Anyone recommend a Skywatcher Synguider

[Pete D]

Does anyone have a Skywatcher Synguider. I have read some good and bad reviews about them. Can they pick out guide stars through a ST80 and how long guiding would I roughly be able to achieve. Like the idea of not using my laptop any comments would be appreciated, thanks.

[Rustysplit]

Hi Pete.

I have a synguider for the very reason you are looking at one, i.e. not having to have a laptop as part of the kit.

I use an ST80 as the guidescope and it picks out guide stars ok. The only thing I would say is that my ST80 is piggybacked to my 200p on a second dovetail bar and so is fixed. Some targets have no suitable star in the ST80's field of view, so the ability to move the guidescope would be useful. However, when a suitable star is located, the synguider works like a charm. Yes it is affected by passing clouds, but I suspect most guide cams are. If the sky is clear you can guide as long as you want.

Focus is the key to getting it working quickly. Follow the instructions for making a parfocal eyepiece, lock the ST80 focus down, and you can just set up and pop in the synguider and be guiding in about 5 mins!!

I am very pleased with mine, but am still learning the imaging side of things.

HTH

Alan

[Pete D]

Thanks Alan just what I wanted to hear. Does it need a extension tube to reach focus or does the diagonal if using one achieve it.

[Rustysplit]

Morning Pete

Yes, you will need to use either a diagonal or the barlow with lense removed to reach focus. Diagonal is my prefered way as it puts the screen on the synguider in a better position.

The temptation will be to rush through the focussing to start with to get going. I found this was a big mistake. Give yourself a bit of time to go through it slowly and get it right. Use the exposure and noise to control brightness levels and you wont go far wrong.

I know alot of people have bought them and sold them on very quickly,but I think you need to familiarize yourself with it's foibles and then it works a treat.

Alan

[manic_dave]

Can you use it as a camera?

[dazza1639]

I love my Synguider, I use it with an ST80 piggybacked on my NS8GPS using an ADM rail and guide scope rings, the skywatcher adjustable guide scope mount works great as well, with both of these you should be easily able to get a suitable guide star. As has been said above you will need some sort of extension tube to reach focus I use the diagonal that came with the ST80. Take your time setting up the parafocal eyepiece this is a godsend as if you can see a star in the centre of a 10mm eyepiece (again I use the one that came with the ST80) you will be able to guide on it and it should be near the centre of the sensor.

One problem that a few members of Salford Astronomical Society (@SalAstroSoc) have had trouble with is not setting the noise levels correctly resulting in the synguider not being able to pick up guide stars. Each exposure length has its own noise setting this can cancel out stars that the synguider thinks are noise or hot pixels. I've found that a setting of between 3 and 6 should be about right where as my synguider came with a default of 99. Best to experiment and find out what works best for you. I've managed to guide accurately on a 9th mag star with only 1 second exposures with my setup. The instructions say that 8th mag is the limit I can do this with less than 0.5sec exposures from heavely light pollouted salford.