Orion deluxe autoduide scope

[OneCosmos]

Hi,
I'm just wondering if anyone has tried using the Orion deluxe autoguide package (http://www.bintel.com.au/Astrophotography/Autoguiders/Orion-Mini-Deluxe-AutoGuider-Package/1547/productview.aspx) to guide a main imaging scope that is 900mm focal length or longer?

I'm not actually bothered which camera is used, as I have the lodestar already but I am interested in the feasibility of using the rather small 50mm f3.2 guidescope. I know in years gone by it would have not been possible but with sub pixel guiding perhaps it is? Anyone tried?

Chris

[OneCosmos]

As an update I spoke to someone who has used it very successfully with a 900mm refractor - which exactly matches mine so I will acquire it and report back here with how well it copes.

If it doesn't work for the 900mm scope I may just be able to use it for the 450mm scope mounted a-top the main one. Alternatively there may be a 50mm f3.2 guide scope advertised on IIS :(

[Slawomir]

Hi Chris,

Small guidescope should be sufficient. Having said that, after a lot of tweaking I stopped using Orion's guide scope some time ago scope because of flex. Flex may not necessarily be entirely caused by a guide scope; actually it largely depends on how rigid is you main scope. Installing a larger and heavier guide scope may cause even more flex, so I would certainly stick to a small and light one that is rigidly attached to the main scope. I personally did not like plastic thumb screws in my Orion's guide scope.

Ultimately though, off-axis or on-axis guiding generally yields superior results.

[billdan]

Hi Chris,

I use the Orion Mini Guider with a Lodestar and it works OK for me.

I'm imaging at 1000mm with 5 micron pixels. The Lodestar is 7 micron guiding at 160mm.

Just make sure its bolted down real tight and it will be fine.

I just have to be aware that a 1 pixel movement in the guide cam is equivalent to approx 5 pixel movement in the image cam.

Attached is a typical guide graph I get with a stock EQ6, this one was with clouds around so could have been better. I lost 7 subs to clouds.

Regards

Bill

[Robert9]

Hi Chris,
i am using one of these units with my 900mm SW ED100 or 1500mm Celestron 6SE on an HEQ5Pro mount with no problems.
Robert

[RobF]

Agree with comments that FL and pixel size not the issue. You have to have very rigid mounting of the scopes relative to each other. A tiny bit of flex in either means you'll loose some subs to egging or even streaking.

OAG more fiddley to set up but generally best outcome for round stars.

One nice advantage of a guidescope is being able to platesolve the finder to figure out generally where your main scope is. Also easier if you change around your main OTA lightpath/camera not having to reinvent OAG config and spacings.

Having used both I wouldn't go back from OAG now where its an option.

[OneCosmos]

Thanks to everyone for a great set of responses. The guidescope is currently sat at the post office awaiting collection, so I may get a chance to try it tonight.

Bill, your post show the typical PHD output is very useful. I may even PM you when I get down to the nitty gritty of configuring it.

Previously I have always used the Orion ST 80 for guiding but then I bought a Tak baby Q which I mounted atop my 152mm in the observatory with a view to using it as a smaller imaging scope. Until now however the TAK has been used for nothing except guiding :(
The most expensive guide scope on the planet!

The motivation then for the Orion was something I could replace the existing finder with to free up both scopes for imaging as and when. I ike the idea that the Orion guidescope will attach directly to the finder foot. I have a Starlight Instruments focuser which has a finder connection point which I presume is a standard one that Orion will also fit. If it doesn't there will be pain.

The mount is an EQ8 Pro so long as I can really tightly secure it to the focuser there should be no movement. Worse case scenario is I only use it to guide for the Tak, which is only 450mm FL but it would be cool if it works for the 900mm FL 152mm too.

I have attached a photo of the setup and you can clearly see the APM 50mm finder which would be replaced by the Orion 50mm f3.2. The lodestar and Orion X-Y shifter is on the TAK at the moment as you can jus about see.

Worst, worst case scenario is that I have spent another $269 on another piece of unused kit :shrug:

I'll reply to this thread when I have some results.

Chris