guide camera opinion

[spit]

seems my quest for a webcam guider run into dead-ends, the Q-guider and sac4-2 seem defunct- no email replies, backordered, etc- so i found this in the UK, its a mono chip so it probably more sensitive then my nexiamge cam- my neximage can only do .2 sec exposure- apparantly this camera can dp .5 seconds- this is camera sensitive enough then to use as a guider? thx john
http://www.opticstar.com/Run/Astrono...p=0_10_0_50_70

[KenMiller]

FWIW, I never could get a webcam to guide on anything other than the brightest of stars. I tried the Phillips ToUCam and Orion's Star Shoot.

I have seen sufficient complaints against SAC that before doing business with them I would want substantial assurances of adequate support (seems like if they don't answer your pre-sales emails that post-sales could be a problem )

My SBIG finally showed up so hopefully that problem is behind me.

The one you identified certainly looks like a candidate. If you get it let us know how it works out.

[spit]

im pretty sure id like to have this, it certainly 'seems' to go deeper then the color ToUcam/neximage CCD, i didnt want the original meade DSI i see for sale everywhere fairly cheap, i read to many compatability issues with the software for me, the orion star shoot DSI seems the appropiate choice, but they quit making that- kinda stupid IMO because right now its in high demand, im just concerned if this cam is sensitive enough without 'guidestar hunting'

[optwebman]

John, that's a pretty fast guide exposure, 1 second would be better as long as you are not shooting narrowband. My standard exposure for guide stars is normally 1 sec to 5 second but I prefer 1 or 3 as then you're not over or under sampling the star for atmosphere and the mount guide errors seem to average out.

OPTwebman

[Gary Beal]

Unless I am using the built in guide chip on the SBIG, I use a ToUcam, and while it perhaps isn't as good as the SBIG built in, you can't beat the price.
Together with a good set of rings, (Losmandy DR125 in my case) and an old ST80, I never have a problem. K3 CCD Tools for the guiding software.
With the proliferation of DSI cameras being offered I have thought of one of these, except that getting one here is difficult.

[ubernator]

If you can still find one of the inexpensive DSI cameras, go for it, even the original color one that went for $99 works very well as a guider. The trick is to use PHD as your guiding software, which is free online from stark labs (google it). When worried about software compatibility, the best option is Shoestring Astronomy's GPUSB module, for about $70, which outputs to standard autoguider port signals, so you can plug into any autoguider capable mount's autoguider port.

I use either a Pixcel 255 or the built in guider on an st7, but my friend was starting out with a nikon d40 on a c11/atlasG combo, and the addition of a DSI, GPUSB and a 60mm f11 firstscope 60 OTA in some ADM rings/rail, afforded him the ability to start guiding 5 minute sub exposures with great results. PHD is great for using a DSI with a GPSUB.

Keith

[spit]

i went ahead and got the opticstar awhile ago- its really a nice camera- id call it the 'Qguide' USA clone- just to my luck, i see the DSI went on sale for $99 and PHD now supports it- LOL