Testing the Celestron StarSense Autoguider

[@Ronbo765]

Thanks Pat. Great info!

[@chesleyrolleMusic]

great video thank you!! purchase the autoguider it comes today cant wait..Clear skys!!

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Good to hear, Chesley. I hope you get clear skies to try it out. You know what they say about new astronomy equipment and income clouds.

[@chesleyrolleMusic]

yes lol! thanks for responding new FAN over here. take care@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy

[@Aero19612]

Hi Pat. Great vid again! The StarSense Autoguider is a very interesting product from Celestron. I hope you have good luck with it and keep us updated on what you think as you continue to gain experience with it. Btw: I still need to get the Helix. It’s a tough one for our latitude. Great job!

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Thank you, James. Yes, the SSAG works very well. I just hope they develop the ASCOM drivers for it so it can be used within other capture software programs such as NINA. And the Helix Nebula is just about at my limit for southern sky targets. It just barely gets above the trees to my south.

[@mariospenard5125]

Well done! 😊

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Thankk you, Mario

[@johnmorgan8947]

awesome pics thank

[@perry3928]

Hi Pat. I have the starsense cam without tracking, and aligning is tough at this focal length to even get it into the fov. Slapped on the telrad finder to assist. Just waiting for next clear night to try.

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Perry, It sounds like an alignment issue that you are having. Be sure the mount is very close to being polar aligned and that your Starsense camera is aligned to the telescope. There is an alignment tool in CPWI for starsense.

[@eottoe2001]

Bravo!

[@amranackerman9656]

Calibrate and polar alignment. I wonder if u have a vid about this detail

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Great idea. I will start the video process shortly

[@jtb4332]

Hi Pat, great rundown on SSAG. I just bought one for my RASA 11. Just curious what size dew strap you're using with your SSAG. Keep up great work!

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Thanks, JTB, That dew strap is the smallest one I had ... it wraps around the nearly scope twice, but that's ok. It does the job. Plus, it plugs into the Celestron power hub and I can control the wattage (actually, I let it control it automatically).

[@batfirewaf123]

Excellent info thx much.

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Thank you. I hope it is useful for you.

[@davidsimard1522]

I would love that they would make some program for the old star sence because the New one is very expensive thk you for sharing

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi David, You are certainly correct about the hefty price tag ... $800 usd. CPWI does have control for StarSense.

[@craiglowery4427]

Super video Pat. I'd like to get the SSAG to help with my planetary imaging efforts. I have the Celestron 14" SCT running at a focal length of 8000mm on the CGX-L mount. Would SSAG be able to keep a planet in the FOV? Probably not. Thank you my friend

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Craig, If your rig is properly polar aligned, I don't see why SSAG wouldn't be able to keep your scope locked on the selected planet. In other words, it should work.

[@bionicbob1285]

Have you tried the celestron off axis guider? any pros or cons vs star sense or the expensive star sense autoguider @ $799? Im NEW to remote guiding. the salesperson suggested ASIAIRplus, celestron OAG, zwo 174mm camera

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Bob, I tried the Celestron OAG, but I couldn't get the results I wanted. I think there is an issue with the prism. Anyway, with the SSAG, I am very pleased with the results.

[@mikeknapp208]

Hello Pat, I saw you turn off the auto guiding in cpwi and have NINA center the image. You said you had to do that so NINA and Starsense would not fight each other.. Then I see you turn the auto guiding back on under Starsense. So are you using them both to keep in centered, or after you center the image from your scope.. does starsense keep it centered? I havent used NINA yet .. and dont have a starsense, YET ;)

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Mike, I found through trial and error, that plate solving in NINA will place the target in the exact center while with Starsense, it ony brings it in very close. Once I have the scope centered where I want it, I do use StarSense Autoguider to track the target, hence turning it on. If I had the starsense "on" while plate sloving in NINA, once NINA centers the target, Starsense tries to center it where it thinks it should be ... aka, they are fighting with each other. Starsence does work fine all by itsellf and you really don't need NINA, but I like all the additional features that NINA has. Also, If I plan to record while the target moves through the meridian flip, Starsense autoguilder won't resume tracking automatically if I used NINA to center on it. It only will auto-track after the meridian flip if I use CPWI to center on the target. Not a big deal if I am awake and at the controls during the flip, I can just turn the SSAG back on, but if I am away or asleep, there will be no guiding and all the sub-frames will be elongated stars.

[@mamanasonova]

Thk you)))

[@Stephen-gp8yi]

Hi pat unrelated but how much power can I use with an 8inch dob if the max is 408xmagnification?is it possible to go to 350 x and still get good focus or is that wishful thinking?im new to the hobby and trying to learn the sky and then take it from there!thanks✌️

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

I don't see why not, but I can't give you a good answer because I don't have a Dobsonian telescope, nor do I use eyepieces. All my observing is via astrophotography. I look through the telescope through my computer monitor. However, I understand that many folks love using a Dobsonians for observations.

