9 replies to this topic

[Jeffmar]

I recently bought an Esprit 80 to replace my Astro-Tech 80EDT. There wasn’t anything wrong with my Astro-Tech, but I liked my Esprit 150 so much I thought the 80mm version might be an improvement. I admit I have become sort of a pixel peeper and probably need to find a PPA (Pixel Peepers Anonymous) group to get some help.

 

A few days ago it occurred to me that I could use both my 80mm scopes in a tandem arrangement and get twice the data I normally would when I go out to my dark sites. The Esprit is has an f/5 ratio and the Astro-Tech has an f/4.8 ratio with a focal reducer. I ordered another asi2600mc and a twin mounting unit from Losmandy. I already have two Asiair units. 

 

I was thinking of using my Zwo 2600 duo camera for guiding on one scope. The other scope would just be along for the ride. 

 

I am wondering about the frequency of dithering and auto focus for both scopes. 

 

It would be great to hear from you all who have some experience and or ideas on how to set up this type of arrangement.

[djgage]

I haven't done what you are trying to do but I saw a video series about how Logan did it from Logan's Astro on YouTube. He has 4 videos about how he set his up. Not sure if it will apply to what you want to do but here's the link to the first video.

 

https://youtu.be/SZw...S7UHqFjW5T_mMTc

 

Good Luck!

 

Dave

[Tkall]

There was a post recently addressing this subject.  I can't remember the name of the software but it accommodates/synchronizes multiple scopes on one mount.  The drawback for was it requires NINA.

I wound up buying 2 mounts.

[whwang]

NINA should be fairly easy to use, and powerful.

 

As for dithering and focusing, you do it the same way as you do with single scope.  NINA can synchronize the two cameras and do dithering.  I don't think it can focus two scopes at the same time, but I can be wrong.

 

I do dual scope or even triple scope imaging from time to time.  It can be quite powerful.  The twice or triple amount of photons are very significant.

[Jeffmar]

I haven't done what you are trying to do but I saw a video series about how Logan did it from Logan's Astro on YouTube. He has 4 videos about how he set his up. Not sure if it will apply to what you want to do but here's the link to the first video.

 

https://youtu.be/SZw...S7UHqFjW5T_mMTc

 

Good Luck!

 

Dave

Thanks, Dave!

[Jeffmar]

NINA should be fairly easy to use, and powerful.

 

As for dithering and focusing, you do it the same way as you do with single scope.  NINA can synchronize the two cameras and do dithering.  I don't think it can focus two scopes at the same time, but I can be wrong.

 

I do dual scope or even triple scope imaging from time to time.  It can be quite powerful.  The twice or triple amount of photons are very significant.

A few years ago I switched from APT to an Asiair because my laptop kept dying in the cold and APT wasn’t making me happy either. I have heard that NINA could be a better app. Thanks for the feedback.

[Jeffmar]

I am wondering whether it would be better to use my Asi2600 duo camera for auto guiding or a separate  guide scope. The reason is when ASIAIR on my main scope does the refocus I seem to get drift. since my slave scope is still probably taking images I could ruin 2 or more frames with the drift. 

 

I just don’t know if a separate guide scope would keep the guiding going.

[R Botero]

Jeff

 

I have been doing dual/tandem scope imaging since 2020 using Voyager Array.  Last month I added a third scope to my setup and now I'm testing NINA.  Both work well for imaging and will take care of your dithering needs.   Voyager is more stable (no crashes) but NINA has improved massively over the last couple of years and allows to add clients to a server session easily.   As Wei-Hao stated, you do your dithering as if you were imaging with a single setup and allow the software to synchronise the clients.

My three imaging scopes are refractors and there is no flexure amongst them or the separate guidescope I use.   I think you are also going to use refractors so a small - rigidly fixed - guidescope should be able to guide them out well.  The new ASI duo cameras look very good also - but you would want the dual sensor one to be imaging unfiltered.  My server scope - larger one - is imaging in L and narrowband with a filter wheel.  The second one is OSC and the third one is a dedicated dual-band filter arrangement with no filter wheel.

 

Roberto

[R Botero]

Here's a couple of pictures showing how the scopes are mounted; including the guidescope.

 

Roberto

 

 

Edited by R Botero, 24 March 2025 - 07:24 AM.

[Jeffmar]

Jeff

 

I have been doing dual/tandem scope imaging since 2020 using Voyager Array.  Last month I added a third scope to my setup and now I'm testing NINA.  Both work well for imaging and will take care of your dithering needs.   Voyager is more stable (no crashes) but NINA has improved massively over the last couple of years and allows to add clients to a server session easily.   As Wei-Hao stated, you do your dithering as if you were imaging with a single setup and allow the software to synchronise the clients.

My three imaging scopes are refractors and there is no flexure amongst them or the separate guidescope I use.   I think you are also going to use refractors so a small - rigidly fixed - guidescope should be able to guide them out well.  The new ASI duo cameras look very good also - but you would want the dual sensor one to be imaging unfiltered.  My server scope - larger one - is imaging in L and narrowband with a filter wheel.  The second one is OSC and the third one is a dedicated dual-band filter arrangement with no filter wheel.

 

Roberto

 

Are your cameras perfectly synchronized? Do you ever lose frames because of dithering? Just wondering. I used a lap top computer for a few years and swore I would never go back after I started using an ASIAIR. That rules out NINA and I will probably be losing a percentage of frames from the non-guiding scope/camera.