Guide Cam / Imager

[Rocket Pooch]

Hi Folks,

Ok after about 5 years on not doing any astronomy I'm setting up again.  However my QSI5 camera seems completely incompatible with windows 10 (no I'm not going to downgrade).

So quick question is, whats the current ok guide camera?  Need something sensitive and possible that will work as a planetary camera as well.  It also needs to fit on me OAG.

Right off to see if my QSI still works

Thanks

[ApophisAstros]

Something like this , has worked mostly ok for me.
https://www.modernastronomy.com/shop/cameras/guide-cameras/qhy-guide-cameras/qhy5l-ii-mono/?attribute_delivery-options=Delivered+to+UK+-+%C2%A3175
Roger

[Rocket Pooch]

Well my QSI works thats a positive.  The QHY5II will not connect to my AOG.  I've bought a ZWO unit, hopefully that will be ok.

Now where are me telescopes?

[RobertM]

ASI224MC or the QHY equivalent (if you want any driver headaches).

Robert

[The Thing]

Hi Chris, nice to see you on the forum again,

I use a mono Altair GPCAM2 for guiding with a ZWO OAG, also a colour QHY5L-II but that is mainly for planetary captures, though it's been pretty much superseded by my ZWO ASI294MC Pro which is my imaging camera these days but also a very good planetary camera when using the ROI. I don't sem to ever have driver conflicts as in the old days.

Happy New Year!

Duncan

[MarkS]

Hi Chris,

It would be good to see you imaging again!

Robert/Duncan,  I have the GPCAM2 which uses the IMX224 sensor, which is a colour sensor, of course.  I measured the read noise to be 0.7e which means it is getting close to counting individual electrons.  But because of Bayer matrix I never thought to use it for guiding.  Surely a mono sensor would make a better guide cam?  Assuming of course there exists one with similar sensitivity i.e. QE around 80% and crazy low read noise.

Mark

[The Thing]

Hi Mark, Chris ,

My Gpcam2 is mono, I got it to replace my mono QHY5L-II which got fried by lightning. If I guide with the colour QHY its using a finder guider arrangement.

The thing is there's loads to choose from these days and all very capable so I suspect form factor for OAG use and pixel size to go with the imaging resolution as well as read noise will be important to consider. There are even manufacturers own brands such as Touptek.

Happy shopping!