Guide camera for imaging from LP Areas

[alistairsam]

Hi,

I live around 18km's from the Melbourne CBD and whilst skies are not dark, they aren't too bad either. (Box Hill North)
I have an ST80 for a guidescope.
With these conditions, is it necessary to use a guide camera like the QHY5guide or the Orion Starshoot autoguider or will an LX modded Philips webcam SPC900NC work?

For Autoguiding, would 1 sec exposures be considered as the maximum for quick corrections or can it be longer?

The QHY5 which I've read is similar to the Orion SSAG is $280 and cheaper than the SSAG. I'm tempted to get this but thought I'd ask about the SPC900NC first.

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

Q: can you see stars if you put an eyepiece in the ST80
A: if yes, you can use just about any camera to guide with.

I live in LP Central (halfway between Sydney CBD and Parramata CBD) and have no issues for guiding with an SSAG and ST80.

The QHY5 and SSAG are popular more because they have the direct guide output from the camera rather than serial or USB from a PC.

[alistairsam]

Thanks.
what exposure setting do you use with the SSAG for guiding?

I do have the Astrogene USB to ST4 adaptor for ST4 output, but was just wondering how different a 1 sec exposure with an SSAG or QHY5 would be compared to an LX modded SPC900NC webcam.

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Just a hind sight kinda opinion here. get the most sensitive guide camera you can afford!!!

qhy5 and SSAG is fine for most things but if your really interested in doing well the Lodestar from Starlight xpress is one of the smallest/lightest and the best but it is also 700 odd dollars. Sbigs 402ME but thats even more expensive but stupidly sensitive it picks up the HH nebula in a 2 second shot

Stay clear of modified web cams they really are not sensitive enough to give you good stars although they work ish.

Brendan