Posts Made By: Gregory Damiani

Ivan - in regard to my question re mounting in my prior post - I read your prior posts and got the answer.


If I might suggest the following slow motion gadget.

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=141&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=6&iSubCat=24&iProductID=141

It is great with the tripod, especially with short focal length EP's. At $29.95 it is very reasonable.

ATWB carries similar:
http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?t=&pid=4758&m=

and

http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?t=&pid=4757&m=

but at a higher price (maybe higher quality too?. I didn't know if I would use it so I went with the inexpensive Orion and did not shop. There is some backlash in Altitude control. Knowing now how much I use it, I might have looked for higher quality.

Gregg

Hi Ed!

Great result! If you would, what were your oher settings - gain, saturation, brightness, etc? Are you set to capture in 640 x 480, or 320 x240?

I have not had great results. None of my images from last night were even processable, except one afocal shot - which was not very good (attached).

I had better results my first time out - I should have paid more attention to my settings - I was just too excited to try the new toy!

Happy Holidays. Heappy New Year.

Gregg

Here was my "test" at 640 capture.

500 frames, 15 fps. Registax. SM 14.5 @ F/12.9.

Gregg

Ed;

Amazing clarity and detail, period! Even more so when considering "only" 8" of aperture. I am really jealous. I didn't get any good Mars images for '03, or '05. What is it, another 15 years? 8O

Congtats on the fine image.

Gregg

Excellent image! Is the Ir filter infra-red? If so, I find it interesting that the crepe ring is most notable in the infrared and red end of the spectrum. Next time I image Saturn, I will try without the IR blocking filter.

Thanks for the post!

Gregg

Hi All!

To the extent others may be faced with the problem I described in this post back in December - and since I solved the problem - here goes.


First I tried various iterations of fine adjustments to the focuser with slight improvements each time. Views were good, so I dropped it.

I needed to talk to Rick Singmaster about another issue, but we discussed collimation. His advice was that even if the two didn't perfectly agree, if the ghosts were around 1/4 overlapped in the autocollimator after the laser was used, I'd likely never have seeing good enough to notice the difference. Observation bore this out. I coulndn't detect which alignment - laser or autocollimator - was better.

Rick advised that the focuser could contribute to the error, non perfect centering of tools in the focuser could contribute - but in his experience it is the position of the secondary from the primary.

I just cleaned the primary and was collimating after putting the cell back in the scope. I used the laser, then autocollimator. There was a difference. I adjusted the secondary down towards the primary to try and reduce or eliminate the error of the laser missing the primary center dot. I then adjusted as usual to get the return beam dead center on the laser collimator. I put the autocollimator in to fine adjust - and WOW!! Perfect overlap!! No adjustment needed. Rick was 100% right on!

Gregg

Thank you, all for your recommendations.

Jim Gleason, in particular, thanks for the links!

Wow - where to go. I think I'd like more aperture - closer to ther 5" range, but of course the price. :S

Well, here's an idea, if I can get it past the boss. I can hold out for an APO in the 5" range, in the mean time get a smaller scope in the 66mm to 80mm range. Size would certainly be kid friendly. I can get a smaller mount. I wont be insane with kid fingerprints etc. I would enjoy the wide field views.

Do you think the kids will appreciate the planets with such a scope? I'm not expecting miracles. I'm just wondering what detail would be available. Banding on jupiter & Saturn? GRS?

Thanks again.

Gregg

Hi Ivan!

Looks like you had a busy night! Great shots! I especially like Andromeda. You get a feel for how big our neighbor actually is in the sky.

What were you using as a mount?

Gregg

Hi Paul,

If your interest is planetary, go with aperture. I have an WO 80mm ED, and have had a 6" achro refractor (AR6). There is no comparison. You will see much more detail, more contrast, be able to use higher power and have a brighter image with the 127.

Having said that, you will obviously have different mounting issues. The 80mm size is great for a quick observing session. If seeing isn't great, or clouds threaten, you might not want to "lug" out the bigger scope.

Seeing can be very location dependant. In my area, seeing will usually support 5" or more. If seeing wasn't good enough for 5", I might very well take out the 80mm, but not for much planetary viewing. Wide feild and deep sky are not so seeing dependant.

You will need more opinions whether you local skies generally support 5". Additionally, where do you observe? Any "local" seeing issues?

Good luck.

Gregg

Temporary extender. Unscrew the lens from the end of a barlow. Use the tube (no lens assembly) as an exyender. Do you reach focus?

Gregg