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Dual Clusters near Antares

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Posts Made By: Rod Mollise

May 24, 2008 02:30 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Camcorder

Posted By Rod Mollise
raymond minty said:

Recommendations please for a camcorder for recording aurora,meteors,eclipses etc.
Thanks

Almost any camcorder will work. HOWSOMEEVER...make that work "kinda." The biggest problem with most camcorders today is that they don't allow much in the way of manual exposure control. My recommendation is look for an earlier model.

Even better? A low light cam like those sold by Supercircuits. Yes, you'll have to provide a recorder of some kind, but they are far more sensitive and far more capable of showing meteors. The average camcorder will only capture bright fireballs.

8)

May 24, 2008 02:35 PM Forum: Pictures of Me and My Telescope and........

Then and Now

Posted By Rod Mollise
Jeff Blazey said:

Hey how about a new thread where we post pictures of ourselves with our scopes "in the day" and in the present. Might be fun.

For me, the beginning was just before Beatlemania...

8)

May 25, 2008 05:57 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

???Right forum but need advice on CCD DLSR

Posted By Rod Mollise
Michael Teuton said:



I was thinking about 6megapixels or so but really where is the price break on say a Nikon or Canon camera for this?


This is just my opinion, and you know what they say about opinions being like you know whats... 8)

I was a Nikon man until the digital age; now I am Canon all the way. I think their cameras are better suited for prime focus astrophotography for a number of reasons, including their noticeably lower noise output. As for Megapixels? Doesn't matter a super lot, but the Canon 400d (aka Xti) is 10.2 and seems about right, all things considered.

What else? You'll want an f/6.3 reducer for the SCT. I use one of Shoestring astronomy's DSUSB interface boxes to allow me to operate the camera from the laptop, and the program I run is the (exellent) Nebulosity.


8)

May 26, 2008 01:39 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Helix Nebula

Posted By Rod Mollise
Greg Bradley said:

50 x 10 minutes, Baader 7nm Ha, Sbig STL 11, RCOS 12.5 inch.

http://upload.pbase.com/image/97621925

Greg.

Sweeeeet! Dig them itty bitty stars.

8)

May 29, 2008 09:05 PM Forum: Maksutovs

collimating 7" Meade Mak

Posted By Rod Mollise
Daniel Sinotte said:

Does anyone know how this is done...by an amateure...a very mechanical amateure?

My answer? When it comes to a Gregory MCT like this DON'T. Oh, I suppose I wouldn't mind jackin' the rear cell cover off an ETX RA I paid a song for, but this is a nice scope and deserves TLC by somebody who knows what they are doin' and is equipped to handle the job. Step one? Be darned sure it really is out of collimation.

8)

May 31, 2008 01:55 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

ETX 125 Battery Life

Posted By Rod Mollise
matt elliott said:

I am going to buy one of these scopes and would like to know how long the internal batteries will run the scope and how well? Will i need a field battery?

"That depends." On how much slewing you do and how long you observe.

The answer however, really, is "not long." Get a 12vdc cable and a jumpstart battery for normal operations unless you like buying and changing AAs.

I do use the internal batteries when I am on vacation with my ETX 125PE, Charity Hope Valentine, and don't want to fool with a big external batteries. In those instances I'm not usually observing till dawn.

8)

June 3, 2008 01:08 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

canon 300D - capturing w/K3CCD...how?

Posted By Rod Mollise
Should...if you are running K3CCD 3.


June 4, 2008 09:55 PM Forum: Guns and Hunting Optics

Here's My Handgun Choice, Yours . . .?

Posted By Rod Mollise
Always has been and always will be...

Smith and Wesson K38 Combat Masterpiece.

8)

June 5, 2008 11:30 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Meade ETX 125 PE-Blue

Posted By Rod Mollise
Paulo martin said:

Hello,

Anyone have experiences with this telescope for planetary and double stars observations, ny advantadge or drawbacks?

It is suficient manegeable or not?

Thnks,.
Paulo

Sufficiently manageable? Only you can answer that.

The optics are quite good (though aperture is better than good optics when it comes to double splitting contrary to what many folks believe).

I have been thrilled with the views of the planets the 125 offers--within the bounds of what a 5-inch scope is capable of.

8)

June 6, 2008 10:21 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

low cost binoviewers for high power viewing: more?

Posted By Rod Mollise
Andrew Amundrud said:

Are there any reviews of the current UO bino? The appeal is that they are offered with orthoscopics, but the binos don't appear to have self centering collets. My goal is planetary viewing requiring a small fov. I have a 10"/f4.7 dob with equatorial platform.
Magnification will be done ahead of the bino using barlows placing less demand on the collimation of the bino. I was thinking of using only one pair of eyepieces, maybe 18mm. If not interchanging eyepieces, can I get by without self centering collets? Will this unit, used in this way, be satisfactory for magnifications of say 160-200x? I know the Denk Standard may provide the best of all worlds, but would the UO with orthos be a good start? I thank you again for your experience.

You can get by with a lot of things. Non self centering eyepiece holders is not one of the things I'd want to get by without, however, especially if my goal was high magnfication. Setscrews will mean you are CONTINUALLY fiddling with them to get the images merged. Get a set of Denks. They ain't that much more. It's no bargain to buy a cheap set, want better, and have to sell the cheapies at a loss.

8)

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