SBIG AO-X with Voyager?

Voyager Equipment Setup & Compatibility
1

Hi all,

I have a setup that’s currently running with SBIG AO-X and SBIG guider/main cameras; the setup is currently set up to operate with CCD AutoPilot which controls almost everything via SkyX (mount, camera, and autoguider/AO). I would love to transition to Voyager, but I wonder if any SBIG AO-X users out there operating the AO-X successfully with Voyager?

Some specific questions:

  • The AO is currently all setup to be used in SkyX; if I select “TheSkyX” in “Guiding” tab in Voyager, and check “Is AO Guiding System”, am I all set?
  • Shall I select “roboguide” or “native guide control”?
  • Shall I check “homing after dithering”?
  • I understand that the guiding star needs to be in a certain ADU range for AO to work, which posts some challenges in framing & specifying guiding camera duration. How do you pick your framing in Voyager/Virtual FoV so you ensure a proper star is in the FoV of your guiding camera? and how do you determine the guiding camera exposure duration to achieve proper ADU? Right now we do it in SkyX where you can create linked FOV with both main camera & guiding camera, so you know what would be in the guiding camera FoV. In Virtual FoV that doesn’t seem possible.

Thanks in advance for any comments or tips about using AO-X in Voyager!

Thanks,
Yizhou

2

Mi suggestion is to use Maxim for this kind of device, is better managed from external software like Voyager (I have an AO and using it since 14 years).

  • use Is AO Guiding system
  • use RoboGuide if the native system do not choose a star for you
  • homing after dithering its up to you, not sure is managed by external TSX interface
  • problem of AO is to find right star, you must have a really nice camera with high gain and low noise, or use a rotator and define before the PA on a planetarium. I personally use a Lodestar in bin2 that in 0,1s find always a star to use for guiding. Never use guiding camera in bin1 , this will be a big pain.

TSX have a really limited 3rd part integration methods in his interface fo AO systems.
I developed the interface with 2 users having TSX and with my TSX, but so many years ago.

All the best
Leonardo

3

Thanks Leo, I’ll look into this. I suppose you don’t worry about “use a rotator and define before the PA on a planetarium” as your guider camera finds you a star everytime? For now we are using SkyX for the framing and make sure the guider star is found in guider camera FoV. There is no way to do this in Voyager/Virtual FoV (to show guider camera FOV) I suppose?

4

Never used a rotator with AO. The secret is to use the right guide camera. If your field become to small use a camera with a bigger FOV. Otherwise rotator auto/manual/changing of camera PA manually is something to take in account with a planetarium (or doing some trial and explore rotating manual and take image) or simply when its not possible guiding with a normal time integration.

Virtual FOV cannot be used for this.

All the best
Leonardo