Guiding conversion project for 200p and EQ5

[Stagman]

Thanks guys I had an intresting evening trying out the LVI again just for the hell of it. And after I had sorted the gears out yesterday and sussed that the 2x wont move the motor when the left ra button is pressed, I decided to try it on 4x and blow me if LVI went ahead and did the whole thing found the star adjusted exsposure and then calibrated its self moving all the motors and then finally started guiding. I hit the camera remote and took a 5 second sub but as exspected it was rubbish with lots of little sqigglys every where. So what the LVI guy said was right it wont work with this set up because it needs a lower gear speed fussy little swine that it is.

I then took a 5 minute sub unguided and it was much better still some movement but no where near as bad as the LVI effort.

Its all good fun though I quite enjoyed messing around with it and finding out what I could and could not do with it.

Any way Im pinning my hopes on PHD which I think will be much better.

I've still not been able to try my LVI out yet but looking forward to the fun Which version are you using.. MK1 or 2?

[Quatermass]

Well Stan Badger and Austin, I am of the opinion that having the mount on a pier despite the trees might be the best thing to do then I could run the cables into my shed and stay warm. It was really cold out there tonight, ok in the summer time I guess but the best time for stargazing is when it cold and winter time so this could be the way for me to go for the future.

Going from getting my first telescope then a year of learning the ropes of imaging and progressing onto guiding systems is all part of it I guess. I like the way we are all learning from each other as we're setting up our guiding systems. It's strange to think how computers have changed the way we all communicate and make it possible for us to share information and ideas.

I was watching a programme the other night called moon machines about the engineers that built the Saturn 5 rocket that took us to the moon, when I think what they managed to do with the technology back then, it really is amazing what the human race can do when they have the will power and determination to do it.

Its easy to take all that we have for granted today but I for one know we are really living in a privileged generation. A quick look at old astronomy books and the pictures they had compared to what we can do from our own back gardens really does show you how far we have come.

Cant wait for the Mars rover to land this august that is going to be so cool.

Any way let me know when your stuff arrives Austin cant wait to see what sort of results we get.

[Quatermass]

I've still not been able to try my LVI out yet but looking forward to the fun Which version are you using.. MK1 or 2?

Hi Stagman

Ive got the first version, Im sure you will be ok with your mount as you have the ability to shift down to a lower guiding speed. I believe that the LVI mark 2 has a lot more flexibility then the mark 1 version so it will be interesting to see how you get on with it. Its a shame you cant use the camera as an imaging camera though.

[Quatermass]

I love all the dedication and hard work going on in this thread.

Hats off to you guys!

:)Lets not forget the obsessive disorder and slight madness as well it all helps

[Stagman]

Hi Stagman

Ive got the first version, Im sure you will be ok with your mount as you have the ability to shift down to a lower guiding speed. I believe that the LVI mark 2 has a lot more flexibility then the mark 1 version so it will be interesting to see how you get on with it. Its a shame you cant use the camera as an imaging camera though.

Hi Quatermass

Thanks for the reply........ Hopefully this weekend I will be able to test it out. I know what you mean about the camera but it's portability I need and already have enough cameras for imaging

[Quatermass]

The portability is the very thing that attracted me to an auto guider system but it will have to wait until I get a better mount then the eq5. In the meantime I can learn the ropes of guiding from my garden shed which given how cold it is at the moment is a welcome retreat.

[Quatermass]

Managed to get myself a Logitech Quick Cam pro 4000 today my mate had one that he no longer uses, hoping it will run unders windows 7 though. Not bad for a free webcam I thought so if this works all I need is my adapter to come through the post and I will have all the bits I need

[The_PSY3NTIST]

I'm off to RVO for a neb at some new scopes they have in and depending on how daring I get I may end up leaving with the dual axis motors for this mod :s QM and Stan you are both a bad influence

[Quatermass]

he he bad but in a good way

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[The_PSY3NTIST]

Makes me feel better about it blaming someone else lol

Edited February 2, 2012 by The_PSY3NTIST

[Quatermass]

Blame Stan he started all this lol

[The_PSY3NTIST]

Returned advised against it although the guy had no experience with the mod. I await your subs.. Then maybe I'll take the plunge first time I have been in an astro shop and come out with the same amount of cash I went in with.. Must be something wrong with me.. They have some new RVO brand scopes in that looked good for the price but not too keen on the green colour (not that it matters in the dark) looking forward to your updates QM

[Quatermass]

I guess if I was a shop selling telescopes I would advice against it as well as its unknown territory and if I had the money the HEQ5 would be sitting in my shed right now. But on the other hand, I enjoy projects like this and I have squeezed every last drop out of my gear over the years in terms of its ability's and usage.

