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Which guider?

Keithp

By Keithp
in Imaging - Discussion

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Keithp

Keithp

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Okay, moving up to the next grade...autoguiding. Budget for the guide camera is no more that £290.

Which one of these is the better..bear in mind the guide scope I anticpate getting is 4" to 5" refractor...

just running out to check PA test..

rite now FLO have this one which I like the look of

Starlight Xpress - Starlight Xpress SXV Exview Guide camera

and telescope house have this one

Orion StarShoot AutoGuider

They both appear capable of what I need, that is...

to guide the main imaging scope (250px newt) and maybe also double up visversa be used in the newt to guide while the refractor is used for wider field imaging and maybe some planetary and luna work.

Any comments from the veteran dso imaging core?

Regards

Keithp

PS mods/admins if you want to move this to equip help please do so.

Regards

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Keithp

Keithp

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Right, got it down to 6 mins and no trails:hello2:

mmmm. target for tonight?

checking sky6

could go to M31 again and try 108 shots at iso 200..little test of the theories on another thread about iso is irelevent..

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brendant

brendant

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Could be wrong here but I don't believe the Starlight Express SXV is a stand alone guide camera, the Lodestar is and has a very good reputation, the Orion Starshoot is a generic camera and I believe very similar to the QHY5 and others.

I use the QHY5 and cannot fault it, it runs with PHD direct to the mount (HEQ5 Pro) with an ST4 cable and works faultlessly, has a large chip so finding guide stars is never a problem.

Brendan

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Keithp

Keithp

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Cheers for that Brendan, I must admit I'd assumed both needed to be hooked up via the laptop, as opposed to stand alone. Are you saying that the Orion jobbie can work without the laptop being brought into the equation?

Regards

Keithp

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NickH

NickH

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All of the QHY5/Starshoot cams need a usb connection to the PC. They have on camera ST4 ports, which allow direct connection to the mount, saving the cost and extra port requirements of a seperate guide cam and guider box..

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brendant

brendant

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As Nick says Keith a laptop is required with almost all guide cameras, its the interface between the camera and mount which can be direct without having to interface to the laptop, so one cable from laptop to guide camera and one from the guide camera to the mount.

The only truly standalone guider I know of is the LVI Smart Guider which is truly standalone and does not require a laptop, but I do not know how good they are as they are still quite new. I think Baader may also have introduced another version but not sure.

Brendan

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Keithp

Keithp

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Brendan, many thanks for that. I appreciate a laptop is required in most setups. I'm just looking for the opinions of the experienced autoguiders as to which of these two, which are in my budget would be the best solution.

Regards

Keithp

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Keithp

Keithp

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QHY5 or a second hand Meade DSI-C...you won't go far wrong with either...Have used both, ended up with the latter as it's a bit more sensitive, but many people here use the former with no issues at all

So are you saying that the two options I've listed for opinions are not worth considering...

they are the ones I've looked at from both companies with good reputations and considered getting.

Regards

Keithp

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Keithp

Keithp

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brendant, I don't have a problem with your advice...I appreciate that a laptop is required, I'd assumed that in both cases. I was looking for advice as to which camera would be best from the point of view of.

1. Good reliable guiding in the guide scope. (I am using a 250px newt on EQ6 syntrek mount) with, shortly to be aquired a 4 to 5 inch refractor as guide scope.

2. Secondary use as imaging for planets and the moon.

The camera from Orion then, is that the generic camera and I'd only be paying for the name? As such do you regard it as inferior to the Starlight Express, which I do tend to prefer.

Regards

Keithp

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Psychobilly

Psychobilly

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to be fairt kieth you did ask for comments for the "Vetran DSO core" a lot of whom use either the QHY5 or the DSI's which wouls have been my advice as well...

Later you asked people not to muddy the waters... you wont get many people more experienced than NicK H...I ahve alway tried to get his views on potential purchases and his advice has alwasy been sound...

Peter...

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NickH

NickH

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S-Xpress is a great brand, but the SXV is really something to live alongside one of their main cameras (H9 et al)..

QHY5 and all of the clones of it are good...make sure you get the right drivers to make it work though.. DSI-C, second hand with the shoestring guide interface will work perfectly with your setup

Hope that helps...

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brendant

brendant

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Keith, I don't believe there are any bad Starlight Express cameras, as I said before the SXV camera is designed to work with the Starlight Express SXVF camera range, it is powered from the camera and as such is not a standalone guide camera as such - it cannot be used without an SXVF camera so unless you have one it is of no use.

If you wish to guide using a Starlight Express camera then the correct selection of camera is a Starlight Express Lodestar guide camera, I do not believe this camera is suitable as a planetary imaging camera.

For planetary imaging you need a high framerate camera which is a different type of camera.

Re the Orion camera, yes you are in some respects buying a name, as you can a buy similar camera under a different brand name.

Neither of these cameras are bad, the Lodestar is considered by lots to be an excellent guide camera but expensive, the Orion is also perfectly acceptable camera but at a different price point, if money is no object then the Starlight camera is the better of the two.

Neither are planetary cameras, you may be able to achieve an acceptable capture of the moon, but planets such as Jupiter or Saturn then I would say no.

Hope this helps

Brendan

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NickH

NickH

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Not any more anyway (bad SX cams...I had an MX516...and star 2000...less said about that the better)...

Lodestar is a good but expensive choice. DSI-C will set you back around £100 second hand, and a GPUSB around £60 ish.. and as Brendant and I have already said, the SXV is useless without the appropriate main SX camera.. (and then factor in software to get them both working, as the stuff SX ship with it...is ...well...can we say "challenging"..)

QHY5 or DSI-C...you'll not go far wrong, and with the latter, you'd probably still have enough change to stick a decent deposit down on a DMK21AU04 for your planetary work...

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Keithp

Keithp

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to be fairt kieth you did ask for comments for the "Vetran DSO core" a lot of whom use either the QHY5 or the DSI's which wouls have been my advice as well...

Later you asked people not to muddy the waters... you wont get many people more experienced than NicK H...I ahve alway tried to get his views on potential purchases and his advice has alwasy been sound...

Peter...

Peter, many thanks for your advice, with regard to NickH, I have the greatest admiration for his photos of dso's, your's as well:icon_salut: to both of you.

The point is, I merely asked for opinions of the two camera's, that I, in my newbie opinion had sussed as meeting my next step requirements. If they didn't, or there were known problems then that is what I would have liked to have seen.

No problems... or I use one of these and it does the job.. etc would have been fine. Or ...maybe no, one was better than the other.

If they are not being used because they are inferior then fine. If they are not being used because there are 'cheaper' options but they do the job...well okay but

"Not any more anyway (bad SX cams...I had an MX516...and star 2000...less said about that the better)...

/

Hello here we go again.

Sorry just nipped out and caught an 8 minuter with no trails. That's why it takes so long to reply..

No disrespect to any of you guys answering this question but I just need an opinion on what I have selected... it's okay, good bad one has this advantage the other hasn't etc..

Regards

Keithp

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