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Old 27-04-2016, 07:37 PM
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thegableguy (Chris)
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Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: NSW Central Coast, Australia
Posts: 337
Beginner's guide to guiding

Hi all,

I recently acquired a NEQ6 mount and Orion ED80 with flattener. It’s all going okay, slowly getting better at drift alignment and getting some not-too-awful results, but I’m quickly realising that the next step – guiding – is kinda essential. The best I’ve managed so far is about 90 seconds; I’m told I can expect about 2 mins somewhat reliably as my alignment technique develops, but all bets are off with any exposures longer than that.

So. Guiding! Can someone give me a quick rundown of what the options are, and the approximate costs? I’d prefer not to drag a laptop into the process if I can avoid it, but I honestly have no idea – maybe the standalone guiders aren’t much good...? I’ve read some pretty mixed reviews.

I also have no real idea about PEC. This mount has PEC capability but I don’t think it’s ever been programmed.

One other thing: I shoot Nikons. Though my full-frame cameras will work with Backyard Nikon, it won’t work with my crop sensor D3300 (no SDK released for it, annoyingly) and I'd really prefer to use the D3300 just for the increased magnification. So if I do have to go down the laptop route I’ll have to use some other software. Not sure of the options there. Does Stellarium have this functionality, or are there other decent free options that will work? I’m currently using a cheap intervalometer that works fine, but I simply don’t understand how guiding works and what is connected to what, whether an intervalometer can still be involved or if it all has to be controlled by the laptop.

Any advice anyone can offer would be most welcome. Thanks in advance.
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