From: "telescopaholic" <bgloger@nyc.rr.com>

Date: October 29, 2007 7:05:56 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: Newbie question about real time viewing

--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, "telescopaholic" <bgloger@...> wrote:

I have not yet purchased my Imaging Source Camera and request advice.  I want to be 

able to 

observe in real time, not a video image, but stacked images.

Can the software be configured to automatically examine the frames as they come in, 

discard 

bad ones, stack the rest and display the ever improving image as the camera runs ie for 

a 

minute?  I assume that setting gain, gamma and frame rate would affect the picture.

For now I'm not interested in using the video camera to capture frames for later 

Photoshop 

processing, but as an aid to help me see in light polluted NYC and for public viewing.  I 

have 

a Meade video eyepiece and while it does display an image on an LCD TV for all to see, I 

hope 

to be able to use a digital Firewire camera and computer (MAC) to enhance the live 

image.

Is this possible and if so which camera would you recommend?

Additional details.

It's fairly easy to demonstrate solar systems objects at a public viewing.  What I want to do 

is show deep sky objects from light polluted locales.  While a big Dob with filters works for 

solo viewing, they're lousy for star parties.  So I've thought of two possible video 

solutions:

A) B/W Firewire digital camera whose images could be processed on the fly to give near 

real time display (as I outlined in my previous question above)

B) Supercircuits PC164C-EX (.0003 B/W Lux 600 line Sony Ex-Had)

Either camera could be placed at primary focus.  Large Dob Mirrors are expensive because 

they need to have short focal length to keep the eyepiece at a reasonable height.  However 

if a camera is substituted for an eyepiece, a secondary is not even necessary and the 

camera could be mounted on a spider at primary focus.  Yes the poles will be long, but 

who cares if you don't have to climb a ladder.  As a matter of fact, now that the ladder and 

focus board are eliminated, a cheaper light weight long focal length mirror could be used 

and the upper assembly made much lighter, substituting tension wires for truss poles.

So before I build such a monstrosity, do you think it will work satisfactorily?

SLOOH builds the images as we watch, but I've been disappointed in the quality of the 

pictures as the resolution is poor because they compress for dial up networks.  I had 

hoped that I could do something similar with Astro IIDC, as I imagine that processed 

stacked images will be clearer than live video.