This is real stuff. Not everyone has a budget. Some want to use/utilize their existing equipment and experiment. Unfortunately. we have quite few in the community who will discourage this sort of experimenting and tell new beginners to just buy $10000 mount.
Thanks for sharing the video. I have a Celestron nexstar 130 ALT/AZ go to mount. I have always wondered if I could use this same set up as yours. Now I know!! Glad I found this video!! appreciate the tips and guide !!!
Great video. I purchased the Celestron SSAG and I have had nothing but problems with it guiding my AZ mount. I sent my mount back to Celestron and had it rebuilt because the SSAG was not guiding. I got it back and it still didn't guide. Celestron told me to send the SSAG back to them because they said it is defective. After watching this video I do not think the SSAG is compatible with an AZ mount. Looking forward to Celestron's diagnosis but I think I have an $800 paperweight! I guess I will be putting it on Ebay to sell it and lose more money on this already expensive hobby. 😥
Excellent , thank you ! I have the Nexstar Evolution on a Wedge and would like to get into guiding next . Hopefully this Spring 2024 . Enjoy your channel .
I think there's a post in Stargazers lounge where people have been imaging with Alt Az mounts & some have been getting fantastic results, nice to see some tinkering going on.
great video, the first one I found about guiding with alt/az mount. I just started doing it myself with my Celestron 130 SLT, but I still didn't get a good result. I can reach 30 or 60 seconds, but the stars got rounded.... Your video will help, I will let you know about my progress. This video will for sure help many alt/az owners.
Brilliant video. I am just about to dip my toe in the waters of guiding having been doing long exposures on a static tripod then progressing a star guider with my trusty SCT sitting in the corner gathering dust! Thank you!
Thanks for walking us through the process. This might just be a dumb question from someone new to eaa. Why can't we just use the main scope image to guide on? Why do we need this extra small scope and camera with all the associated complication?
Great Video, Thanks! I setup in PHD last night and gave it a try, I got through calibration okay, just like you stated, a window pops up saying calibration problems, might not guide correctly. But what I noticed from your video, is that when I am calibrating, when PHD is going through the steps, there is a pause between steps, and the word looping shows up in place of the steps. In your video, it is showing constant stepping. Does this seem right?
1. Do you need to set anything within the hand controller for CPWI to recognize it 2. if the mount needs both alignments done i.e. CPWI+PH2 at the same time for it to work 3. Have you tried any Nebula or Galaxy with this setup? Please
Thank you for the comments! 1 - download the drivers from the celestron website 2 - do cpwi first then calibrate phd2 one you slew to a target 3 - oh yes loads!
Hello. Nice guide but do you have any actual DSO results to display? I mean having phd2 work with alt az mount is one thing but getting actual usable results is another. I spent a few nights trying to guide alt az (for me more aggressiveness worked better) but the best I could do (around 3-4 total error) was not enough to have a decent sub. The stacked image was blurry like out of focus. Quality was far worst from just tracking subs.
Not the expert here but I think that if you get a wedge you would have much better results...guiding on a altaz mount isn't easy. If you do it...try to keep your exposures very short.
Im having troubles with my 130SLT I’m using phd2 and PDWI ASCOM and I put my ZWO mini camera pointing to the stars and guide not workint what’s wrong?, I have a question, the ST4 cable it’s useless on my slt?
@@astroharrysastronomyclub1256 champion can`t wait to give it a go, got a celestron goto mount smaller scope and can add my dslr but didn`t realise that tracking could be used by phd2
Great Video, I actually Have a Similar telescope, But From Orion. Same aperture and Fork arm mount, But Uts Based On synscan. Im very interested In trying It Out. So For Connecting The Mount To computer any idea What Software should I use For Synscan? Ascom 'Cartes du cal' or Stellariun. Also Can I use my Laptop for The Auto guiding Solution! Thank you 👍🏻
You will need the Ascom driver for the mount I would imagine & I use GS server as its simpler to use than EQMOD, you will either need the cable that goes from your laptop to the mount where the handset was or if you still have the cables you use to update the handset you can use that via the handset & get a serial to usb converter. The only other issue I'm thinking is would Ascom recognise it as a skywatcher mount as if it didn't it could prove to be a waste of time as I haven't heard anyone doing this.
This is real stuff. Not everyone has a budget. Some want to use/utilize their existing equipment and experiment. Unfortunately. we have quite few in the community who will discourage this sort of experimenting and tell new beginners to just buy $10000 mount.
Thanks for sharing the video. I have a Celestron nexstar 130 ALT/AZ go to mount. I have always wondered if I could use this same set up as yours. Now I know!! Glad I found this video!! appreciate the tips and guide !!!
Great video. I purchased the Celestron SSAG and I have had nothing but problems with it guiding my AZ mount. I sent my mount back to Celestron and had it rebuilt because the SSAG was not guiding. I got it back and it still didn't guide. Celestron told me to send the SSAG back to them because they said it is defective. After watching this video I do not think the SSAG is compatible with an AZ mount. Looking forward to Celestron's diagnosis but I think I have an $800 paperweight! I guess I will be putting it on Ebay to sell it and lose more money on this already expensive hobby. 😥
Is compatible with the altaz mount on a wedge...
