Question about guiding

[Raga]

Hi guys.

I was just wondering if a guide scope is essential in ap?

Im a total noob and have just ordered "Making every photon count" from FLO, and this question is most likely answered in there but until it arrives please let me pick your brains.

The set up I'm saving for is heq5 pro goto with SW 150p-ds.

Also as this set up leans more to AP than visual, what EP's would I need to get better/clearer visuals looking at DSO's as I assume the standard ones that come with the scope will be suffice for planetary observations.

Would this set up require a guide scope for good images?

So many questions I know

Sorry

Thanks for any replies

Stephen

[steppenwolf]

Sooner or later, Stephen, you will want to autoguide as this is a necessity to ensure well formed stars in long exposure images. A guide 'scope is not the only player on the block though so give this some careful thought before you order autoguiding kit. A guide 'scope is the simplest choice to implement although a finder-guider is becoming a popular choice for imaging focal lengths of less than 1000mm. You can certainly take some great images unguided so there is no immediate hurry, but to progress, you do need to head towards guiding in the mid-term.

[Raga]

Hi Steppenwolf and thanks for the reply.

What is the difference between a guide scope and a finder-guider?

if the finder-guider finds it first and then locks onto it for the guiding, will the goto on the heq5 pro not do the same job if a guide scope is fitted too? Or will it all need to be hooked up to my laptop with some software?

sorry for all the questions but it is very confusing lol

[Cornelius Varley]

A finder-guider is simply a finderscope that has been modified into a guide scope. The eyepiece is removed and replaced with an adapter to allow a suitable camera to be attached to it. A guide scope tends to be bigger than a finder-guider, usually a 80/400 refractor or similar whereas a finder-guider is based on a 50x8 finderscope.

[steppenwolf]

Sorry, I should have explained this term better. A finderscope is supplied with most telescopes and it is simply a small, low magnification miniature telescope aligned with the main telescope that is used to help you 'find' objects easily - you then observe the object you have found through the main telescope itself. However, as the finderscope is a little telescope in its own right, many imagers have started attaching guide cameras to them to convert them to 'guide telescopes' - hence the expression finder-guider. A finder-guider is, therefore, a very small lightweight guidescope! Here is an image of one that I use:-

[Raga]

Ah. Now I get you. Thank you both for the info.

The more I learn about all of this the more I love it and the more I want to learn.

This is a fantastic and fascinating community.

Cheers again

Stephen