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Posts Made By: Gary Caldwell

June 4, 2006 11:52 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M8 from Foggy Bottom Obs., Chattanooga, TN

Posted By Gary Caldwell
I have been following this forum for a little over a year and hsve finally come up with an image I feel worthy of posting. Any comments and/or critique is welcome. It is a combined image of three 4 minute exposures combined in Maxim DL,processed in Photoshop Elements and finished in Neat Image. Equipment is Vixen ED80sdf piggy-backed on a Meade 10" LX200 on a permanent equatorial wedge.The camera is an unmodified Nikon D50 guided by an ST237 through the Meade reduced to f/3.3.

June 5, 2006 12:01 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Foggy Bottom Observatory

Posted By Gary Caldwell
Here is the facility and the reason it is so named.

Gary

November 1, 2006 01:29 AM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

M42 my first of the season.

Posted By Gary Caldwell
This is my first of the M42 season. Image acquired on 10-29-06 with an unmodified Nikon D50 on a Vixen ED80sf guided with a 10" LX200 @ f/6.5, ST5C guider. 3 x 4min exp. Median combine in MaximDL. Sharpening, autolevels and auto color correction in PS Elements. Noise reduction in NeatImage.

When I get some more good weather I plan to increase the total exposure to 20 or 30 mins.

Gary Caldwell

March 15, 2008 08:54 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

M42 from Foggybottom Obs.

Posted By Gary Caldwell
This is the first image I have bad the courage to post. Imaged on 11 March '08 It is a stack of nine 5min subs. Twelve were made but three were rejectd. All were made with a Nikon D50 unmodified behind an IDAS LPR filter. Scope is a Vixen ED80sf piggybacked on a Meade 10" LX200 guided by a SBIG ST237. Imaging software is MaxIM DL4/DSLR. Initial stacking and processing in MaxIm, finishing in PS Elements 6.0

Gary Caldwell
Foggybottom Obs., Chattanooga,TN
[email protected]

Equipment:
Meade LX200 perm. mount
Vixen ED80sf
Orion Starblast (imaging ver.)
Nikon D50 ST237

March 15, 2008 09:10 PM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

M42 from Foffybottom Obs.

Posted By Gary Caldwell
This is the first image I have had the courage to post. It was made on March 11, '08with a Nikon D50 at prime focus of a Vixen ED80sf behind an IDAS LPR filter.Imaging scope is piggy-backed on a Meade 10" LX200 on a permanent mount guided by an ST237. Imaging and guiding software is MaxIM DLv4.0/DSLR. Initial processing and stacking in MaxIm and finishing in PS Elements v6.0 It is a stack of 9 5min subs.

Gary Caldwell
[email protected]

Equipment:
Meade 10" LX200
ED80sf
Orion Starblast (Imaging version)
Nikon D50 Orion DSII OSC SBIG ST237C

November 2, 2009 08:30 PM Forum: Refractors

Vixen ED80sf

Posted By Gary Caldwell
I need some help with my Vixen ED80sf. The back surface of the objective is heaavily contaminated with what appears to be a fungus. Does the dew shield and the lens cell screw onto the tube? I can clean it using Dr. Clay Sherrod's instructions. I do not plan on opening the lens cell. I just need to have access to the rear surface. If the dew shield and/or lens cell are not removable, who would you suggest sending the scope to for cleaning, VIXEN USA?

July 31, 2006 01:36 PM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

Stiletto focuser experience

Posted By Gary Caldwell
Freddy WILLEMS said:

Aloha
Does anybody has some experience with a Stiletto Focuser ??
Want to buy one and use it with my Canon 10D ..
Just want to know if it also can be use when the atmosferic conditions are poor..
Freddy

Freddy,
I recently purchased a Stiletto focuser and it works great. I wish i had done it a long time ago. I could have been imaging rather than trying to get the focus just right. I havent used the knife-edge attachment yet. The diffraction grating system is very easyto use-just turn the focus knob until the field turns white (first center it on a relatively bright star). Be carefulnot to move the focuser when you attach your camera.

Gary Caldwell
[email protected]

December 10, 2006 03:48 AM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

Please help, Whts the best DSLR for astro?

Posted By Gary Caldwell
Bryan,
I received a Nikon D50 forChristmas/Anniversary gift.
Nikon body $500-$600
Body + 2 ED lenses $850
IR shutter release $17
AC adapter power supply $35???

At 6MP the images can be enlarged to 11x14 and possibly 16x20 with very little loss of image sharpness.

I have not had it modified to be more sensitive to the longer red wavelengths.

Any Nikon lense will attach to the standard Nikon Bayonet mount although the automatic functions may not be available on older lenses (auto exposure, auto focus). They will function very well in the "manual" mode.

For a good, all around camera it fills the bill.

Enjoy!!
Gary Caldwell
[email protected]

August 6, 2007 11:34 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

New Orion StarShoot as guider?

Posted By Gary Caldwell
Chris Woodruff said:

Hello,
Does anyone know if the New Orion StarShoot can be used as a guider using MaximDL CCD?
Thanks!
Chris Woodruff
http://ccwoodruff.spaces.live.com/

Chris,
I have just received my new Orion Starshoot Deep Sky Imager II. The software (MaximDL Essentials) does support autoguiding.
Unless you edition of MaximDL CCD is rrecent it may not be supported.

I would contact Cyanogen.

Gary Caldwell
[email protected]

January 11, 2008 11:33 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Deep Sky

Collage from last night's session, FUN!

Posted By Gary Caldwell
Great shots Ivan!! I have been imaging the same 4 objects over the last few clear nights up here in Chattanooga. I am using the Orion Starshoot II single shot color imager. Is yours the monochrome version and the LRGB filter wheel? Also I am shooting thru the Orion Starblast f/4 imging scope. I needs a maskto cover the retaining tabs on the mirror. The sharp corners of the 3 tabs produce 6 sets of diffraction spikes in addition to the four from the secondary's spider. It looks like reducing the aperture 4-6mm will do the trick (114mm down to 109) Not much of a sacrifice in otherwise great optics.

Some exposure data??

Gary Caldwell

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