New guidescope configuration

[allan gould]

Finally have been able to get my guidescope configuration how I wanted after several frustrating nights of finding guide stars. Shown in the attached photo is a chopped down 70x500mm refractor with an XY shifter and flip mirror, going to either an eyepiece or video camera attached to the stand alone TVGuider (mentioned elswhere). The coupling of this to Losmandy rings with a three screw adjustment in the rings now makes finding and centering a guide star on the video chip a real breaze. Now I can have stable and easy guiding without all the frustration that comes when the sun goes down - now to get to step two and get my focussing down pat. Have a few ideas on how to do this easily and repeatedly.

[Dennis]

Nice set up you have there Allan. Look forward to seeing some images once you have bottomed out the focusing challenges too! Always something to fix, tweak, repair or tune eh?

Cheers

Dennis

[gbeal]

Ahhhh, so another who agrees with my all time recommendation, Losmandy guide rings, Good to see you are getting there Allan.
You mention the focus, this is the imaging scope focus, or the guidescope?
Always having something to muck with seems to be part of the ritual.

[allan gould]

The focus for the guidescope is easy as the eyepiece is parfocal with the videocamera in the flip mirror. The videocamera gives instant focus and position feedback on the LCD screen of the TVGuider.
Im now working on getting reliable and computer free focusing of a DSLR using a swap out system between the camera and a parfocal ronchi screen. I have had a go at this previously and it does work very well but I have to use a PC to get very accurate or best DSLR focus and then confirm this with a ronchi eyepiece. When I have this down pat I'll write it up.
I'm striving for accurate guiding and focus in the field, in the dark and without using a computer - and finally it has to be idiot proof (thats the hard part).

[gbeal]

Given you have an LCD screen, can you use that as an "enlarged" version of the small screen on the rear of the camera. I have occasionally used the small LCD, zooming in for each shot to "tweak" carefully the focus, using a bright star.

[rogerg]

XY shifter... now there's a useful piece of equipment. Where sells that nifty gadget?

[allan gould]

Tried to purchase from the States but the manufacturer is no longer capable of machining them. In the end Martin Myslivec (TVGuider maker) was able to supply me with one that his friend manufactures. You could try contacting him.