FS [USA x 48] - iOptron Skytracker 3302W

Heya,

I have for sale a great condition iOptron Skytracker 3302W tracking mount. I recently sent it to iOptron to be serviced to make sure it was proper and then used it to ensure it was still doing what it was supposed to do 2 nights ago (7/6/16) to be able to show an example of what it does. It will have the polar scope with intact reticle, it's padded carrying pouch, battery door, all bolts & knobs present, working and in good shape, nothing striped or loose. Compass and LED all proper and working. Overall shape of the unit is very good condition. This is the latest version that can handle 7.7lb pay loads (this gives you plenty of room for a good sturdy ballhead, your dSLR and lenses like 200mm without breaking a sweat). With good alignment, I get 4 minute exposures with a 35mm on APS-C and can get 90 second exposures on 180mm on APS-C. You can probably do better, with better alignment. This installs directly on to the top of your tripod, then attach the ballhead to the unit's surface. The mount on the unit has a reversible threaded bolt for 1/4th inch & 3/8th inch so that you can install standard mounts or straight to camera (suggest you install a ballhead!). This mount sells $299 new on Amazon, $250 used commonly. Check below for my price!

I am the original owner, bought off Amazon in Feb of 2014.

iOptron service is top notch, even out of warranty they service units without question for just the shipping fee. I recently sent it in to be serviced and checked up and it only cost me $15, no labor fee. Great customer support team if you care about that.

To use it and set it up is simple (assuming Norther hemisphere location in the USA):

1. Face it approximately North via the compass on top of the unit while the unit is set at zero degrees latitude.
2. Adjust latitude to your location with the front adjustment knob (example, 28 degrees for my location in Florida).
3. Look through polar finder scope and you should see Polaris some where in the field of view.
4. Adjust unit left/right and latitude until Polaris is in the reticle's map (power the unit on to get red LED illumination of reticle).
5. Put on your ballhead. I remove the polar scope at this stage so that it doesn't restrict any movement of a big camera & lens on a ballhead, just in case.
6. Attach your camera and face it to the object you want to image.
7. Do your imaging.

Note, I recommend you use an external battery source. This unit can run for several hours on four AA batteries and I used to do that, but it is annoying to get into the battery cubby on the back and to install them and put the battery holder back into the mount and close the door. I instead moved to using a Talentcell 6 aH battery set that lasts for days and days of imaging for only $30, it has a 12V output with a charge indicator so you know how much power you have, and you simply use a male 2.1 to male 2.1 DC cable. You don't have to do this. You can just put batteries in it yourself of course. I simply recommend this after having done it a long time, that it's just so much easier to deal with and I never sweat changing batteries or wondering how much juice is left.

Here is my original thread reviewing and showing how it works with other people also using it and showing their images:

https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1364849

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Item for Sale: iOptron Skytracker 3302W (White), Latest version that can take 7.7lb.

Approximate age of item: 2 years. I'm the original owner and bought from Amazon.

Item Condition: 9/10 condition cosmetically and 10/10 working condition.

Sale Includes: iOptron Skytracker 3302W, Polar Finder Scope, All knobs/screws/bolts/doo​rs, Carrying Pouch

Price: $220 shipped & paypaled to continental 48 United States.

Payments Accepted: Payapl

Shipping Available To: Continental 48 United States.

Item location: Florida

Best Contact Method: This thread or PM

Feedback: I'm in the feedback thread, search me up if you want to check, I buy/sell often and I'm a regular member here.

Reason for selling: This was my venture into long exposure night photography of the heavens, and it really appeals to me, so I went deeper and got an Orion Sirius tracker. While I would love to keep both, I only need one tracker, and the funds will go towards a CCD camera.

Pictures:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/JPc4​e6

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/JPc6​24

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/JPc5​ve

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/HUsH​18

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/JL7D​9P

Bump a lump dee hump.

too bad i couldn't use one of my battery packs for my CL-360 barebulb.

