Nice one Jamie!
Many thanks, as I was recently discussing an Astrobin Losmandy group I created, your picture allows me to test telescopius as an alternative.
As per respective copyright conditions, at the moment, I think I am still favoring paid Astrobin subscription.
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Thanks. Apparently my spot in the santa cruz mountains is Bortle 4.5 -- not sure how accurate that is one way or the other, but I do feel pretty lucky.?
Jamie
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Hi russ,
Yup, a "sky straw" but if you get Polaris centered in the straw you might find it good enough to use for visual use but not for Gemini? GOTO operation. That said you might be close enough to use one of the built-in Gemini routines to pretty accurately get polar aligned. But this is a lot slower process than if you had a PoleMaster or a polar scope.?
?
--
Chip Louie Chief Daydreamer Imagination Hardware?
? ?Astropheric Weather Forecast - South Pasadena, CA?
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Hi Russ
The hole is for the polar scope. if you don't have the polar scope, it's not going to do much other than be a "sky straw" :)
Another noob question:? Looking through the polar axis viewer, what exactly am I supposed to see??? Tried it last night and it was like looking through a straw.? Was able to see Polaris but it moved around as my head moved up/down, etc.? I know you can purchase a polar alignment attachment but was curious from just looking through it, are we supposed to see something specific.?
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Another noob question:? Looking through the polar axis viewer, what exactly am I supposed to see??? Tried it last night and it was like looking through a straw.? Was able to see Polaris but it moved around as my head moved up/down, etc.? I know you can purchase a polar alignment attachment but was curious from just looking through it, are we supposed to see something specific.?
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Very beautiful. You must have excellent dark skies at your place.? Lucky guy!!!!
Stay well and keep up the nice work!!!
Michael
OH, and these are on Telescopius as well:?
I wish that there was a way to make a Losmandy group there, I think that would be perfect, I'm not up for paying for an astro-bin account.?
Jamie
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OH, and these are on Telescopius as well:?
I wish that there was a way to make a Losmandy group there, I think that would be perfect, I'm not up for paying for an astro-bin account.?
Jamie
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I've gotten a couple targets done, thought that I'd share:
Here's the North America Nebula -- I think that this is my best yet:
Hubble:
R=.4*Ha + .6*SII
G=.4*OIII + .3*Ha + .3*SII
B=OIII
100% RGB wide field. This is the true color an eye would see if it could.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/i6PBE5mUjPfgA3T9A
SII+R, Ha+G, OIII+B
https://photos.app.goo.gl/Fp7UaLj96YcrZThq5
Only Hubble narrow band:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ojp4FTmroK62YggZ7
70% hubble 30% wide
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PV6x8bfe1p56Lxzt9
?
Here's Triangulum:?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/isGq7m2uXYMoZEbw9
?
?
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Re: Losmandy group on Astrobin
Facebook?? Tried it once after nagging by relatives.? Never again.? Not going to be Zuckerberg's B.? Not a fan of big tech censorship either.
/rant
On a happier note, my new GM811G HD should arrive in about a week.? Yes, looks like Christmas is coming early.
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Re: Losmandy group on Astrobin
I have been a member of Astrobin for a couple years now. Honestly don't mind paying the subscription fee. There is a saying: "If it is free, you are the product". Telescopius is free, but you give the guy the right to use your images for advertising. Which he will. I prefer to retain ownership of my images. All of us have spent thousands on this hobby. The cost of paid software, if it works, or a hosting site, is trivial in comparison. Consider that it isn't unreasonable for people to have an expectation that they be compensated in some manner for their efforts. It is as true for Telescopius as it is for Astrobin. Of course, ultimately our images and our money, so we retain the final say on whether we want to pay or agree to their terms. Same reason I won't post (or keep) my images on Facebook, and same reason I use iOS over Android. I prefer to pay for a service than be the product.
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Re: G11 with Gemini2 issues with Go To
What was the fix?? Would probably help out other users later if they have the same problem.
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Re: Planetary imaging troubles with my new G811
The ideas I've received here are great. Another thought that has come to mind is to just use a decent finderscope aligned with the main scope.?
Thanks all,
Glenn
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Re: Losmandy Counter Weights?
