SW star adventure wait 9x50 for guiding?

[skysculptor]

Hi all,

just learned I'm getting a star adventurer for Xmas lucky me!! been longing to have a go at astrophotography for ages now! initially I'm just gonna polar aline and track that way until I'm familiar with it? but for the future would something like a SW 9x 50 with a small ccd camera work for auto guiding with the st4 port?? I've my trusty ST80 lives in the boot scope but am thinking this may be too much weight for the mount?? your thoughts many thanks

[iksose7]

I know a lot of people recommend the Orion magnificent autoguider package which comes with a 50mm guidescope and a starshoot autoguider. It got me started guiding and works great. May be perfect for the SWA mount:

http://uk.telescope.com/Astrophotography/Autoguiding-Solutions/Orion-Magnificent-Mini-AutoGuider-Package/pc/-1/c/1309/sc/1405/p/110004.uts

Callum

[hobsey]

This is my setup for the Star Adventurer which uses the 9x50 finder as a guidescope with my poor mans guidescope rings.

I can't tell you how well it works as I have yet to use the mount in its basic setup yet due to poor weather and a full moon.

[skysculptor]

that orion set up looks neat protostar thanks for the link! 

thats what i was thinking hobsey same sort of set up! nothing wrong with them guide rings btw makes it personal! only thing I'm thinking is doing away with a laptop ? so same as yours but perhaps with a stand alone auto guide camera? i move about bit and would be better for me without a computer involved.

[skysculptor]

in fact shame no one does a wifi adaptor to fit on a  guide  camera plus an iPhone app to control it?!

[hobsey]

I think the stand alone maybe a bit heavy for it but I could be wrong. Best thing to do is try and found out the weight of it and weigh all your other gear and add it together and hopefully it will be under the 5kg payload.

I wont be using a full sized laptop, I bought a small netbook off of ebay for £60 for the guiding. These things are tiny, can easily be hidden in the car somewhere out of sight if you don't fancy carting it about everywhere.

[skysculptor]

oh thats a thought hobsey! might look for one of those! looks clear sky here in the midlands tonight! dunno where you are but be great to see how your set up performs?

[skysculptor]

rest of my gear for photo is canon 550D plus 50, 135 and 200mm lenses shouldn't weigh to much!

[hobsey]

It would be great to see how it would perform but with pretty much a full moon, it's not going to happen.

[skysculptor]

moon, clouds lets hope theres dark n clear ahead!