From: "Milton Aupperle" <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: May 15, 2008 5:49:56 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: New Image Uploaded

Hi Mark;

I use a Celestron F6.3 focal reducer, but that doesn't give you that

big an field of view and I didn't have the image in one FOV. I shot

nine 640x480 movies covering different parts of the moon, generated

nine stacks from them and then assembled them into the final mosaic. I

usually have about 20% overlap on all sides of each movie.

On a side note, you should not be using a single 20 meter FireWire

Cable for connecting a camera to your PC. That is grossly out of spec

for FireWire 400 distances, which is only rated for 1.5 meters maximum

without a FireWire repeater between the device and host PC. The camera

may not operate correctly at those distances and may have erratic

behavior. About the maximum you ever want to go (and this still

violates the specification) is 3 meters and after that you need to add

a repeating Hub or a true FireWire signal repeater. What happens is

the signal becomes attenuated and weakens over a long distance and the

repeaters boost the signal level back up. Weak signals mean all sorts

of weird unrepeatable crap can happen and makes my life a living hell

trying to track it down. Just say no to anyone who offers you a

FireWire cable longer than 3 meters, kids :)

One of the most common issues with FireWire 400 ports is that the male

plugs or female slots eventually get worn or loose which makes it

possible for someone to quite easily and accidentally plug in a cable

upside down and this fries the device or the port. I'm not saying you

did this, but it is something that I know has happened, even to me.

You can't do that with the new FireWire 800 connectors or the full

size USB connectors either, though mini USB are pretty easy to force

the wrong way once the connectors are worn.

And this is another reason I really recommend NOT buying the non

expandable low end MacBook and instead spending the extra dollars to

buy the expandable MacBook Pro. You could have bought a $20 PC34

FireWire 400/800 expansion card for it instead of needing a $500+

mother board replacement if a single I/O component dies.

Hope That helps..

Milton Aupperle.

--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@...> wrote:

Very nice indeed Milton, What type of focal reducer do you recommend  

for such a camera as mine (a DBK 21A F04.AS). This is how you`re  

getting the full disc in the picture I take it? My own photography has  

been suspended due to a faulty Firewire port (I don`t know if the long  

lengths of cable I use are to blame- the 20 metre length at least is  

shielded though I do have a 4.5 metre length to start with!) Fixing it  

requires replacement of the whole logic board (at $500 AUD).

On 16/05/2008, at 7:29 AM, Phil Houston wrote:

Milton,  That's a great image.  Quite a bit of work I see but very  

nice results.

Phil

On May 15, 2008, at 2:14 PM, Milton Aupperle wrote:

Hi Folks;

I just uploaded a nice color enhanced image of the moon I took this  

week:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Astro_IIDC/files/Lunar/moon20080512_MJA.jpg

It was taken at sunset, so the darker terminator areas have that

bluish sky colouration.

.