From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@mac.com>

Date: March 30, 2009 4:07:14 AM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Re: New file uploaded to Astro_IIDC


Hi Milton, It`s bucketing down rain here at present! Even in fairly light rain a certain amount of moisture gets through the plastic tarps to the scope. I don`t know how well the scope can cope with this in the long run but it is a worry! The basic manually operated Home model of the Sirius Observatory is $7000. I`d like at least to put the scope on a new base hopefully prepared in size for the addition of the Observatory if it happens. I was looking at a new Mac Mini later in the year but you have put the germ of an idea there about the Grasshopper. I think you said they were around $3000 USD? At least making a cooler for one dosen`t seem the obstacle it once was! Maybe the Telegizmous scope cover will provide a solution to my moisture problems when obtained, probably in June. You`d have your problems with ice & snow, where mine is torrential rain! Mark.

On 30/03/2009, at 3:46 PM, Milton Aupperle wrote:


Hi Phil;


Just for interest sake, some of the PGR Grasshopper (GRAS-14S5 models) cameras have the same EXHAD CCD as the Starlight Xpress does. Price wise they are a bit cheaper than the XPress was, or was the last time I costed them out. However the Xpress are cooled, where as the Grasshopper aren't.


I  run mine at 15 fps (in 16 bit per channel 16384x1036 pixels) or exposure times to 1 hour exposures. In 8 bit, you can run at 30 fps 16384x1036 pixels.


TTYL..


Milton Aupperle



--- In Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com, Phil Houston <pkh111@...> wrote:


Alberto,


I have been looking at your DSO images today and have been very

impressed.  Those are possibly the best I've seen taken with a DMK

camera and I did not realize that these cameras were actually capable

of this type of image.  Very nice,  thanks.


I own a DMK 31AF03 and occasionally use it for lunar imaging but

thought deep sky imaging was beyond it's capability.  I also use a

Starlight Xpress CCD and have tried my hand at some DSOs through a

small aperture Mak, with limited success.  The Starlight Xpress

cameras with the Sony Exview chips are, in my opinion,  a very capable

cameras and can capture exquisite images in the right hands.  You

might find them useful sometime down the road.


My main point here is that I had the most fun imaging was when I was

challenged by using a small telescope with a rather high f#. Because

very few other people were using similar equipment I had the feeling

of competition and strived to produce better images.  Of course,

larger scopes and expensive cameras could capture better images but

that did not really matter to me.  I'm hoping you will try to push the

limits of the DMK camera for a while and enjoy your accomplishments.

I know I will enjoy seeing your images.


Phil

http://www.astrophil.com/




On Mar 29, 2009, at 4:41 PM, albe albo wrote:



THX Alan.

your words are alway very kind.

The day after i did a M13, M57 (both luma and chroma with The

Imaging Source). Then i grabbed a M82 but i didn't process it yet.

Now it started to rain heavily. The Moon is incoming. I hope to be

allowed to do some decent moon after 4  months of hungriness!


Two days ago a friend of mine lent me a CCD Starlight Xpress for a

night.

Humm... i was pretty impressed by the very low noise allowing

better  DSO results  even in urban  skies.

For the moment i will continue with my DMK DBK (i'm affectionated

and... with no money for a CCD!) but in my mind now there ia little

bug eating my brain...


I 'd like to ask you a question: i saw a Thousand Oaks Halpa filter

to apply to a normal scope (opening 80mm) that would fit perfectly

on my 80ED.

The question is: would  it  be better a Coronado PST or the

ThousandOaks filter?

Do you know them?

http://www.thousandoaksoptical.com/halpha.html


Thank you in advance

Wishes

Alberto

Da: Alan Friedman <alan@...>

A: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Inviato: Domenica 29 marzo 2009, 21:34:20

Oggetto: Re: [Astro_IIDC] New file uploaded to Astro_IIDC


Hi Alberto -



These are some of the best deep sky images I've seen from a

streaming camera.


best wishes,

Alan



On Mar 29, 2009, at 1:46 PM, Astro_IIDC@yahoogro ups.comwrote:



Hello,


This email message is a notification to let you know that

a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the Astro_IIDC

group.


File : /DSO/Marathon- Big.jpg

Uploaded by : richter1956 <richter1956@ yahoo.com>

Description : The one-night DSO-DMK-DBK "marathon" with tech. details


You can access this file at the URL:

http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/Astro_ IIDC/files/ DSO/Marathon-

Big.jpg












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