Advice - which Lumicon Off axis guider for a C9.25?

[g__day]

Guys I am thinking of this as my next purchase for my C9.25.

Both guiders look like they can do the job, can anyone help me choose between them an why - given the price differential is unimportant.

Thanks

LG1027 USD $249.95
2 inch Cassegrain Easy Guider


http://www.lumicon.com/telescope-accessories.php?iid=LG1027&cid=53&in=2+inch+Cassegrain+Easy+Guider&hn=

vs

LG1025 USD $259.95
Cassegrain Easy Guider for 7in - 9.25in SCTs


http://www.lumicon.com/telescope-accessories.php?iid=LG1025&cid=53&in=Cassegrain+Easy+Guider+for+7in+-+9.25in+SCTs&hn=


Retailed info

http://www.mapug-astronomy.net/ragreiner/OAG.html

[g__day]

Piccys of each unit, the LG1027 is the yellow one - and it appears slightly longer than the all black LG1025.

[Merlin66]

Don't recognise the images, but I've been using the Lumicon Giant Easy Guider on my 12" LX200 for the last couple of years. A great piece of engineering, the built in reducer (80mm diameter) gives a pretty good field at f6. Worth considering.

[g__day]

Does it have any product code or model number on it - or could you specify its length please?

[Merlin66]

Just checked the Lumicon webpage.
The LG1030, Giant easy guider is nominated for the 10 and 12" Meades, so I'm pretty sure it won't easily fit the 9.25 Celestron. The overall length of the body is 100mm and an extra 30mm for a 1 1/4" adaptor.

[g__day]

Thanks - on the other two choices then - can you see any reason to prefer a short adapter over a longer one or vice versa then?

[Zuts]

Hi,

I have the Lumicon giant easy guider. It is for my C11 and is supposed to give an unvignetted reduced field. They are rather expensive, over 400 AUD. Anyway I live in Sydney, so if you wish to try it for a bit, you can.

Paul

[g__day]

Paul,

Are you saying the giant easy guider (LG1030) can fit on the back of a C11 and/or C9.25?

Many thanks,

Matthew

[Zuts]

Nope,

I am saying I dont know, but if you want to try i have one you can try. However my C11 has a standard visual back and i forget if i screw in here or into my 2 inch visual back. I dont think the visual back of a C9.25 is any different as it would accept a standard 2 inch visual back. It may fit but may not be designed for a c9.25, i.e it may give more or less than a 0.6 reduction. In any case depending on where you put it in the C11 imaging train it will give up to a 0.5 reduction. So maybe on a C9.25 in the standard position it would give 0.5?

Anyway, i have been told they are one of the few reducers for a C11 which will not vignette and imagine it woud be the same for a C9.25.

Paul

[g__day]

Thanks for the offer - and I see from your comment that the Giant guider has an in-built focal reducer too!

I have asked the same questions to Lumicon tech support - again - lets see if the come to the party first - but a huge thanks for the offer!

Matthew

[Zuts]

No problem,

I am in Sydney so it wouldnt be too difficult. Anyway the Giant easy guider is basically a field reducer with an attached guider as I think are the other two units you pictured below.

Paul

[g__day]

Useful data from Lumicon Tech support last night:

Dear Sir,


Thank you for your Email.

We do not sell a Giant Easy Guider anymore so that leaves the two other Cassegrain Easy Guiders: “2 inch Cassegrain Easy Guider” (LG1027) and the “Cassegrain Easy Guider for 7” to 9.25” SCT’s” (LG1025). They are identical except for how they attach to the back of the telescope. The LG1025 attaches to the back of a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope (SCT) with an adapter that fits onto the standard ~2” diameter male adapter on the back of most SCT’s. The product name “7 inch to 9.25inch...” is somewhat limiting. This Easy Guider (LG1025) will fit on any SCT that has that standard ~2” male adapter on the back of it. With some of the early Meade 10” and larger SCTS and the early Celestron 11” and larger SCTs, they did not have the smaller ~2” male adapter. They had a much larger male adapter on the back side. The large Meade and Celestron SCTs I have seen lately have the larger adapter AND the smaller standard ~2” male adapter.

