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.