Help with PHD2 and Orion StarShoot Autoguider

[Pharian]

Hi all,

Trying to enter the world of astro pics but having some trouble (well lots of trouble really, but this one issue is my current insanity causer).

Basically I bought an old ProStar autoguider off someone on IIS but it seems to be a dud, it drops connection all the time and I can't get it to work.

So I bought a second hand Orion StarShoot Autoguider from another chap on IIS. This one does not drop connection all the time, it connects happily to PHD2 and stays connected.

However, rather than giving me an image of stars so I can pick one to track with, it gives me this black and grey cross hatch image (below).

Any ideas what's going on? Please tell me I haven't bought another dud!

Note that it was giving the cross hatch while I was at home with lens cap on or off, so I waited until I went on holiday (I only really use my gear on holiday... the pain of living in a unit in the middle of the city) so I could try it out properly on my guidescope as I read that if not focussed it will just give a grey or white screen. It gives the same cross hatch image regardless of if it has the lens cap on or if it is in the back of the guidescope (though I could not focus it, the image stays the same throughout the length of focus.

My gear, for your reference, is:

- NEQ6 Pro mount
- C8 main scope
- Orion ST-80 guide scope (which is what the Orion Autoguider is on, note it does not have any extension tube, just straight in the back of the scope where I would normally put the diagonal)
- Hitekastro USB-COM cable for mount
- Laptop

If anyone could please assist I would enormously appreciate it.

Chin chin and thanks!

https://i.imgur.com/Yj9SGgm.jpg

[Merlin66]

Christopher,
Hmmm, not sure.
The first thing I'd try would be to add a 50mm spacer at the end of the ST-80 OTA, this should bring you close to focus.

[Pharian]

There’s almost 7000 hot pixels in it too, almost all across the top of the sensor. :( reckon that might be causing it?

[Merlin66]

Chris,
Don't Panic.....

Do you have any spacer adaptors for the ST80??

[ChrisV]

I had a similar problem when starting. Way out of focus. Try during day on a distant object to get some rough idea . As Ken says the st80 will need an extension. I think I needed 50mm when I used one ?? Others would know better

[traveller]

Best if you can upload a pic of the guidescope setup.
Lack of the 50mm extension is the most likely cause.
Bo

[Pharian]

thanks guys, yep it's a focus issue. I had a little extension tube with me which I popped on and could then resolve a star to a large light globe size on the screen. I manually wiggled it a bit back in the extension and could then get a star to resolve.

Cheers guys, love your work. Appreciate it.