Advice on guide scope or belt mod

[Sunnieboy]

Hi

Moving slowly up the steep AP learning curve with my SW 200 HEQ5 Pro and Nikon D5500.  Getting reasonable subs with 30 sec (max with intervalometer) until I get APT up and running.  Looking to improve my equipment and not sure which is the next step, guiding or the belt mod. Comments appreciated.

Regards

 

Sunnie

[spillage]

I would say guiding. Belt mod would only iron out guiding issue. You will see more results for you money, you can use a finder scope and cheap guide cam though. I know a few use the asi120mm clones.

[ollypenrice]

Honestly? No brainer. Guiding.

It doesn't matter how low your PE or how good your PA, you'll need to guide. So called 'unguided' mounts do, in fact, guide on their absolute encoders and  they need a sky model which corrects for the effects of the atmosphere in changing the apparent position of celestial objects as they rise and set.

Guiding is a very elegant way of getting ordinary mounts to deliver extra-ordinary tracking performance. The belt mod is trivial in comparison.

Olly

[newbie alert]

Guiding opens up a whole new avenue down the astrophography road..sometimes it's straight and downhill..other times its a little bumpy..sometimes you  need to do a u turn..but guiding is awesome and you won't look back..

It need not be too expensive, if you have a 9x50 finder and converted it into a fantastic finder/guider with an adapter..and be on the lookout for a mono planetary camera ..phd2 is free..

[Sunnieboy]

Guys

Many thanks for the advice.  I am on my way to guiding.  I have already investigated the finder plus cam idea, now to raid the piggy bank.

Sunnie in darkest Dorset