Lacerta MGEN Quick Start Manual
Superguider
Hide thumbs
Also See for MGEN:
- User manual (54 pages) ,
- User manual (55 pages) ,
- Quick start manual (3 pages)
Table of Contents
Advertisement
Quick Links
Lacerta MGEN Quick Start Guide
While The Lacerta MGEN Superguider provides many functions for the advanced user, it is
actually quite simple to use, even for a beginner. Here we describe the basic steps to start
guiding.
Contents
The Lacerta MGEN Superguider consists of a hand controller and the guide camera. The
hand controller has the patch bay on the bottom, with 5 different jacks:
Assembly and starting
- first, attach the MGEN camera to your guide scope, either by using the T2 thread or an
optional 1.25" adapter. You can first estimate where the focal plane should be, by measuring
the distance from the some point on the guide scope to an image (sun, moon) focused on a
piece of white cardboard, and then mounting the MGEN's chip approximately at that distance.
Make sure the connection is solid and does not wobble.
Now plug in the provided cables in the following order:
- connect the power cable to the MGEN hand box (12V, middle positive). The four LEDs will
blink once briefly to indicate that the unit is under power.
Advertisement
Table of Contents
Subscribe to Our Youtube Channel
Related Manuals for Lacerta MGEN
Summary of Contents for Lacerta MGEN
- Page 1 5 different jacks: Assembly and starting - first, attach the MGEN camera to your guide scope, either by using the T2 thread or an optional 1.25" adapter. You can first estimate where the focal plane should be, by measuring the distance from the some point on the guide scope to an image (sun, moon) focused on a piece of white cardboard, and then mounting the MGEN's chip approximately at that distance.
- Page 2 Pleiades (Subaru) or the Beehive so that you have plenty of bright stars in the field of view. This will make it easy to get the MGEN camera nicely in focus so it will later be better able to find suitable guide stars. Make sure your mount's tracking is switched on.
- Page 3 (threshold) =1% The threshold is a limit value. Above it, the MGEN interprets signals as stars, beneath it as noise, which is cut off. Here in live view we want to see even the fainter stars, so we expect to also see some noise, as seen here on the left side of the screen.
- Page 4 Fine focusing: (You really only need to do this the first time you use the MGEN as long as the best focus position is "remembered". See below).
- Page 5 1, mark "AG start" and press SET. That's it. You're off and running. You have started auto guiding! A few additional remarks to help get acquainted with your MGEN: - On page 1 we see the same values that we saw on the earlier live view screen: gain, exp and threshold.
- Page 6 Naturally you must synchronize the dithering movements with your deep sky exposures. With your DSLR or CCD connected, you can use the extensive exposure program available in the MGEN. When enabled, dithering takes place automatically between the exposures. (Dithering is not possible without using the exposure program unless you use APT to control the MGEN's dithering).
- Page 7 The purpose for this is to have a record of the guiding characteristics during each exposure. Use the MGEN's software to upload the file to your computer and convert it into individual guiding diagrams. Use the diagrams to check the heartbeat of your mount, and get information about possible gear problems etc., if guiding is not as expected.
Need help?
Do you have a question about the MGEN and is the answer not in the manual?
Questions and answers