Using an Orion StarShoot G3 as an autoguider

Finally getting my autoguider setup to work.  I use PHD2 Guiding by Stark Labs to run the autoguider and mount.  I am assuming you already know how to use PHD2 Guiding,  I if not, I recommend Astrophotography P3: Guiding Your Telescope by Forest Tanaka.

My hardware consists of an Orion StarShoot G3 Deep Space Color Imaging camera connected to an Orion ShortTube 80mm telescope as my autoguider.  Other incidentals, I use an Orion ED80 refactor telescope, a Canon Rebel T3i (600D) camera, an Orion Sirius EQ-G mount, and Backyard EOS for camera control.  The G3 is not inherently designed for use as an autoguider and took some research, a few calls to Orion tech support, and lots of trials in order to get it work.

A few things to be aware of: 

1) The G3 requires a guide scope with a larger aperture than the 50 mm standard guidescope size on the StarShoot Autoguider (you also need to order a RJ12 cable to connect the G3 to the mount).  

2) The G3 Firmware driver has to be up to date, if not, contact Orion and they can help with that.  

3) When using PHD2 Guiding, the G3 is not a selection on the Camera icon, you must select ASCOM (Late) Camera and then the G3 appears as a selection. 

4) But wait, there’s more, you also must select On-camera under the Mount tab at the top of the page. The rest of the set up should be how you would normally set up PHD2 Guiding. If not, call Orion. 

Also, I am new to using most of the software.  With this in mind my original stacking, Image 3, was done off of jpeg files as DSS was not stacking the raw files correctly.  Later I discovered I had to convert the raw images using Digital Photo Professional (Canon software) to TIFF files and then stack them.  The images below are of M31 - Andromeda Galaxy (M32 and M110, satellite galaxies of Andromeda are also visible).

Results:

I pride myself on good polar alignment and tracking and Image 1 is a 100s exposure of Andromeda where I thought it was tracking well but obviously not as well as I thought.

Image 1

Image 2 is a 100s exposure of Andromeda after the autoguider tracking was synchronized using PHD2 Guiding.  This took approximately five minutes.

Image 2

Image 3 consists of six 100s exposures of Andromeda stacked using Deep Sky Stacker (DSS).

Image 3

Image 4 and Image 5 are after processing Image 3 using Photoshop.

Image 4

Image 5

Image 6 is after processing the six original raw images in DSS.  Prior to using DSS I had to convert the Canon specific raw images into TIFF format.  Apparently DSS has trouble converting certain Canon raw images.  Notice the galaxy is flipped when the raw images were stacked.  Final processing was done in Photoshop.

Image 6

Image Details:

Image 1

M31 - Andromeda

Location: Monroe, CT

Date/Time: 7/24/15 00:58 AM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS

Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope

Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount

Autoguiding: Orion Short Tube 80mm, Orion StarShoot G3

Focal Length: 600mm (lens)

f/7.5

Exposure: 1-100s (1m 40s total)
ISO: 1600

Post Processing: None

Image 2

M31 - Andromeda

Location: Monroe, CT

Date/Time: 7/24/15 01:12 AM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS

Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope

Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount

Autoguiding: Orion Short Tube 80mm, Orion StarShoot G3

Focal Length: 600mm (lens)

f/7.5

Exposure: 1-100s (1m 40s total)
ISO: 1600

Post Processing: None

Image 3

M31 - Andromeda

Location: Monroe, CT

Date/Time: 7/24/15 01:12 AM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS

Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope

Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount

Autoguiding: Orion Short Tube 80mm, Orion StarShoot G3

Focal Length: 600mm (lens)

f/7.5

Exposure: 6-100s (10m total)
ISO: 1600

Post Processing: DSS

Image 4

M31 - Andromeda

Location: Monroe, CT

Date/Time: 7/24/15 01:12 AM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS

Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope

Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount

Autoguiding: Orion Short Tube 80mm, Orion StarShoot G3

Focal Length: 600mm (lens)

f/7.5

Exposure: 6-100s (10m total)
ISO: 1600

Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop

Image 5

M31 - Andromeda

Location: Monroe, CT

Date/Time: 7/24/15 01:12 AM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS

Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope

Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount

Autoguiding: Orion Short Tube 80mm, Orion StarShoot G3

Focal Length: 600mm (lens)

f/7.5

Exposure: 6-100s (10m total)
ISO: 1600

Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop

Image 6

M31 - Andromeda

Location: Monroe, CT

Date/Time: 7/24/15 01:12 AM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS

Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope

Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount

Autoguiding: Orion Short Tube 80mm, Orion StarShoot G3

Focal Length: 600mm (lens)

f/7.5

Exposure: 6-100s (10m total)
ISO: 1600

Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop

Shots of the Moon and M3 with the new focuser

I replaced the standard focuser on my Orion ED80 refractor with a Moonlite Dual Speed CF Focuser. I am able to get much better clarity especially when imaging. As a newbie, I have been experimenting with post processing (i.e. Deep Sky Stacker, Registax, and Photoshop) to better my images. The results of some of this is below.

Addendum (2018)
Reprocessing some images to even out the background for a Messier Poster!

M3 - Globular Cluster with about 500,000 stars and 33,000 light-years from Earth located in the constellation of Canes Venatici. The bright orange star Arcturus located in Bootes can be used to locate this cluster which very difficult to view with the naked eye.


stacked, flattened, set the black point

M3 - Glubular Cluster (mag +6.2)
Location: My Driveway, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/22/15 23:51 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/6
Exposure: 1-20s, 1-30s, 1-60s, 1-90s (3min 20s)
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop (flattened, set the black point)

 

stacked, flattened

M3 - Glubular Cluster (mag +6.2)
Location: My Driveway, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/22/15 23:54 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/6
Exposure: 1-20s, 1-30s, 1-60s, 1-90s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop (flattened)


stacked

M3 - Glubular Cluster (mag +6.2)
Location: My Driveway, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/22/15 23:54 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/6

Exposure: 1-20s, 1-30s, 1-60s, 1-90s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: DSS, Photoshop


single frame, dark subtract, adjust histogram

M3 - Glubular Cluster (mag +6.2)
Location: My Driveway, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/22/15 23:54 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/6
Exposure: 1-90s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: Photoshop (dark subtract, adjust histogram)


single frame, dark subtract

M3 - Glubular Cluster (mag +6.2)
Location: My Driveway, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/22/15 23:54 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/6
Exposure: 1-90s
ISO: 1600
Post Processing: Photoshop (dark subtract)

The following shots of the moon were probably the most focused shots I ever took. Even when magnified, they are still clear.



M3 - Moon, Waxing Crescent
Location: My Backyard, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/23/15 21:46 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/6
Exposure: 1/280s
ISO: 200
Post Processing: none



M3 - Moon, Waxing Crescent
Location: My Backyard, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/23/15 21:46 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/6
Exposure: 1/280s

ISO: 200


M3 - Moon, Waxing Crescent
Location: My Backyard, Monroe, CT
Date/Time: 5/23/15 21:46 PM
Camera: Canon EOS Rebel T3i, Backyard EOS
Telescope: Orion ED80 80mm f/7.5 Apochromatic Refractor Telescope
Mount: Orion Sirius EQ-G GoTo Telescope Mount
Autoguiding: None
Focal Length: 600mm (lens)
f/6
Exposure: 1/280s
ISO: 200
Post Processing: Photshop, Photo Editor