From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@me.com>

Date: October 3, 2009 10:23:22 AM MDT

To: astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: NexStar 4SE...

It was my intention tonight to practise imaging with the trigger function on my Flea 2 colour camera & Nexstar 4SE. This is because I still have polar alignment issues with my C9.25. With the 4SE a 2x barlow is the best option for the Southern Pleiades or NGC 2516 wheras with the C9.25 I`d need a f0.3x reducer. I `ve been frustrated by the weather as it turns out & I understand rain or cloudy weather is forecast all next week here! I was going to try unguided images of the above object with the 4SE. According to Sky Tools 3 Pro a 30 second exposure of NGC 2516 would deliver a SNR of approximately 1000, a minute, 1100 SNR etc. Would I get significant trailing in the image at these exposure rates, unguided? I can easily reduce the exp. times as this is a very bright object! I`ve at least got some practise connecting the Flea 2 to Astro IIDC with the Hirose connector (appropriate pins connected by solder) & taking a couple of QT movies, although unconnected to the scope I`m just getting a grey image. Should there be a fluctuation with this connection in light values as I direct the camera towards the light as there is normally? The camera even at 1 minute exposures is heating up significantly so I had the Peltier cooler I made ready for work! Last time out with the NexStar 4SE it was finding & tracking NGC 2516 quite easily after a 3 star alignment with it`s Alt/Azm alignment.

Mark.