Posts Made By: John Love

September 22, 2009 09:06 PM Forum: Star Parties

Okie Tex 2009

Posted By John Love

It is all kind of a bluuurrr at this point but we had some good skies mixed in with the bad. This was a strange year for the weather and it is the risk you take when Okie-Tex is held in September. October is much more likely to have good weather and gets my vote. I did get some imaging in during several nights. The high humidity was also an aberation. Even with not so good weather, a bad day at Okie-Tex is still better than a good day at work! ;o)

NGC7000 / IC5070
SS-pro TMB-80 triplet WO.8x
CI-700

September 25, 2009 03:33 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

DSI II imaging questions / issues

Posted By John Love

If you are at prime focus of a 10" SCT you might try a smaller target than M31 or shoot through a shorter focal length scope. It looks like you are just getting the central core of the galaxy. Try something like the Ring nebula as it should fit the CCD better. Shoot longer subs if your guiding will allow. It looks like the stars are in good focus and that is one of the hardest things to acheive.

Attached is an image of the Bubble NGC7635 that I took at the Okie-Tex starparty last week. The conditions were not very good at the time but it was DARK! I had to cut the image short due to clouds and dew but it shows that the DSI-II is a very capable camera.

DSI-IIpro TEC modified @ -5c
L=100m RGB=30m ea / 10 minute subs
8" f 5 Newtonian with MPCC
CI-700 mount guided with ED-80, DSIpro and PHD

Don't give up and keep shooting. ;o)


October 10, 2009 02:43 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M45 - an old favorite!

Posted By John Love

Since everyone is posting images of M45 I thought I would share this one. Due to the typically cruddy weather around here my hard-drive is littered with LRGB images that are missing R, G or B data or there simply was not enough total exposure time ;o( I decided to try the OSC route and purchased an Orion SS-pro v1 here on "tha Mart". I am very surprised with the images I got on my first trip with it to dark skies at the Okie-Tex starparty last month.

M45 10 x 10 minutes
SS-pro v1
80mm TMB triplet APO with WO .8x F/R
CI-700 mount guided with an 80mm "Super Guider" with SSAG & PHD
Captured in MDLE processed with Astro-Art v4
Stacked, white balanced, DDP, stretched and cropped a bit.

If this is 100 minutes I can't wait to see what 5 or 6 hours and a bigger scope will do.

John
CCD-Freak

November 16, 2009 12:06 AM Forum: Audio

What audio equipment do you own?

Posted By John Love

It is "old school" and they just don't build stuff like this today.

Marantz 2270 receiver / amp
Acoustic Research AR3a speakers
Technics SL-1100 direct drive turntable

and it all still works great after 37 years!!!


John
CCD-Freak

December 3, 2009 09:45 PM Forum: Sports

December 10, 2009 07:08 PM Forum: Home Observatories

Mobile Observatory

Posted By John Love

Here was a neat on that was at Okie-Tex a few years ago. He used an old ambulance.

December 27, 2009 04:10 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Need Crosshairs

Posted By John Love

I use small strands of wire taken from stranded wire. I sampled many wires until I found the thinnest wire strand. I twisted and soldered small loops on the ends of a strand and placed it on a stretcher made from an old coat hanger. The strand is laid across the field stop and some weight is placed on the stretcher to pull the strand tight and I then place a drop of super glue at each end of the strand. When the glue cures I trim the ends with a razor knife. The cross-hairs are a little thicker than hair or spider web but I like that because it makes them easier to see agaainst a dark sky.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

John
CCD-Freak

January 7, 2010 08:58 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Wooden Legs for the Astro-Tech Voyager?

Posted By John Love

I made wooden legs from standatd 1x2 and it made the mount much more stable than the origional aluminum legs. The shelves add much rigidity and are perfect for eyepiecs and ballast like a battery to further stabalize the mount. This was a one afternoon project that cost less than $50 for wood and hardware. The only tools required were a saw, drill and hand tools. Hope this gives you some ideas.


January 19, 2010 04:46 PM Forum: Pictures of Me and My Telescope and........

Automatic Seat Warmer

Posted By John Love

You got that right! ;o) and it looks as if you are well trained.
You warm up the cat pearch and then you go inside. LOL

John
CCD-Freak

January 30, 2010 07:52 PM Forum: Ham and Shortwave Radio

Star Party Rig

Posted By John Love

Sounds like a fun setup.

I sometimes take my Kenwood TS-130 or my TenTec Argosy 525D when we go the Okie-Tex and Eldorado star parties. I also have an old Yaesu FT-7 QRP tranciever that I take out when the bands are open. I am also getting set up to run PSK-31. I run everything from solar charged batteries. I enjoy QRP SSB and and will be glad when old Sol gets more spots grin

John
CCD-Freak
WD5IKX