Jim,
While cast iron, by the ton, is about 10 cents a pound, it costs more when cast into something. You could try to find Olympic-style barbell weights. They have a 2" bore so you could fit a sleeve into them.
But since the word "Olympic" is used to describe them they can be pricey.
Or contact a local metal dealer and ask for steel disks cut from a rod and bored out for the shaft size you want and then have them drill and tap the set screw hole (or use line-shaft collars). A lot depends on where you live and who your dealing with. See my last line.
Or get 1" bore standard consumer barbell weights and find a small shop that will bore them out for you and hold them in place using line-shaft collars. I use them with PVC pipe inserts on smaller mounts.
The BnDastro stuff is even more expensive, per lb, than the Losmandy prices, which I think are fair given the small market. And then there is shipping...
If you have a small foundry near you who is looking for work they might be able to cast you some.
Or read the old ATM series (I'm showing my age now) and set up your own backyard foundry. In the regime of the Great Helmsman this would have been a natural.
Cast iron alloy G2, in 8" diameter rods is $1,200 per 6 foot plus shipping, by the way. That would come out to $33.33 plus cutting/machining for a 2.5 inch thick disk.
So again, unless you get lucky in the scrap world you won't find a lot cheaper price than from Scott and Company.
Cheers,
Mark C.
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I have the SW120ED as well. very nice refractor! you'll have fun :)
Thank you!!!? I assumed it was something I was overlooking.? LOVE THIS MOUNT!!!!? Can't wait to use it.? Unfortunately, the SW120ED I ordered won't be in for another few weeks.? G11 will just have to sit and wait.
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Thank you!!!? I assumed it was something I was overlooking.? LOVE THIS MOUNT!!!!? Can't wait to use it.? Unfortunately, the SW120ED I ordered won't be in for another few weeks.? G11 will just have to sit and wait.
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Hi Russ
just loosen your dec clutch and rotate until its signed
it's designed that way so the telescope is moved out of the way while you're polar aligning
Just installed my new G11G today.? When I went to look through the polar viewer, I noticed something was not quite right (probably something I am doing wrong) but it appears there is a slight misalignment (see attached) with the center piping.? Is this something I need to adjust or is it a factory issue.
Thanks!
-- Brian?
Brian Valente portfolio
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Just installed my new G11G today.? When I went to look through the polar viewer, I noticed something was not quite right (probably something I am doing wrong) but it appears there is a slight misalignment (see attached) with the center piping.? Is this something I need to adjust or is it a factory issue.
Thanks!
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Re: Losmandy group on Astrobin
Henk,
I am with you, I am very unlikely to use Facebook.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
On 20 Oct 2020, at 4:40:28 am, Henk Aling < haling@...> wrote:
Facebook only works well for members so I would not advocate it.? When I go to the Losmandy Facebook page, I am required to log in (which I can't) or become a member (which I won't).? Banners pop up randomly.? So it is not a good solution for posting messages and pictures.
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Re: Planetary imaging troubles with my new G811
Yes! A flip mirror is an excellent way to keep a visual eyepiece alternative to the video camera.? Great that you mention this approach.
But some optical systems won't allow it.
One of them is the Celestron Edge HD family. My C14 EdgeHD requires a 5.75 inch focal plane distance from the back flange surface, and none of my flip mirrors will fit that and a filter wheel or ADC.? But for refractors, or other conventional SCT designs a flip mirror would be useful.??
Stay well, Michael
I use a Vixen flip mirror in the optical train of my refractor to visually confirm placement of what I'm locating to image. Perhaps that would ease the struggle?
Jamey
Glen,
Your problem is a common one.?
The image chip is quite small (regardless of the large number of pixels, the chips are still small....and therefore inexpensive).? Even if the planet is centered in your finder scope it may be just off the small chip area.??
So I do this:
I leave the video camera connected by cable, but carefully remove the video camera from the optical train. Don't let the camera fall to the ground.? ?I then insert a 1.25 inch diagonal and wide angle eyepiece.? I don't expect the panet to be in focus, I only need to see where the planet is in the wide field center the planet in the eyepiece. Then I reinsert the video camera and....voila: the planet is in the video image.??
Sometimes especially for an SCT, the focus can be so far out, you have the dark central obstruction in focus.? You can use the moon to get the focus settings then go back to the planet.??
