Starlight Xpress SXV-M8C User Manual
Page 24
Handbook for the SXV-M8C Issue 1 Jan 2005
24
To use the autoguider, please proceed as follows:
1)
Having started the SXV-M8C software, open the autoguider control panel by
clicking on the autoguider menu button.
The autoguider control panel with a guide star selected
2)
Press the ‘Start’ button and a series of 1 second exposure guider images will
begin to appear in the picture frame. If the images look too dim, use the
‘Stretch Image’ slider to increase its contrast and brightness until the noise
begins to be visible.
3)
If you haven’t focused the guider lens or ‘scope, move the mount until a bright
star is visible on the guider image and then adjust the focus until it is as sharp
as possible.
4)
At this point, you may want to test the guiding control by pressing the manual
‘Move Telescope’ buttons at the bottom left corner of the control panel. You
can watch the position of any stars in the guider image and confirm that they
move in response to the buttons. The movement should be slow if the correct
guiding rate is selected on your mount (typically 2x sidereal). Adjust this, if
necessary.
5)
Move the mount until the required object for imaging is properly framed in the
main CCD image (leave the guider menu and use the main camera control
panel, as necessary).
6)
Re-open the guider control panel, start imaging and try to locate a clearly
visible guide star. If necessary, make adjustments to the guide telescope or off-
axis guider until one is found.
7)
Press ‘Stop’ and then press ‘Select Guide Star’. Use the mouse to left click on
the selected star and a green cross will highlight it and the co-ordinates will
appear in the text boxes above the image window.
8)
The various guiding rate defaults, listed on the right-hand side of the control
panel, are unlikely to be perfect for your particular telescope and mount. You
have the option of manually selecting values, or asking the software to attempt
to determine what they should be. This is done by pressing the ‘Train’ button
and waiting for the software to complete a sequence of automatic moves and