19 replies to this topic

[ehanes7612]

So I am trying to figure out how to mount a ZWO guide camera/scope setup with a camera lens/zwo 1600 setup on this mount. I dont want to use a dovetail type where guide camera on one side and lens /camera on other side. Hoping there is some kind of mount situation for the lens or zwo 1600 which I can attach the guide scope. OAG is not an option either. Any thoughts? I can only come up with duct tape

Edited by ehanes7612, 28 November 2019 - 08:57 PM.

[Cfreerksen]

Well my plan is to mount it on the other side of the of the dovetail across from the laser pointer. My ZWO mini scope will be here in a couple days.

 

Chris

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[Cfreerksen]

This guy has a cool adapter for the hotshoe.

 

https://www.cloudyni...cing/?p=9791776

 

Chris

[ehanes7612]

Well my plan is to mount it on the other side of the of the dovetail across from the laser pointer. My ZWO mini scope will be here in a couple days.

 

Chris

interesting

[rk2k2]

Depends on your  lens.  This lens (150-600mm) has one of those single foot mounts (removable).  I found the mating of the foot mount ring that attaches to the lens had a really small amount of slop even when tightened to the max (actually, upon reflection, it may have been the lens draw tube that had some free play when it was extended outwards).  I saw someone did this with their lens (different) so I decided to try with my lens.  This is the only lens I can do this with, none of my others have the 'free space' to do this.

 

Mine requires dissimilar ring sizes (one is 1/2" smaller) hence the funky 1/4"  spacers top and bottom.  Scopestuff will sell you an unmatched (if necessary for your lens) set for 2x cost of the more expensive ring if your lens has the available space to do this. 

 

 

Ideally, the forward ring should be mounted all the way back towards the rear, but as is I am able to use the standard mounting positions on the dovetail, all it does it limit my low FL to 300mm (the lens tube can't retract all the way in)

Edited by rk2k2, 28 November 2019 - 11:15 PM.

[ehanes7612]

well, heres what i got

 

 

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[ehanes7612]

one more

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[ehanes7612]

it will need some more counter weight though

[Seaquel47]

You can reverse the counterweight bar and camera mount on the DEC bracket and it will give you a longer moment arm.

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[Cfreerksen]

You can reverse the counterweight bar and camera mount on the DEC bracket and it will give you a longer moment arm.

I did this too. Works much better.

 

Chris

[ehanes7612]

oh right..good call

[Shopaholic]

I am planning on getting similar set up with Skywatcher . One basic question though,  does the guide cam need to point the same direction as the main camera or just any bright star? 

[ajaxuk]

I am confused, I thought the SkyGuider pro couldn't act as a GoTo mount. Is the guide scope / cam only used to help frame the shots  and so manual movement of the camera is still necessary right?

[Poochpa]

I am planning on getting similar set up with Skywatcher . One basic question though,  does the guide cam need to point the same direction as the main camera or just any bright star? 

The guidescope needs to point at approximately the same location as the imaging scope/lens, otherwise field rotation will occur with the guiding.

[Poochpa]

I am confused, I thought the SkyGuider pro couldn't act as a GoTo mount. Is the guide scope / cam only used to help frame the shots  and so manual movement of the camera is still necessary right?

The Skyguider Pro is not a goto mount, as you note; only the RA axis is driven. The autoguider is used to improve the quality of long-duration exposures by tracking in RA more accurately than the mount's RA motor alone can provide. The guider also allows you to dither (in RA only), which helps reduce noise in stacked images.

Edited by Poochpa, 03 December 2019 - 02:42 PM.

[ajaxuk]

The Skyguider Pro is not a goto mount, as you note; only the RA axis is driven. The autoguider is used to improve the quality of long-duration exposures by tracking in RA more accurately than the mount's RA motor alone can provide. The guider also allows you to dither (in RA only), which helps reduce noise in stacked images.

Thank you Poochpa, that was very helpful and informative.

[stevel3o7]

Question; what guilding software is being used with the ZWO guidecamera/scope?

[ajaxuk]

Most people will use PHD2. It's free but you will need a computer running windows or osx

 

https://openphdguiding.org/

 

I have it working well with my SkyGuider pro. Of course it only guides the RA axis and not DEC. You connect an ST4 cable from the guidecamera to the mount and a usb cable from the guidecamera to the computer (laptop).

[Delta608]

Question; what guilding software is being used with the ZWO guidecamera/scope?

The most common is PHD2....Free !!

[fewayne]

Most people will use PHD2. It's free but you will need a computer running windows or osx

Or Linux, yells Raspberry Pi Man. :-)