Auto Guiding Star Adventurer

[mike64646]

As a rookie astrophotographer, I have recently acquired a star adventurer mount. Seeing the port marked "Auto Guider" it sure seems to me that the manufacturer intended the mount to be used this way. But the documentation on this capability or connection is non existent. I bumped into something called phd2..it seems there is hope. Do I need a guide scope or can the mount take direction directly from phd2? Obviously i am somewhat confused. Any guidance out there?

Thanks in advance.

[kens]

PHD2 needs input from a guide camera which it uses to calculate guiding corrections and send them to the mount, in your case via the guide camera The guide camera needs an ST4 (autoguiding) port to connect to your mount.

The guide camera can be attached to either a guide scope or to an Off Axis Guider (OAG) which picks off some of the light coming through your scope and directs it to the guide camera.

[BargeGazer]

My advice is to just use it without guidance until you come up with a reason for using it (if ever). I am very doubtful if many people get real advantage from using it on the single axis correction that this mount offers [stands back and wait for the brick-bats :-)]. Certainly not for the first year or so.

Have fun.

David

[knobby]

3 hours ago, BargeGazer said:

My advice is to just use it without guidance until you come up with a reason for using it (if ever). I am very doubtful if many people get real advantage from using it on the single axis correction that this mount offers [stands back and wait for the brick-bats :-)]. Certainly not for the first year or so.

Have fun.

David

I'm with you David, I wouldn't (actually can't as I have the mini) worry unless you are trying to really push the weight or focal length . I guess if you nail polar alignment then Dec shouldn't drift and right ascension would only wander due to period error / motor speed inaccuracies which guiding could help with.

[mike64646]

Well I am soon to be the proud owner of a guide scope and ccd camera; i will try my hand at using the mount as it was intended, then have a go at connecting to guiding software. Thanks for the input.