Prospective kit for imaging

[Hitesh]

Food for thought though admittedly I did have a look at the Altair astro mini guider. Not heard much about the Orion one though

[Gib007]

Food for thought though admittedly I did have a look at the Altair astro mini guider. Not heard much about the Orion one though

The Orion Magnificent Autoguider Package is awesome. For about £300 you get the Orion StarShoot AutoGuider CCD camera and the Orion Mini 50mm Guidescope. The Guidescope fits any regular finderscope saddle and only weighs a bit more than a finderscope. With its focal length, its FOV is absolutely massive and no matter where you point it at the night sky, you always find numerous guide stars. The Orion StarShoot AutoGuider CCD camera is also excellent. Plugs straight into the guidescope, installs flawlessly, connects to the likes of PHD Guiding without a hitch and then works tremendously well over either ASCOM PulseGuiding or the regular ST4 AutoGuider Port.

The whole setup works astoundingly well and when you consider the price, the FOV you get, the ease of setting up, the flawless autoguiding performance and the sheer size (easy fits in an accessory case with my imaging CCD camera, filters, etc), it's a no-brainer. I'm glad I didn't invest in a larger 80mm refractor and guidescope rings. This setup is so much easier!

Once you get the focal point locked in, setting it up on your telescope and starting PHD Guiding's calibration sequence takes under 1 minute. Calibration tends to take about 3 minutes for me and so in under 5 minutes since bringing it all out of the accessory case, it's guiding flawlessly. Here's a tutorial I wrote on setting it up from the box and optimum PHD Guiding settings I found for it: http://lightvortexastronomy.blogspot.com/2013/03/tutorial-imaging-setting-up-orion.html

[nytecam]

Don't want to pour cold water on Steve's impressive list and correct me if I'm wrong, but don't recall a successful DSLR deepsky imager here in London on SGL - most have dark sites remote from towns. I'm 9ml from Piccadilly Circus and apart from severe LP I find gradiant across the image very obvious even with a small CCD sensor - this will be moreso with a huge APS sized sensor. And yes gradiant filters do work but within reason. As a result I chose to image small DSOs to a higher image scale, rather than large areas of the Milky Way via short focal lengths as commonplace on SGL, but it works for me.

[Hitesh]

Could you show me an example? I'm really worried about light pollution especially since wembley stadium is just around the corner

[nytecam]

Could you show me an example? I'm really worried about light pollution especially since wembley stadium is just around the corner

Steve - I too can see The Arch clearly but on my northern horizon There are links below to my DSO imaging but my work is unconventional by SGL standards eg very brief exposures with fast optics and more akin to video imaging. However I still await a DSLR DSO imager here in London to prove their route is possible

[dmahon]

It's chap does OK (and has a nice obsy build page).

http://www.wimbledonastro.com/

[nytecam]

It's chap does OK (and has a nice obsy build page). http://www.wimbledonastro.com/

Yes - did check his website above - he's a couple of miles north of me but no evidence he has used a DSLR for his imaging and only one image via his kit via CCD - the other image is off site so doesn't count in this context. He has some hi-grade scopes and mount.

Where are the DSLR deepsky imagers IN London?

[Hitesh]

hmmm DSLR imaging in London doesn't look good...........

[Naemeth]

Don't forget, you can do narrowband and that cuts right through light pollution. One of the advantages of Mono CCD...

[Hitesh]

hmmm narrowband is a possibility but that does increase cost substantially

[Hitesh]

I'm gonna invest in the Hutech light pollution filter and hopefully that will improve my results, if not i'll do planetry and lunar imaging until the CFO lets me invest in mono ccd and narrow band filters

[ollypenrice]

Unlike Steve I've never had any diff flexure using ST80s. I don't go anywhere near guide rings or pan tilt guide adjusters because you just don't need them. You'll always have a guide star. I bolt the scope down hard, make sure the ST80 back assembly is tightly screwed into the main tube and, for the Lodestar, I Araldited two de-lensed barlows together to make an extender. I tighten the focus lock down hard as well.

I'm sure the finder guider would be fine as an alternative. I have the Altair one though it isn't on a setup I use regularly. It seems fine to me.

The Lodestar is a stunningly good camera apart from those abominable little cables which do need careful management. Why they haven't sorted them out, given the bad press they've had, is beyond me. Telescope Service make a widget but you can make one yourself that steadies the cables as they enter the camera.

If I were to image from severe LP it would be CCD, monochrome and narrowband. I image from a very dark site and it's still CCD, monochrome and LRGB plus narrowband!

I think you have a good setup and one which should work. (No setup ever gets past 'should work' in this game!! 'Will work' is for optimists and dreamers!!!)

Olly

[Hitesh]

So olly would you recommend separate guide scope to finder guider setup?

[nmoushon]

A bit late to the party but I would throw my hat in with an Equinox ED80 over the standard SW ED80. The focuser is better and I get great sharp images with my 450D. I would also be biased towards a finderguider vs a guide scope. Main reason is its lighter and easier to setup and take down at night....and its cheaper. I did a DIY to my 9x50 to attach my QHY5-II and it works great. I easily get 5min and I'm sure if I took the time to mess with the settings and get a great PA then I got easily get 10min subs. Like you I live in pretty heavy LP...not as heavy as London but I have a LP filter and it helps a ton.

[ollypenrice]

So olly would you recommend separate guide scope to finder guider setup?

I don't think so. I just happen to have ST80s on two rigs and have no need to change them so I don't. I must admit that I think them more solid if bolted down hard but I've used the finder guider only a little (just through circumstances.) So, no, I think either would be fine.

Olly

[psemil]

If I am allowed I will say my opinion based on my experience.

I agree with Olly about the guider scope. I imaged with ST80 with guide rings, with a special barlowed finder guider (picture) and I had no problem with both of them. In the pursuit of lower weight system I finally decide to use OAG and since I never looked back. However I do have a very fast system (f/3.3) that allowed easy use of OAG.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-19Y7H9IoJx8/UOiyRBQ8bdI/AAAAAAAAIrI/Qz6BbWv9N0g/s912/IMG_1780.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-4pcmBKRhEKU/UOiyRVwDw1I/AAAAAAAAIrM/KGQzj8qKiRY/s912/IMG_1785.jpg

Guide camera - just buy Lodestar is miles better than any other competitor camera.

About using a DSLR (in mid London) for imaging, everything depends of your expectations. If you expect (in the future) apod quality pictures and you can support the hard work obtaining them, then only monocrome CCD is for you. Until buying a CCD you can use DSLR for imaging just to get know the system and the problem you have to deal.