Please help, off axis guider question

[megdog1]

Greetings,
The Meade #777 off axis guider is at question.
Will it fit and work as I want it to?
The lx 200 scope came with an SCT thread adaptor that fits into the micro-focuser.
Will the guider thread into this?  Will the DSI-II mono camera thread onto the back? Can the LPI be used in the off axis portion to guide the scope thru the autostar program?
Is this better than the tracking feature on the scope?
Respectfully,
Mark

[StevenSWissler]

The guider should thread onto the LX200, but I would attach it after the micro-focuser, to keep the spacing to the main camera and guide camera similar. I would think if you attached it directoly to the LX200, then attached the focuser to the off-axis guider, you would not be able to focus your guide camera. As it is, focusing the guide camera is tricky, as there is no independent focusing mechanism for the guid camera, you have to slide it in and out of the off-axis guider to achieve focus. You will need an adapter to attach the DSI-II to the off axis guider, should be the same adapter you would use to connect it directly to the LX200, without the micro-focuser. The scopes tracking is probably not good enough for exposures over 30 seconds. The LPI should be usable through autostar to track, however, the LPI has a pretty small FOV and is not as sensitive as other guide cameras. Given the small FOV you get from the pick-off mirror in the off-axis guider, you may have trouble finding suitable guide stars with that setup.