New autoguider

[Geoff45]

See here for Orion's no (http://www.telescope.com/control/product/%7Ecategory_id=astro-imaging_camera/%7Epcategory=astro-imaging/%7Eproduct_id=52074)computer autoguider

[dugnsuz]

Thank's for the link Geoff.
It's still $932AU by today's exchange rate though - webcam+adapter/GPUSB/basic laptop might still scrape under that figure (depending where you shop!).
Looks like a rebadged SBIG-type unit (handset)
Cheers
Doug

[rogerg]

Good to see another alternative for this type of product enter the market.

[Gama]

This is a rebadged LVI autoguider.
You can get it locally in Aus. Im told its on a introduction special $750.00 Aus, so wont last long at this price.
Link is here http://www.myastroshop.com.au/products/details.asp?id=MAS-011 . Stores in Queensland, and they have a few left.

Talk to Steve (Shop Owner) as he had tested it out and has some results.
I have one myself for my Canon & Nikon D200 when i go away without a laptop.
Dont ask, as i havent used it yet !.

Theo

[strongmanmike]

Sounds great and it will probably suit a few people but really, in the end most people discover that a lap top gives you heaps more and more convenient control over your imaging so will inevitably try to have one on hand if they can and then the stand alone nature of this item is superfoulous..? Plus it costs as much as a lappie anyway. But if you find you will be in the position of imaging without a lappie a fair bit it might be great?

Not many peopel here in Australia use it but I use Astroart4 to control my imaging camera and guide camera and the Astroart guide control interface is fantastic. It not only shows the traditional running +/- horizontal line graph in X and Y of the guide star but you can also see a real time 2D dot plot of the star centroid after each guide exposure on a ringed bulls eye cross hair pattern, each ring is 1 pixel radius further out than the last giving you excellent instant feedback on exactly how good your guiding is going. The centroid dots stay on the screen, building up a nice buch of dots on the bulls eye that basically shows what shape your stars will have ie a more circular bunch = more circular stars, plus a running numerical value of actual guide errors in X and Y after each correction made as well as a running average of these appears under the bulls eye... I love it.

http://www.msb-astroart.com/

Mike

[Gama]

Problem Mike is that power doesnt grow on trees (To all the physics geeks, YES it does have stored energy though). So your limited on your power unit you bring along, plus the multitude of cables, setting it all up, then hoping you have enough juice to do it all night long.
Then everything in reverse again to pack up.
Or, just setup the mount/telescope/camera, smaller battery unit, plug in guider, start.

But to each his own Mike i suppose, we all have our quirks...
I like yourself like the portable Cray II Super computer with me too.

Theo

[strongmanmike]

Me? Quirks?...I am a perfectly level headed, conservative and considered purist.....

:innocent: :whistle:

[Terry B]

Sound very similar to the display that guidemaster provides at zero cost. ;)