NexGuide Autoguider 20 mins testing result

English:

Waiting for long long time for this testing due to weather issue. Dec.2010 and Jan 2011 2 months almost cloudy,windy and raining days here.

I set NexGuide Autoguider DEC back 0.2 today according to around 1 pixel shift on 20 mins shooting results yesterday. I really satisfy today's result in 20 mins. It is still pinpoint stars. But seems my Skywatcher ED80 need to do a bit adjustment to have
better pinpoint light.

These few days are Chinese Lunar new year holiday here and I set to portrait style and M-RAW mode in lunch and forgot to set back to L-RAW. Hope this results help you to consider whether Nexguide is the one of your selection. For me, it's enough. No more
investment on astro equipment is needed.

Above testing with following equipment..

HEQ5
SkyWatcher ED80 F600mm
Guide Scope A60 F220mm
Canon 7D DSLR
Celestron NexGuide Autoguider

Have clear skies.

Cheers

中文:

這個日子等了非常久了，兩個月來終於等到有個完整的天空可以測試這個20分鐘結果。昨天測試的時候，雲非常多，幾乎有三分之一的時間都會有雲遮住星空，但是因為直接瞄準天狼星，所以知道20分鐘的狀況會有約一、二個畫素的位移，因此今天的設定改變了DEC BACK從0改為0.2。

這個數字應該是根據赤道儀的不同誤差有所變化，最早的測試我就已經測試出我的赤道儀有這個數字的誤差，果然今天改成0.2之後，星點就是圓的。

單張20分鐘有拍了三張，兩張都如附圖一樣圓，第三張應該是受到附近大型沖天炮影響到，震動到了。基本上應該不是導星器的關係，過年那些人不知道錢太多還是有個有錢的老爸，沖天炮好像免費一樣，打整晚...難得有好天氣卻沖天炮到處亂飛..

今天去親戚家吃午飯拍照忘記設定回來，結果拍m42三張後才想到星點怎好像沒有對焦好，一看m-raw沒改回來，焦距也沒有對準，不過應該是值得參考的一張照片，希望對各位好友的抉擇有所幫助。我對這個導星器目前的評價還是很正面的，但是就不知道兄弟牌的SKYWATCHER Synguider是不是一樣穩定囉! 各項規格看起來幾乎相同，希望結果也是一樣的正面。

以上設備用的是

HEQ5
SkyWatcher ED80 F600mm
Guide Scope A60 F220mm
Canon 7D DSLR
Celestron NexGuide Autoguider


祝各位的星空美好，另祝農曆新年快樂囉!

陽春道具的極限測試1

Chinese:

測試道具: SkyWatcher HEQ5 pro, Celestron NexGuide Autoguider+ 60220導星鏡, SkyWatcher ED80/600+ Kenko X 2 加倍鏡，Canon 7D + CLS FF filter + ISO1600

這幾樣道具其實老早都在手上，但是沒有合體測試過，眼見昨夜的天空那麼亮，很多不利條件存在，月齡14幾乎把天空照亮，視星等連北極星都看不到之下，這幾樣在天文攝影不算好的設備到底能夠發揮到如何呢?

尤其加上兩倍鏡的狀況下，赤道儀會不會拖線很大?

說實在的在測試前真的非常沒有把握!

以下這張是35分鐘的測試結果，每張只用75秒的時間，共28張疊合。因為沒有用這麼長的焦段架上赤道儀拍攝過，
所以沒有把時間拉長到更長，加上冬季的風不是穩定的吹，所以就保守點，等下次再看看更長的時間囉!

不過說實在，600 x 2(1200mm)如果加上APSC x 1.6 等同焦距是 1920mm 結果暫時讓我滿意囉!
沒想到的是，M42星雲用這樣的焦段竟然剛好把M42放到APSC的整個畫面而已...

English:

Equipments: SkyWatcher HEQ5 pro, Celestron NexGuide Autoguider+60x220mm guiding telescope, SkyWatcher ED80/600mm+ Kenko X 2 Len，Canon 7D + CLS FF filter

Reason to make this test:

1. I would like to know what is the limitation on these equipment that I have. I never put them together to take astro photo.

2. Last night moon age is day 14. Night sky was so brightness, I would like to know whether NexGuide Autoguider is still functional as normal.

3. These equipments are not the best equipment in Astro-graphic field, I try to convince myself not to buy new equipment which are very high price in market.

From the result 75 seconds x 28 frames ISO1600 on M42 nebula, I am happy with the results. Total 28 frames without trails on stars. Due to winter time in Taiwan always with unstable wing speed, only tested 75 seconds to prevent too many fail tracking result. Next time will try to test it in Spring time here for longer time period on tracking.

I am so surprise 600x2(1200mm) shooting M42 nebula can fit on APSC Canon 7D. I though it will over the CMOS size.

Celestron NexGuide Autoguider testing result

This picture was using Meade DSI Pro II mono, used auto stack, 5.7 seconds each, totally 998 seconds. I did not use ENVISAGE alignment to correct rotation to see what happend on guiding result.

