42 replies to this topic

[old_frankland]

Most informative write up, and attached photos.  Bravo.

[Stargazer3236]

Would this Hinode Sun Guider work with Alt-Az scopes?

[rigel123]

Would this Hinode Sun Guider work with Alt-Az scopes?

I honestly don’t know.  I suppose if the mount has a guide port it is possible but I haven’t heard of anyone guiding with an alt/az mount unless it is set up on a wedge.

[hopskipson]

Would this Hinode Sun Guider work with Alt-Az scopes?

From my understanding, It would have to be in EQ mode. Like Warren said, on a wedge.

[arjanb]

If you’re interested, This is an alt-az mount with built in automated sun finding and tracking. Looks pretty cool for smaller scopes (pst or 50-60mm). The image will rotate over time but for short exposures/videos it should be fine. https://www.skywatch...ucts/solarquest


Alternatively I guess you can take an AZ-GTI with Eq-wedge and use the hinode. I’m using my hinode on AVX or EQ6R-Pro. It’s great.

[antsalan2002]

From reading John O’Neal’s article in the Summer 2020 issue of Amateur Astronomy magazine, he mentions that the Hinode can continue guiding through clouds as it “remembered how frequently it was making adjustments and continued to make them while the sun wasn’t visible.”

Is this a new feature as the Hutech description seems to say it hunts for the sun when it is covered with clouds?

[antsalan2002]

From reading John O’Neal’s article in the Summer 2020 issue of Amateur Astronomy magazine, he mentions that the Hinode can continue guiding through clouds as it “remembered how frequently it was making adjustments and continued to make them while the sun wasn’t visible.”

Is this a new feature as the Hutech description seems to say it hunts for the sun when it is covered with clouds?

[rigel123]

From reading John O’Neal’s article in the Summer 2020 issue of Amateur Astronomy magazine, he mentions that the Hinode can continue guiding through clouds as it “remembered how frequently it was making adjustments and continued to make them while the sun wasn’t visible.”

Is this a new feature as the Hutech description seems to say it hunts for the sun when it is covered with clouds?

No, it can’t continue guiding when clouds obscure the sun.  It makes this sad “beu-eep” sound and after moving the scope around looking for the sun it stops.  However if the sun comes back out and it is still on the sensor of the guider it will attempt to bring it back to where it was when it started guiding.

[ilan_shapira]

Thanks Warren, I was looking for a solar guiding solution and your review just closed the deal for me.

[rigel123]

Thanks Warren, I was looking for a solar guiding solution and your review just closed the deal for me.

Enjoy!  Of course you are dooming yourself to a stretch of cloudy weather when you get it!

[ilan_shapira]

Enjoy!  Of course you are dooming yourself to a stretch of cloudy weather when you get it!

Of course...  I already used to the clouds rolling in whenever I take out my solar rig... 

Maybe a negative and a negative will result in a positive, but my expectations for this are low

[fiston]

Thanks Warren, I was looking for a solar guiding solution and your review just closed the deal for me.

Same here. I ordered it after reading the review; I've been super happy with it.

[Tyson M]

Looks like an awesome product.  I can see myself buying one some day, to do long style animations of interesting regions with the Solaxmax 90 III.  Got to get a camera first.

[cengell]

Hello, does anyone know of something like the Hinode astro Hutech but must less expensive? Maybe a guide scope with camera with a solar film on the guide scope and software to control the mount?

 

Maybe Firecapture?

 

Thanks all

Christopher

[rigel123]

Hello, does anyone know of something like the Hinode astro Hutech but must less expensive? Maybe a guide scope with camera with a solar film on the guide scope and software to control the mount?

 

Maybe Firecapture?

 

Thanks all

Christopher

Some folks do use tracking features in both Firecapture and SharpCap so hopefully some of them may respond.  One of the features I really like about the Hinode is that it also reports out (utilizing the software for guiding) the intensity of the light so that I can be alerted of any interfering high clouds that I might not be able to detect visually.

[BYoesle]

 

Hello, does anyone know of something like the Hinode astro Hutech but must less expensive? Maybe a guide scope with camera with a solar film on the guide scope and software to control the mount?

See here.

[NKefalas]

I am struggiling with this Hinode also. 

Too many problems !

Cusrtoimer support is non existant and the last update of this crappy SW was in 2014 (!)

 

I have a ZWO AM5, runing Sharpcap and a Lunt 80 MT

 

I am connected via mini PC.

 

I cannot get the Hinode to control the AM5 at all.

 

I tried using the USB port on the Hinode. I tried using the ST4. Calibration fails 99% of the time with "No movement" or "No Dec movement", or other non sensical error.

 

I even tried the manual control with no sucess.

 

Can someone here tell me if they have had sucess with this setup and HOW (detailed sequence of connectiosn and SW runing) they did it ?

 

Thanks

[rigel123]

I am struggiling with this Hinode also. 

Too many problems !

Cusrtoimer support is non existant and the last update of this crappy SW was in 2014 (!)

 

I have a ZWO AM5, runing Sharpcap and a Lunt 80 MT

 

I am connected via mini PC.

 

I cannot get the Hinode to control the AM5 at all.

 

I tried using the USB port on the Hinode. I tried using the ST4. Calibration fails 99% of the time with "No movement" or "No Dec movement", or other non sensical error.

 

I even tried the manual control with no sucess.

 

Can someone here tell me if they have had sucess with this setup and HOW (detailed sequence of connectiosn and SW runing) they did it ?

 

Thanks

I haven’t had to contact them since the time I fried mine by putting the guide cable into the auxiliary port on my CEM25P which they repaired for no charge a few years ago so sorry to hear you are having issues.  My Hinode is connected directly to my laptop so I can’t offer any thoughts on your issue working through a mini PC.  I will offer one ridiculous suggestion that worked for me when I found the Hinode would only move the scope on one axis and not the other.  The solution makes no sense but it worked for me.  I simply reversed the ends of the cable connecting to the mount and the one connecting to the Hinode and everything worked fine.  I know it should not make any difference but it did for me so I marked that end of the cable going to the Hinode so it always is hooked up that way and I have had no issues with mine since I wrote this review.

 

Have you emailed Ted at Hutech?  He was always great at getting back to me.  
 

ted@hutech.com

 

ishikawa@hutech.com

 

Not sure which one is correct or if he is still with them.