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Old 13-06-2009, 06:56 AM
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pmrid (Peter)
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Settings for guiding with ToUCam SPC900NC

Does anyone use the SPC900NC as a guide cam for PHD? If so, could you please tell me what settings you use - I just can't get mine to work. It'll find an image during daylight and I can bring it to focus OK. But at night, I can't get the darned thing to a point where I can see stars. I can use WcCtrl but the issue remains what settings to use.
Peter
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Old 13-06-2009, 12:42 PM
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AlexN
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is your 900NC long exposure modified? If not, it will be very difficult to get guidestars..

in the "brain" menu of PHD, enable "use subframes" and set your exposure length for 2 seconds... This "SHOULD" get you some guide stars.. Also, it is a very good practice in my opinion to focus your guide scope during the day on something a few km away... this will give you very close focus to start with.. Trying to find guidestars when you're more than 3 or 4 mm away from correct focus can be very hard, especially so when your guide camera is not very sensitive, or capable of long exposures..

Also, In PHD you can try adjusting the gamma slider at the bottom of the window, this can help make it easier to distinguish faint guide stars...

Alex.
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Old 13-06-2009, 01:10 PM
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leon
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What Alex has mention is correct, other than the modified long exposure cam, I have use for a number of years a normal 840 Phillips Cam with great success, I think it also has to do with the guide scope you may be using.

And as mentioned focusing can be tricky and you don't have to move it much to be out of focus.

I suggest you point the cam to a rich star field, where you know you can't be out and have to hit a star regardless of how far the guide scope and the main scope are out.

On my ED 80 I also had to fit a 3'' extension tube to get it to focus at all, not sure what you are using.

Leon
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