From: Milton Aupperle <milton@outcastsoft.com>

Date: September 27, 2010 12:53:50 PM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Re: Jupiter Image

Hi Tim;

On 27-Sep-10, at 12:30 PM, doobisary wrote:

Hi Milton:

Yep, it's infocus.  I could certainly move the mirror forward, but to do that without modifying the otherwise-original Cave OTA, I'd have to make brackets to support the mirror cell.  Then, of course, I'd have to recollimate.  Alternatively, I could swap out the focuser for a lower profile version.

I think for my future Newtonian builds, I'll use a sled focuser, so I can give it as much in or out focus as I could possibly want!

Cool. I take the Diagonal is attached tot he Sled / Focuser too so they both move at the same time?

24fps isn't good!  Guess I'll save for the Flea3 at the outset.  I wish they had an exhad option that offered a little more real estate than that 1/4" chip, though!

The Chameleon (1280x960 pixels) are 1/3" EXHAD CCDs (3.75 microns per pixel). The  Flea 3 come with 1/4" to 2/3" CCD's, so you do have choice.

The FireFly MV might be interesting too, at least for bright field imaging.

http://www.ptgrey.com/products/fireflymv/index.asp

They now have a couple of models there. It appears they have increased the Exposure time to 0.5 seconds for the smaller sensor and up to 8 seconds with the Larger sensor models.

And since they are CMOS sensor, ROI allows you to run at much higher frame rates than CCD. Basically with a CCD an entire sensor line has to be read out, so ROI does not gain much at all from shortening the horizontal, just the vertical.

The problem with the USB 2 (and 3) is that it sucks for providing power over the Bus. Maximum allowed is 0.5 amps and 5.25 volts for USB 2 and the Chameleon when imaging draws 0.375 amps and ~ 0.15 amps when idle. So it's basically one camera per Bus.

Another things is that with Astro IIDC supporting USB 2 cameras, it likely is possible to create a Net Book Hackintosh system now for Imaging and Guiding.

TTYL..

Milton Aupperle