I'm leaving in a couple weeks to go out west texas for a week. Would be really good to have this

Talley wrote in post #18064791
too bad i couldn't use one of my battery packs for my CL-360 barebulb.

I'm leaving in a couple weeks to go out west texas for a week. Would be really good to have this

It takes 4 AA batteries. The external battery option is just an added option that I use. 4 AA batteries last for hours and hours. I just found fooling with batteries more of a chore than an external solution that I use for several things as it is.

Very best,

Hi Martin.
So when aligning the sky tracker, polaris only has to be in the field of view through the retical?

Hello,

How well will it take a longer lens, like a 100-400vII or a 300f4 for example?

Thanks,

ptcanon3ti wrote in post #18064963
Hi Martin.
So when aligning the sky tracker, polaris only has to be in the field of view through the retical?

Heya,

So there are levels of accuracy, that only matter for longer and longer exposure duration and/or with longer focal lengths. With a wide angle, you literally don't even need to do the alignment and can get 4 minutes easy (as in, just point it roughly North, adjust it to your latitude, and you're done, don't even need to look at Polaris or worry about whether you're aligning or not, due to the wide angle). The longer your focal length and/or the longer your exposure times, the more accurate your alignment will need to be.

The reticle has a map of Polaris, which involves it being either in the center, or near the center, and then a more accurate pathway which is the area in which it orbits around the center (which is the most accurate). As long as Polaris is roughly within the reticle area, you will be aligned enough for 1~2 minute exposures without even thinking about it, with focal lengths around 35mm on APS-C (or 50mm on full frame roughly). To get longer exposure and/or use longer focal lengths with those longer exposures, you need to be a little more precise with alignment, which would be to place Polaris in the correct orbit pathway based on time & date in the circular pathway in the reticle (which is not in the dead center, but rather, Polaris orbits the center). Align at that level, and you'll get very accurate results that allow for very long exposure time and tolerant of longer focal lengths.

Very best,

gorben wrote in post #18065004
Hello,

How well will it take a longer lens, like a 100-400vII or a 300f4 for example?

Thanks,

Heya,

In my thread, you'll note a member using their Tamron 150-600 at 600mm. With precise alignment, and within the weight tolerance limit, you can get away with 7 lb payloads and long focal lengths. I was able to get 90 seconds without even doing a proper alignment with a 180mm F3.5 lens on APS-C. The 300 F4 would be totally fine on it with it's weight & speed, with a little TLC given to doing a proper polar alignment. The 100-400II would also work, with attention given to doing a proper polar alignment, but you'll stress the system at 400mm, F5.6 (slow, forcing a long, long exposure time) without a really good polar alignment. It can totally work mind, but we're talking about a long slow lens on a system really designed for wider field capture. But again, look at my thread and see some of the work other members are doing with their iOptron, again, one of them works at 600mm which is really impressive as it requires really good polar alignment. I would recommend someone stay at 200mm or less starting out, until they really master polar alignment. And if you're shooting ultrawide or wide angle, you can absolutely do long exposure without even doing the polar alignment at all, literally just point it North and set the latitude and you're good to go for several minutes with a wide angle.

Very best,

Do you recommend a leveling base with this?

I think leveling base is not required as long as the tracker is aligned through the polar scope. Someone can correct me if I am wrong.

Talley wrote in post #18065703
Do you recommend a leveling base with this?

A leveling base isn't needed. It's not needed even for a G-EQ mount either. A leveling base is important for something that is doing terrestrial panos for example. Equitorial mounts like these, they align to the poles, and rotate at the same rate as the Earth's spin. A leveling base doesn't do anything for that. It does help to make sure your tripod is level of course, but a base is not needed at all, as long as it's relatively level to the ground, and aligned, it's good to go.

Very best,

Still available currently.

Very best,

Needs a good home!

Very best,

Best time of year for the Milky Way in the N. Hemisphere for early evening galactic core and tons of nebula in there.

This will help!

Very best,

PM'd you