Guide scopes

[kid rok]

Hi all I was wondering how to mount a guide scope on to a orion optics 8 " newt and what I would need to do it

Thanks carl

[ollypenrice]

You could mount both scopes on a side-by-side plate or, if your tube rings have flats on the top, you can put on a rail spanning them both and mount your guidescope to that. There is no need for adjustable guide rings with a fast guidescope like the ST80 and a modern guide cam. These Baader clamps (top left) are incredibly useful and clamp onto Vixen Synta dovetail. http://www.baader-planetarium.de/sektion/s03/s03.htm

If you fancied a finder-guider it could go where your finder lives but being finderless in imaging is a pain.

Olly

[studio1one]

Hi,

you might want to read this thread of mine

http://stargazerslounge.com/beginners-help-advice/159546-advice-attaching-my-guidescope-my-main-scope-threadsize-please.html

[kid rok]

Brill just what I was after

[malc-c]

This is how I've attached mine

[ollypenrice]

Malcolm's system is what I'd go for, though I might add one of those Baader clamps between guide scope and rail. This enables you to slide the guide scope forwards and backwards to fine tune the Dec balance, something I find pretty useful. Sliding a big Newt in its rings is not ideal and, for whatever reason, I don't find the Dec balance totally consistent from night to night or in all directions on the sky.

Olly

[dmahon]

If you fancied a finder-guider it could go where your finder lives but being finderless in imaging is a pain.

Olly

Why does anyone need a finder?

Set up, polar align, move to target, take a picture & plate solve, align on plate solved coordinates, move mount to target again, check framing and go with imaging run.