SBIG STV

Any one with experience here? or a similar product?

I am wondering if it will fit with my equipment/technical know how. I have
an 8" reflector and Where are the Stars software. I don't think I have ever
aligned the scope with Polaris; usually it's just point and search and
search. How long did it take you to get it up and running?

Can you use eyepieces/filters in conjunction with this?

I saw one component was made by Texas Instruments. Does anyone know what
country it is made in?

"Roger Hamlett" wrote in message
...
What do you actually want to do with this?...

Go to, track, avoid breaking my neck trying to get a glimpse, take pix. Did
I assume correctly this item does all of these?

The STV, is primarily an autoguider. As such, it is probably the best
autoguider of this type on the market, but it has nothing to do with
ordinary telescope observation (no you cannot use eyepieces with it).
If your scope has an autoguider input, then it would connect. It'd be
superb, if (for instance), you wanted to take photographs, and either
piggybacked the camera on the scope, or added a second small piggybacked
scope tube, and used the STV on this.
You say you have a 'reflector'. If this is a Newtonian (probably the
commonest reflector scope), then there would not normally be enough back
focus to use an OAG (which allows a small amount of the light from the
main
scope to be fed to a guider, while the rest is available for
viewing/photography).

Its an Orion 8" Skyview (I assume a Newtonian) with a german equatorial
mount, again which I've used half heartedly at best. What's OAG and would
my scope be practical for an STV?

On an SCT, this option would probably be open to you.
You make no mention of what sort of mount the scope has. An equatorial
mount, should allways be roughly north aligned (even if only just pointed
in
this direction), otherwise the scope drives will not work properly to
track
the sky. For imaging, this becomes essential. I wonder if from your 'just
point' description, you actually have drives at all (if not, the STV is
_not_ for you).

I do point north but as yet not precisely north. I will keep a deep sky
object in my field of view using both hands fine tuning. There are enough
markings/device on the mount so technically I think I could find an object
by lining up the markings but have never tried this as my technical know is
not all that great.


The 'component', is presumably the CCD (the main imager). Generally, you
have to be quite careful, with IC's, asking what country they come from,
since (for instance), it is common to make the wafers in one country, then
ship these to another, and seperate the dies, and assemble them into the
carriers. It then becomes a matter of 'badge convenience', which country
is
marked on the parts as the origin!... CCD's, as a rather specialised
'small
production' item, where there are less economies to be made from the cheap
assembly costs in the far east, have largely been made in the US.

Best Wishes

Do you own one?

If so, how long did it take for you to become proficient, both to simply
display and to generate pix?

Are you saying it meant for/ or is best with a Schmidt Cassegrain but not
for a scope such as Skyview reflector?

If you can't use eyepieces with the unit, is not this going severely limit
the sky penetrating power? And be a pain from switching back and forth?

I doubt it, but do know of a instrument that will do all functions I
mentioned? Go to, track, display and pix?

"Mike" wrote in message
...
Do you own one?
I own the older ST4 (the ancestor of the STV), and two other CCD imaging
cameras. I have used an STV, which a friend has on his scope.

If so, how long did it take for you to become proficient, both to simply
display and to generate pix?
Never...

Are you saying it meant for/ or is best with a Schmidt Cassegrain but not
for a scope such as Skyview reflector?
No. But you have to understand the limitations of each scope type.
Unfortunately, one limitation of the Newtonian designm is very little
back-focus is available. This restricts what can be added to the imaging
chain.

If you can't use eyepieces with the unit, is not this going severely limit
the sky penetrating power? And be a pain from switching back and forth?
No, The CCD, will see far deeper than the human eye can manage. Adding a
locking ring, so that the eyepiece, is 'parfocal' to the imaging head, then
allows rapid changes between the units.

I doubt it, but do know of a instrument that will do all functions I
mentioned? Go to, track, display and pix?
No. To do all that you want, requires a minimum of three parts. A GoTo
controller (such as the SkySensor2000), a 'flip mirror' (which allows two
optical instruments to be attached to the one telescope, and a quick 'user
switch' between them - unfortunately, such a unit is at the minimum, going
to be about 2.5" long, and hence cannot normally fit in the optical train of
a Newtonian scope), and the imaging system. Without the second part, you
will be faced with having to manually switch the camera and eyepiece(s).

Best Wishes