Guiding

[EdWiley]

I am thinking about using my Meade Pro/Guiding module only for putting the target in the slit and using my WO 66mm for guiding with my ST402ME. Are there experienced users who use a separate guiding scope? My motivation is to separate putting the target on the slit from finding a suitable guide star. For example, I might not have a suitable guide star at a reasonable exposure time through the guide module, but could find one through a guide scope. Does this seem reasonable? Or, should I always try to guide through the guiding module?

Thanks, Ed

[Ken Harrison]

Ed,
Your suggestion may work OK, but I'd be surprised if you can't find a suitable guide star in the guider FOV....
Never any problems with my Lodestar on the Spectra-L200 under PHD2.

[Francois Teyssier]

Hello Ed,
This is a bad "good idea"
The main problem is mechanic bending between the guiding scope and acquisition scope
I discussed the suject with xperience observers during an OHP meeting. And then abandon the idea.
If Christian conceived a complex mirror slit (and Shelyak built it) to get the autoguiding image (for Lhires, Lisa, Alpy), there's a raison for
Parallel scope is an excellent idea to get a photometric image, noticelly in V band (and therefore get an absolute flux calibrated spectrum)
All the best
François

[EdWiley]

Thanks Ken and Francois.

Francois, I thought that might be the case. To you both: No problem in finding guide stars unless the target is very bright. So, I tied to guide on a bright target in the slit and it worked. Problem solved.

Cheers, Ed