From: "Tim" <tjp314@pacbell.net>

Date: April 21, 2005 3:47:21 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: saturn with five moons

Thanks!

Although I'm new to firewire imaging, I've been imaging planets with USB webcams for 

about 4 years now, and 2 years before that with the Starlight Xpress HX5.  So, I'm torn 

between wanting to save money while I "try firewire imaging out" versus getting something 

fundamentally better than what I have.  

Of course, using Astro IIDC alone might be the fundamental improvement I'm after.  But 

noise is an obvious problem that would be very desirable to minimize from the get-go, so 

if the difference between a "serious" firewire camera and a firewire webcam is significant, I 

might just want to spend the extra money once.  ...I also like the idea of longer exposures.  

But I'd probably want a color camera, as I'd have a tough time with the manual filter wheel 

I built, since I'm not "co-located" with my scope.

-Tim.

--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Alan Friedman <alan@g...> wrote:

Hi Tim -

On Apr 21, 2005, at 5:28 PM, Tim wrote:

--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Alan Friedman <alan@g...> wrote:

S&T is a tough nut to crack. I usually send a copy but have had only

one lunar image published a couple of years back. I think my saturn

shots need to have an aurora in the field also to qualify.  8^)

Or maybe an RC telescope??

;o)

How do you like the camera compared to "vanilla" webcams?

I am very happy with the DMK21BF04. Unfortunately at $590 it is $200 

more than the original model because of features that we will not need 

for planetary imaging. I find the noise very well controlled even at 

high gain settings. It is also capable (with ASTRO IIDC) of 30 second 

exposures - which I hope to test down the road. I did try some RGB 

imaging on Jupiter the same night as the saturn image - under poorer 

seeing conditions. It was quite a tap dance to try and gather all the 

streams within 2 minutes. At some point I would like to test the color 

version of the DMK for Jupiter.

Alan

And Milton, tell me more about the cameras you used for longer than 

1" exposures?

-Tim

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