ICEINSPACE
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Waning Gibbous 68.2%
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27-10-2008, 06:55 PM
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Always looking up
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Wollongong
Posts: 720
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Autoguiding through ED80
I am used to autoguiding my LX200GPS with a DSI...this is fine as the orientation of the USB socket has to be in a particular postion....
But now I am ready to image and autoguide with a piggybacked ED80 or Skywatcher 102.
My problem is I cannot reach focus without an extention tube with the DSI attached to the ED80 (or Skywatcher 102). I have read a post within this forum I can reach the acquired focus if I use the 2" Meade 90 deg Diagonal, this is correct as I have tested it and it focusers fine.
If I am using this diagonal as an extension tube to focus then what would the orientation of the DSI have to be, to enable a successful guide? i.e. USB socket pointing to the 9 0' clock or 3 0' clock position?
Many thanks in advance.
Paul
Last edited by peeb61; 27-10-2008 at 07:41 PM.
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27-10-2008, 07:26 PM
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IIS Member #671
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Canberra
Posts: 11,159
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Paul,
If you use PHD Guiding, it doesn't matter what orientation your guiding camera is. It works all that out for you.
Regards,
Humayun
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27-10-2008, 07:34 PM
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Always looking up
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Wollongong
Posts: 720
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Thanks Humayun for your quick response.
I have tried PHD in the past but had troubles with it...freezing up etc My success has always laid with Meade Envisage but I suppose I should try and work out the issues.
Cheers
Paul
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27-10-2008, 08:02 PM
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IIS Member #671
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Canberra
Posts: 11,159
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Paul,
You're welcome.
I originally had a Meade LX90 LNT and tried Envisage to guide using a Meade DSI. It seemed to sometimes work and then at other times just lose the guidestar and go AWOL. I gave that up pretty quickly.
If you're having freezing issues, you may need to update your drivers. Have you got the latest ASCOM drivers?
Regards,
Humayun
Quote:
Originally Posted by peeb61
Thanks Humayun for your quick response.
I have tried PHD in the past but had troubles with it...freezing up etc My success has always laid with Meade Envisage but I suppose I should try and work out the issues.
Cheers
Paul
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27-10-2008, 08:43 PM
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Always looking up
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Wollongong
Posts: 720
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Humayun,
Yes....everything is up to specks including ascom.
I can honestly say envisage has been a godsend as guiding software, I cannot fault it.
I will try PHD at the next opportune and report back here.
Cheers
Paul
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28-10-2008, 12:27 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Western Australia
Posts: 7,972
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Buy a 80mm extension tube from Bintels that's what I use with my guider in an ED80
Cheers
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28-10-2008, 01:00 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Robertson NSW
Posts: 517
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I guide with an ED80/2" diagonal with 1.25" adaptor and a QHY5 mono. I set the little red light on the QHY5 at 3 o'clock and it hums along all night in PHD. One thing I do with PHD is try and leave it active on the desktop so I have my laptop screen with PHD on one half and the other half has Maxim on. I find when PHD gets buried under Stellarium, Stellarium Scope, Maxim DL, EQASCOM etc etc it has little hissy fits and fails.
My focus point for the ED80/QHY5 and diagonal is around 35mm, and 40mm for my reticle. I upgraded the focuser to a 10:1 when I used the ED80 for imaging and it has a "ruler" on it.
I hope my quirky way of doing things helps.
Regards
Wayne
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28-10-2008, 06:39 PM
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Always looking up
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Wollongong
Posts: 720
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TrevorW
Buy a 80mm extension tube from Bintels that's what I use with my guider in an ED80
Cheers
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Thanks Trevor, I will look into the extension tube, I have been using the 2" tube off my barlow, this has worked quite well focusing my 350D..I will see if it will focus the DSI.
Paul
Quote:
Originally Posted by madwayne
I guide with an ED80/2" diagonal with 1.25" adaptor and a QHY5 mono. I set the little red light on the QHY5 at 3 o'clock and it hums along all night in PHD. One thing I do with PHD is try and leave it active on the desktop so I have my laptop screen with PHD on one half and the other half has Maxim on. I find when PHD gets buried under Stellarium, Stellarium Scope, Maxim DL, EQASCOM etc etc it has little hissy fits and fails.
My focus point for the ED80/QHY5 and diagonal is around 35mm, and 40mm for my reticle. I upgraded the focuser to a 10:1 when I used the ED80 for imaging and it has a "ruler" on it.
I hope my quirky way of doing things helps.
Regards
Wayne
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Wayne, that's not a quirky way...that's depth!
Thanks for taking the time to explain how your setup is rigged, I will fiddle with mine.
Paul
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28-10-2008, 06:41 PM
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Always looking up
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Wollongong
Posts: 720
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Octane
Paul,
If you use PHD Guiding, it doesn't matter what orientation your guiding camera is. It works all that out for you.
Regards,
Humayun
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Humayun,
I was wondering if I used PHD Guiding....how do I take dark's? like with the DSI??
Just curious.
Paul
Last edited by peeb61; 04-11-2008 at 07:15 PM.
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28-10-2008, 07:38 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 41
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I guided with a DSI and an ED80 for some considerable time, and very successfully.
I made a short extension tube, in order to achieve the necessary back-focus.
The DSI needed to oriented with the USB connector facing to the right, when viewed from the rear.
I did try it with PHD (I normally use AA4),and it worked fine. I've never found the need to take dark frames, with a guide camera.
Dave
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28-10-2008, 07:40 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: New Zealand
Posts: 4,345
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Quote:
Originally Posted by peeb61
Humayun,
I was wondering if I used PHD Guiding....how do I take dark's with the DSI??
Just curious.
Paul
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My PHD ( heck, that makes me sound educated, LOL) has a "Take Dark" option.
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28-10-2008, 09:37 PM
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Always looking up
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Wollongong
Posts: 720
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Quote:
Originally Posted by centroid
I guided with a DSI and an ED80 for some considerable time, and very successfully.
I made a short extension tube, in order to achieve the necessary back-focus.
The DSI needed to oriented with the USB connector facing to the right, when viewed from the rear.
I did try it with PHD (I normally use AA4),and it worked fine. I've never found the need to take dark frames, with a guide camera.
Dave
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Thanks Dave...this is great news...thanks for the info! I found taking the darks gave me 1 sec exposures needed for guiding, I have never needed to expose longer.
Paul
Quote:
Originally Posted by gbeal
My PHD ( heck, that makes me sound educated, LOL) has a "Take Dark" option.
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Thanks gbeal....I have fiddled with PHD but never delved deep into the setup...I will dig around more into PHD and work it out.
Paul
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04-11-2008, 07:15 PM
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Always looking up
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Wollongong
Posts: 720
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Just an update on my delemma.
The extension I have works well so I don't need the 2" diagonal to aid in the focus...I'm happy.
PHD works well with my setup and IT takes darks...thanks gbeal!
I will try this out at my next imaging night if the clouds go away.
Paul
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