Autoguider?

[Gullsrock]

I have never considered astro imaging before but having just purchased a new C9.25 and NEQ6 I would like to try my hand initially at some planets eventually leading on to deeper objects. I am thinking of starting with a coloured unit from Image Source Cameras. Do I need an autoguider from the start? And later will this unit serve as an autoguider?

thanks

Gullsrock

[Cornelius Varley]

You won't need an autoguider for planetary or lunar imaging, just DSOs.

Peter

[Gullsrock]

Thanks Peter

Do you think this is a good camera to start with and can it be used as a guider later?

regards

Rob

[Freddie]

I use my DBK21 on my CPC for planetary and then as the guide cam when using my MN190. Never had a problem.

[Gullsrock]

thanks Freddie - I like the look of the MN190!

To be honest I'm not sure how an auto guider works? Why doesn't the image camera also act as its own guider?

[Cornelius Varley]

Guide cameras require short exposures and imaging cameras require long exposures.

Peter

[ollypenrice]

SX did try a self guiding option but it had an assortement of issues which meant it didn't catch on. You need to downoad information from a part of the image (the bit with the guidestar in it) fast and often. There is no way to do this while still exposing the main image over long subs.

I'm a great fan of the Imaging Source cameras since buying a second hand DMK21 for the sun. It is a really solid bit of industrial quality kit. Never tried guiding with it, though.

Olly

[Gullsrock]

Thanks

I can see the need for a second unit as a guide now

Rob

[Freddie]

The IS cameras are probably a bit of overkill for a guide cam but saves a bit of money if you want to have just the one cam that can be used for both. There are lower cost guide cams available but would not be quite as good at planetary imaging.

[Gullsrock]

Thanks again Freddie

So I may be best aiming for a reasonable mid range IS that I can initially use as stand alone for planetary imaging and then later buy a cheaper guide camera enabling me to use the same IS for deep space objects?

Rob

[themos]

You should think carefully about buying a mono IS camera, for planetary, guiding and DSO work. They are more sensitive and offer more resolution. The downside is that they require separate filters and a filter wheel but since the rest of your kit is quite high-end, that should fit quite nicely.

[themos]

Btw, if the Fuji engineers decided to produce an astro version of their SuperCCD sensor, all the imagers would be overjoyed. This design has small pixels interspersed with larger pixels and if they could be read out separately you'd have a guide sensor embedded in the imaging sensor, bliss.

[Freddie]

I wouldn't plan to use the IS for DSO if I were you. They have a tiny chip and hence FOV (especially the 21) so not many DSOs will fit in the FOV, even with a .3 reducer.

My thoughts would be a colour IS camera which you can use on your 925 for planetary (as you suggest in your initial post) and then when you are ready to move to DSO you can use the IS as your guide cam but will need a different cam for the DSO image. This cam could then be either DSLR or CCD.

[Freddie]

Oh and you will get issues with amp glow with exposures much over 90 sec.

[Gullsrock]

Thanks guys. A little over my head to start with but I think I get the basics. I'll do a bit more reading before making a final choice