I have also seen images taken with much more expensive gear then mine that did not overly impress me.

Picking up the webcam tomorrow and have ordered an adapter for it so that's all my shopping done for now, just waiting for all the parts to arrive and then I can test it all out. Mean while Stan has his all set up so hoping he will post some more of his results for us soon.

What were the shop keepers reasons for advising against it ?

[The_PSY3NTIST]

Just accuracy.. But like I said he had not had experience of the mod. I'm intrigued as to what results are achievable. I've just seen some images on another thread that are unguided and they are outstanding! Not quite sure how they have managed them. Showed me that I have not got the best out of my gear yet by a long way.

[Quatermass]

All of my images up to now have been unguided but I need this guided set up for the fainter stuff you can do a great deal with short subs my Orion Nebula is 60x30 second subs. unguided

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[The_PSY3NTIST]

Now that's just showing off gorgeous image! Whats the secret? All I ever seem to get at 30s is a blur :s

[The_PSY3NTIST]

I need to take a few steps back I think.

[Quatermass]

I think looking back from my first attempt at this in dec 2010 it is a learning curve, understanding just what the limits of your gear is and how far you can push it. A good dark sky combined with that knowledge and processing skills. I have logged all my progress on my blog if you look at the start of it you can see just how much you learn as you go along.

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Edited February 2, 2012 by Quatermass

[The_PSY3NTIST]

I'll have a good read through it tomorrow. It's time to go and consume some real ales now. Cheers QM

[Quatermass]

ah lovely beer :beer:

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[stan26]

ummmm ale....Old tom happens to be a favourite of mine, although i will make do with "old crafty hen" tonight.....

Anyhoo, Great news on the 4000 pro QM, Lets hope its a SONY sensor version as well, that way those dim 6mag stars shouldn't be a problem. You'll need to take it apart to remove the lens so you might as well unscrew the lens holder part and take a peak to see what it is, put a pic up on here and Ill soon confirm the sensor type.

As for win7, well its not designed to run on anything later than vista, and logitech don't do any driver support for this model with win7 HOWEVER fear not it can be operated on win7 if you do as others have....see link......

quickcam pro 4000 driver? - Logitech Forums

Regards

Stan.

(p.s I'm am not responsible for any damage to equipment, any money considered wasted by partners, loss of sleep, stress, hair loss, breakdown in marriages, obsessions with flat graphs, a phobia for star trails or any other side effects/issues relating to guiding with a cheap mount and/or guiding in general) :D

[Quatermass]

mines a pint of IPA mate Im getting the cam tomorrow glad i can run it on win7 and cant wait to get it all set up. Have you done any more testing ? Soon as I get my hands on it I will post a piccy of the sensor inside for you.

Looks like we have gathered a fair bit of interest in these projects hope they will help others out as well.

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Edited February 2, 2012 by Quatermass

[stan26]

Have you done any more testing ?

Na, I gave up and went and brought an EQ6 pro...............

only joking, I haven't TBH mate, I never do any imaging when the moon is about and its not like we have had fully clear nights. Its a lot of effort to get the rig all set up only to have the clouds roll in as I fire up PHD. I'm just doing a bit of lunar/planetry obbs work for now untill our night time sun is well below the eastern horizon again.

Stan

Edited February 2, 2012 by stan26

[Quatermass]

For a minute there you had me going...

Phew.. EQ6 pro indeed...

I have been doing a bit of lunar observing as well while I wait for the parts I need to complete my set up and watching the Moon Machines series on sky about the engineers that built the rocket and module ect. Really fascinating make you understand just how much sweat blood and tears went into the apollo missions. I doubt if we will ever see the like of it again in our life times.

[1981suede]

Hi Stan and QM, I'm back on for the guide mod! as I mentioned I sold my eq5 mount for 200 the other day, I've just reserved a rig on AstrobuyandSell, and I think I've got a pretty good deal black HEQ5 with f/5 200p plus electric focuser 50mm finder plus red dot and OTA carry case all for 420 pounds! I pick it up after work tomorrow, only about a 2 hour drive which isn't bad with the black HEQ5 I can do the st4 mod and add an ST80 guide scope and I recken the HEQ5 can take that? So my upgrade as cost me 220 pounds and I still have my Antares 80mm frac. Another option would be to sell my Antares and the 200p and this would pay for most of an ED80 I recken, any ideas? oh yes, I like your diagragm Stan you certainly put the effort in on this site

You git! I was second in line for that bargain was a cracking deal, was eating lunch when it copped up and I missed it