Guide scopes. Does a fair small and light for an astrotrac exist???

[garethmob]

Im looking ahead as I'm hoping a recent purchase will help but does a really light and small guide scope exist? I'll be honest I'm not using long focal lengths at (200mm) but can I use say a finder scope with a synguider or the other brand?

I guess I'm limited currently to 3kg with a 1100d a 130mm prime and the finder with guider.

Any help or experience greatly appreacited:)

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[Tom123]

I use a 8 x 50 skywatcher finderscope with DMK cam (you'll need an adapter from Modern Astronomy) and PhD as my guidescope system for my 120ED (F6.4 with the reducer). Works great for me as I only use a HEQ5 pro mount so I'm probably reaching it's load capacity. But I've been getting 10mins subs with few problems (wind, cloud, technological glitches aside)

[ollypenrice]

I'd have thought a finder guider would be ideal assuming you have the guidable Astrtrac.

Olly

[pete_l]

The important thing about using a finder to guide is to make sure that the attachment to the main scope is ROCK SOLID.

With a guide-cam, the load on the finder and it's support is greater than it was designed for (i.e. just an eye piece). Plus, finders sometimes aren't that well constructed as they're just meant to get you close to the target. So it's worthwhile giving everything a good shakedown and making sure there's no differential movement between what the main scope points to and what the finder is seeing.

[garethmob]

Thanks guys . I have the auto guiding AT model:). I was thinking of a guider with something like a synguider on the other model FLO sells (can't think of it now) I was going to use a side by side bar for the camera and finder would this work or hotshoe it?

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[Psychobilly]

I found the synguider to be pretty much useless in a finderguider setup... I can't comment on the other standalone guiders as I haven't used them...

I dont think that trying to mount the finderguider via the hotshoe would be anywhere near solid enough...

Peter...

[AndyUK]

Hi Gareth - I used to own a Synguider, with the intention of using it through a finderscope as I was trying to not only save weight but also didn't want to use a laptop for capture or guiding (I used a 40D at the time). As I was using a 9x50 finderscope (210mm FL), the first challenge was finding an adapter which would fit into the finderscope and accept the Synguider nosepiece. I did bodge something up, but then the next challenge was getting the Synguider to focus using the finderscope helical focuser...

I found that the one KEY thing with getting my Synguider to work well was getting good focus, and I have to say I found it VERY tricky finding the focus point (well, I failed). I ended up with a piggyback setup using the Synguider through an ST102, and I have to say that, differential flexure aside , it worked pretty well. Due to that flexure though, I subsequently gave up and went back to the finderguider, but had to replace the Synguider with a "traditional-style" guide camera attached to a PC.

I believe that some people have managed to achieve focus with a Synguider/finderscope setup so obviously with perseverance it CAN work, but my advice would be the same as Tom - A "traditional-style" guide camera attached to a PC running something like PHD. As I don't own an astrotrac, I can't really advise on the best way of attaching the finderscope, but Pete's absolutely spot on with the advise on trying to minimise differential flexure (it's currently the bane of my life ). If you can SECURELY attach the finderscope into the hotshoe then it's certainly an option, but you may find using a dual mount bar with the finderguider attached to a dovetail on one side and a lens/camera on the other side may be more secure

[steppenwolf]

A firmly attached finderscope would work well for you but I'd avoid using the Synguider. The latter does work well in the right conditions - I have the images to prove it - but it is nowhere near as usable as a standard autoguider like the QHY5 and PHD. Assuming that you have the guidable Astrotrac and can attach the finder firmly, this would be a neat solution.

[ollypenrice]

I haven't tried a standalone but when the forums are roundly divided between the 'ayes' and the 'nayes,' as is the case with these guiders, then Steve's observation above makes perfect sense. I prefer to go for gear for which there is near unanimous approval. I also tend to avoid 'all eggs in one basket' solutions, and I like gear that still works even when I'm too dim to have fathomed out how top use it perfectly.

Olly

[garethmob]

hey guys, for some reason im not getting emails for subscribed threads :S

anywhoo

i can understand the problem of the focus! the main reason is with the DSLR, widefield, and astrotrac i want it to be as portable as possiable (to a certain degree) as i do use a AZ3 for the "wedge" and fair play it works really well and i think allows me a bit more stirdyness (to a similar level as the AT piller)

this is the other guider i was considering.....http://www.firstlightoptics.com/guide-cameras/starlight-xpress-costar-cmos-autoguider.html

i can see what you mean olly! the logic ness (as an addition to what i said above) im looking at say a guider for £270.... which does what i want instead of a netbook £270, QHY 150... but the whole all eggs in one basket sometimes dosnt work (as most cars with electronics, iv got a mercedes, but the old school "rattle the diesel engine till warmed up" design where a different merc pulled into the garage next to me yesterday where it had a sensor to make sure the sensor worked which was controling the other sensor which worked out the position of the accellerator sensors position which was faulty.

thanks for all the help and advice guys

[Psychobilly]

With the Synguider as a finder guider the only star I managed to get a lock on was Vega...that was using the finder off my CPC800 ...

It only came to life when I used it with an ST80....

Peter...

[garethmob]

And a st80 is a little too big for what I want. Can u imagine the scene.... Taking images with a old battered 135mm camera lens while guiding with a massive (compared to the camera n lens) st80:P

Has any one tried the starlight one I can't find much details about it only that it exists

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