The “2 inch Cassegrain Easy Guider” (LG1027) attaches to a 2” female drawtube or 2” female extension such as LA1065, LA1066 or LA1075. In fact you can screw on either LA1065 or LA1066 to the back of your SCT then attach this Easy Guider (LG1027) to it.

So these two Easy Guider systems are almost the same. The LG1025 attaches with LG5100. The LG1027 attaches with LG5103 to a 2” extension. Both would work with your C9.25. The price is almost the same. I own an old C8. If I were buying one I would get the LG1025 because it is a little more solid attachment. I would probably get LG5103 adapter to so I can attach the off axis guider to a right angle finder for when the off axis guider will not fit underneath my telescope because I am looking close to straight up. My C8 has fork arms. I do not know if your C9.25 is fork armed or not.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us.



Sincerely,


Joe B.

Tech Support

Lumicon

* * *

To which I have asked:

Dear Joe,

It sounds like the LG1025 is for me then – just to check where it goes in the imaging train and what attachments I may need. At present I have a Meade electronic Motor focuser #1209 see image

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/attachments/2314852-Scopes_smaller.jpg (http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/attachments/2314852-Scopes_smaller.jpg)

I generally put either a 2” diagonal or a CANON DSLR 2” thread adapter into this. I wanted to check for the LG1025:

1)Does the OAG would attach after the Meade Motor focuser
2)What parts would you suggest I get so I can mate the OAG with the motor focuser?
3)Do I need any other parts to mate the OAG with the 2” Canon DSLR adapter?
4)Do I need any parts to mate the 1 ¼” Meade DSI to the OAG?

Many thanks,

Matthew

[sjastro]

I haven't used a SCT (C11) for a few years now, but if the Lumicon easy guider uses the same reducer lens as in the old GEG, I'd be reluctant making the purchase. I was never able to obtain pinpoint stars, unlike the f/6.3 Celestron reducer.

I found imaging with the f/6.3 reducer and Celestron off axis guider with the associated vignetting to be a far better option.

Regards

Steven
http://users.westconnect.com.au/~sjastro/small

[Zuts]

The giant easy guider can be used for both visual and astrophotography. It gives good views visually which is usefull as native F10 gives a very high mag with even a 30mm EP on a C11, also unlike the Celestron it wont vignette.

Paul

[g__day]

With these specific guiders is the focal reducer built in or is it slide in or out - at the users discretion - i.e. do you have a choice?

Matthew

[g__day]

The answer!

1--Yes. The EZ Guider goes after the electric focuser. The focuser introduces some extra length into the system in addition to what the EZ Guider does already. This will raise the f/ of the reduction from F6.5 to something higher.

2—The Meade electric focuser has a 2” (and 1.25’ with adapter) female end on it. So, to connect the LG1025 to your electric focuser you need LG5103 adapter in front instead of the LG5100 which comes with the LG1025. To hook up the LG1025 to your G9.25 without the electric focuser just the LG1025 with its standard adapter (LG5100) will work.

3 – No. I am assuming when you say “the Canon DSLR adapter” you mean the Canon EOS T-Ring---- our part number “LT1015”.

4 – If you are talking about using the DSI as the guider only, no problem. It has a 1.25” tube to fit in the eyepiece slot. You may have to get an extension tube if you do not use a diagonal. If you are talking about using the DSI as the main imager you could use a LA1070 to screw on the back of the EZ guider. To drop in the DSI.

[Zuts]

Hi,

One of the benefits of the giant easy guider is that the guider portion can be rotated around the guider assembly without changing the focus or removing the camera. This makes it far easier to find a guide star as you can rotate the pickoff prism until you find one. You should get an off axis guider with this feature.

Paul