CCD Guiding help

[barkis]

It's me again with the questions, question, always with the questions.

I have a Starlight Express MX916 mono CCD camera, and I know that it has the Sony Interlne something or other, that allows you to guide from the same chip, but at the expense of your target image requiring double exposure time. To utilize this requires the Star 2000 Software.

The camera has the USB2 Interface, which has a connecter on the side to take another camera. Possibly a guide camera.

I have the chance of a guide camera which I hope will be compatible. My question is. Can I put the guide camera on to my ED80, my MX916 on to my Meade scope, with Focal Reducer of course, and using Maxim CCD, be able to image and guide, and thereby do away with the need for Star2000.

I hope I have explained that OK. My reason is simply that I would rather have the 916 chip doing all the imaging, and not share the pixels for guiding purpose. I do hope I am making sense here. I am ready for a lesson.

Ron.

[Jamie]

In a word YES

Like you say as long as the guide camera is compatable...

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

You can guide with just a webcam Ron. (might be cheaper?) Get the paid for K3CCD, or PHD guiding (free) or use whatever you have. The guiding stuff runs seperately to the imaging stuff on mine anyway. I don't know if you can use Maxim to simultaneously guide and image, but I wouldn't be surprised as that's what its designed for.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[barkis]

In a word YES

Like you say as long as the guide camera is compatable...

Blimey Jamie, you're on the ball.

Yep, they are both MX, so I guess they should match.

Thanks a lot.

[barkis]

You can guide with just a webcam Ron. (might be cheaper?) Get the paid for K3CCD, or PHD guiding (free) or use whatever you have. The guiding stuff runs seperately to the imaging stuff on mine anyway. I don't know if you can use Maxim to simultaneously guide and image, but I wouldn't be surprised as that's what its designed for.

Kaptain Klevtsov

Well, KK, I think you may have saved me money here. I don't know what I am thinking of. I have a Meade DSI, so that should do the job, is that right?. I have a Logitech Fusion I modded for imaging too, so I have overkill now I think.

Cheers mate.

[centroid]

Ron

I think you'll find that the 'guide socket' will only work with the Starlight Express 'Guide Head'. Not 100% on this, but worth checking before you go plugging alternatives into the 916.

To the rest of your question, as Jamie has said, the answer is "yes"

If you have Maxim CCD already, then it will make an excellent job of the guiding. If you haven't got it, then think twice, before you pay out the inflated price of Maxim DL. There are other cheaper alternatives, and as KK says, even free one's like PHD.

BTW, Star2000 guiding does work, I used it with the MX7C, but it does make imaging a bit 'long winded'.

Dave

Dave

[barkis]

Ron

I think you'll find that the 'guide socket' will only work with the Starlight Express 'Guide Head'. Not 100% on this, but worth checking before you go plugging alternatives into the 916.

To the rest of your question, as Jamie has said, the answer is "yes"

If you have Maxim CCD already, then it will make an excellent job of the guiding. If you haven't got it, then think twice, before you pay out the inflated price of Maxim DL. There are other cheaper alternatives, and as KK says, even free one's like PHD.

BTW, Star2000 guiding does work, I used it with the MX7C, but it does make imaging a bit 'long winded'.

Dave

Dave

[/quote OK dave, I appreciate the information, but if I could clarify things a bit. You say the Star does a good job of guiding, and I would not doubt that. The USB2 Device that came with the 916 camera, has a connector on the side of it, that would appear to be for a seperate guide camera. That connector would not have a use, if I was going to use the guiding function of the 916 itself. So I am assuming then, that the 916 guiding would be ignored if a seperate camera is in the system. It is a proper SX Guiding head I will be using by the way. That will plug into the APM909 of the Meade. I hope I have explained this well enough for you to understand what I am trying to say.

I probably will be using the Maxim CCD Software to both guide and image. When I get my head around it all that is.

Thanks. Ron.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Just to clarify, the guide webcam or whatever can plug into the USB, it doesn't need to plug into the imaging camera socket at all.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[barkis]

Just to clarify, the guide webcam or whatever can plug into the USB, it doesn't need to plug into the imaging camera socket at all.

Kaptain Klevtsov

So, KK, I have a USB 2 Device that has to be plugged into my Laptop, and imaging camera. The device also has a RJ Guide socket which I connect via a cable to the guide port on the Meade. I can then attach a Meade DSI Camera to my ED80, and plug that into another USB port on the Laptop. Configure these in the software I use, and the pulse signals wil get to The Meade motors when required, via the USB cable, and thence through the RJ guide cable. Is that sequence plausible?, and more importantly, will it work.

Cheers mate, my brain is starting to seize up.

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

It certainly might work. If the imaging camera kit will let Maxim (or whatever) talk through the leads to the mount then you're laughing.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[centroid]

Sounds about right to me Ron.

To compare:

I have a DSI (guide cam) attached to my ED80. This is connected to my PC via a usb cable.

I have an SXVF-H9C (imaging cam) attached to my LX200GPS.This is connected to my PC via a usb cable.

I have cable with RJ connectors that connects one of the RS232 serial ports on the LX200GPS to a Serial port on the PC.

The software, in my case AA4, and your case Maxim, controls both cameras, captures the image from the H9C and the image from the DSI.

The image (a guide star) from the DSI is monitored by the software, and correction pulses are sent to the LX200GPS, to keep the guide star centered.

Depending on what software, and the way its configured, decides whether you use the Meade 'guider port', or one of the RS232 inputs.

Dave

[barkis]

Well, that just about ties is up for me gents. I really appreciate your help on this. I have the foundations for my roll off roofed Observatory completed, and delivery of the Ob. itself will be after my London Annual pilgrimage. So I can go away with a light heart now I know I have a good chance of making it all work. I know there is a bit of work to do yet, but it's comforting to know that any help I might need is available from you guys. I thank you again, not just for me, but for all the others like me who might find the going tough without you all.

Cheers Ron.

[jonifive]

Ron said

I have the foundations for my roll off roofed Observatory completed,

Are you buying a skyshed...or making your own? I really have the urge to butcher a B&Q 6x4. I look forward to seeing this one Ron.

JV