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Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all) EdM2 member Reged: 03/08/11 Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Mirzam]       #5059115 - 02/06/12 07:30 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I'm not sure what that interface is called. The standard USB interfaces are called "A" or "B". I haven't heard of a name for that interface. You could always use a USB extender cable. That's what I plan to do. Post Extras:       PatHolland Carpal Tunnel Reged: 10/11/09 Loc: Clever, Missouri Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Mirzam]       #5059191 - 02/06/12 08:21 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Jim, I believe it is called a USB Mini-B connector, and yes it is a standard. It's the same connector most digital cameras use. Cables are readily available in retail stores or online. The cable you'll want is a USB-A to USB Mini-B. Post Extras:       Deinonych sage Reged: 05/20/10 Loc: Central Texas, USA Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: PatHolland]       #5059978 - 02/07/12 09:44 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: Jim, I believe it is called a USB Mini-B connector, and yes it is a standard. It's the same connector most digital cameras use. Cables are readily available in retail stores or online. The cable you'll want is a USB-A to USB Mini-B. The Lodestar uses a proprietary connector on the camera end. So, one must purchase a standard USB extension cable, not a mini-USB extension cable. The ST-i has a standard mini-USB connector on the camera. Post Extras:       Peter in Reno Post Laureate Reged: 07/15/08 Loc: Reno, NV Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Deinonych]       #5060038 - 02/07/12 10:22 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: Quote: Jim, I believe it is called a USB Mini-B connector, and yes it is a standard. It's the same connector most digital cameras use. Cables are readily available in retail stores or online. The cable you'll want is a USB-A to USB Mini-B. The Lodestar uses a proprietary connector on the camera end. So, one must purchase a standard USB extension cable, not a mini-USB extension cable. The ST-i has a standard mini-USB connector on the camera. I am not sure what you mean. I bought a standard mini-USB cable for my Lodestar and works fine. I bought this one: http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=103&cp_id=10303&cs_id=1030302&p_id=8632&seq=1&format=2 and it works fine. Please take a closer look at Lodestar at: http://www.starlight-xpress.co.uk/Lodestar.htm Scroll down a bit and you will see a clear picture of standard mini USB connector. You might be thinking of the small white proprietary connector for ST-4 autoguider. Peter Post Extras:       PatHolland Carpal Tunnel Reged: 10/11/09 Loc: Clever, Missouri Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Peter in Reno]       #5060061 - 02/07/12 10:35 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks for supporting my point Peter. I didn't think to provide links like you did. I use the cable that Came with my Canon XSi camera on my lodestar and it works just fine. Post Extras:       Deinonych sage Reged: 05/20/10 Loc: Central Texas, USA Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: PatHolland]       #5060177 - 02/07/12 11:47 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Sorry for the misleading post. I was thinking about the guider port. That will teach me to post before my morning coffee. :P Post Extras:       mchaser super member Reged: 12/22/04 Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: EdM2]       #5060205 - 02/07/12 12:00 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi Ed, You can still get darks with the Lodestar, but you will need a way to cover the scope. If you're at your remote site sometime, you can take a series of bias (or dark) frames, and build a master frame. I'm not sure how you are set up, but I use the Alnitak flip flat. It does a great job of providing a light source for flats. It also acts as a motorized telescope end cap! While I and many others are quite particular about updating the bias and dark frames for our image files, I don't think it's necessary to be that fussy about guider calibration frames. I find every year is fine. A little off the subject, but the image produced by either a bias or several second dark is usually quite similar for my Lodestar. I used to obsess over having dark frames the exact length of the guide exposures. Someone suggested just using the bias frame, and I find that work equally well. Obviously, it's dependent on how noisy your frames look. HTH. Mike Post Extras:       Peter in Reno Post Laureate Reged: 07/15/08 Loc: Reno, NV Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: mchaser]       #5060230 - 02/07/12 12:18 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Taking darks for autoguider might be useful but I have never taken darks for my Lodestar and never had issues without using darks for my Lodestar. Bottom line, you should be fine without darks with Lodestar. Peter Post Extras:       Mirzam Post Laureate Reged: 04/01/08 Loc: Lovettsville, VA Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Peter in Reno]       #5060294 - 02/07/12 12:55 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks to everyone for the Lodestar cable feedback. One of you mentioned the idea of using a USB extension cable. I tried that initially and got flaky behavior (lock up of the software after a minute or two of operation). This likely was due to a USB run greater than 5 meters. Checking the operation without the extension cable everything still worked fine. I went to Radio Shack and looked at cables--there were actually two different connectors described as "mini-B male" types. So that kind of freaked me out. Now I have a new extension cable with a powered USB booster built in. I'll report back if this works (or doesn't). JimC Post Extras:       Peter in Reno Post Laureate Reged: 07/15/08 Loc: Reno, NV Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Mirzam]       #5060319 - 02/07/12 01:06 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I use 35 feet active USB cable connecting to USB power hub. From USB power hub I use 6 feet USB extension cable and another 18 inches to Lodestar without an issue. If you don't have USB power hub and want to use long distance USB cable, I suggest to try USB power hub. Bring your Lodestar to Radio Shack and test their USB cables to determine exactly what type of mini-USB connection you need. Peter Post Extras:       EdM2 member Reged: 03/08/11 Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Peter in Reno]       #5060831 - 02/07/12 06:06 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks Peter, Mike, and Marty for clearing up the reason for using a shutter for darks and their necessity with the Lodestar guide camera. Craig Stark (the developer of PHD software) said he never uses darks with a guide camera so I feel pretty good about my decision to go with the Lodestar rather than the SBIG ST-I. By the way, although it's a little out of date (2008) the following article by Craig Stark is still useful and interesting: http://www.stark-labs.com/craig/articles/assets/Guider_Roundup_API.pdf . He does a comparison of some of the most popular guide cameras available at the time. Post Extras:       Konihlav Pooh-Bah Reged: 03/05/09 Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: EdM2]       #5061519 - 02/08/12 03:01 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   at the moment I like this: http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/5053741/Main/5053500 Post Extras:       Mirzam Post Laureate Reged: 04/01/08 Loc: Lovettsville, VA Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Mirzam]       #5062639 - 02/08/12 05:17 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   FWIW the powered USB cable solved my software lock-up problems with the Lodestar. I plug the oddball Lodestar-supplied USB cable (3m) into the powered USB cable (5m) for a total run of 8m. Had several hours of fun using the Lodestar as a live-view electronic finder looking at various clusters and nebulae from the cozy comfort of my warmroom. JimC Post Extras:       Deinonych sage Reged: 05/20/10 Loc: Central Texas, USA Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Mirzam]       #5062645 - 02/08/12 05:21 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: Had several hours of fun using the Lodestar as a live-view electronic finder looking at various clusters and nebulae from the cozy comfort of my warmroom. JimC What software application do you use for live viewing? Post Extras:       Mirzam Post Laureate Reged: 04/01/08 Loc: Lovettsville, VA Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Deinonych]       #5062695 - 02/08/12 05:52 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I was just using PhD; I tried the Lodestar software but the image scale was not as good. JimC Post Extras:       Marke member Reged: 11/28/09 Re: Lodestar or new ST-i autoguider [Re: Mirzam]       #5357528 - 08/08/12 03:15 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I have never used the Lodestar guide cable , depending on your mount its not needed you can guide straight thru the usb and it is just a generic mini-b . Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all)

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