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Hi Stuart,
My rig is a modified Vixen R200SS with a Televue Paracorr Type 2 corrector. The focal length is now 920mm / Focal ratio 4.6. The Paracorr increases the focal length from its native 4.0. The main CCD is a first generation SBIG ST-8300 mono with a pixel size 5.4 microns. My image scale is around 1.2. I have milled the spider down to 1.7 mm and have installed a secondary heater. Funky white wires, they are 1.5 mm thick.
The guide scope is an Orion 50mm (162 mm fl) with a SBIG ST-i stuck in there. In the photo, you can see a block of carbon fibre I made that has the same radius as the Optical tube and is bolted directly to the optical tube. The guide scope is pulled into an inverted aluminium channel on the block via stainless steel hose clamp. There is no adjustment and the whole assembly it is literally part of the optical tube now. It moves with the scope it has to. There is no flexing within its tube rings, or where the main scope mounts to the dovetail as it is literally bonded to the main optical tube. The stock focuser has been adjusted to remove any movement that I could detect by running results via CCD Inspector looking for flex in altitude changes.
The focuser is a Rigel Systems NStep focuser, focusing controlled via FocusMax. It works. Each step is 3.14 microns on my system. The stepper is strong, and has no issues lifting the camera.
Mount is an AP-900. This is really the best part of the system. It has never given me any issues, it just works.
On the back of the scope is a Mount Hub Pro. Its convenient, but often requires a bit of coxing. I have never been able to run VB Scripts to control Ascom stuff like turning on and off of cameras, heaters, fans, via scripting. I should add that this can be done with the Mount Hub Pro control program on the PC, unfortunately, not via scripting under windows 8 64 bit. I would love to be able to turn everything off via a script after an imaging run.
I image from the city, and if the conditions are right, head out to a dark place.
Terry
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