I know this has all been gone over many times, but.......
I have a William Optics FLT 132 f7 refractor on a EQ6 pro mount all driven by EQMOD. Works well. Now want to change the EOS 5DII to a cooled CCD and will require guiding.
I am a bit concerned with OAG and would rather go down the guide scope route.
Andrews Comms has a Long Perng carbon fibre 66mm f6 refractor that I was considering for a guide scope. Should be light and stiff. If I get some decent rings maybe flexure won't be a problem.
I'll use a QHY-5LII as a guider.
Hi!
If you could afford a QSI you could get one with the OAG fitted.
Or an SBIG with integral guiding on the filter wheel?
Depends on the money for your new CCD.
I have been quite happy for about four or five years with the guide scope route- having all varieties and combinations in the past. But everybody seems to agree that to take that next step needs either OAG or self guiding.
I bought the SBIG STT with guiding filter wheel but it is a really heavy camera and have yet to get first light due to my new focuser being stuck at customs still!!
Anything that minimises flexion will help.
Have fun
Graham
Interesting topic -- I'm tempted (read likely) to get the QSI 690 wsg-8 with built-in OAG for my next CCD (maybe next year...), and have been musing on what sort of a guidecam I should get to fit in the OAG port.
One option is to use my current Orion SS G3 CCD - it is quite sensitive, albeit perhaps a little heavy for an OAG port?. Another is to get a lightweight and sensitive CMOS camera like the QHY-5LII, but I'm not sure if it will be sufficiently sensitive for use in an OAG. Ahhh, decisions.
I currently guide with a NexImage 5 planetary cam using Metaguide and a guidescope - works well enough, but risks issues with flexure etc. at longer exposures.
Self-guiding with my ST8-XME is a breeze, until the blue filter gets involved. Brightness of guide stars then becomes a significant issue, to the point that it's only about 50% the time I can guide blue exposures.
Guide scopes have potential for all sorts of flexure issues and other issues stemming from not guiding through the exact same telescope as imaging. I like the idea of OAG where the OAG is in front of or beside the filters.
Yes, the OAG port on the new QSI is in front of the filters -- that problem you mention about the blue (and even worse, NB) filter was what put me off considering an integrated guide chip on the SBIG.
Is the size (small) of the Sony chip in the QSI a concern?
Well, you can always get the KAF chipped version, or a short FL scope! Me me the 690 will give an excellent sampling and avoid any vignetting on my scopes.
