Guidescope focus tips

[mbalkham]

First go with the new Orion Awesome Autoguider and starshoot camera last night.  I struggled to get focused properly (trying to use PHD).  Keen to hear any tips people have. Do people use other software to help focus the guidescope? How about masks or other methods?

Thanks in advance

[Tinker1947]

I just get it as close as i can, the ST-80 i use doesn't have that good a focuser, the stars don't need to be pin sharp....

[Leveye]

I just slightly de-focus my guide scope. It makes the stars just slightly larger and PHD can grab onto the smaller and dimmer ones better. Give it a try.

[Davey-T]

As above I use ST80 and PHD isn't too fussed with perfect focus (thank goodness) I also use an OAG and that produces little banana shaped stars which doesn't bother PHD either.

Dave

[Geordie mc]

As stated, slightly out of focus is usually fine. I use a bahtinov mask for visual work and focusmax software (free) for îmaging, but only on the main scope.

[lensman57]

First go with the new Orion Awesome Autoguider and starshoot camera last night.  I struggled to get focused properly (trying to use PHD).  Keen to hear any tips people have. Do people use other software to help focus the guidescope? How about masks or other methods?

Thanks in advance

Guide scope focus is not critical, if anything Phd seems to work better with a slightly Defocused star as the centroid is not saturated. As long as you do not have doughnuts instead of the stars then you should be fine with just a close to focus position..

A.G