Need advise on guiding camera

[zaskar555]

hello

I really need some advise on guiding.

My current setup is a skywatcher HEQ5 mount (goto)

scope is a celestron omni 127m i also have the neximage from celestron,i also have a canon 350d unmodded which i have played about with but knew my old mount wasnt upto it so i went ahead and bought the HEQ5.

What i would like to know if my neximage ccd camera can be used as a guide camera , also im looking for a guide scope, and keep seeing good things about the skywatcher 80m st.

I know my mount is a good start, but im looking to change one or two things in my setup to help me along the way

any advise would be great

thanks steve

[Merlin66]

I'd go for an ST80 as a guide scope - would work well with your set-up. Yes the neximage would work as a guide camera. I would prefer the QHY5!

Just my 2c

[Marcus daniel]

Im curious, how doe's the neximage become a guide camera? Tell me more as I have one please.

[zaskar555]

im just wondering if anyone had used one before, as i think i read somewhere they act like a 5mm eye lense. So would i need the focal reducer from celestron to give me the widefield view most autoguide cameras need to work right.

steve

[zaskar555]

all i know is the neximage is a ccd which is better than cmos with better light pickup, this is the reason i bought it, it would be great if i could get away with using it as a guide camera....im now looking out for a skywatcher 80 st now, but cant view the sales page till i post 50 posts...so i best get cracking

[Merlin66]

The Neximage like the Meade original LPI is just a re-badged webcam.

The lack of long exposure control will limit it's use as a guide camera, but many still have success with webcams.....

[Psychobilly]

IIRC The Meade LPI is a "webcam" which can do exposures up to 16s without the need for extra LE controls (unlike a modded webcam)...

Billy...

[jgs001]

the NexImage is basically the same as the Philips SPC900, some people have success with it as a guide cam, unmodded, others (myself included) don't. I went got a QHY5v as I use it as a Lunar/Planetary camera also. Having used both the 5v (CMOS) and the SPC900 (CCD) on the same target under the same conditions, to create an LRGB image of Jupiter, there's actually very little in it performance wise on the sensor. The QHY5 has a larger sensor than the 5v, so you get a wider FOV. Mate it to an ST80 and you'll have a good setup.

[Merlin66]

Meade Lunar-Planetary Imager

Peter,

I stand corrected!

it's so long since I used one....

[Psychobilly]

I Don't know how well it works as a guidecam...

I think Meade used to suggest it could be used as one with a DSI for the imager... With LX mounts I think you could configure Envisage to alternate guide and light frames....

Peter...