[@scottdunn6512]

Hi, asking for help if possible. I’m having trouble getting CPWI and also CMI to find my Autoguider and connect. CPWI connects with the mount and focuser but won’t connect to the autoguider. This started a few months ago. Celestron sent me a knew one thinking my first was defective. I got the new one and still having the same problem. Guider is connected to the mount, mount connected to my laptop via the usb port. I’ve also tried it via the hand controller

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Scott, Hmmm ... Do you have the SSAG attached to the mount via the ST4 cable (looks like a phone jack) into the AUX port on the mount? Also, what mount are you using?

[@scottdunn6512]

@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy yes it’s connected at the aux port. CGX mount. I miss typed earlier. I meant it won’t connect with CPWI and CFM. I discovered today I don’t have the Autoguider firmware downloaded but when I try I get a Java error. I DID have the driver previously. I don’t know why it’s gone

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

@@scottdunn6512 ... Oh, I think I know the solution ... make sure you have the JAVA platform on your computer. Go the JAVA on the web and download JAVA. Ignore any warning messages that Windows might toss at you. CFM won't work without JAVA. Celestron has a software website but sometimes KZbin won't allow URLs. I'll try to give you the link ... software dot celestron dot com slash installers slash

[@Tony67032]

Hi, I'm new to astrophotography, so with the start sence autoguider you still need the use of the computer?

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Tony. First of all, welcome to the wonderful hobby of astrophotography but be cautious, as it can become quite addictive. Once you have Starsense Autoguider set up, you can operate the telescope via the hand controller or your computer via CPWI (Celestron's telescope control software ... FREE). I strongly recommend using CPWI on your computer/laptop as it is soooo much easier.

[@Tony67032]

@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy lol yeah I know how addictive can be, I own a evolution 8 HD starsence, coronado solar ii 70 double stack , explore scientific 80mm and almost the whole set of their 82° eyepieces. When I use the evo without starsence , I see no difference once alingment is done the mount tracks very well with the regular hand control as with the starsence, sometimes I wonder if we are just caught up with the tech , that we really don't put attention or compair old tech with the new, maybe you can do a test for us

[@evastronomy8048]

Hello Sr. I have a question, according to celestron, to perform centre calibration after the alignment, we have to move the telescope-imagin camera with the arrows of the hand controllers, so I am confused at this point because doing so we move the whole system and the offset between the telescope and ssag stays the same. We should move the ssag bracket for centre calibration the same way an autoguider tube has to be move with the circles rings in a regular autoguide system, isn't it?

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

When calibrating the SSAG, the onboard computer inside the SSAG needs to have a good reference point. So to calibrate, it wants you to tell the mount to slew to a particular target ... it will give you several suggestions. Pick one that you are very familiar with and let the telescope slew to it. SSAG will slew to what it thinks is the right location. If it is not on the target, then what you need to do is either use the hand controller or CPWI slew controls to manually slew and center on the target. Once you have the target centered, then select the OK button. That should do it. You shouldn't have to move the SSAG scope at all. I hope this helps

[@evastronomy8048]

@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy Thanks, what I see here is that...moving ( slew) the telescope with the hand controller to complete de centre calibration, it moves the whole system, so telescope and ssag stay parallel to each other...unless there is an "electronic sensor calibration " inside the ssag... I am still waiting to receive my ssag, can't wait to start working on it....thanks again and clear skies!

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

@@evastronomy8048 ... Yes, there is an internal calibration inside the SSAG.

[@Cs137matt]

I have the starsense auto line does this do both auto line and auto guiding?

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

The StarSense Auto Aling is not the same as the StarSense AutoGuider (SSAG). The "Aling" does just that, aligns the scope with the sky. The SSAG will align to the sky and then guide the scope. The SSAG will also plate solve in the "GoTo" function.

[@johnmorgan8947]

for sharing

[@FrankMraz-ic4zr]

What software do you use to do remote controlling of your equipment ?

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Frank, I use Celestron PWI (CPWI) Telescope Control Software. (This only works with Celestron type mounts.) With this, I can control the mount, the focuser, the power hub and the StarSense Autoguider (SSAG). All of this is connected into a mini Windows computer attached to the rig. I simply use "Remote Desktop" to converse with the rig to my Desktop computer. You can also use Google Remote Connection. I hope this answers your question. BTW, I've been getting good 5-minute subframes using SSAG on the rig.

[@FrankMraz-ic4zr]

@@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy That is the software that is enclosed within the operating system of MS ?

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

@@FrankMraz-ic4zr If you have the Windows "Pro" version. If not, you can remote into that computer using Google Remote Desktop Connection.