Telescope Reviews: Re: Guiding with the SBIG

A few points not mentioned.
Be sure you have auto dark enabled for the guider, otherwise noise can cause the failure to calibrate. Also a star of about the same brightness or greater moving into the FOV on a calibrate move will do the same as will underexposure.

With my Paramount I never check the reverse x box unless not doing so would move the guide star out of the FOV or too near an edge when in calibrate mode.

If the camera isn't rotated or removed the calibration is good and need never be done again. My camera is removed only about once every 6 months for cleaning filters of a few dust mots. So I calibrate only once every 6 months. Be sure to calibrate the imager as well as then you can center an object with one mouse click.

The declination won't appear in the box until you take a guider image, then it should appear. I've never had to enter it but at first I didn't realize I had to take an image to make it appear.

When taking color using the color menu you do not have to turn on AutoSave. But if you use take image then you must turn that on. Thus I usually use the color menu even if taking a mono image as I'm otherwise prone to forgetting to turn autosave on. Of course you still must set the directory.

With my Paramount no guide cable is needed. At one time I saw someone offer a plugin that would do the same with LX200 mounts. Not having that mount I never saved the link. If it works would be a nice addition. Anyone know if this is still available or if it even worked? Works great with the Paramount.

I always guide with the guide chip binned 3x3. Never had a problem though I usually only guide when taking subs longer than 10 minutes. Paramount and Tpoint handle the tracking 90% of the time.

Rick

Edited by Rick J (07/03/09 09:57 PM)

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