Guide Camera

[Layor]

Hi All,

I've just bought an Atik 383L + filter wheel and FLO have kindly sent me an OAG to try. I was thinking of using a Phillips 900 as a guide camera, will it work or will I be better off getting something like a QHY5??

Cheers, Layor

[Stephen]

You may find it's not sensitive enough through an OAG : however I've never tried it myself.

[Layor]

Hi Stephen, thanks for the reply. I might just try it, once this rain clears!!, But is there one that you would recommend that is sensitive enough?

Layor

[Stephen]

Meade DSI-C

QHY5

Lodestar

Your mileage may vary

[Shibby]

I use an SPC900, but not with OAG. Anyhow, my tips are:

• Make sure you drop the frame rate right down, enabling you to fully increase the exposure.
  
• Set capture time to at least 1.5s
  
• Get decent focus, or the fainter stars will vanish
  

[Layor]

Thanks for that Lewis, I had seen somewhere that the fame rates had to be cut down. So I'll give it a try. If it doesn't succeed I can always get a dedicated camera!

Cheers, Colin.

[pete_l]

An OAG doesn't have a very large field of view - the mirror/prism has to be small so it doesn't impinge on the main camera's view. So with a small FoV you're usually limited to the fainter star as guiding candidates (or "jiggling" the scope's position to get a more favourable star in in the OAG view).

So generally the most sensitive guider cam. will give you the most choice. Out of the popular guider cameras that usually means a Lodestar.

[Layor]

Okay, thank you Pete, that is another one to bear in mind.

Cheers, colin.

[Earl]

The Mammut is well worth considering.

[Layor]

And another :laugh:

Colin.