Currently the result is positive when found a brighter star as a guiding star.

When the sky with light pollution and visual magnitude only can see Polaris...then don't switch on, it is nothing to do...guider will not function properly due to light pollution and high noise.

I also set up PEC to HEQ5 but seems HEQ5 only can tracing without problem in 1 mins by itself. Start from 80 sec can see the delay on photos. But find a brighter star and switching on NexGuide Autoguider can have a very accuracy results even 998 seconds is still pinpoint stars.


My testing comments as below:

1. Menu is simple to understand

2. Auto Cal: faster than PHD guding, it takes around 2 to 3 mins. Normally , brighter star may down to 2 mins or less for auto cal.

3. Noise setting: read the handbook very carefully on Noise setting method. You need to reduce Noise lower to prevent guider confuse and miss guding. Adjust exprosure time and Noise to find a low noise then start guiding.

Well, hope you enjoy the accuracy guiding, this is my final testing result.


Above testing equipment:

SkyWatcher ED 80 F600

SkyWatcher A80 F400 guide scope
HEQ5 mount

Meade DSI Pro II mono CCD

NexGuide Autoguider

NexGuide Autoguider測試結論

為了測試這台導星儀，前幾天上了合歡山，但是...算了...遺憾收場，因為去住了一個沒有北極星的民宿，而且事前自以為可以利用其他的漂移法對準，所以沒到鳶峰停車場去...所以...失敗



這幾天白天的天氣實在不錯，但是天上總是有薄薄的雲與我們為伴，所以也是沒機會測試。昨夜因為雲層稍微薄了些，只能用極望看到北極星，目視根本看不到，所以想當然爾一定是光害嚴重囉! 只能拿這超亮的群星中隱約還看的清楚的牛郎來當引導星。



這張照片是使用Meade DSI Pro II mono所拍攝的，採用自動疊合，每張5.7秒，總共998秒的結果。ENVISAGE的設定放棄使用內部可以校正旋轉位移的方式去疊合，主要是要看導星的準度。目前亮星的導星成績是:很準

至於有嚴重光害的地方，基本上是無法使用，個人感覺是有光害的地方，僅適合肉眼觀測，所以導星啟動的目的不大，使用赤道儀本身的自由追蹤就夠用了。



昨天另外把pec 也設定進去HEQ5，不過自由追蹤看起來HEQ5似乎還是只有一分鐘的準度，超過八十秒左右，HEQ5會開始拉線，但是上了NexGuide Autoguider之後，998秒還是完美星點。



希望颱風走後可以有機會測試一下暗星，不過先下了結論給大家參考



1. 操作難易: 簡單



2. 導星初期校正: 快速，約2~3分鐘內可以完成，通常大約兩分鐘內，可能與接收到的影像強度有關



3. 需要注意的部份: Noise的設定要仔細看說明書上的解釋，基本上Noise的設定與曝光時間的配合要調適合宜，noise太高的情況下，很容易誤判，所以看到太多noise時候，要減少曝光時間來配合。



希望大家使用愉快囉! 測試文章應該就此結束。


以上測試使用設備:

SkyWatcher ED 80 F600 主鏡
SkyWatcher A80 F400 導星鏡
HEQ5赤道儀
Meade DSI Pro II mono CCD
NexGuide Autoguider 導星

NexGuide Autoguider testing review

This is English version of testing result to share with my friends.

I was quite happy to have NexGuide autoguider on last Friday but quite disappointed the weather was so bad on Friday night.

Saturday night waiting until mid night around 12 oclock for first time testing it.
Very afraid the weather like yesterday , let me thought someone using Doraemon's tool to made so much cloud in the sky.

Not very accurate to do polarize and used 1 star alignment on HEQ5. Although, I read the manual in advance at least three times but touch the real NexGuide is another story. Got some trouble on the first hour to operating it.

Look at the hand control...it's cute..



You need select and lock star before select guiding. Due to my guidescope is not parallel with main telescope, I spent coule mins to adjust it and finding the
brightness star for auto cal.

I believe my DSI pro II is more sensitive then this one. I spent much time to finding star...May be I need to fine tune some parameter to improve it.


No other experience to compare with other standalone guider, so I can only share with the experience when I using PHD guding. It is more faster then PHD guding. In the period of testing, some of auto cal only spent around 1 mins. I did auto cal many times yesterday. Longest time around 3 mins on auto cal.

The most important point is ...find a brightness star....



When found the guide star, you can move it to center of display or just leave it on
original position. NexGuide can calculating the X and Y Axis and show on display panel text area which is on leftside.

You can also see the delta R, delta D real time.

First couple photos were failed due to my legs touched tripod or touched scope. Only choise these three for your reference.

These three photos were tooking by EOS 350D. 1 and 2 was 300seconds, 3rd was 200 seconds.

I will share more in future for longer exposure time and share it next time.