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Posts Made By: Rod Mollise

February 10, 2009 03:25 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

What is an ideal scope for planetary imaging?

Posted By Rod Mollise
Greg Bradley said:

Similar question to the camera question.

Planetary imaging has its unique needs, so what type of scope matches that best?

Greg.

IMHO, a large aperture (i.e. > 10-inches) SCT. Reasonably light and manageable, won't stress your mount, but very capable as can be seen in the work of premier planetary works like Chris Go and Damian Peach: http://www.damianpeach.com/images/articles/peachfeature/%5B80-81%5DDamian%20Peach%20dec06.pdf

'Course, the scope is really a more minor part of the equation than the MOST IMPORTANT THING. That is? SEEING. The more planetary imaging I do, the more I come to realize it ain't just the main thing, it is very nearly the _only_ thing.

;-)


February 10, 2009 03:29 PM Forum: Global Warming - REAL or NOT

Global population and environmentalism

Posted By Rod Mollise
Jason Cosford said:

Interesting to read some of the comments at the bottom of this article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7865332.stm


The big question is "who wins?" when it comes to population.

Will it be superstition (and Malthus) or common sense?


February 11, 2009 01:12 PM Forum: Celestron

Cracked secondary mount?

Posted By Rod Mollise
Steve Mathis said:

Hey, all...
I have an older C11 (purchased used here on AM). I recently noticed a crack in the plastic outer cover than holds the collimation screws for the secondary. So I have a few questions...


Steve

Hard to say why this happened. Unless your name is The Incredible Hulk ("HULK _SMASH_ LITTLE TELESCOPE!"), I very much doubt you caused this by overtightening the Bob's Knobs. Plastic can become brittle, but I don't believe I've ever seen that happen with a secondary mount. Solution? Probably easiest thing to do is call Celeston. Otherwise, I suppose you could try to find a surplus one.

This is a structural assembly. The secondary mirror is mounted to a backing plate, and the collimation screws extend through the secondary assembly and into this backing plate.

I assume the scope can be collimated and this is not causing any immediate problem?

February 11, 2009 03:58 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Dick Seymour Autostar patches

Posted By Rod Mollise
Alex McConahay said:

One of my Astro-buddies has asked me if I know anything about the Dick Seymour Autostar patches. I had not heard of them......

Anybody with experience out there? Care to comment so I can pass it on to my buddy.

Alex

Dick is definitely the guru of Autostar gurus. His patches, which he has been doin' over the years have made a lot of folks happy. Best place to learn about 'em? Usually http://www.weasner.com/etx

February 14, 2009 03:25 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Is it better not to have IR cut filter on planetar

Posted By Rod Mollise
Greg Bradley said:

With DSLRs they perform better without the restrictive UV/IR cut filter.

Is this true with planetary cams?

I see the Imaging source cameras often have theirs removed. Is this a special
feature that other cameras don't have?

Greg.

People remove these filters because they are of crappy quality. You most certainly want an IR block filter ahead of the chip, though, leastways unless you like strugglin' with hot pink planetary images.

wink

February 17, 2009 05:22 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Newbie: DSI Pro II: Guide and Image at same time?

Posted By Rod Mollise
Jason Melquist said:

(Sorry for maybe a basic question), but I'm looking to get into Deepsky work and am confused by a number of conflicting posts on the DSI Pro II: Can you use a DSI Pro II to Image and guide your scope at the same time using Meade's software? (i.e. eliminate the need for a dedicated guide scope/camera?) or is this an option with a different setup other than the DSI Pro II? If it is possible, are there drawbacks? If it's not possible - any idea's why not? technically it should be do-able.

If the answer is yes, I'll figgure it out, but i'd like to save the money if it's not.

Thanks!
-Jason

No. You can alternate guide frames and imaging frames (which wouldn't be very workable unless you kept exposures relatively short), but you cannot do both at the same time. The only cameras that can do that are the SBIG ones with built-in guide chips or some Starlight Xpress cameras which use the Star 2000 system. It's not technically doable due to the nature of the Meade chip and electronics.

wink

February 20, 2009 05:40 PM Forum: Comets

Starry Night Program

Posted By Rod Mollise
John Meiners said:

Has anyone (with this program) been able to resolve LULIN ? thank you, I will probably have to contact "Support" to update my files.. JM

Yep. Shows up great with Starry Night Pro Plus. All you need to do is download the most recent comet/asteroid files, which the program should ask you about at startup. If you do not have those files, there is no way you will see C/Lulin.

wink

February 24, 2009 04:18 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Aligning Celes ASGT

Posted By Rod Mollise
Sean Walker said:

Hello all,name is Sean and live in Fresno Tex just a ways from Houston. My question in what in bejeezus am I doing wrong in trying to align my Celestron ASGT mount and be able to GOTO. I know I am sighting Polaris properly. I have used Solar Sytem align(Venus) and Two star align (I.E Sirius and Betelguese) and the scope tells me its now aligned for GOTO and when i punch in a target,it goes everywhere BUT to the target!!!!! HELP!! (

Cupla things:

Triple check your lat/long date/time timezone/DST status settings. But the likely reason you are having trouble is that you are not doing enough stars.

If you want accurate go-to forget one star, solar system align, etc. You need to do a Two Star Alignment and add at least a couple of calibration stars.

Also _make sure you are centering the CORRECT stars_ ;-)

February 24, 2009 04:22 PM Forum: Comets

Lulin easy from urban sites w/binoculars

Posted By Rod Mollise
K. Michael Malolepszy said:

I had a look at Comet Lulin with my 10X50 binocs sunday (2/22/09)night from my backyard here in the city (mag 4 skies at best) - and Lulin was quite easy to find, even without a map.

Well, from my urban skies with my eyes, I'd say "doable." Course I didn't wait until the little feller got much above 30 degrees. Even so, yeah, I was able to see him in my 15x70s, but not until I'd first located him in the StarBlast.


February 27, 2009 09:59 PM Forum: Refractors

Let's face it, mass production or excellence, your choice!

Posted By Rod Mollise
Floyd Blue said:

I think that it is just silly to think that a mass produced scope made with just machines will produce as fine an instrument as one that has had time and expertise applied.

I agree, and I don't know that I've heard anybody saying that's possible. I will say that a mass produced 16-inch scope will show you far more than a fine four-inch scope--and cost less. But that is kinda beside the point. Some people like and appreciate fine things--otherwise Questar would have gone belly up long ago--and I appreciate that.

wink

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