EdgeHD 8" ... autoguider & off-axis guider?

[souls33k3r]

Ok really had to read this twice to understand the concept. This will most certainly help me get the proper focus. Wow I knew this hobby requires patience but never knew it would be this much of a faff to go around getting a couple of images done plus considering the UK weather, I bet what really frustrates the most is the weather, hence why people have their own observatories. Makes absolute sense.

You will have to excuse me Olly since you do try to explain it in layman's terms but you do get technical with the stuff so I really have to read what you write a few times before I understand. Maybe (and mostly) it's because I don't have the equipment yet and do not understand or I'm just stupid but as always your input is always what I look forward to the most

[gorann]

I have an Edge HD8" and bought the TS ultra-thin (16 mm) OAG a while ago:

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p8319_TS-Off-Axis-Guider-TSOAG16---stable---length-16-mm.html

I have not got around to use it yet but according to the calculations I did at the time it should be no problem using it with my Canon DSLR (60Da) on the Edge. You also need a short SCT thread to T2 adapter, like this 10 mm one from Baader (the one that come with the Edge is too long):

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p552_Baader-Adapter--SC-female---T2-male---T2-focal-adapter-for-SC.html

Then you need and EOS-T2 adapter for the camera and the right spacing with T2 ring(s) between the SCT-T2 adapter and the OAG (will be different with and without the reducer). Like Oddsocks I hesitate to tell you exactly what you need (in case I miscalculate something) but I am sure that TS will sort this out for you if you send them an e-mail (they also sell Celestron so they should know what you need).

So, like Oddsocks I am quite sure that this can be done.

By the way, I found that a good investment for the Edge-HD is an electric fouser (it all vibrates terribly when I try to focus manually and look at the LCD screen set at 10x on the camera). I bought a JMI MOTOFOCUS directly from JMI (http://www.jimsmobile.com/buy_motofocus.htm#Celestron) but I think you can also get that one from TS.

Good Luck and tell us how it goes

PS. The reason I have not got around to use the OAG is that I am new to the AP game (less than a year) and during the clear nights I have had so far I have tried to make it as simple as possible and done most AP with my refractors and a finder guider.

[ollypenrice]

Ok really had to read this twice to understand the concept. This will most certainly help me get the proper focus. Wow I knew this hobby requires patience but never knew it would be this much of a faff to go around getting a couple of images done plus considering the UK weather, I bet what really frustrates the most is the weather, hence why people have their own observatories. Makes absolute sense.

You will have to excuse me Olly since you do try to explain it in layman's terms but you do get technical with the stuff so I really have to read what you write a few times before I understand. Maybe (and mostly) it's because I don't have the equipment yet and do not understand or I'm just stupid but as always your input is always what I look forward to the most

I know. If you don't have your hands on the stuff it is so much harder. I'm not at all a 'software' person and I rarely understand anything mechanical till I've had my hands on it, turned around, seen it from different angles and used it. My post will make a lot more sense after you've bolted it together and messed about with it.

What I do for a living is just this. Hands on, alongside explanations. Neither hands on nor explanations are much good, as I know from experience, on their own.

AP is not fundamentally difficult. The problem is that you need, simultaneously, to absorb and apply a lot of information. It's like driving. Just get in a car and experiment and you'll wind up in a tree. Read a book first and you'll still wind up in a tree. But perfectly ordinary people end up able to drive quite competently because it is not really difficult. It is made up of a lot of easy tasks - but a lot!

Olly

Edit: You'd think that a superannuated English teacher might know how to spell 'is' but no...