Suggestions for "reasonably priced" guide camera

[niknak]

Hi Folks.

Just moving into deep sky imaging and I'm after recommendations for a "reasonably" priced guide camera.

Planning to use it on a little orion 9x50 finderscope or maybe a v cheap 60 or 80mm refractor.

Cheers all

[red dwalf]

older type qhy5, around the £110 mark

[PeterCPC]

Just got a QHY5 for this and (so far) it seems to work with an Orion Mini guide scope. It's PHD that has caused a few issues.

Peter

[DaveS]

QHY5 II as well.

[niknak]

Just got a QHY5 for this and (so far) it seems to work with an Orion Mini guide scope. It's PHD that has caused a few issues.

Peter

I was planning on using PHD for guiding as well.

What problems have you been having ??

PHD in general or just with the QHY ??

[Zakalwe]

Hi Folks.

Just moving into deep sky imaging and I'm after recommendations for a "reasonably" priced guide camera.

Planning to use it on a little orion 9x50 finderscope or maybe a v cheap 60 or 80mm refractor.

Cheers all

What do you call "reasonable"?

Like others, I have used a QHY5 on a finderguider and I never really had any problems with it. They are no longer made AFAIK, so the second-hand market is the place to look.  Some peeps use modified webcams. I played around with this, but decided that  good nights are too short to waste trying to get it all to work.

[JamesF]

I've seen a fair few QHY5s for sale used recently.  I'd say they're worth a go.

James

[ollypenrice]

I haven't got PHD2 to work yet. I always found PHD1 fairly simple, though I know AstroArt so well that I'm more at home with that.

Olly

[r3i]

The QHY5 is a very popular guide camera.  Another one worth keeping an eye out for on the secondhand market is a Meade DSI - I've been using one for years and it has done me proud.

[Robp]

What sort of budget do you have?

I use a QHY5L-iiC for guiding on my 9x50 finder scope (and also planetary/lunar imaging) and I find it works fine.

It only works for me with PHD2 though, it didn't work with the first version.

[reddoss]

I would also recommend a Mead DSI ii  mono camera. I have had no trouble with mine at all, its very sensitive, and they come up now and again on UKABS.

[niknak]

Big thank you to everyone for replying.

Keeping my eye on UKABS and fleabay - it looks like i'll be hunting for a QHY5 or maybe the meade one dependant on price

Cheers

[r3i]

I would also recommend a Mead DSI ii  mono camera. I have had no trouble with mine at all, its very sensitive, and they come up now and again on UKABS.

I bet the mono DSI II version makes a cracking guide camera.  Mine's the colour DSI 1, which tends to be the type that comes up on ebay & UKABS most often.