Excellent , thank you ! I have the Nexstar Evolution on a Wedge and would like to get into guiding next . Hopefully this Spring 2024 . Enjoy your channel .
I think there's a post in Stargazers lounge where people have been imaging with Alt Az mounts & some have been getting fantastic results, nice to see some tinkering going on.
great video, the first one I found about guiding with alt/az mount. I just started doing it myself with my Celestron 130 SLT, but I still didn't get a good result. I can reach 30 or 60 seconds, but the stars got rounded.... Your video will help, I will let you know about my progress. This video will for sure help many alt/az owners.
Thank you for the comment. I think you are only going to get 30-60 seconds mainly because of field rotation and the limits of the mount.
Thank you for your video . Being an Alt/Az owner too I am always interested in how others use this Mount . Looking forward to future videos . /SRK
Brilliant video. I am just about to dip my toe in the waters of guiding having been doing long exposures on a static tripod then progressing a star guider with my trusty SCT sitting in the corner gathering dust! Thank you!
Thanks for walking us through the process.
This might just be a dumb question from someone new to eaa. Why can't we just use the main scope image to guide on? Why do we need this extra small scope and camera with all the associated complication?
Thank you for sharing. As for someone who is just starting of this is very useful information. Cant wait to try this tonight on my 127SLT
Thank you for this - you may have better results as it is a lighter scope
you sir are my hero for the week!
Nice video Harry. I am curious about the results
I don't really have a gallery or webpage. Maybe I should!
pretty cool, thanks for sharing the information with us.
Great Video, Thanks! I setup in PHD last night and gave it a try, I got through calibration okay, just like you stated, a window pops up saying calibration problems, might not guide correctly.
But what I noticed from your video, is that when I am calibrating, when PHD is going through the steps, there is a pause between steps, and the word looping shows up in place of the steps.
In your video, it is showing constant stepping. Does this seem right?
If it does what it needs to it may be right - not every mount is the same. Sometimes my calibration pauses to clear backlash it may be that.
1. Do you need to set anything within the hand controller for CPWI to recognize it 2. if the mount needs both alignments done i.e. CPWI+PH2 at the same time for it to work 3. Have you tried any Nebula or Galaxy with this setup? Please
Thank you for the comments!
1 - download the drivers from the celestron website
2 - do cpwi first then calibrate phd2 one you slew to a target
3 - oh yes loads!
Hello. Nice guide but do you have any actual DSO results to display? I mean having phd2 work with alt az mount is one thing but getting actual usable results is another. I spent a few nights trying to guide alt az (for me more aggressiveness worked better) but the best I could do (around 3-4 total error) was not enough to have a decent sub. The stacked image was blurry like out of focus. Quality was far worst from just tracking subs.
Yes some over on Facebook e.g. facebook.com/106897801687269/posts/pfbid0LJ2UNcobuHxJ9WdJRZtMo3i9MZNxygHsc6vUohfmVtowoXgVseh8qjPxWGZcegMwl/
Not the expert here but I think that if you get a wedge you would have much better results...guiding on a altaz mount isn't easy. If you do it...try to keep your exposures very short.
I have all the equipment now, just waiting for the Dark for my first try, does anyone know if the Astrofi supports the ST4 from my ASI224MC? TIA
Im having troubles with my 130SLT I’m using phd2 and PDWI ASCOM and I put my ZWO mini camera pointing to the stars and guide not workint what’s wrong?, I have a question, the ST4 cable it’s useless on my slt?
I've never used a ST4, it's 90's tech. Use a USB cable direct to the laptop and that method.
Could this work in an LCM mount?
Yes and I used to do it before upgrading
great video thanks colin,
just one quick question is phd getting the detail for the guide cam through the usb
Thank you Brian and yes it is. ST4 is very old hat.
@@astroharrysastronomyclub1256 champion can`t wait to give it a go, got a celestron goto mount smaller scope and can add my dslr but didn`t realise that tracking could be used by phd2
Hello i have Orion Starseker 4 which is similar mount. Can i use ASI air plus to make autoguiding possible?
Sorry mate I don't have any experience with either device
Great Video, I actually Have a Similar telescope, But From Orion. Same aperture and Fork arm mount, But Uts Based On synscan. Im very interested In trying It Out. So For Connecting The Mount To computer any idea What Software should I use For Synscan? Ascom 'Cartes du cal' or Stellariun. Also Can I use my Laptop for The Auto guiding Solution! Thank you 👍🏻
I'm sorry I don't know anything about skywatcher gear. I'm a Celestron fanboy 😆
You will need the Ascom driver for the mount I would imagine & I use GS server as its simpler to use than EQMOD, you will either need the cable that goes from your laptop to the mount where the handset was or if you still have the cables you use to update the handset you can use that via the handset & get a serial to usb converter. The only other issue I'm thinking is would Ascom recognise it as a skywatcher mount as if it didn't it could prove to be a waste of time as I haven't heard anyone doing this.