IN STOCK NOW The long-awaited LVI SmartGuider is an innovative, stand-alone autoguiding camera whose advanced built-in logic allows correction for all tracking errors of any equatorial mount equipped with a standard ST4 autoguider port. Unlike other guiders on the market, the LVI SmartGuider is a stand-alone unit that interfaces directly with your guidescope and mount, no PC required. The Control Paddle features a wide graphical display, which enables the user to constantly monitor the tracking performance and fine-tune all of the guiding corrections sent to the mount. It also has a set of easy to navigate menus for fine tuning all the camera parameters (both standard and advanced), which make the LVI SmartGuider suitable for all applications, even the most demanding.

Using the LVI SmartGuider, you are tracking your EQ-6 and HEQ-5 mount like a premium hightech mount.

See how easy to operate a LVI SmartGuider:

• connect power and the mount to the hand held unit
• use the ocular for focussing the telescope; the ocular is parfocal to the image plane of the chip.
• remove the oculare and set the tracking unit to the focuser

	set the basic´s to the hand held unit; i.e. focal length of your guiding scope
	the LVI SmartGuider looks automaticlly for a sufficient guiding star
	with the display of numerical numbers, you are able to precise the focus
	now the LVI SartGuider calibrates your mount automaticlly
	start guiding - that´s all !

NO NEED FOR A LAPTOP
Not having to use a laptop for autoguiding carries a number of advantages:

1. For all those who don't really need a PC (e.g. as is the case with traditional film or DSLR imaging), the benefit is twofold: you save on PC hardware cost and on the energy needed to power it.
2. CCD users can benefit as well, as the use of the stand-alone LVI SmartGuider greatly reduces the performance overhead on the PC. This is very convenient especially with resource-hungry setups where the PC is already under heavy load (e.g. with big multiple-megapixel CCDs, electrical focusers, motorized filter wheels, etc.). This also significantly lowers the chance of dangerous operating systems crashes.
3. As the LVI SmartGuider is sensitive enough to find a suitable guide star anywhere in the whole sky with exposure times of around 1 second, you can also save on the cost of a micrometric guidescope support, needed to scan the "celestial neighborhood" in case a sufficiently bright star cannot be found in the field of view.

TOTALLY INDEPENDENT OF THE SOFTWARE
Using the LVI SmartGuider ensures that you will never have to wrestle with device drivers under Windows, and that it will never fail you, even with setups you have never used before.

VERY EASY TO BE USED
TheLVI SmartGuider camera is very easy and fun to use! Now anyone can start his fascinating journey into the realm of astronomical photography, without having to buy overly complicated autoguiding cameras, or to look through hundreds of boring manual pages to learn how to tweak every single parameter. LVI has made the astrophotographer's life so much easier, everything is just a click of a button away!

Two images, standing for the guiding performance of the LVI SmartGuider: left (colour image) tracking of a Synta EQ6 mount and beneath (black&white) tracking performance shown at example at an HEQ 5 mount.

Click the thumbnails for larger images with image properties

FAQs about the LVI SmartGuide

Question concerning the connection of LVI-SmartGuider onto a Losmandy mount
Question: is there any electrical problem like for SBIG cameras connecting to Losmandy autoguider port directly? SBIG for example requires a relay-box adapter to isolate the camera electronics from the mount electronics. Honestly, I don't expect any problem, I only want to be sure so I'm asking this.

Answer: The Losmandy motor drive is fully compatible with our camera and it can plug straight to the autoguide port with no problem. SBIG cameras are requiring the relais box adapter because they draw a 12V current to run the relais box adapter. Look at these documents:

• http://www.sbig.com/pdffiles/relay_box_instructions.pdf
• http://www.atscope.com.au/techhelp.html

Our camera doesn't send a 12V current to the mount, so the adapter isn't required.

Rather, Losmandy #492 dual axis drive has a bug which cannot process two simultaneous corrections (RA and DEC) at the same time. This is a well known bug among Losmandy users which could cause a not so perfect autoguiding! Gemini GOTO system isn't affected at all by this bug.