When on Jupiter, I push the gain way up, the exposure way up and use a visible moon of Jupiter with a Bahtinov mask to set my focus.? Then go back to Jupiter with lower settings.??
Anyway, focus the video image, center it, but.. not yet don't start the Autoguider in FireCapture.?
Also rotate the video camera so the rings of Saturn or equatorial bands of Jupiter are horizontal.? This aids in later de-rotating the planet frames in the WinJuPos program.? I guess you could also try to get the polar cap of Mars at the bottom of the image to de-rotate that planet also.? ??
Then...recenter the planet and start the Autoguider in FireCapture.?
If the Autoguider then quickly moves the planet left or right out of the frame, you must check (or uncheck) the RA reverse setting in FireCapture autoguider. Likewise if the image moves quickly out of frame up or down it is the DEC checkbox reverse that must be changed.?
This is an experimental hobby. Try some things ...you really can't harm anything.? ?Keep notes about your optical setup and Firecapture settings so you can find the optimal settings for your system.
Have fun, and enjoy the journey!
Michael
Michael,
Thanks for your reply. I have FireCapture installed. You mentioned hand-centering the planet before launching Autoguide in FireCapture. But that's been my problem. Doing a goto in Gemini to Mars after starting it from CWD, I can't even see Mars in FireCapture, let alone center it. The mount looks like it's right on the planet just from line-of-sight, but my image train, with a 2.5x barlow, is just too narrow a view to try to slew the mount to frame the planet. I end up spending an hour or more with no luck and I just give up.
That's what I need to do. Any thoughts on that?
Thanks,
Glenn
?
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Re: Planetary imaging troubles with my new G811
I use a Vixen flip mirror in the optical train of my refractor to visually confirm placement of what I'm locating to image. Perhaps that would ease the struggle?
Jamey
Glen,
Your problem is a common one.?
The image chip is quite small (regardless of the large number of pixels, the chips are still small....and therefore inexpensive).? Even if the planet is centered in your finder scope it may be just off the small chip area.??
So I do this:
I leave the video camera connected by cable, but carefully remove the video camera from the optical train. Don't let the camera fall to the ground.? ?I then insert a 1.25 inch diagonal and wide angle eyepiece.? I don't expect the panet to be in focus, I only need to see where the planet is in the wide field center the planet in the eyepiece. Then I reinsert the video camera and....voila: the planet is in the video image.??
Sometimes especially for an SCT, the focus can be so far out, you have the dark central obstruction in focus.? You can use the moon to get the focus settings then go back to the planet.??
When on Jupiter, I push the gain way up, the exposure way up and use a visible moon of Jupiter with a Bahtinov mask to set my focus.? Then go back to Jupiter with lower settings.??
Anyway, focus the video image, center it, but.. not yet don't start the Autoguider in FireCapture.?
Also rotate the video camera so the rings of Saturn or equatorial bands of Jupiter are horizontal.? This aids in later de-rotating the planet frames in the WinJuPos program.? I guess you could also try to get the polar cap of Mars at the bottom of the image to de-rotate that planet also.? ??
Then...recenter the planet and start the Autoguider in FireCapture.?
If the Autoguider then quickly moves the planet left or right out of the frame, you must check (or uncheck) the RA reverse setting in FireCapture autoguider. Likewise if the image moves quickly out of frame up or down it is the DEC checkbox reverse that must be changed.?
This is an experimental hobby. Try some things ...you really can't harm anything.? ?Keep notes about your optical setup and Firecapture settings so you can find the optimal settings for your system.
Have fun, and enjoy the journey!
Michael
Michael,
Thanks for your reply. I have FireCapture installed. You mentioned hand-centering the planet before launching Autoguide in FireCapture. But that's been my problem. Doing a goto in Gemini to Mars after starting it from CWD, I can't even see Mars in FireCapture, let alone center it. The mount looks like it's right on the planet just from line-of-sight, but my image train, with a 2.5x barlow, is just too narrow a view to try to slew the mount to frame the planet. I end up spending an hour or more with no luck and I just give up.
That's what I need to do. Any thoughts on that?
Thanks,
Glenn
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Jamie Amendolagine
Chip Louie
Michael Herman