Guiding a LXD75 mount with METAGUIDE

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Rosendo
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Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:01 pm

Guiding a LXD75 mount with METAGUIDE

Post by Rosendo » Sat Jan 13, 2007 3:30 pm

I own a Meade LXD75 mount and Autostar. I have been controlled it with a LapTop and StarryNight using a USB port, a cable and software which makes it a serial port and #505 connector cable set from Meade. All this for connectig the LapTop to the Autostar handbox.
I have been guiding too with "GuideDog" employing Meade LPI, same connection and cables (I allready mentioned), and eveything works nice.

Now I want to guide using "METAGUIDE SOFTWARE" and LPI. I first thought I will be able to do it with the accesories I have. I could not do it.

The Autostar handbox (which I now connect to the serial port in the way I said) has a small connector with 4 pin (RJ??) which does not look like ST-4 connector which has 6 pins.

Can someone help me to solve my problem? Thanks.

Rosendo

Mexico city. :)

dpanderson
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Post by dpanderson » Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:12 pm

Rosendo,

I don't think this will be possible. The LXD75 does not have an autoguide port, so you can't connect up that way. Furthermore, Metaguide does not support ASCOM telescope drivers. If it did, then you could use your existing setup via the serial port.

You might think about trying PHD Guiding from http://www.stark-labs.com. It supports the LPI, and it supports ASCOM.
Doug Anderson
Shoestring Astronomy
http://www.ShoestringAstronomy.com

Rosendo
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:01 pm

Post by Rosendo » Mon Jan 15, 2007 7:26 pm

dpanderson wrote:Rosendo,

I don't think this will be possible. The LXD75 does not have an autoguide port, so you can't connect up that way. Furthermore, Metaguide does not support ASCOM telescope drivers. If it did, then you could use your existing setup via the serial port.

You might think about trying PHD Guiding from http://www.stark-labs.com. It supports the LPI, and it supports ASCOM.
_______________________________________________________


Doug, thanks for your answer.

I used my existing setup via serial port and it did not work.

I have allready download PHD Guiding software. It works with LPI and as soon as I can I will try to guide with these elements.

What I liked of METAGUIDE is that it delivers a guide star which is the result of stacking some frames. This is a stronger signal for guiding. I just have a 60 mm guide telescope (I bought a small and light guide scope because the mount is in the weight limit it can support). Many times I have troubles to get a bright star for guiding and If I have to use a 2X barlow the troubles are bigger. So it is a pitty I can not use this software's advantage. Do you know another guide software which "magnify" the original signal?
If I continue having this troubles, I think next step is to buy a better detector. I have been thinking on Meade DSI II camera. With it, I can use it to guide long exposure and take short time images without guiding.
Do you think it is a good solution?

It is good to know that PHD Guiding support DSI II camera.

Thank again.

Rosendo Doria

Mexico City.

dpanderson
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Post by dpanderson » Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:33 pm

I believe PHD Guiding will stack images also. From the PHD Guiding webpage http://www.stark-labs.com/phdguiding.html, in the features list it says "Stacking shorter subframes on the fly to extend effective exposure duration on short-exposure cameras"
Doug Anderson
Shoestring Astronomy
http://www.ShoestringAstronomy.com

Rosendo
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jan 12, 2007 11:01 pm

Post by Rosendo » Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:11 pm

Doug:

It is good to know that PHD Guiding stacks images to make a better image for guiding.

Is LPI a short exposure camera for stacking subframes?

I could made a guiding with PHD Guiding using Capella and it worked fine. Then a tried to make a guiding using one star of Beehive Cluster and I could not. Maybe I need a better sky (Mexico city has a high light polluted sky).

Thanks for your answers.

Rosendo Doria

Mexico City

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