Good guide camera

[GyCx]

Good guide camera for about £100 does it exist? advise welcome.

Im using a ST80 as a guide scope. I have been advised not to use webcams due to sensitivity is this correct?

Many thanks.

[steppenwolf]

I have been advised not to use webcams due to sensitivity is this correct?

The problem with unmodified webcams is that their slowest exposure length is about 1/25th second which is too slow to capture sufficient star detail.

[nmoushon]

Thats correct....kind of. You might be able to get away with a web cam on the ST80 but you would be limiting yourself for sure. For that price I would look for a second hand QHY5. Or possibly save up a little and get a new QHY5-II. Either would work great with the ST80.

[NickK]

Main thing is that you'll probably only want a frame rate of 1-3 seconds for mount guide correction. Any faster and the mount will be jittering - unless you're running active optics.

Have a look at a second hand/used CCD - that's another option.

[GyCx]

Would the Opticstar PL 130m be worthwhile or should I hold out for a QHY5?

[zicklurky]

I've just been weighing my options as well, and eventually settled on a QHY5L-II mono, for a bit over £200. I couldn't find much cheaper, I couldn't find anything on the second hand market.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[rob0971]

That's the same camera that I have decided on also. Seems to be a popular choice especially with a ST80.

[r3i]

Another camera that is worth looking out for on the secondhand market is the Meade DSI.