What Guiding system do I need

[LunaSwift]

I have a Skywave 102ED  Scope and 2 mounts, iOptron IEQ 45 and Celestron AVX Pro, What I need is a suitable Guide Scope/camera bundle to use on this set up. I have been recommended the Starwave 50mm Guide Scope & GPCAM Mono Guide Camera COMBO from Altair Astro, but the specifications say it is only good for 500mm scopes , As my Scope is 715 mm fl can anyone recommend a suitable guide scope /camera combo  for my set up. UK Markets only of course 

Thanks in anticipation

[Davey-T]

I use the Altair Astro 60mm guide scope with my iEQ45 with a Loadstar camera but the GP Cam is fine.

A pic' of it here on the SWSA.

Dave

 

[Laurin Dave]

Hi  Skywatcher Startravel 80 is widely used and recommended as a guidescope...  FLO do some bundles including the ZWO ASI120 mono and mounting parts for piggybacking or side by side

 

Dave

 

 

[LunaSwift]

I do have a Skywave 70ED Scope which I could use as a guide scope, but I would prefer something lighter

[MarsG76]

There are a number of options you could take for Autoguiding... as well as described above, you can get a OAG (Off-Axis guider) and this way you wont even need a guide scope.... as far as the tracking CCD is concerned, you could get any mono CCD, (personally I use a Imaging Source DMK 21au618), a GPUSB adapter from Showstring Astronomy and guide using PHD2 on a Laptop/computer... OR even give up on the CCDs/GPUSB and laptop and just get the Celestron NexGuide unit.... I use it on some of my guiding projects and it works very well.

Using NexGuide and a OAG would make your guiding and imaging on one one scope (no guide scope necessary) and a closed loop system. You would have little to no problem locating a guide star using a OAG at 700mm FL.... 

 

[ollypenrice]

I use an ST80 and Lodestar to guide an imaging scope working at 0.9 arcseconds per pixel. The scope's cheap, the camera less so!

Olly

[Laurin Dave]

I'd save yourself some money and give the 70ed a go and see how you get on, I'd have thought that and the 102 plus cameras etc would be well within the capacities of either of your mounts, a lighter guidescope would only save you a kg.   As for cameras I use the ZWO ASI120 mono which works well and is only £185.

Dave

[LunaSwift]

Some very useful replies here, Thank you, I may well go with the 70ED  and find a small guide camera for it .

[Shibby]

I'm a bit surprised that the Altair guide scope only suggests guiding 500mm focal length.

FWIW, my guide-scope is a mere 162mm in focal length and I have no trouble guiding my 1000mm FL scope at 1.14 asec/pix.

The guide camera does have pretty small pixels at 3.75µm. This gives a 4.77 asec/pix and a healthy enough ratio of 1:4.2 (You'll often here 1:5 quoted as a maximum).