M3 and M53

Full moon Autoguiding first results with

PhD Guide and Meade DSI-C autoguider

Uploaded 5/5/07

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 The old ST4 auto guider is on its last legs, and I have built a new system which includes a homemade parallel port to ST4 interface adapter, the discontinued Meade DSI-C, and the software PhD guide. This program works better than any autoguiding program to date, I belive it is because of the type of calibration it performs - in bursts that automatically subtract out the backlash error. Seeing was poor, and 45mph gusts made the tracking on the M3 shot interesting. But stars are round (a bit comatic however) and the system is robust.
Instrument: 12.5" f/5 Newtonian Platform: Astrophysics 1200 QMD Camera: Hutech Modified Canon XTi @ ISO400 Exposure: 9 x 1m = 9minutes total Filters: None Location: Payson, Arizona Elevation: 5150 ft. Sky: Seeing 4/10, Transparency 2/10 Outside Temperature: 45F Processing Tools: Photoshop CS2, Maxim DSLR HOME GALAXIES EMISSION NEBS REFLECTION NEBS COMETS GLOBULARS OPEN CLUST PLANETARIES LINKS FastCounter by bCentral