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Starting to research auto guiding - What do I need?

swag72

By swag72
in Discussions - Software

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swag72

swag72

Posted
Posted

I have read through pages on here as well as the internet, but I hope that someone can give me some answers specific to my set up.

I'm thinking that I would like to be able to guide my scope later on as I really want to take long exposures. At the moment I'm limited to about 2 minutes. So, what do I have so far?

A Skywatcher Evostar 120ED DS-Pro with a HEQ5 goto pro mount. I am wanting to use my DSLR either attatched to the scope (already have the focal reducer) or just on the mount for wider sky stuff.

I think I need another scope to piggy back my 120ED, and then I am looking at a Skywatcher Synguider Autoguider. Is it really as simple as plug and play? What scope would you recommend for a guide scope? How would I be able to have just the guide scope and camera attached to the mount if I didn't want to use the main scope?

I don't really want to have to take the lappy ouside as well, hence my idea of an off axis autoguider.

Would look forward to your thoughts on this - Have I got the right idea?

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gary1968

gary1968

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Yup you have the right idea there mate.

The 120ed will make a fine imaging scope, you might want to try to pick up a smaller refractor to guide with, maybe a WO ZS66 or a SW ST80, the ST80 will be much cheaper but the ZS66 will also make a great wide field imaging scope as well.

To attach the scopes to the mount you will either need a set of guide rings and mount the guide scope 'piggy back' onto the main scope or pick up a side by side bar. ( i use a side by side bar with the guide scope in a set of guide rings) For imaging with only the camera and a lens just piggy back the camera onto the guide scope. Fixtures and fittings for these methods differ slightly from set up to set up but once you start collecting the bits n bobs all will become apparent.

As for the guide camera...... I have not used a Synguider so cant comment on how they work. I use a 2nd hand Meade DSI Pro that I picked up for about £80. This is connected to a laptop and guides the mount via software called PHD Guiding, its a free download and is VERY easy to use.

HTH,

Gary

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carastro

carastro

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Guide rings are like a larger version of the rings you have around a finderscope. They have three screws so you can change the angle at which the guide scope sits in order to find a good guide star.

Here is a link to a site showing what they look like.

ADM Guidescope Rings and systems

They need to be larger than the diameter of the guide scope in order to give that flexibility of movement.

You either buy rings that fit onto your mainscope's piggy back rings, or a dove tail plate that fits onto your side by side bar. I have the latter. Most Astro-shops will tell you what you will need if you describe your set up.

Carole

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  • 2 weeks later...
brantuk

brantuk

Posted
Posted

I've seen an ST80 with Phd and an LE mod'ed SPC900 webcam used very effectively for guiding. Can't remember which scope was used for the imaging but the results were really good (from Kelling) and it's a great budget sollution :)

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gary1968

gary1968

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You can use a finder scope as a guide scope, you will need a suitable camera, say a QHY5 and do some home modifications to the scope to fit the camera onto it.

There are quite a few on here that have done this and it seems, IIRC, to work quite well.

For some advice on this you might drop Beamish a PM and ask him how he went about it, (I am pretty sure he has done but as I said there are others and someone might be along with some input to this topic)

HTH,

Gary

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adamsp123

adamsp123

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I use a finderguider and one setup that worked - I took a spare SW straight through finder and bracket (RA finders are no good for this), I then drilled and tapped 2x3 sets of screw holes in the bracket front and back so to make sure the finderscope is absolutely rigid.

Using the standard bracket set up with the spring loading will not work due to flexture.

I then simply used the finderscope slot on the main OTA to hold the finderguider.....worked well on my 120ED.

Later I found for £10 a 2 ring finder bracket from astroboot so I now use that....looks a little neater thats all really.

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BlueAstra

BlueAstra

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It can be more expensive, but you may want to consider the OAG route. This avoids the need for an additional scope, mounting rings, mounting bar and associated potential flexure errors between the scopes. This was my first OAG experience with a Canon 1000d mounted on a C8 SCT:

http://stargazerslounge.com/equipment-discussion/90916-orion-oag-first-light.html

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jgs001

jgs001

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Wow Sara, you're motoring along :D...

I use a side by side mount 80ED and ST80. A QHY5v mounted on the ST80, it's more expensive than the webcam, but about the same sort of price as an LX modded one (done professionally) with the adapters etc. The 5v doubles as a very capable Lunar/Planetary camera too. The 5v is hooked up to PHD on my Lappy for the guiding.

As you can tell, there are many ways to deal with this, we all have our own ways, and each may change to suit.

Just one thing, watch out for the wires :icon_eek:...

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adamsp123

adamsp123

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Thanks for all the replies folks. Steve, is it fairly easy to work and accurate? You just unscrew the eyepiece from the finder scope and attach the adapter then the camera?

Yes - unscrew scope EP, screw in adaptor, then remove nose piece from the QHY5 and that screws onto the other end of the adaptor.

A well rigid set up and worth the money IMO.

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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With a fast f ratio guidescope like the cheap ST80 you don't need guide rings because you should always find a star. It just finds a star and gets on with it. I have to say I like that...

The issue with standalone guiders is that if you lose your guide star (and you will) you have to take out the guider, put in the EP, find the star again... and I am already on the net ordering a PC based guider!!

Olly

ollypenrice's Photos

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dmahon

dmahon

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You do have to focus it, just the once, and it doesn't have to be perfect - in fact some say it's best a touch out of focus. But that is really it. PHD pretty much works as installed, especially with the ST4 cable (although you don't even need that if you use your computer and EQMOD to control the scope, rather than a handset).

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jgs001

jgs001

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Ah that's why you slightly defocus. One thing, there's one setting in PHD you may need to adjust, clicking brain icon, and set the calibration step up from the default of 750 to something like 2500 or phd won't move the mount far enough.

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Photosbykev

Photosbykev

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Ditch the handset, get EQmod set up ( FTDI usb/serial RS232 TTL 5v :icon_eek: ) and guide thru that without an ST-4 cable, since you'll have the lappy anyway ! :D

Oh and as above ! slightly out of focus- stops PHD chasing the seeing !!

I'm running EQMOD into a NEQ6 Pro mount and the ST80 with a QHY5 guidecam using PHD to guide. I normally plug in the ST-4 cable from the guidecam to the mount, is this wrong?

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aGreyarea

aGreyarea

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Hi All,

Just to ask, what are the options if you want a finderguider but not a QHY5? I read about enough people using their SPC 900s for guiding and I have one of those, but how to attach it to the 50mm finder?

Does anyone sell or make adapters for 50mm to 1.25" or do you just sand off a 2" to 1.25" adapter, find the focus and then get some 'no more nails'!?

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Photosbykev

Photosbykev

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Hi All,

Just to ask, what are the options if you want a finderguider but not a QHY5? I read about enough people using their SPC 900s for guiding and I have one of those, but how to attach it to the 50mm finder?

Does anyone sell or make adapters for 50mm to 1.25" or do you just sand off a 2" to 1.25" adapter, find the focus and then get some 'no more nails'!?

You can buy a nose piece adaptor that will take the normal 1.25" nose piece used on the SPc900 upto 2"
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