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.

NextGuide Autoguider測試

週休二日的第一天等不到星空的感覺真的還蠻失望的，雖然是搶第一個發表使用心得，不過使用上還是需要點時間吧! 昨夜好不容易熬到半夜12點左右，雲稍微少了些之後，搶在雲隙間粗略的極軸對準，然後就用快速的一顆星校對之後，匆忙的開拍，深怕這老天不知道會不會又像昨天吊足人的胃口，瞬間又好像用的哆啦A夢的雲製造機做了一堆雲。

剛開始用的時候，真的還不知道怎樣做才是正確步驟。先前有仔細看過說明書的每一頁，雖然那原文都不算難懂，不過拿到東西實際操作還真的是不太一樣的感覺。

看看這控制手把的樣子，通過電的樣子在暗夜中，顯得有點可愛耶!



選了畫面的鎖定之後，按下Guiding就可以鎖定所挑選到的亮星來當成導星，剛開始因為導星鏡的軸並不平行，所以還花了不少時間對焦並且瞧了半天才調整到接近的星空附近比較亮的星。

不過看起來這個導星儀，應該感度還是比不上我原來在用的DSI pro II的感度，因為不太容易找到星星去導，加上感光晶片面積有點點小，所以更不容易。不過這也可能是我還不夠熟悉吧!



導星校正的速度比平常用的PHD guiding要快很多，校正的時間會出現上面的畫面，中間那個TMR A 出現後，不久會有另外一個TMR B出現，等兩個都校正好之後，就出現下面的畫面了。
這時候就開始導星。下次我來拍個簡單的操作示範影片好了，不過先等我弄清楚所有技巧吧!



當抓到導星校正好之後，如果參考星的位置有移動到中心點，看起來就是這樣。如果沒有移動到中心點，當它算出與中心位置的差異數字，並不會把十字標放進導星，而是直接顯示XY座標在畫面上。就是在dR dD那邊會多XY座標出來。

因為實在有點累，可能極軸也不是很認真的去對，所以剛開始的好多張都拉線嚴重，也讓我頭上出現了三條線...幸好應該都是操作不正確的關係，挑選了以下三張，都是300秒，最後一張200秒。其間我最高有弄到700秒的照片，但那幾張中途應該是設備碰到或者被我打瞌睡給動到，都有流星狀星點拖線，所以就沒貼出來了。等下回有機會做更仔細測試，再貼出來分享。

這三張都是單張使用EOS350D拍下的原始照片，給各位前輩們參考囉!

NexGuide Autoguider - open box

This is English version of open box to share with my foreign friends.

This morning, UPS called to my office desk phone and requested to sending a stuff which I ordered from US.
There were two small box inside and I using my mobile phone took some of photos.

Let's look at these two boxes.!

I believed most of you knowing what the filter wheel can do for us. And it is a very convenient tool for
astrophotography. And we don't have to worry about filter lens falling and broken on ground in the dark night. Hope you are
not facing such trouble in future.

Today , the most important thing is this guider..

I ordered it around mid of July and got a lot of trouble on the credit card payment due to vendor's system problem at a short period. And I found this stuffs on Celestron on the same day when they published on official web page.

Of course, many astrophotographer said it is cheaper than most of similar productions in the market, they wish to look at the testing result then see what happen. Of course, the reason why I tried this one due to tight budget.. :-)

I believe most of astrophotographer know what is the filter wheel can do, I only put some of pictures for your reference.

Ok, let's back to autoguider. Following is manual for it.

Hand controller and some of cables. And they also gave a RJ45 connector. I thing it is for protection on the socket. Nice and kind thinking.

The size is more smaller than my expectation. You can compare the mouse size, it is quite compact

for traveller. But I still worry about the guiding result... :-)

If the result is not so good....I think...I will..I must be.... very hard and let everyone know.... :-)

the display panel is quite small but seems the star displaying zone on right hand side is enough for

tracking star when the first power on I saw.

Actually, only comments is the ugly battery box... I really don't like the design. I should make a new one by myself in future.

Ok, good luck to me in the night for testing. I will share it later when I have chance to do it.

Back to me later on...

Cheers my friends...