Orion Atlas EQ-G Mount

EQMOD and PHD Guiding vrs 1.5 pre1

February 24, 2007

This was my first test of autoguiding using PHD Guiding and recently purchased Orion EQ-G Atlas Mount. The EQMOD ASCOM driver was used to drive the mount directly via an EQDIR interface module. I did not buy the GOTO handcontroller from Orion for the mount. Instead of the GOTO handcontroller, I am using "The Sky" software and EQMOD, that allows telescope control via a computer. I am using a notebook with both a Logitech Wingman Gamepad and wireless Innovera presenter remote to control slewing and the slew speeds of the telescope.

Equipment used:

• Orion EQ-G Atlas Mount - CLICK HERE for Periodic Error Test made night before
• Orion ED 80 APO Refractor with Televue .80X Reducer and Baader IR Filter - for imaging
• Modified Canon Digital Rebel (300D) - for imaging
• Orion Short Tube 80mm refractor and 3X barlow - for autoguiding
• Modified Logitech 1.3 Megapixel Fusion USB 2.0 webcam - for autoguiding

Temperature was 20 degrees Fahrenheit with haze from an approaching snow storm. Conditions were not good for imaging but I was able to autoguide on Procyon using PHD Guiding and took a 6 minute exposure at ISO 100. I used the default settings in PHD Guiding and it quickly did its calibration routine and began autoguiding. I also tested the wewbcam software WcCtrl and it worked well for enabling long exposure modes on the Logitech Fusion webcam while autoguiding with PHD Guiding. The Fusion is ideal for autoguiding because it has true 1280X960 resolution, is USB 2.0 and long exposures can be enabled via software.

Test Image - 6 minute exposure - ISO 100 - No darks or flats used - Full Frame - Reduced to 900X600 size:

Cropped area as shown above of original 3072 X 2048 image:

Conclusion:

Star images are round in this 6 minute exposure. Both PHD Guiding and EQMOD ASCOM driver were easy to use and worked well for this new mount. The efforts of the developers of both these programs have made low cost autoguided imaging possible.

Guiding with PHD is so easy.......even a caveman can do it :)

Will need to do more testing at longer focal lengths.

Gary Honis

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