New to auto guiding (LVI SmartGuider 2) and side by side mounting

[SteveKinder]

Weather in Ibiza permitting I am attempting auto guiding for the fist time next weekend. I am not completely stupid and I have done a lot of background reading. However, I have never seen an auto guiding set-up ‘in the flesh’ so I am learning the hard way and the books never answer the simples questions…

I have some very basic questions that I hope people can help me with. In fact any advice on this set-up would be hugely appreciated.

I will be using a side by side plate on my CGEM Mount for the first time and mounting my WO FLT98 and FLT132 together.

I will attach the SmartGuider nominally to the smaller scope.

Do I then align my mount using the larger scope as normal?

Do I have to do anything different with my polar alignment now the tube isn’t ‘in-line’?

I choose what I want to photograph and goto?

I then look through the guide scope using the SmartEye eyepiece and select an “adequate” guide star and focus it. This is where I get worried. What does adequate mean in this context? Is a guide star always obvious? Can it be ‘any’ star? How do I centre it? If I move the mount then it will move my target in the primary scope?

These are the instructions I have found for the SmartGuider on the Web. It can’t be that easy. If anyone can help fill in the gaps and advise on what to do when things don’t run smoothly then I will be forever in your debt.

Please help anyone who is using or has used a side by side set-up with LVI SmartGuider.

Make all the necessary connections:

a. Connect the Control Paddle to the MGA and the Camera Head to

the MGA with the two RJ45 8-pin cables.

b. Connect the MGA to the mount’s autoguiding port using the RJ11

6-pin cable.

c. Connect the Control Paddle to a 12V DC power supply.

2. Look for an adequate guide star and focus it through the enclosed

SmartEye eyepiece.

3. Replace the eyepiece with the camera head and tighten the screws.

4. Turn the LVI SmartGuider 2 on.

5. Press OK, then BASIC and FOCUS to launch STAR SEARCH.

6. Calibrate the mount.

7. Start autoguiding

Thanks, Steve.

[Toxic Coolaid]

What did you find out? Mine is on its way and this will be my first time attempting to guide, as well as my first polar alignment. Obviously I'm getting a wedge too. I figured you have to align your target, then adjust the guide scope to find a suitable guide star near your target. I hope to be able to interchange to equipment so I can change my FOV when I want. I hope your attempts have gone well...and you can give me some 1st hand advice.

[SteveKinder]

What did you find out? Mine is on its way and this will be my first time attempting to guide, as well as my first polar alignment. Obviously I'm getting a wedge too. I figured you have to align your target, then adjust the guide scope to find a suitable guide star near your target. I hope to be able to interchange to equipment so I can change my FOV when I want. I hope your attempts have gone well...and you can give me some 1st hand advice.

I will be delighted to share my experiences but fell at the first fence on my last attempt at guiding. It was also the first time I tried to use a side by side (tandem) mounting bar and I couldn't get my mount to align. I would go for a 3 star align as usual but when the mount skewed to the second star it pointed down to somewhere in the southern hemisphere. I had done some background reading and re read the manual for my CGEM mount and it said that you had to set the "OTA Alignment" either east west or west east dependent on which way the scopes were pointing when the mount 'markers' were lined up. I did this and then my troubles started. Next day I called the shop I bought the mount from.

As an aside I can highly recommend Green Witch as a retailer. I have only ever bought off them via the web but there is a very knowledgeable gut called Lee who works there who has given me excellent help and support via email and the phone whenever I have needed it. Thanks for your continued patience Lee!

Anyway Lee told me and I quote "ignore the manual", leave the OTA setting as normal, ignore the markers and start with the scopes pointing north as usual and then align as usual. I haven't had chance to try it yet but I am confident it will work as he has always been right so far. What chance to you stand with "ignore the manual" though?! Just further shows that there is no substitute for getting help from people more experienced than you.

I am back in Ibiza where all my kit is weekend after next and skies willing I will try auto guiding again then.

The previous night wasn't a complete waste as I gave in eventually and went back to my normal single scope unguided set-up and got the pictures that are the subject of my most recent threads. I can’t remember the title of the threads but if you do an advanced search on my name SteveKinder then you will see them. Well worth a look as some people who really know what they are doing with post processing have had a go at some of my unguided shots and I have been amazed at the results. Very inspiring.

Good luck with you attempts and please let me know how you get on.

Cheers,

Steve.

[yltansg]

Hi Steve,

I am also testing out a side-by-side set-up. My equipment:

a. Vixen GP mount with iOptron Autoguiding kit

b. Ken Dauzat Adjustable Dual Saddle (http://www.kendauzat.net/other/0212081b.jpg)

c. KWIQ guider (http://www.kwtelescope.com/KWT_KWIQ.htm) for now - I will replace it with LVI Smartguider 2 when it is delivered.

So far I have done my 2 star alignment without much problem. Unfortunately drift alignment still have not improve the drift. Looking out for clear skies to continue.

On your query about the orientation of the scope - I point the scopes to North when I start the 2/3 star alignment. Lee's advice is good

We can share our learning and progress

Alfred.

[SteveKinder]

Alfred,

Thanks for your input.

Yes let's stay in touch and share our experiences.

Wishing you all the best for some clear skies.

Steve.

[Toxic Coolaid]

I got my LVI2 and it worked just fine the first time. You must use the LVI2 eyepiece, find a star very close to the center of your main scope (I adjust mine with scope rings) If your lucky there will be a star in the LVI's FOV...but probably not. with their eyepiece in your guigescope focus like normal, take out their eyepiece and put in the LVI camera. It should find a star within 30 sec. Then it self adjusts the exposure, you press enter a couple of times and it starts sending corrections to your mount. 2 amber lights came on when I pressed enter and a graph of x and z axis corrections came up on the LVI screen. I've only got to use it the one time, but it worked very well.

My Meade will do a one star alignment that works very well to set true polar north. You put it in Polar home towards Polaris, then it turns and slews slightly off Polaris. you then adjust your mount (not with the buttons, but with the polar wedge) and center Polaris. this puts the scope on the true polar north 1 degree off Polaris, then you hit enter and it goes to another star and you center it and hit enter. I don't know if your mounts will do this. I just found out about using the 1 star polar alignment on a forum the other day. I hope this helps out.

more later

Mo

[SteveKinder]

Mo,

Excellent! Congratulations mate and thanks for the guidance (pun not intended).

I can’t imagine it being that simple for me but your news is comforting.

You didn’t have to make any adjustments to mount settings like aggressiveness or min/max move?

Cheers,

Steve.

[Toxic Coolaid]

I ran the mount through all kinds of GOTO targets in my garage one day just to watch and make sure nothing got tangled or bottomed out. I can't have my camera at prime focus while it's towards Polaris. But other than that I just have to watch the cords while changing targets

Mo

[Toxic Coolaid]

Guys I asked Paolo at LVI about the correct order to power everything up. This is what he sent to me. He has been great to answer my questions

Hello,

The Smartguider MUST plug into the AUX port AFTER the Autostar is correctly tracking celestial objects!

And the camera must be powered on when plugging into to the Autostar.

If you plug the camera when the Autostar motors are still stopped, this will cause a failure!

So, I think your problem is with power up sequence which must be the following:

Power on the Autostar

Power on the Smartguider 2

Make the Autostar tracking celestial objects

Point your scope to the target

Plug the Smartguider into the Autostar AUX port

Run the camera

Let me know how this direction will work there.

The guiding scope model doesn't matter at all.

Thanks.

--

Paolo e Marusca Lazzarotti

I hope for some clear nights and look forward to trying that program to test my system.

Mo