Making the OAG Leap: Plus Other Astrophotography Goodies!

My Observatory Upgrade: Guiding, Adapters, and Automation!

I was recently writing about my new toys, specifically a Starlight Xpress LodeStar autoguiding camera and a Celestron Radial Guider off-axis guider (OAG)… Well, all this shiny new gear is now installed in the observatory, at the back of the C11.

Since the LodeStar wasn’t long enough at the front to achieve focus with the off-axis guider when the main imager was focused, I had to call upon my savior once again: Didier Chaplain from SkyMéca. He crafted a custom 1.25” extension ring with a C/CS thread, made from PETP.

To perfectly secure the 6.3 focal reducer behind the focuser, Didier also made me an “SCT -> 2-inch” adapter ring. Its clever design features a slightly conical shape in the clamping area (see the red arrow in the photo). The result is just perfect: as you tighten the ring in the focuser, it’s automatically pressed firmly against it. The collar then ensures optimal alignment between the focuser and the focal reducer. My C11 is officially ready for imaging!

Meanwhile, the PL1M camera has found its new home on the C11’s 8x50 finder scope. The Orion ShortTube 80/400 guide scope has been removed from the setup to reduce the overall weight. The current finder scope support needs a bit of an overhaul, but that’s a project for another day. The PL1M will now guide the C80ED, while the LodeStar will handle guiding duties for the C11.

Adapting the PL1M behind the finder scope was made possible thanks to a “T -> Straight Finder” adapter ring I picked up from Modern Astronomy in the UK:

On top of all this hardware, I’ve also acquired a new automation software: CCD Commander. This will soon replace ACP for complete observatory management. Both ACP and CCD Commander are excellent automation tools, but CCD Commander’s workflow just seems more logical to me…