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Guide Rings>>??


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Good morning all

Well, having received my Smartguider 2 and ST80 guidescope earlier in the week I decided to practise setting up the telescope last night (despite the ever increasing cloud cover).

FAILED!!!!

In my ignorance and still riding the VERY steep learning curve I very quickly discovered that I was unable to correctly mount the ST80 to my 200p!

After some internet digging and confirmation of what's required from a very helpful SGL member, it seems I need a set of guide rings and dovetail bar. The problem is which types and sizes?

If anybody has a similar setup and knows which items I need I would appreciate some pointers. I am also very keen to avoid any hole drilling on the dovetail etc as this somtimes seems like a requirement in order to make things attach correctly.

Also, my tube ring only has the 1 plastic disc so should it have 2>? If so any ideas where these can be bought?

So many questions (sorry).......

Regards,

Steve :o

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I don't use guide rings at all. The fast ST80 always finds a star wherever it is pointed. Some say this is because I have such a dark site but UK users have said the same. Even if you do need to move the guide scope you could just have its tube rings attached to a flat plate or strip. On the imaging scope you fix another decent alloy strip between its tube rings and then use a singe bolt to attach the two strips together. If ever you do need to look for a star you can just swivel the guidescope right or left relative to the imaging scope and you will surely find one. Most main scope tube rings are ready to accept accessories on the top so I'm hoping this is so in your case?

Guide rings are absurdly expensive and not necessarily all that secure when the guidescope is short.

Olly

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Thanks for the response Olly and for the alternative to guide rings. To be honest though I will still look into the guide scope tube ring/dovetail option (for now) and just see expensive and worthwhile it is (or not?!)

Thanks though!

So my question is still the same........which guide ring/dovetail?:o

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Ok, after a little more research I have found the "ADM dual mounting bar" in order to have the scopes side by side. Would this solve the problem (as well as looking extremely solid), and if so would I still need the guide rings or just attach the st80 using the tube rings that came with it?

Any help or advice from you guys in the know would be really appreciated.

Steve

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Steve,

I have a dual bar and I found that Olly's method works better on my SW 150P DS

less balancing issues. I use my dual bar when I combine the ST80 and my Megrez 72 FD. I don't use guide rings on either.

Acme

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Steve,

i used one of these between the rings on the 150P Dovetail bars Skywatcher Dovetail Mounting Plates the 21mm. It fit perfect with no drilling, just added the rings from the ST80 to the bar and used the existing bolts supplied.

Acme.

post-16439-133877546662_thumb.jpg

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Thanks Olly and Acme for your responses. Olly, I appreciate the link to the ADM guidescope rings/bar and I take it that the Celestron 8" is no different from my 200p (not knowing anything about Celestrons?)

Also, you say, "but if you never have to adjust them you are going to wonder what else you might have done with 150 quid!......"

are you referring to if I change guider scope?

Thanks.

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Yup, the point about guide rings is just that they allow you to point the guide scope in a slightly different direction to the imaging scope in search of a guide star. But with an F5 guidescope and sensitive camera, do you need to? Another really simple way to get a little guidestar-seeking adjustment would be to enlarge the holes in the guidescope dovetail rail, the holes through which you bolt it to the main scope. No guide star? Loosen the bolts and move the guidescope dovetail a little using the play in the oversized holes. But it seems that the others, like me, find they don't need this feature.

Olly

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