Guide options!

[Earl]

OMG my head hurts.

I have been looking at this on and off now for a few weeks and i really cant decide what to do.

Plan A)

bang head on brick wall with modded webcam, some say it works. Im not sure if its worth the effort.

Plan Skywatcher Synguider, but i don't seem to be able to find a definitive yes or no on this.

Plan C) buy a good Imager with ST4 Port and have both options open for use. IE DSI-C

Plan D) Im sure someone will come up with one.

One thing is sure this will be attached to my ST80 for guiding.

[steppenwolf]

ST80 = VERY GOOD

Option B = GOOD

Option C = More flexible so better option

[Earl]

Steve that reminds me.. ill go consult you book

[Merlin66]

Consider a QHY5 in combo with the ST-80: that's what I (and many others) use.

[Earl]

Now this is the part where it all starts to get muddy...

Which Cam is the better choice.

The QHY5 does have a nice price tag.

[Merlin66]

#1 DSI II

#2 QHY5

#3 DSI I

#4 ATiK16ic

#5 DMK21

[Earl]

Its interesting you put the ATiK 4th looking a the spec it looks very nice and is cooled.

QHY6 how does that rate?

[Merlin66]

We're talking guide cameras......not primary imaging cameras....

[Earl]

point taken

[astroman68]

I have a C8-NGT (8" f5 newtonian on a CG5-GT with ST4 port) and a skywatcher startravel st80, which I can piggyback. I would like to use the st80 for guiding. What would be better the synguider or a QHY5 and laptop?

PS I have a spc900 webcam unmodified but not tried autoguiding with it yet.

[jgs001]

the QHY5v works as a very effective Lunar and Planetary camera, as well as a guider. The other 5's I'm sure will also work well, but the 5v has a global shutter, which is sposed to be better for imaging with. Just something to bear in mind if that sort of thing is tempting.

[lukebl]

I'm always telling people. YOU DON'T, REPEAT DON'T, NEED TO MODIFY A WEBCAM TO USE IT FOR GUIDING!

I use mine with an ST80 guidescope and I have NO problem finding a suitable guide star.

Sorry for shouting, but it's one of my hobby-horses! A lot of 'Experts' seem to think you can't guide satisfactorily without a 'proper' guide cam. I've even tried guiding with a cheap old Creative Webcam which I picked up at a car boot for 10p and that works too.

[jgs001]

I did try that Luke, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get and lock a guidestar. That was also using an ST80 (Konus clone anyway...)

[lukebl]

I did try that Luke, but no matter what I did, I couldn't get and lock a guidestar. That was also using an ST80 (Konus clone anyway...)

That's strange. What settings did you use? I can honestly say that I never have any problem finding suitable guide star. Obviously you need to move the guide scope in its rings a bit to find one, and use a wide angle eyepiece to centre it, but that's not a problem. I've even used Uranus as a guide star!

[NickH]

DSI-1 over a QHy5 any day...I have both the DSI is more sensitive

[ollypenrice]

Some can make webcams work, some can't. If you can, do - and you're away and clear with a great result. But it takes no expertise to know that some can't. Just read the forums.

The 16ic in 4th place?? Only because it is not the cheapest and may represent overkill. This I don't deny for one second but I have two running in this role night in, night out, and am I looking to change? Oh no, I certainly am not.

However I think things have moved on since I put my setups together and the less expensive dedicated guiders look good to me. Steve has tested them and says yes so that would be good enough for me. A golden age of autoguiding!

Olly