Larry 1969 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 4:43 pm
Thanks again Bob!
So you use the ST-80 along with the StatShoot camera with good results? Is there another camera in the $300 range that would perform better? I can save up a bit longer if needed.
In order to attach a set up like this to my OTA I would need a mounting plate (dovetail bar?) and rings that would fit the guide tube?
I was pretty successful taking 3 min subs unguided but when I pushed to 5 min I had to toss a lot of data...
I have read about rotating the OTA so that the focuser is at the bottom but it just seems weird and I'm not crazy about inserting my camera upside down.
Larry
Larry - I have used this combination for three years and never had a hiccup, so I am not looking for another camera. It works for me, I stick with it. If you wanted to use the guide camera for other purposes as well, you could look at something better. I have no recommendations, as I haven't gone down that road. A couple of others have recommended cameras that yield a better quality image.
Yes, there is a second dovetail and rings. The dovetail bolts on top of the
OTA rings and holds the rings for the guidescope, so any rigid bar with holes in the right places would work as well. A lot of rings for guidescopes have plastic thumbscrews to hold the scope in place and to adjust pointing. I went for tight fitting rings instead to keep as much rigidity as possible in the setup. As a result, my
OTA and guidescope aren't exactly aligned, but they are close. The object in the center of the
OTA field of view is present in the guidescope
FOV, just not centered. It hasn't presented any problem thus far.
I was reluctant to rotate the
OTA inward too, but it really help with steadiness and getting nice round stars. I wrap the camera strap around the
OTA when imaging so it won't drop to the ground if it ever comes loose from the focuser. I use the scope almost exclusively for
AP, so don't have to flip it around to put the focuser in a good place for visual work.
Bob
Hardware: Celestron C6-N w/ Advanced GTmount, Baader MK iii CC, Orion ST-80, Canon 60D (unmodded), Nikon D5300 (modded), Orion SSAG
Software: BYE, APT, PHD2, DSS, PhotoShop CC 2020, StarTools, Cartes du Ciel, AstroTortilla