Feedback on autoguiding

ZWO ASI2600MC DUO CMOS Guiding
ZWO ASI2600MC DUO •5 replies•98 views
Etienne avatar
Etienne avatar
Thought I'd start this thread in order to share experiences with using the autoguiding chip of the ASI2600MC DUO.

Several variables should impact the ability to guide and its efficiency (not counting light pollution / seeing conditions, and the precision of the polar alignment) :
  • Focal length of the scope
  • Focal ratio of the scope
  • Image circle of the scope
  • Narrowband filters in your imaging train
  • Telescope mount


So what is your setup? And how successful are you with autoguiding?
Well Written Engaging
Etienne avatar
Etienne avatar
I'll start with my current setup:
  • WO Redcat51 (248mm focal length,f/4.9, full frame (>44mm) image circle)
  • Optolong L-EnhaNce 2" dualband filter (24nm & 10nm)
  • ZWO AM5 mount

Guiding has been a breeze in all scenarios so far, and I achieved consistent 0.3" to 0.5" RMS guide error.

I am about to (finally) get my hands on a C8 EdgeHD, so I'll report here how guiding behaves.
Etienne avatar
Etienne avatar
Reporting once again on the 2600MCduo guiding with my second setup:
  • Celestron C8 edge HD
  • Hyperstar v4
  • Optolong L-Enhance 2" filter
  • zwo am5
  • zwo eaf


Here is about 9h integration of IC1396 : 


Here is what guiding looks like (consistent ~0.3" total guiding RMS error, even with a bad focus ):


So, even though the C8 EdgeHD + hyperstar v4 "imaging circle" isn't suppose to go above APSC, I can attest that guiding worked flawlessly. At 391mm, with gain at max on the guiding chip, I had plenty of stars to lock onto. Even with a dualband filter (L-Enhance).

Clear skies!
Andy avatar
Andy avatar
Such great news! Which filter drawer are you using with the duo— m42 or m54?
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Etienne avatar
Etienne avatar
Andy:
Such great news! Which filter drawer are you using with the duo— m42 or m54?

I've got 2" / m48 filters (optolong L-pro / L-Enhance) that I use with the redcat51 and the C8 hyperstar v4 filter drawer. Optical trains end up a M54 with the duo. In my raw subs there is a little bit of vignetting (easily removed in processing), and maybe a little bit of star halo (Blur exterminator from RC astro takes care of that).
Helpful
Michael Gehrisch avatar
Michael Gehrisch avatar

Optolong Ultimate Narrowband guide settings

My setup:

  • ASI MC2600MC Air (same cameras as DUO)

  • ONTC8F4LW + Paracorr 2 effective Focal length 933mm f4.5

  • AM5N

  • ZWO 5 X 2” EFW

  • Optolong Ultimate 2”

  • Guiding controlled by ASIAIR


After sending my rig to Starfront Observatories (B1-2) and switching from a Rainbow 135E (encoder) mount to a ZWO AM5N I was struggling to get good guiding when using the Optolong Ultimate filter. The 135E had no problem guiding below 1” RMS with 3 sec exposures, but the AM5N needs much shorter guide exposures, 1-2 sec. After some tuning and testing I finally found settings that always guide below .8” RMS and frequently below .5” RMS. Out of frustration I turned the gain up to 600 and then added bin2 and finally guide darks, and finally was able to guide with 1.5 sec exposures.

After seeing the benefit of the high gain I now use gain 450 + bin2 + guide darks for my UV/IR filter which allows me to use guide exposure of 1-1.5 secs and sub .5” RMS guiding.

gain = 600 bin 2,

guide darks

Exposure 1-2 secs

aggression ≈50%

📷 guiding_NB.jpgguiding_NB.jpg

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