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

Date: September 23, 2005 4:55:20 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Mars from Los Angeles

Hi folks:

I've uploaded my first Mars image acquired with Astro IIDC and my Aplux Firewire 

webcam, to the "files/planets" section of the website.

Seeing was below average, with very brief moments of clarity (fast turbulence).  I used an 

orange-tube C-8 with a "shorty" 2x barlow on a Takahashi EM-10 GEM for this image.  

Signal to noise was better at 66.67ms exposures than at 33.33ms, so the frame rate was 

only 15/second.  

I used Astro IIDC to acquire 4000-frame quicktime videos, and to automatically align and 

stack the best ~600 frames.  All other processing and annotation was done in Canvas X.

Note:  prior to this session with the Aplux camera, I had been using a 16ft firewire cable I 

purchased at Fry's Electronics (can't remember the brand cable).  I was having problems 

with stacking the frames acquired with that setup.  So, when the problems "went away" 

when I used a 6' Apple Firewire cable, I decided I must be losing power or data through the 

longer cable.

planetarily,

-Tim.