orion starshoot pro? or lodestar autoguider

[adamphillips]

anyone notice that orion just released an upgraded version of their starshoot autoguider? anyone have any experience with it.

ive been putting off an autoguider for a while since I can get pretty decent 1 to 2 minute subs with my CGEM DX mount.

everyone seems to have the lodestar, im sure its awesome. but its so expensive. is it really worth it?

I do my imaging with the edge 11hd at 2800 mm FL, so I probably should get a good one.

also it sounds like the OAG is the better way to go rather than a guidescope which is fine with me, a lot cheaper and less to set up. I haven't even looked around at those besides orions basic ones, is there particular good ones or will they be pretty much the same?

to me the new starshoot looked pretty tempting, its also monochrome and they say its good for planetary imaging which I haven't even done yet. but it has a frame rate of up to 200 FPS. im not sure if the lodestar can even do video.

any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[ChrisLX200]

The Lodestar is popular due to its high sensitivity, which means it can guide on the faintest stars. This is particularly important to OAG users because the chunk of light available via the pick-off prism is less than that from a guidescope. If you're using a guidescope then the QHY5-II is more than adequate - and it makes for a pretty good planetary cam too. In most cases you might well also have success with a QHY5-II in an OAG but at times you may have to fish around for a suitably bright guidestar. The newer Loadstar X2 is twice as sensitive as the older model so that makes it even better for OAG usage, but it adds little improvement if using a guidescope.

ChrisH

[adamphillips]

thanks for telling me about that QHY5

it looks pretty similar to that new starshoot pro but even a little cheaper, ill have to check out the specs on the sensor to see which one is better.

I think ill probably try one of those with an OAG and if it doesn't work I could always hook it up to my 9x50 finderscope. I know It could find stars in there. but that finderscope might not even deliver the best results trying to guide at 2800 mm.

[Merlin66]

I use a Lodestar, AstroArtV5 to guide my spectroscope (20 micron slit gap) on the C11 at f10.

No issues, no drama - it just does the job!

[adamphillips]

I don't know what you mean by spectroscope (20 micron slit gap)

looks like Egyptian hieroglyphics to me.

is that the 9x50 finderscope it comes with or a different guidescope?

ill google it now

[Merlin66]

Adam,

I don't do astrophotography any more, but concentrate on taking spectra of the stars etc.

My spectroscope (Spectra-L200) which is mounted on the rear of the C11, has a narrow entrance "slit gap" approx. 20 micron wide, on which the image of the star must be focused and held in position. After MANY minutes exposure I can build up an image of the star spectrum for analysis.

We have a spreadsheet (SimSpecV4) which allows you to calculate the size of the star image with any telescope...drop me a PM for a copy.

This requires a more rigorous approach to guiding than AP.

http://www.jtwastronomy.com/products/spectroscopymain.html

[adamphillips]

I looked at it a little bit, but why do you want to study the spectrum of the stars?

sounds like something astrophysicists do.

is it something that's fun because you are doing it by yourself?

I do know that people determine what elements make up stars by looking at them like this but I cant imagine do it myself unless it was for a job.

[Merlin66]

There's a world wide community of amateurs engaged in spectroscopy....

We have special target stars "Be stars" which can show variation in their spectra over a couple of days...these results are then used by the professionals to determine the nature and mechanics (revolving dust cloud around the star?) of the star.

We also monitor Novae, Super Novae, variable stars to determine the types and classifications.

I'm currently observing Nova Cen....you can, from the spectrum, determine the speed of the expanding shell as well as the constituent elements....

Hope this helps.