Review: TVGuider a stand alone autoguider

[allan gould]

Some time back in the eqipment section I mentioned that I had purchased a TVGuider from Martin Mylivec. Well it arrived today and tonight I checked out its functionality, but before I get to that I must say how well it was manufactured and easily manipulated in the dark. Its been well thought out in that all buttons are backlit for use in the dark. The LCD screen can be swithed off either to give a clean screen or switched off entirely to save power. Runs on 12 volt battery but on a battery that my laptop had drained and refused to start up on, this unit went away merrily guiding. Its so well thought out that it seems stupidly simple.
Plug in the camera, focus on a star, place the Xhairs on it and it starts guiding straight away. Read the manual and its very sophisticated but thats buried under the hood but still accesable.
Guided to subpixel accuracy easily for 20+ minutes.
For the price it stuffs an st4/stv into a cocked hat and there is no other stand alone autoguider out there.
I'm so pleased I managed to get my hands on this unit.
Now I can do away with my laptop in the field which if it didn't blind me, then it quickly drained my batteries.

[netwolf]

What is the Camera you are using? Is it part of the Kit? What is the cost?

Regards
Fahim

[allan gould]

The camera is as shown and comes with the guider complete. Its a Watec WAT-902H3 ultimate which comes with a 1 1/4 inch adapter and all cabling. The cost of my unit was $US650 complete with camera. If you have your own video camera then the unit with LCD screen as shown is $US400. I should state that the whole unit is PAL and you can plug in your own external monitor for public viewing etc. Thus a very cheap but great guiding option if you have a Gstar EX.

[rogerg]

Does it do auto guiding or is it for manual guiding only?

[allan gould]

No its a stand alone autoguider. Just plug it into your autoguider port and it sends corrections to the mount with sub-pixel accuracy. One unique feature is that it has a port for ST4 commands and another for native LX200 style commands. Couldn't be simpler.

[robin]

Wow, thats sounds great Allan. Just what Ive been looking for. Are you saying that there's no setting up scope parameters or anything? Just plug it in, centre the star in the x-hairs & off you go?

[h0ughy]

Thats exactly what I want Allan, you don't really want that do you;) :rofl: .

I have sent 3 emails to Martin and I have had no reply. makes me wonder if I have the email address correct. Allan can you PM me the address again.:D

[[1ponders]]

Bring it with you to Astrofest h0ughy. I want to have a play. :D

[h0ughy]

:sadeyes: :sadeyes: wont be able too. ignore my posting above to do with no email reply, I tried again and got through this morning. as Martin said in his email
"
David,
I'm reading this mail first time. May be my spam filter destroy your first message. I 've some problems with it.

All TVGuiders I have made (15 pieces) are sold now (Allan had luck - it was last piece). I'll start next serie when I have enough orders, I think at autum or winter. I'm not any manufacturer/company and I build these devices in small quantities at my free time. So be patient please."

[allan gould]

The TVGuider is plug and play. The only thing you have to do is orient the camera L/R for RA and U/D for DEC. Martin has obviosly spent a large amount of time and programming to make this as simple as possible but there are some sophisticated algorithms behind it. The screen is very easy on the eye and the camera quite sensitive. Not sure of how low the mag goes down but quite sensitive as you can stack frames to increase sensitivity and decrease seeing effects. The manual is in another post on IIS that I contributed to if people are interested and Houghy his email is there at the end as well

[allan gould]

Over the weekend I had a chance to use the TVGuider with my HEQ5-PRO mount to see exactly what this new guider is capable of. I let it have a go at eta carina in 8" scope with focal reducer and I was guiding with 70x500mm guidescope (Native ie NO barlow). I let it take a 5 min shot ie longer than the 4 min worm period of the mount. Photo says it all, very very smooth guider. Also guided well in other parts of the sky except I'm ashamed to say I forgot to check my focus as the night wore on and I have perfectly guided doughnuts. Homer Simpson would be delighted on several counts. If you need other info just ask

[iceman]

Wow what a stunning image!
Beautiful, alan! What camera?

[[1ponders]]

Very nice Allan. It looks like it works a treat. Fabulous image.

h0ughy if you hear of him making anymore let me know!

