How to Auto guide

	This is the first time I have had the chance to use the set up because of the bad weather of late here in the UK. Camera tab is the first setting and is for the camera control. Frames per sec, Gain, Colour balance etc. I normally set this up to get the stars so that I can use the lowest frame settings ie: 1 sec exposure. Gamma = 100. Auto colour. Shutter speed = 1/25. Gain = 100%
	Guiding tab next. This is the way you are going to talk to the guider. Here I use the Parallel port using the top four bits as the lower four bits talk to the long exposure webcam (ToUcam 740K)
	Options tab next which gives 5 more tabs. Camera tab. Here I tell the program what size the pixels are and what port I am going to use.
	Next tab is the Guide Scope. Here you tell the program what the focal ratio of your guiding scope. My 60 mm scope is 700 mm focal length.
	Guiding Parameters. Here you tell the program about the RA and DEC guiding in Arc Secs and adjust the backlash of your mounts motors. Here I am still learning and adjusting.
	Relay Box Tab. Here you tell the program how you want to use the upper four bits of the parallel port to guide. This I did not have to touch so far.
	This is an image of M27. This image is 28 bmp stacked in Registax. Each image is just 4 to 8 seconds. Notice how the stars are elongated.
	This image of M66 (I know its not very good) is 12 bmp of 1 min each stacked again in Registax. Notice here how the stars are a lot rounder use the guiding program. I think I can tighten the guiding parameters even more and get better results. Time will tell.
	20th-21st March, 2007 01.07 UT M104 the Sombrero Galaxy. Taken with the DSI and guided by my Philips SC1.5 ToUcamt. DSI was attached to my 222 mm f/7.25 Newtonian with a .5 focal reducer. My webcam was attached to a cheapo 60 mm f/11 refractor atop my Newtonian. Again I used a .5 focal reducer. 39 frames of 15 seconds each . This image just goes to show what the camera can see as I could not see the galaxy through the eyepiece. The galaxy was just above the roof tops of my neighbours house so I only had 30 mins or so to image M104 before it dissapeared again.
	9th Feruary, 2008 A very misty night but the guiding kept up rather well. The stars are round which is what I was after. NGC2903 in the head of Leo. 50 frames by 60 second subs. Captured and processed in ASIP. I still think the focus/collimation needs attention.

I have found that the EQ5 has a lot of PE (periodic error) Looking round the internet this page came up http://www.astronomyboy.com/cg5/ from Astronomy Boy. This deals with the PE that these "look-a-like" mounts seem to suffer. Having dismantled my EQ5 mount I found that it was indeed filled with a black grease that was more like glue and stuck things together. I have also found that there were lot of burrs inside and on the metal to metal surfaces which I removed with 400 grade wet and dry. I regreased the internals with a grease that I got from my local garage and now the mount is a lot smoother and I can easily turn the RA and DEC with my fingers using only the bar that attaches to the worm gear. Hopefully this will make the PE a lot more tollerable. The whole process only took me 5 hours which I consider 5 hours well spent. Thanks a heap Astronomy Boy.

This page will be updated as I get more time under the stars ???

	I have since built a splitter box like the one on Peter Katreniak page with one added difference. I have used the two parallel port inputs (25 pin D type) but also added a serial (9 pin D type) as well. The reason for this is I had already built my guider interface with a 9 pin D type plug and so rather than pull all that apart and rewire it all I just added another port to the splitter box.
	This is an image of the diagram with the extended 9 pin D plug. Only 5 pins are used in the old serial mouse lead and plug. Earth, up, down, left and right. I used what I had laying around which is why I used the serial mouse lead and plug.
The splitter box now allows me to use 2 webcams that require the use of the parallel port for the long exposures at the same time. One thing I can not do though is use a guider at the same time as using the 2 long exposure webcams as the cam 2 port uses the same pins on the parallel port as the guider. I will have to look into the idea of using a USB to serial converter to see if the idea is usable.
	I was going to use a make shift 60mm f/6 refractor as a guide telescope. I soon found out that the webcam was moving around too much because of the make shift eyepiece focuser was not up to the task. This telescope was seen in our local supermarket and with a quick look I bought it in the hopes that it would do a better job. It came complete with wobble tripod, 4 eye pieces (plastic) a CD star program and a planesphere.
	Here is the 60mm f/11.6 mounted in the cradles. Having had a good look at the telescope the optics look to be OK. The rack mount is 1 1/4" so that is just right but the rack mount tends to be sloppy. I think I will use a couple of thumb screws to keep it in place and see how it goes. As yet this is still untested becasue of the UK skies.