From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@me.com>

Date: December 17, 2009 4:07:30 PM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: star images...


Last time out (2 nights ago) I was having trouble obtaining any traces of star images with my Scorpion. I`m not entirely sure (Betelgeuse which I was using) was on the chip as I was getting cloud obscure first Betelgeuse then Rigel (& back again all night). On my 3 star alignment Betelgeuse & Procyon were much brighter than the star I`d selected as Rigel (I don`t know if this was due to clouds)?This may have put my Go-To out, though Betelgeuse was centred in the eyepiece. I`ve re-looked at the Manual & the sharpness (& FWHM- HFD section). Is there a rule of thumb for exposure readings-(I know it`d vary from camera to camera). I couldn`t focus upon this star anywhere in the range. I did manage to get the extended PGR exposure times working with a plastic bag tie taped into the GPIO pin out. I tried both with this switched on & off... Into the bargain my finder had been bumped removing the scope cover & wasn`t very accurate. Last night was perfect but I didn`t get out, feeling too frazzled. Probably too much information but yesterday began with a car accident on our dirt- gravel road-A woman had rolled her car near us & we had to help getting her out of the wreck...!


Mark.