[allan gould]

I have been in contact this morning with Martin Myslivec and he is certainly making some more TVGuiders and the idea is to contact him, probably arrange to pay a deposit and reserve one. I know of at least 4-5 units which are pre-ordered for Sept delivery to Australia. I have just purchased an XY finder from him that one of his compatriots makes. Excellent bit of machining and at about 1/2 to 1/3-1/7 cost of US manufacturer then an absolute bargain. Its amazing if you go to Martin's site and browse around what these amateurs are doing without US consumables etc. They make them or purchase European (Borg etc scopes). They really have made real strides and I know Martin has some very interesting products in his fertile brain.
Forgot to add that the camera is an unmodded 350D

[[1ponders]]

Do you have a link to his site Allan? The only one I can find is in Czechoslovakian

[allan gould]

Paul
Sorry the only link is in Czech
(http://foto.astronomy.cz/TVGuider.htm)
and its not translated well by any internet translation site that I can find. In another thread on this camera , someone posted a zip file with an English translation I made of the operating manual for the TVGuider. Other than that you have to bumble around. His email address is in the end of the zip file.

[MMys]

Hello Allan, and all other.
At first I must corect you, most of my images were taken with MODIFIED 300D (oiriginal UV/IR/AA filter replaced by planparallel plate with antirefections)

TVGuiders - something good happens, so I have 12 orders now (4 for australian, rest from Czech, Austria, Denmark...), thus I can start next lot. I'll start work on 15 devices. This is maximum I can make in reasonable time up to 3 month now I think, because holidays etc...

All of interested will receive mail with instructions

[[1ponders]]

I posted an order this afternoon MMys. Hopefully it will be one of the remaining 3 ;)

Oh, and Welcome aboard the good ship Iceinspace :hi:

[allan gould]

Martin
Welcome to IceInSpace. Your considerable talents will be most welcome here. The camera I was refering to was my unmodded 350D that I used with your TVGuider. You could perhaps show some of your photos that you have taken with your modded 300D as well as your QHY8 (and TVGuider of course). The latter (QHY8) has been of some interest here as well.
Again, welcome and enjoy new friends Down Under.
Allan

[MMys]

OK. One is Your. Complete, with WATEC camera ? I wrote you mail at morning today (my local). You will receive email with instructions within few days.

[[1ponders]]

Thanks very much Martin. I only have cameras with USB so I guess I'll need the camera as well. Check my email, it has my camera and autoguiding details.

Cheers
Paul

[h0ughy]

Martin,

I hope my order is there, can you please confirm?

[Nuri]

This TVGuider sounds awesome. Would it work with a Losmandy G11 WITHOUT Gemini? The G11 product page (https://www.bintelshop.com.au/Product.aspx?ID=7556) on the Bintel site says "Accepts auto-guider systems" (fifth line from the bottom)???

[allan gould]

Yes should be OK

[Astroman]

yeah be nice to see this in english translation, looks like a great little unit.

[allan gould]

The english translation is in this thread
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=18911&highlight=TVGuider
second to last message

And so far Im discovering some nice little touches which are mentioned but make this unit the easiest Ive ever used.
Regards, Allan

[Astroman]

thanks Allan

[MMys]

Yes, You are in list (and all interested should received e-mail with instructions yesterday or today).

Here is complete list of TVGuiders for Australian:
Kane Makowski 2 pieces without camera
Steve Massey 1 piece without camera
David Hough 1 piece with camera
Paul Russell 1 piece with camera

There is not any piece free now (rest 10 pieces will be for Europe and Czech) Interest was so high.

TVGuider works with Losmady (both, Gemini and simplier Digital drive) directly without any conversion/relay box. It has optocoupler inside and there is special mode (alternated RA/DE commands, for reason so Losmady's digital drive can't perform corrections in both directions simultaneously). Gemini has standard STx guide port and work with both axex simultaneously.

I don't know, when next lot will be. I plan new version of this autoguider (even more compact).

[Astroman]

Great stuff :) I am thinking of something along these lines, maybe in the future I will be on the list :) Great work there.

[h0ughy]

yahooooooo I am on the list

[allan gould]

Now you will need 2 complete set ups. One for imaging aND ONE for viewing

[h0ughy]

no problem;) :lol: , the eq6 and the losmandy are attending qld astrofest:whistle:

[allan gould]

Thought that some of you may be interested in that I have tried the TVGuider with both my HEQ5-Pro mount as well as my LosmandyG11 with Gemini. Both worked flawlessly. The Gemini is of interest as its the older style mount that needs a CCD that is optoisolated. Since the TVGuider has built in optocoupler then its just plug and play.