From: "Duane" <macastronomer@mac.com>

Date: October 8, 2005 6:37:53 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: First Astro IIDC shot


Thanks for the info and help.


Alan, you're right about the focus being difficult. I'm glad to hear that I will have easier 

faces to focus on. I ended up doing the Microscope focusing trick of turning it out one 

direction, then the other, until I found the middle. Thanks for mentioning the features on 

Mars. I was looking at Astromist (for the palm pilot) trying to figure out whether it was the 

correct face or not (it has a great Mars tool). I'm pretty sure it was but it still looks a 

different. Yea, that is the color board camera. I am thinking about getting a better FW 

camera (b&W). What exactly will that get me? I assume more sensitivity and better S/N 

ratio (?)


Milton, I noticed how much it cut down going from 1x to 2x. In fact Mars completely 

disappeared until I boosted the gain. But couldn't boost it enough with the 5x. I might try 

it in my 8" LX200 and see what happens. It might just be that there isn't enough travel in 

the focus to bring the disk down into focus (?).


My images turned out a lot better when I slowed the shutter down and lowered the gain. 

I can't wait to try again. Alas, it won't be tonight.


Thanks again for your help.


Duane


--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, "Duane" <macastronomer@m...> wrote:


Here is my first image with Astro IIDC.


http://homepage.mac.com/deal/firstmars.jpg


I couldn't get my 5x powermate to show anything, so I ended up using my Celestron 2x 

barlow. Not a whole lot of magnification. I'll have to work on that. (any help is welcome)


Thanks,


Duane


Orion 100ED, 2x barlow, Unibrain Board camera.