Autoguiding integrated into mount... possible or pipedream?

[MintMark]

I've been reading lots about eq mounts lately (deciding what to buy) and I wondered if it would be possible to build autoguiding right into the mount.

I know some mounts have polar alignment scopes built in and I know some people do autoguiding with something as small as a finderscope and a webcam. I know there are autoguiders that don't need a separate computer... so, could you build a small scope, camera and autoguider right into the mount?

I suppose the scope part would need to be adjustable to find a view with a guide star in it. I bet there are loads of problems I don't know about and you're all about to tell me :) Either that or it's already out there and costs the earth!

[spit]

roughly, id imagine you could make an auto guider port, the mount functions as NSEW, but the problem is when splicing the cables to add the port, most drive mounts slew at 2X 4X and 8X-- entirely to fast for an autoguider- then id imagine youd need to some kind of firmware like Ascom to be compatible, most of these handmand designs like your talking about, usually just adapt cheap LXD55 motors and use their software, along with making sure all the gears mesh right, a go-to is cheap today, your better off just buying one and save the headache and money

[chris.bailey]

EQ6 has an autoguiding port. Works a treat with my Lodestar guider and PHD guiding.

[Adrena1in]

EQ6 has an autoguiding port. Works a treat with my Lodestar guider and PHD guiding.
Are you talking about the new EQ6? I've just picked up an older one, and all it has is a port for the basic hand-controller. Chap I bought it off says I can mod the controller to add an additional port though.

[MintMark]

Let me try and put it another way... I was imagining if it would be possible, in the future, for one of the mount manufacturers to bring out a mount that had a whole miniaturised autoguiding system built into the top of it. So the head of the mount actually contains a small guide scope, camera and autoguider.

All you have to do is put your scope (and/or camera) on top and the mount gives you autoguided tracking.

Another question... is this even desirable? How many situations are so demanding that unguided tracking is not good enough?

Just a thought... might be a totally stupid idea :)

[spit]

not really- designing a built in guidescope isnt in the best interest for many reasons- the second question-- short exposures with excellant alignment may be good for a minute or a bit longer with a DSLR- but almost all other situations require being guided, your actually talking here 20-30 subs and with advanced imagers adding darks and flats, so unguided would end up a horror story

[smallmadtv]

Another option is this:

http://www.mda-telescoop.com/

[Adrena1in]

Another option is this:

http://www.mda-telescoop.com/

Looks very interesting.

[jmx]

I'm not sure if an autoguider built into the scope is the next step in mount evolution, but a mount with a finder scope built in and a CCD at the back of it, which can tell you how to adjust the mount so that polaris is PERFECTLY aligned in just the right spot would be great. If that initial polar alignment is perfect, it could save lots of time fussing about later.

[MintMark]

Oh OK, so that's like auto polar alignment. I guess it would need date and time (from a built in GPS) to work out where the pole is.

Don't some of the goto mounts effectively have something similar already? I'm not sure, just going by what I have read.

Anything that cuts down on setup time must be good!

[Adrena1in]

Don't some of the goto mounts effectively have something similar already? I'm not sure, just going by what I have read.

My EQ5 GOTO has built-in routines to aid Polar alignment. For example, on the 3-star align routine, it asks you to select a star from a list, then it slews to where it thinks the star should be, and you then manually slew the mount until said star is in the centre of the eyepiece. Repeat that twice, and the system then tells you how many degrees out the mount is. You then have to manually adjust it accordingly. I think some systems do similar routines, but rather than tell you how inaccurate your mount is, the system adjusts itself for the error.