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Welcome to a world of astro-imaging with trouble-free automatic guid-
ing! Your StarShoot AutoGuider (SSAG) automatically fixes on a star
and sends tracking corrections to your mount to enable perfectly round
stars in your astro-images. Autoguiding is an immense help for your
astro-imaging productivity. The SSAG enables your telescope to pre-
cisely track the apparent movement of the night sky without the need
for you to monitor your telescope setup every second. The tracking
corrections made by the SSAG will compensate for mechanical imper-
fections inherent in all telescope mounts. This essential astro-imaging
tool allows you to relax under the stars while your telescope tracks and
takes images.
Parts List
• StarShoot AutoGuider
• 10' USB Cable
• 6' autoguide interface cable
System Requirements
[Quick setup diagram (Figure 1a & 1b)]
Primary Telescope/Main Imaging Scope
Your main imaging scope will be used with your main astro-imaging
camera. The main imaging scope can be virtually any scope suitable
for your CCD or DSLR camera.
Guide Scope
You will need an additional telescope for guiding, referred to as a guide
scope. The guide scope is mounted on top of, or beside the main imag-
ing scope. Adjustable guide scope tube rings (available from Orion) are
recommended and allow you to move the guide scope around without
moving the main imaging scope (Figure 2). The guide scope is adjust-
ed in the same fashion as a finder scope.
Because of the high resolution and accuracy of the SSAG, you do not
need a large guide scope; any small refractor will serve well for this
Figure 1a.
A traditional imaging setup contains a main imaging scope and
separate guide scope. The SSAG interfaces with your computer via the USB
cable, and connects to your mount’s autoguide port via the autoguide cable.
Figure 1b.
Cassegrain style telescopes can be used with an off-axis guider.
This allows both the main imaging camera and autoguider to use the same
telescope.
USB Cable
AutoGuide Cable
PC running
XP or Vista
Guide Scope
Main
Imaging Scope
Mount
AutoGuider
Port
SSAG
SSAG
Drivers &
Software
Main
Imaging Cam
USB Cable
AutoGuide Cable
PC running
XP or Vista
Mount
AutoGuider
Port
Off-Axis
Guider
SSAG
SSAG
Drivers &
Software
Main
Imaging Cam
Scope used for both
imaging and guiding
