Guide camera help please

[DanLXIX]

Last month I bought an Anteres Versascope 10 x 60 and a ZWO ASI120MM Mini to step in to the work of guiding... Cue several weeks of cloud. Tonight was the first clear night where I've had chance to set up so given the full moon I thought I'd give it  go because I wouldn't be imaging anything.

Anyway, installed PHP2 and SharpCap but I don't seem to be able to get anything out of the camera except shades of grey through white and for the life of me I can't work out what I doing wrong. So my question is, can someone talk me through a setup and how best to test this please?

Edited April 30, 2019 by DanLXIX

[iwols]

not had no joy with the moon and guide camera ,so what i did was set focus up during the day on a distant object,then try at night with a bright star ,slightly adjusting  focus,really had to turn exposure down ,used sharpcap to do continues downloads while adjusting focus,when your in focus then try with phd,just gone through same thing

[iwols]

1 hour ago, DanLXIX said:

Last month I bought an Anteres Versascope 10 x 60 and a ZWO ASI120MM Mini to step in to the work of guiding... Que several weeks of cloud. Tonight was the first clear night where I've had chance to set up so given the full moon I thought I'd give it  go because I wouldn't be imaging anything.

Anyway, installed PHP2 and SharpCap but I don't seem to be able to get anything out of the camera except shades of grey through white and for the life of me I can't work out what I doing wrong. So my question is, can someone talk me through a setup and how best to test this please?

sorry wrong button

Edited April 19, 2019 by iwols

[Forunke]

As iwols said, try focussing during daytime then refine the focus on a star.

Easiest way would probably be using Sharpcap. Turn down exposure and gain till the image looks like it's not overexposed (basically not white or black), then start with the focus at 0 and see if you can get a somewhat sharp image.

Maybe you need to use spacers / adapters if you can't find the focal point.

[bobro]

Online images of the scope typically show it with a diagonal and eyepiece. It seems the scope has a lot of backfocus and a spacer is required to mount a guide camera. For example: https://www.astrobuysell.com/propview.php?view=35653

[DanLXIX]

Thanks for all the replies. I shall give it another go in daylight and see how I go.

[DanLXIX]

On 20/04/2019 at 03:34, bobro said:

Online images of the scope typically show it with a diagonal and eyepiece. It seems the scope has a lot of backfocus and a spacer is required to mount a guide camera. For example: https://www.astrobuysell.com/propview.php?view=35653

You were spot on. I worked out what was going on and I'm going to need a focus extension tube to make it work. Would have been helpful for RVO to know this, so I could have bought one at the time!

[bobro]

Glad you have worked out a solution.

Setting up a guidescope can be a bit tricky - I recall a bit of hacksawing of a tube from a 2X Barlow to make my DIY guide camera work with an Orion 50mm guidescope.

Looking forward to seeing your guided images, and ask away if any questions!