Rearranging cameras...

[SonnyE]

I currently have 3 cameras for my telescope. An Orion G3 Deep Space Color, an Orion SSAG, and an Orion Eyepiece Camera.

The G3 is also capable of being used as a guide camera, and part of why I liked it. Multi use. I also have Orion's .5x focal reducer for the G3 and it opened up great fields of view for me. Essentially making two cameras from the one, from my perspective.

Since I see that often guide cameras are employed to do video astronomy imaging, I've been wondering about switching my SSAG (autoguider) camera from its current guide scope, down to my Main Telescope, and the G3 up to do the guiding duties.

I wanted to ask if this would be a less than intelligent thing to try? I realize it is very specific to a couple of brand cameras, but I'm hoping maybe someone could shed some light on such a change. Oh, and the SSAG is a CMOS, while the G3 is a CCD. The telescope is an Orion ED80T CF.

In your opinion, could I possibly approach video astronomy from this aspect?

[DoctorD]

Hi

I think that you'd be better off sticking with the G3 - I think it's more sensitive than the SSAG.

Video Astronomy is a bit of a misnomer - unless you are  using a real time integrating camera such as the SCB2000 or one of the Malincams.

What many of us do is EAA - Electronically Assisted Astronomy - effectively taking relatively short (e.g. 30s) exposures and using software to process these "on the fly" rather than stacking and processing later after the capture session.

With your G3 you could use Deep Sky Stacker Live - http://deepskystacker.free.fr/english/live.htm

Set up your capture software to save 30s exposures into a folder then point DSS Live at it - you get some control over the processing which is do each time a new file arrives in the folder.

Those of us with Lodestar or Atik Infinity cameras benefit from a single piece of software that handles the exposure, stacking and processing but you could have a go with your G3.

In order to get useable data at 30s you will find that F5 and below is useful although your ED80T should give you some nice views of the brighter DSO's - even better with your x0.5 reducer.

Let us know how you get on.

CS

Paul 

[SonnyE]

Thanks Paul, sorry for being so tardy getting back to this.

Yes the G3 was not happy as an autoguider, and the SSAG camera fell far short of the goal.

Sigh, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Thought I'd give the switch a go, since I have them and had not tried it before.

Thank You for the camera suggestions. I have had an ongoing battle with DSS. I can not get it to work for me. I have gotten RegiStax to stack for me with somewhat dismal results.  But I was pleased to see it run with images gathered with SharpCap 2.8; rather an "Ah-HA..." moment for me.

At the moment, the Orion Eyepiece camera has been doing well for me for solar and planetary, but the quality is lack-luster.

 

[HiloDon]

Hi Sonny,

You might want to take a look at this link.

http://astrolive.io/astroliveusb.html

Kyle has just released this and it may turn your G3 into a very good EAA cam.  There is a free trial period, so it may be worth a shot.  I think your G3 has a ASCOM driver, so it should work with Windows.  If the G3 has a Sony 418 sensor, that's the same one that was in the earlier Mallincams and was highly regarded, especially for it's color.  The G3 is cooled, too, so you potentially have a great setup.  I don't think the software is expensive.  If you try it, please report back here. 

Don

[SonnyE]

Thanks Don!

According to Orion's web site the G3 is ASCOM compatible.

" ASCOM drivers are also included for use with other imaging software programs, or for autoguiding use "