Attaching a guide scope to my Meade 127mm Refractor

[Interested]

Hi,

This might be a question for someone that has owned a Meade or other 127mm refractor?

I want to attach a guide scope, up to 80mm, to my Meade127mm & HEQ5 Pro mount but don't know what to buy to attach the 80 to the 127!

I assume guidescope rings but, will they attach directly to the rings that originally came with the 127mm, or will I need to change them?

I have looked online but can't find anything I can use to replace the rings on the 127mm to make it all work!

I will then be looking for a guide camera - thought about getting the synguider as that should plug directly into the mount (a better CCD camera will come later).

Many thanks in advance of any help given.

[vulcan]

Obviously, the guide scope has to be able to point in a slightly different direction from the main scope axis. There are two solutions. Check FLO for the ADM Guidescope Rings. These can piggy-back onto your main scope rings or you can use that with a side-by-side dovetail bar (also by ADM). The second solution is to use a pan and tilt head. I have seen one with fine screw adjustments but I don't know where to buy it.

[Psychobilly]

Never had to "move" my guidescope... if you dont have a sensitive guidecam or a slow guidescope then maybe you will need to ... My DSI's work fine on a 500mm f8 telephoto lens

[Merlin66]

You can usually use the dovetail which supports the guide scope to fit onto the top of the main scope rings.

The rings usually have a 1/4" tapped hole at the top, so you can use a 1/4" bolt to join them together (depending on the length of the second dovetail - you may need to drill a couple of "extra" holes.)

I'd recommend the ST80 as a guide scope. If you intend using a computer to control the imaging camera etc then think about a QHY5 guide camera - this can connect directly to the ST-4 guide port on your mount.

HTH

[Interested]

Thanks all,

Vulcan - I will certainly look at ADM guidescope rings to see if they have my solution (and see what else FLO has to offer).

Merlin - I have briefly looked at the QHY5, it's cheaper than the synguider as well. I haven't decided on the guidescope yet. I will look at the ST80 but might go for an Apochromatic as a '2nd' imaging scope. I am looking to upgrade my CCD camera as well. I have looked at the Opticstar DS-615C XL at about £1000. Not sure if I will go for a colour camera though, or a monochrome + filter wheel. With the QHY5/ST80 combination and DS-615C XL (+ guide rings ) that would be about my budget for guide scope/guider and CCD camera.

Still new to all of this but don't think the DSI II will give me the quality of imaging I would like (stands by for hoards defending the DSI II!).

[ollypenrice]

Guide rings, in my experience (like Psychobilly's) are expensive and unnecessary if you have a fast guidescope and sensitive camera. These latter, bolted down hard (not in bendy guide rings) are very likely to serve you well. If you allow for the ability to swing the 'bolted down' system left or right with respect to the imaging rig then your chances of not finding a guide star are nearly zilch. It hasn't happened to me in four years.

Also of note, fast guidescopes are, by their nature, short. They are not well supported by guide rings as a consequence...

I would just nail an ST80 down hard onto your 127.

Olly

[Interested]

Olly,

I obviously didn't understand Psychobilly's post (sorry Psycho - still all quite new to me!).

Will the ST80 bolt straight on to the Meade as supplied (both the Meade and ST80).

As for sensitive camera, would the QHY5 fit the bill - or have I got it all totally wrong?

Many thanks.

[Psychobilly]

Hi Pete.. Ol

ly expanded the thinking behind my initial post quite nicely...

My Megrez 72 sits in guide ring and rail setup on top of the CPC800 and a 500mmm f8 telephoto lens with a Meade DSI IIc sits on them in a custom mount I knocked up it has mininmal movement only to allow me to co-align it with the SCT - all 3 scopes are co-aligned.

The 500mm guider setup has a slow (f8) "scope" but a sensitive cam.. if you did go for it just so happens to have roughly the Same FOV as the SCT reducer to f6.3 with an APS-C sensor DSLR which means it also functions like an electronic finder...

I recently bought an ST-80 to use with a Synguider on the HEQ-5 setup...

Peter...

[ollypenrice]

I've just looked up my Oct 09 article in Astronomy Now about the Meade 127 to see how I did it. Very simple; I just put the guidescope (then a ZS66) on a Baader clamp, the kind designed to attach to a Vixen rail, and although the profile of the handle was not perfect it clamped on fine. Here's the clamp on the Baader site. http://www.baader-planetarium.de/sektion/s03/bilder/1530_gross.jpg

The QHY5 should be a great guide camera. The ST80 is a great guidescope and you can use the de-lensed Barlow as an extension tube. Check that the back of the scope is tight in the main tube.

Olly

[Interested]

Thank you Pete and Olly,

Between you, you have given me a few choices.

I could use the DSI II as a guide camera if I want to upgrade my imaging camera and I now know the ST80 + synguider will work together if I decide go that way and continue to use the DSI for imaging.

The Baader clamps look ideal for bolting on to the top of the meade rings that came with the 127 refractor (thanks for the pic Olly - paints a thousand words!).

I haven't had the opportunity to use kit I currently have much (weather + work) but, used it enough to know that guiding is the way to go.

Off to the girlfriend's this weekend. I'm really lucky there, she lives in a dark sky area (Mid-Wales) and is happy for me to pursue my new interest. She also takes little interest in the kit I am slowly getting together so doesn't ask the prices! Almost a perfect combination.....

Again, many thanks to all for taking time to reply to my question.