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Tracking equipment


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Hi all,

I'm still pretty much a beginner although I've been here a while, as I've had so few opportunities to get out of the city with my scope this year (mainly due to weather!).

My question is about piggybacking a tracking/guiding scope to my main tube. I have a Skywatcher Explorer 200PDS and an EQ5 Synscan Goto.

I know I'm on the limit of what I can use for astro photography so would appreciate any tips for a lightwight solution. I want to use some kind of electronic tracking.

Although my experience is limited, I need to get this kit now, rather than wait until I have gained more experience, as I expect not to be able to afford it in the near future.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

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Hi Mark, I too am just starting to look at guiding and have been reading some interesting post about using your main tubes finder scope as a tracking scope. I am currently looking in to how to achieve this.

I'm sure others on here will give you better/clearer advice.

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The little 'finder guider' option is one possibility. The other is the Off Axis Guider, a device which steals a tiny bit of (unused) light from your main scope and aims this onto the chip of your guide camera. This is the lightest solution but not, perhaps, the simplest since it takes a bit of setting up, though once set up it can be left in the same configuration.

FInder guiders are available ready to go or can be improvised from some existing guidescopes. Adding an 80mm guidescope might overtax your mount though in fact the ST80 is very light. http://www.firstlightoptics.com/startravel/skywatcher-startravel-80-ota.html

One thing you often see in the shops are adjustable guidescope rings. You don't need them. Modern guide cameras will find a star every time. (Famous last words!!)

Olly

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One thing you often see in the shops are adjustable guidescope rings. You don't need them. Modern guide cameras will find a star every time. (Famous last words!!)

Olly

My Opticstar AG-130M COOLAIR sometimes struggles through the ST80

http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astronomy/Astro-Imagers-Opticstar.asp?p=0_10_0_50_71

Maybe I'm doing something wrong?

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