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

Date: November 14, 2005 12:47:45 PM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: Unibrain Adaptor

I will re-itterate, I AM FAR FROM BEING AN EXPERT...    :)

I just wanted to add in my prior issues with the color unibrain and the red-gain...

You don't have a lot of play in the red gain at any given exposure setting. If you venture 

out of a "comfortable" gain for the camera (for lack of better terminology), you'll get a grid 

like pattern on your image. I don't see that on your image now but you may have 

decreased the size of the image (that's how I hid my grid patter).

When I asked Milton about it, he pegged it as a gain problem. Now I look at my live image 

and adjust the gain in and out until I find the spot with least or no  "pattern" on it.

With the pattern, it doesn't matter how detailed the image is, it looks bad because of the 

grid pattern. With it adjusted correctly (for me around a gain setting of 34 if I remember 

correctly) you get hardly any pattern and then you can push the corrections in photoshop 

much farther.

I wish I had time to image last night. The seeing looked good but work comes way to 

early. I hope I get good seeing this weekend.

Duane

--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, "jimchung2338" <jim_chung@s...> wrote:

Thanks to everyone for their insightful comments regarding Mars 

imaging.  I am imaging through IR blocking filter but will turn down 

my red gain and see if more details resolve.  I'm expecting my JMI 

Motofocuser soon which will really help, I finally understand what 

the fuss is with Feathertouch focusers and the like!

Earlier I had mentioned using electrical conduit pieces to make a 

Unibrain adaptor - they are pieces one screws into junction boxes to 

allow the straight conduits pipes to mate up.  Dirt cheap and found 

in any Home Depot but you will need to slightly enlarge the opening 

on the Unibrain (I scraped it a few times with a penknife) and also 

to sand down the conduit piece to 1.25".  

Like Milton I had hot glue gunned some plumbing pieces but while 

imaging at 3 Celsuis the glue debonded and swearing could be heard 

following the falling pieces!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Astro_IIDC/files/Other/unibrain1.jpg

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Astro_IIDC/files/Other/unibrain2.jpg