear sky rates, seeing, and SQM(how dark the sky background is).
    On the other hand, renting remote telescopes has its advantages. You naturally benefit from the best shooting environments since observatories are often located in areas with minimal light pollution, high clear sky rates, and excellent atmospheric stability. At night, you can simply turn on your computer or even your smartphone to capture images, saving the travel time. Within the same timeframe, you can spend more time imaging, potentially increasing your output of work. The downside is that you don't "own" the telescope—you're renting it.
    Some people prefer the feeling of ownership, considering the economic perspective that if they lose interest in astrophotography, they can resell the equipment and recoup some funds. Others value the acquisition of more data in a dark, stable environment, allowing for higher quality DSO (Deep Sky Object) captures, especially when adding details to previous works to enhance their quality. Purchasing an equivalent full set of equipment can be too costly and inefficient if usage is low.
    Another approach is to have your own equipment hosted at an observatory, which saves the time and effort of traveling to dark sites and improves shooting efficiency with optimal conditions. The economic downside is the initial investment in the equipment plus the annual fees for hosting it at the observatory.

Which approach do you like better?

Question 2

How to use Remote Telescopes?

Accepted Answer

Generally, only two steps:
Download the TeamViewer client, fill out the booking form with your TeamViewer ID, that's it. It's a third-party software and required to access the mini PC fixed on the remote telescope, and it's free for you.
In the mini PC, we've installed the SGP(Sequence Generator Pro) for automated imaging, it's optional and you can also use other imaging software that you are familiar with, such as TheSkyX, MDL, etc.

We also prepared the Remote Telescope Manual to help you use the remote telescope easily before booking any service. If you determine to try FREE, please read it first, doing so will help maximize your valuable imaging time.

Question 3

How will I get my data - images?

Accepted Answer

Data synchronization to the Google Drive is automatic and transparent to users, but it is essential to ensure that your data is stored in the directory mentioned above. 
Generally, data synchronization will be completed within three hours after the end of each service session. 
Your data will be only shared to the sign-up email address. 
After ensuring that the data is synchronized to the cloud on the next day after the service ends, we will delete the local data unless you're willing to share. Cloud-based data will be deleted 30 days after synchronization to provide ample time for you to download your data.

Question 4

What are the opening hours for the observatory?

Accepted Answer

The observatory roof typically opens one hour before the daily service, which starts at 21:00 (local time) and 13:00 (UTC), allowing you to familiarize yourself with the system or perform setup tasks. 
The observatory roof typically closes one hour after the daily service ends at 06:00(local) 22:00(utc) the next day, allowing time for clients to capture twilight flat fields, process acquired data, or schedule subsequent tasks. Please be aware of the operational time window for the remote telescope service and plan your tasks accordingly to avoid data loss.
Occasionally, the observatory site may experience prolonged heavy rainfall, high humidity, thunderstorms, or lightning, which usually occurs during the local summer season. In such cases, to ensure the safety of the observatory equipment and prevent damage due to humidity or lightning, the local staff will temporarily shutdown (cut off power to) the mounts, cameras, mini-PCs and the entire observatory. We will promptly email all clients currently using the remote telescopes to notify them of this mandatory closure.

Question 5

Is there local technical support and how can I get help?

Accepted Answer

We have on-site technical personnel available to respond to your urgent and temporary on-site hardware and software support needs, including but not limited to:
		- Unexplained hardware connection failures
		- Guiding failures
		- Polar axis re-calibration

Local staff works during the following time slots:
		- Gemini Observatory: 14:00-00:00 (local time), 06:00-16:00 (UTC).

You can text or email us, send requests to get local support during their working hours, or contact us to schedule local support in advance.

Question 6

Where can I check the realtime meteorology monitoring data?

Accepted Answer

You can check the realtime monitoring data of Gemini Observatory on this AMM page.
This page automatically refreshes every 10 minutes, displaying the latest status of the observatory (open or closed),  local meteorological conditions - cloud cover, humidity, wind speed, etc., and astronomical observation conditions - seeing, SQM, lunar phase, astronomical twilight, etc.

Question 7

What is the Setup & Tech-Support fee for?

Accepted Answer

The Setup & Tech-Support fee is the nominal fee to cover the costs associated with preparing and maintaining the equipment for use, which includes:
Initial Setup: The labor and expertise required to set up the telescope and other hardware, e.g. system balance, polar alignment, cable management etc; preparation for all software needed ensuring it's calibrated and ready for use, which includes installing necessary drivers and imaging software, configuring auto-focus settings, meridian flip settings, and other related tasks. These preparations are crucial as they ensure the software is properly set up and functional, saving substantial time that would otherwise be spent on troubleshooting and testing.
Unlimited Technical Support: Ongoing assistance with any technical issues or questions that arise during the use of the equipment, e.g. flat-box preparation, unexpected connection failure etc.
Training: Providing the necessary instructions on how to better use the equipment effectively.

This fee ensures that the equipment you use is always in top condition and that help is available when you need it, allowing you to focus on your astrophotography or stargazing experience.

Question 8

Anything else should I know?

Accepted Answer

To minimize the effects of light pollution from distant villages and obstructions from observatory walls, it is recommended to image targets that are at least 25 degrees above the horizon.

OMI Astro

HCRO-B1 DocTele. 12″ f/3.8

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