I’m looking at getting an autoguiding camera and have been looking at either the ZWO ASI120MM with an Agena or William Optics 50mm guide scope or the Altair Skywave package that has the Altair GP130M and a 60mm guide scope. Does anyone have any experience or advice on these two?
Autoguiding camera
Well Written Engaging
Use an off axis guider if you can, instead of a separate guide camera and scope. There are many reasons for my suggestion.
Well Written
Jeff Bennett:
Use an off axis guider if you can, instead of a separate guide camera and scope. There are many reasons for my suggestion.
What are some of your reasons for going with an OAG vs a scope?
If using a long focal length scope it will be more accurate. OAG will help avoid flexure issues. No second scope for guiding, less cost. While the fov in a 50mm guide scope will be large compared to the fov of a OAG guide chip, if you image with scope less than 1000mm, you be able to find a guide star. Ive done both extensivelt and used a second guide scope for years. A fcouple years ago I switched to OAG and found that once I figured it out my images were much better and guiding much more accurate. 
They work well.
Unless you have a scope with coma. Been there done that.
What about the next generation up from the OAG?
Do an online search for the on axis guider - it is amazing.
GlennB
Unless you have a scope with coma. Been there done that.
What about the next generation up from the OAG?
Do an online search for the on axis guider - it is amazing.
GlennB
An OAG makes sense if you own a scope with longer focal length. On shorter focal length a guide scope will work well. My neighbour owns a 200/1000 newton and is fine with a guiding scope. He has no problems with flexure. With my 1624 mm i had lots of problems with differential flexure as seen here:
Differential Flexure
As i switched to an OAG all my problems where gone. It is more challenging to find a guide star, but - and here we are back at your actual question - the 120MM-S is a beast of a guiding cam. I can fully recommend this cam as a guiding cam.
Differential Flexure
As i switched to an OAG all my problems where gone. It is more challenging to find a guide star, but - and here we are back at your actual question - the 120MM-S is a beast of a guiding cam. I can fully recommend this cam as a guiding cam.
Helpful Concise
What about a scope that is 1000mm? i mean is that OAG only or better for scopes larger/longer than 1000mm?
I am buying a newtonian sooner or later that gives 1000mm, so i am not sure if i should go with guiding scope which i have 2 or OAG and i can buy OAG.
And then if i go with OAG, do i need another camera? i have QHY5L-II-M, also i have a colo camera that has 3.75 pixel size and bigger size than those small cameras, but not as sensitive as mono cameras, many going with a Lodestar X2, is it a must or is it a best choice out there?
I am buying a newtonian sooner or later that gives 1000mm, so i am not sure if i should go with guiding scope which i have 2 or OAG and i can buy OAG.
And then if i go with OAG, do i need another camera? i have QHY5L-II-M, also i have a colo camera that has 3.75 pixel size and bigger size than those small cameras, but not as sensitive as mono cameras, many going with a Lodestar X2, is it a must or is it a best choice out there?
Anyone else have more thoughts on the actual cameras? I may start another topic for discussion about scope vs oag.
I use an ASI120MC with an OAG, before that I used it with a finder type guider. I have no problems with it so you should have no problems using the mono version.
Scott
Scott
I use an ASI178MC with an OAG. I have some "star mass tolerance" problems half the time while using PhD2.
GlennB
GlennB
i have 120mm, super fine guide cam i use it with offaxis, in 99% i can find a guide star with 0.2 sec exposure, so if you have 50mm guide scope, forget about any problems to find a star, unless you have a long scope and it bends and twists under its own weight
I use off-axis guider method with Sti cameras as well as the SBIG STL in-camera guider when space is too tight. The clear disadvantage of an in-camera guider where it is located behind the filters is obviously the reduced flux when using NB filters. Most of the systems I build now incorporate a periscope to collect light before the camera and fold it out of the tube into an SBIG STi. I have posted here on AB images of the astrographs and solid model cross sections showing how I incorporated the periscope method and avoided obscuring part of the imaging field. Have fun…
Telescopic Off axis guider Three Camera Astrograph
[img width=290,height=231]http://www.hbastro.com/Telescopes/Telescope%20Construction/3CamAstDecked_1200.jpg[/img]
Periscopic Off- axis guider
[img width=203,height=84]http://www.hbastro.com/Telescopes/NC4863/NC4863CrossSection_1200.jpg[/img]
Regards,
Dave
Telescopic Off axis guider Three Camera Astrograph
[img width=290,height=231]http://www.hbastro.com/Telescopes/Telescope%20Construction/3CamAstDecked_1200.jpg[/img]
Periscopic Off- axis guider
[img width=203,height=84]http://www.hbastro.com/Telescopes/NC4863/NC4863CrossSection_1200.jpg[/img]
Regards,
Dave
Helpful Insightful Respectful Engaging Supportive
Thomas:
I’m looking at getting an autoguiding camera and have been looking at either the ZWO ASI120MM with an Agena or William Optics 50mm guide scope or the Altair Skywave package that has the Altair GP130M and a 60mm guide scope. Does anyone have any experience or advice on these two?
I sent back my SSAG tinker toy and got the little asi120mm. No S. Works great! I have the zwo 60mm guide scope👍🔭
I run the 120mm no S through a 280mm zwo guidescope on a celestron 8" sct edge HD 2032mm f/10 with Lepus reducer on an AVX and it took me a while but I am now happy with the results. 3 posted here in AB.The camera works well.
I ended up getting the 120mm with a guide scope.
Struggling to guide my Star Adventurer GTi with PHD2
Hello, I first got into astrophotography two years ago and quickly began accumulating gear slowly but surely as the months went by. I recently acquired a guide scope and a guide camera to improve my exposure times, which were previously limited to ~4...