guiding cost

[rolls05 (Roland)]

Hey all. Some of the guiding gear I see on here seems quite prohibitive cost wise. Is there a low cost way of guiding for someone who just wants 5 or 10 min. for pinpoint stars, or would a goto heq5 suffice.
I should say eq mount with ed80 + dslr,specifically.

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Yes there is a low cost way of guiding indefinitely, but you're not going to like it.

Way back BC (before computers) we guided manually. All you need is a small guidescope, some adjustable rings an illuminated reticle eyepiece and your eye. Use the hand controller to make small corrections. Single axis is really all that's needed if the alignment is good, otherwise dual axis is better. You don't even need goto.

[Grimmeister (Anthony)]

Hi Rolls,

What is prohibitive cost as everyones budget is different? I have an autoguider set up for sale for $400 + postage and includes everything you need for a guider set up.

This is a full rig with 80mm scope but there are cheaper set ups if you shop around.

Cheers

Anthony

[LewisM]

Orions Magnificient MiniGuider (MMG) is super. The guider is an Orion StarShoot autoguider

I used it for a while, and only now gone up to an OAG with the autoguider originally supplied with the MMG package. An OAG is the bee's knees with guiding IMHO, but LEARN guiding first before you consider an OAG.

[Poita (Peter)]

I think a lot of people forget that manual guiding was how we all took astro photos not that long ago.

If you are only doing 5 minute subs, it's not that arduous.

My favourite automated solution is an Off Axis Guider (OAG) with a lodestar camera. Never have a problem getting a guide star and no flex issues etc.

But manual guiding definitely works.

[Poita (Peter)]

Ah, I think I misread the question. It doesn't look like you are asking about autoguiding, just a tracking mount?

In that case, yes an HEQ5 would suffice with an ED80 and a DSLR. You will need to get your polar alignment spot-on, but you should get great images with 5 min subs from that setup once you have gotten your head around it.
That will track and give good results, you could then add autoguiding later at extra expense, or guide manually. i.e. the mount tracks for you, but you apply corrections to the tracking by using the hand controller to apply minor corrections while imaging.

[rolls05 (Roland)]

Thanks all. Very good info. Ive got my head around it quite comfortably now. In that case Peter,I'll go the heq5 for sure. I didnt realise you can do a small guide system so cheap so that's definitely going to something I save up for.ps. Anthony, cool site. Will check it out. Cheers all.