Frequently Asked Questions

Equipment Guidelines

Shipping costs are covered by the owner. Insurance is strongly recommended.

Telescopes: No restrictions on brands or models, as long as they’re compatible with your setup.

Cameras: Any brand or model accepted.

Guide Cameras / OAG: No restrictions.

Computers: A mini PC (Intel NUC or similar) mounted on the telescope/pier is required.

Laptops may be accepted under certain conditions — contact us first.

ASIAIR, Pegasus, PrimaluceLabs, and similar systems are supported.

Power Supplies & USB Hubs: Accepted if tested and reliable. We can recommend stable models to avoid random disconnections.

Surveillance Cameras: You may install your own webcam (no infrared LEDs). We’ll configure it and provide credentials.

Shipping Instructions

Address: 5971 W Frontier Street, Amargosa Valley, NV 89020 (Nye County).

Important: Contact us before shipping. We cannot be responsible for packages sent without prior notice.

Courier Services: Use FedEx, UPS, or DHL. Pack carefully with foam, cardboard, or airbags. Loosen mount brakes before packing.

Best Practice: Use original boxes if available. Take photos of your packed equipment for records and insurance.

Installation Fees: Free installation. Uninstallation costs USD 350 during the first two years; free afterward.

Installation & Billing

Billing starts only when your setup is fully operational.

A standard setup includes:

Telescope, adapters, spacers

Filter wheel & filters (mono cameras)

OAG or guide scope with guide camera

Mount with counterweights

Mini PC or controller (ASIAIR, NUC, etc.)

Required cables & USB hub

Field rotator / flat panel (if used)

Screws, adapters, spacers

Send photos of your assembled setup for reference.

What Not to Send

Mount tripods, piers, or extension columns (unless requested).

Ethernet cables.

Cash (payments via bank transfer, Zelle, debit, or credit card only). Safety & Support

Facility equipped with 24/7 cameras, alarms, staff presence, redundant internet, and automated roof closures.

Structure withstands winds up to 150 mph; property is fenced.

Free 24/7 technical support, including collimation and basic maintenance. Issues resolved immediately or within 48 hours.

Insurance coverage

Our facility is equipped with multiple security cameras, a monitored alarm system, and on-site staff available 24/7. We operate with redundant internet systems to ensure continuous connectivity. The observatory roofs are equipped with automatic closure systems that activate in the event of high winds or the probability of rain, and can also be closed manually if necessary. The structure is engineered to withstand winds of up to 150 mph. The property is fully enclosed with perimeter fencing.

We take every possible measure to ensure that your equipment remains safe while hosted at our facility. However, in the unlikely event that all these safeguards fail, it is the customer’s responsibility to carry appropriate insurance coverage.

We strongly recommend that you obtain insurance for your setup. There are many available options, and while we prioritize the safety and protection of all equipment on-site, having insurance will provide you with additional peace of mind.

Reserving Your Pier

Deposits are fully refundable if you change your mind. The reservation deposit refund does not include taxes or bank fees.

Limited availability — reserve early.

Billing begins once you connect remotely for the first time.

Once the reservation is made, you have 3 months to send us your equipment. After those 3 months, if nothing has been shipped, Death Valley Observatories reserves the right to refund the reservation and cancel the pier assignment.

If you run into any issues and need more time, just contact us and we will evaluate your case.

Our installation time is typically between 1 and 10 days, unless your equipment arrives right around new moon. We will do everything possible to install and configure your setup as quickly as we can. We always ask that you assemble and test your setup before shipping it, to make sure no cables, spacers, power supplies, or other parts are missing.

During new moon nights, we do not perform polar alignments in order to avoid disturbing installed setups with lights. We can move forward with the assembly during the day, but if your telescope arrives during new moon week, you will likely need to wait until that week has passed for us to perform a precise polar alignment.

ASI AIR – Seestar

Only ASIAIR units with LAN connectivity are supported (PLUS and Pro versions).

Along with the ASIAIR, you’ll need to send a Raspberry Pi 4 (full kit, including power supply, heatsink, etc.) to enable remote connectivity. It’s the most cost-effective solution we’ve found to control these units remotely. Don’t worry about the setup—we’ll handle the configuration at the observatory.

Special Note on Celestron Mounts

Celestron mounts often lack features required for remote astrophotography. Contact us before shipping — we’ll do our best to accommodate, but acceptance is not guaranteed.

Regarding the complimentary technical support and installation

All technical maintenance at Death Valley Observatories is provided free of charge under the following conditions:

Initial installation and setup: 100% free of charge. This does not include hardware that was not shipped to us or hardware that has been damaged.
Collimation: One initial collimation is included at no cost. Collimation can then be checked once every two months. If you would like additional collimation checks more frequently, the fee is USD 50 per service.
Exception: If your telescope has been involved in an incident (for example, if it accidentally strikes the pier), we will inspect it at no charge unless the issue becomes repetitive, in which case it will be considered a personal configuration issue.
Polar alignment: The initial polar alignment is free, and the first follow-up check is also included. After that, one polar alignment check every two months is included. Additional checks are available for USD 50 each.
Cable replacements, power supply replacements, OAG focusing, and guide camera focusing: Included at no charge.
Rotators: We will help you initially determine your rotator’s zero position and rotation limits during one observing session. One follow-up review is included, and thereafter one review every two months is included.
Initial software configuration: Basic configuration of your mini PC or ASIAIR is included at no cost. We will leave your system successfully running a basic imaging sequence to verify that the initial configuration (polar alignment, coordinates, elevation, mount synchronization, focusing, etc.) is working correctly. Any additional software configuration or customization is the responsibility of the customer.

Examples of services that are not considered technical maintenance:

Learning how to use NINA.
Modifying the Advanced Sequencer.
Learning how to use PHD2.
Optimizing autofocus curves.
Changing Meridian Flip settings.
Recovering a system after attempting to slew to an object in the southern hemisphere that causes the system to hang. In these cases, we will restore the system the following day.