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

Date: August 12, 2005 9:01:35 AM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: just wishing


Milton:


I'd be interested in hearing if you've tried your Flea with peltier unit out on the sky.  


I think  I'd like to "upgrade" from the Aplux soon, and maybe put the Aplux on a finder or 

my off-axis guider.  Seems like the Flea is small enough that one could even build a 

"camera" for it using a Newt primary and place the Flea at the Newt focus in place of the 

secondary mirror.  You'd need a good finder, though.  And you'd have to focus by moving 

the primary or the secondary (Flea) support.


Interesting sidebar:  I shot Mars the other morning with the Aplux right after imaging with 

the ToUcam (about the same age camera) via my PC.  The Aplux, with Astro IIDC could 

acquire so many more images so much faster than the ToUcam (and they were less noisy), 

I was impressed.  


Sadly, the seeing has continued to  be pretty lousy when I've had the time to image.  None 

of the videos have produced decent results.  And now the marine layer has come back, so 

we're socked in by the time Mars gets high enough to do anything.


I live on a hilltop, though.  Maybe I should try using my PADC (herschel wedge gizmo) and 

image Jupiter some more...


best,

-Tim.


--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Milton Aupperle <milton@o...> wrote:

If your talking about exposures less than 10 minutes uncooled, the  

Flea Color 640x480 camera is pretty decent for the money your  

spending. I ran some 10 minute exposure tests with the camera wrapped  

in a heavy bath towel under my desk, the gains set to zero and the  

dark current and amp glow noise noise level was low enough that it  

could be taken out with dark frame. All you need to do is modify the  

supplied hiruse trigger connector by connecting pins 0 and pin 1  

(solder them or just bending them over so they touch) and Astro IIDC  

will allow up to 60 minute exposures.


With that $45 CDN peltier Cooler unit I bough (I also added a $15 CDN  

Pentium CPU Heat sink and Fan to the hot side) up attached to it, it  

can keep the camera and electronics in the 10 degree C / 50 F range,  

when in dead air air temp is 30 C / 86F. With cooling off, the camera  

is running at about 45 C / 113 F and that brings the noise level up a  

lot.


And speaking of crappy weather, June was the wettest month in Calgary  

history (120+ years or so) and now that it's finally cleared up with  

dark clear skies and no 80 km winds, my motor drive has packed it in :(.


TTYL..


Milton J. Aupperle

President

ASC - Aupperle Services and Contracting

Mac Software (Drivers, Components and Application) Specialist

#1005 - 815 14th Avenue. S.W.

Calgary Alberta Canada T2R0N5

1-(403)-229-9456

milton@o...

www.outcastsoft.com