#21  
Old 05-04-2010, 08:49 PM
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mithrandir (Andrew)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmitchell82 View Post
you have

Qhy
FLI
SBIG
QSI

they have their advantages and disadvantages.
You missed Atik.
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  #22  
Old 06-04-2010, 04:59 PM
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You missed Atik.
And Starlight Xpress from this devotee.
Gary
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  #23  
Old 06-04-2010, 09:19 PM
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mldee (Mike)
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Hey Brendan & guys,

If only someone would volunteer to make + sell the little brass/aluminium adaptor thingy so all us useless twits wif no lathes could screw our guide cameras into our finders like you did!

PS, I bought a used DSI II pro just for guiding and it is far more sensitive than the QHY5. I'm sure it would match nicely with an 8x50 finderscope
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  #24  
Old 07-04-2010, 06:18 AM
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troypiggo (Troy)
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Peter, look up - you have your first local customer
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  #25  
Old 08-04-2010, 11:56 AM
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Here's the latest installment - 20x4 mins using my original guide scope with all the weight I could remove off the focuser draw tube. This was a big improvement in drift (0.1 pixels per minute) compared to what I was getting earlier with the same setup (0.5 to 1 pixel per minute).
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  #26  
Old 08-04-2010, 12:29 PM
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So you've confirmed it's the guidescope focuser that's the issue? Results look great.
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  #27  
Old 08-04-2010, 12:47 PM
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Agree, all looks good. Still be worth trying the finder/guider, LOL.
Gary
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  #28  
Old 08-04-2010, 02:11 PM
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Agree, all looks good. Still be worth trying the finder/guider, LOL.
Gary
That's the next step... thinking about a Stellarvue F80 and using the straight through 2" helical focuser. I wonder if the guide camera will come to focus with this setup?
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  #29  
Old 09-04-2010, 06:03 PM
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Ah, now that I can help you with, LOL.
Cameras like the QHY and the likes have the chip about 12-15mm from the front surface of the thread. The last two guide cameras I have used have been the Starlight Xpress SXV Guide-Head, and the Lodestar, with the Lodestar my current guide camera. The beauty of these is the chip is very close to the front of the body, and in effect the body slips into a normal 1.25" eyepiece hole anyway. So "back-focus" isn't the issue it always used to be for me.
Only one way to find out, try it.
Gary
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  #30  
Old 09-04-2010, 06:28 PM
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Thanks Gary,

I'll find out soon enough - F80 on its way

Peter
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  #31  
Old 09-04-2010, 11:39 PM
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I do make the little fitting for the back of the finderguiders. ive made a good half dozen now! Pm me if you want some more info.
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  #32  
Old 10-04-2010, 12:17 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by peter_4059 View Post
That's the next step... thinking about a Stellarvue F80 and using the straight through 2" helical focuser. I wonder if the guide camera will come to focus with this setup?
I have a qhy5 in a stellarvue 60 straight through and it will focus directly out of the 1.25" adapter that comes with the finder, no diagonals or ext tubes. There is no lock on the focuser but at the moment it doesn't appear to shift. Maybe over time the focuser will loosen up?
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  #33  
Old 11-04-2010, 08:16 AM
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Thanks for the info re the F60 Robin - hopefully there will be sufficient back focus with the F80 and 2" back. I ordered one on Friday - hope to have it for next weekend.

Brendan -thanks - I've also been making some adaptors!

Gary - does the Lodestar work with popular guiding programs like phd or do you need licensed software like maxim to use it?

Peter
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  #34  
Old 12-04-2010, 06:54 PM
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Nope, plug and play with PHD, as well as Maxim, AstroArt, etc.
Not cheap, but definitely good.
Gary
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  #35  
Old 25-04-2010, 09:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bmitchell82 View Post
I do make the little fitting for the back of the finderguiders. ive made a good half dozen now! Pm me if you want some more info.
Just putting in a plug for Brendan here - he's made me up a very nice brass adaptor so my Orion Starshoot autoguider fits into the back of a 2nd hand 8x50 Skywatcher guider. So far performing very nicely - at least as good as I could get with a separate F10 refractor in rings before.
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  #36  
Old 26-04-2010, 07:21 AM
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Originally Posted by mldee View Post
Hey Brendan & guys,

If only someone would volunteer to make + sell the little brass/aluminium adaptor thingy so all us useless twits wif no lathes could screw our guide cameras into our finders like you did!

PS, I bought a used DSI II pro just for guiding and it is far more sensitive than the QHY5. I'm sure it would match nicely with an 8x50 finderscope
Mike,

Did you get a chance to try the DSI in the finder/guider yesterday? Tonight is looking promising.
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  #37  
Old 26-04-2010, 03:58 PM
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Its been really bugging me I couldn't find this article again, but will post link to it here now in case is helpful again for anybody. Digesting this (particularly the flexure pics on pages 4 and 5) is what originally got me very interested last year in the potential for a well mounted small finder guiding setup.

All the feedback here consistent with this being a great way to go. Not suggesting we all need to race out and buy Borgs mind you.

http://www.sciencecenter.net/hutech/...s/attnov08.pdf

Thanks again Brenden for liberating the finder I'd purchased for this, and Peter for showing I needed to get my act together.
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