Potential guide scope?

[Glider]

I'm having success using my DIY 9x50 finder in a guidescope arrangement.

I've found my brothers old Prinz Optics model 440, D 60mm L 710mm astronomical telescope in the attic. It's been up there since we were kids.

How would this do as a guide scope? Any advantage over the current setup?

The eyepieces are an old small size so a 1.25" webcam will need some fiddling to fit.

Plus I guess i'd need some rings to mount it, is it worth the effort/expense?

[arad85]

At F/12, I think you may have problems with exposure time and consequently tracking a good star

[Dangerous-Dave]

Yep, it would work but you'd have a right faff trying to find a bright enough guide star. You'd need guide rings and preferably some sort of flip mirror arrangement, that will fit 0.96".

I'd sell the Prinz to a collector and get an ST80 - much easier!

[Glider]

Yes, that's about what I figured. Where do the collectors live, anywhere special or general on eBay, UK Astro Buy & Sell, SGL for sale?

[Glider]

If my maths is correct putting my Meade DSI II on an ST80 F5 will give me about 2.5 to 3 times the field of view that I get with it on my Explorer 200P F5.

I was thinking of getting a second hand Canon DSLR to try some wide field using the Explorer 200P. My maths comes up with a FOV factor of about 4.

I'm thinking that £85 for an ST80 to use with my DSI II sounds better compared to £300 for a DSLR to use with my Explorer 200P.

Will the end result be more or less the same in terms of what I can image?

[adamsp123]

If you are having success with the finder-guider why change it?

If it ain't bust don't fix it IMO.

With sub pixel detection in PHD (if that is what you are using) the focal length of the scope isn't that critical.

just my 2p worth

[Glider]

Yes, it works, with PHD so it doesn't need fixing as such, just that this old scope fell into my lap.

Any comments on my earlier post about FOV's and camera/tube options for a wide field dabble.

[adamsp123]

When you say take widefield views are you talking about literally that, or do you want to get pics of specific DSOs? The ST80 is a achromatic scope so is not ideal for imaging, guidescope yes. True the 200P will have a smaller FOV but combined with a DSLR and guiding you can get excellent images.

I am no imaging expert but I am starting to get some pretty good results using a 200mm F/4 Newt - Finderguider and canon 1000D DSLR. Steve (steppenwolf IIRC uses a 200P for imaging) he gets spectacular results and his book is worth every penny if you want to get into astrophotography.

[Glider]

Adamsp123, yes I mean literally having a go at taking some widefield shots, or DSOs like M42 and getting 'more in' for more in's sake.

What focuser has Steve got on his 200P with the Canon 1000D.

[adamsp123]

You could PM steve (steppenwolf) and ask but any reasonable stock 2" focuser will do you need a T adaptor for the DSLR so the scope replaces the lens, or you can mount the DSLR with its standard lens on the mount (fix it to the scope) so it will track and get widefield shots like that. For widefield "scope" pics you can use 66-80 ED refractors but thats another cost.

For newtonians you need a coma corrector or in the case of refractors a field flattener to go in front of the camera I use a Baader MPCC that screws onto the T adaptor then the whole lot just simply goes into the focuser, one word of warning - some Newt focusers do not have enough inward travel to focus on a DSLR so some move the primary mirror up a bit to compensate. My GSO Newt already has a low profile focuser so it is no problem.

I would order Steves book "making every photon count" it really could save you a lot of money and time as he goes through each step with lots of pics of bits and how they go together.