From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@me.com>

Date: December 6, 2009 2:40:57 AM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] focal reducer for DMK


Hi Willie, 

I have an Antares f 6.3 reducer from Agena Astro & a Meade f 3.3 from the same place. http://www.agenaastro.com/Antares-f-6-3-SCT-Focal-Reducer-p/ofr-an-sctfr.htm

The Antares f 6.3 is certainly cheaper than the comparitive Celestron one & has a good reputation. The Meade f 3.3 to my knowledge can`t be used visually but only with a camera & comes with T-adapter to provide extra length in the imaging train. I`m told these are a bit prone to coma etc. problems at the edges of the field. I`ve used mine for a Moon mosaic but little else. On my Flickr page it`s the brownish coloured moon;

http://www.flickr.com/

 I also have a Mogg 0.3/0.6 reducer which screws into the end of the camera`s nosepiece (as opposed to these other types which attach to the visual back of the scope & can be used to reduce everything behind them-so two cameras with an OAG)

http://moggadapters.com/astro/adapter.asp

I use it when I`m shooting just the moon through one camera...Hope all these links will work OK!


Mark.

On 06/12/2009, at 6:43 PM, Willie Strickland wrote:

Have any of you used a focal reducer with your DMK camera. I have a DMK214AF and I have used it with a .5 focal reducer from Atik. With the scope I am using, I really need something more along the lines of .63 I think. Just wondering if anyone had hany recommendations.

I am attempting to capture the occultation of TYC 1252-803-1 by (423) Diotima this morning. For occultations it would be nice to have the wider field. I was able to get the targets and watch Diotima move closer to the star, but now I have nothing.

We are supposed to be in occultation right now. It would be nice if the field was larger so I could watch a nearby star and know that I am still getting data and my tracking is still on target. I really have no way of knowing until the occultation is supposed to be over.

It is quite cloudy here but I was getting some image through the clouds. We will see how it goes.

Willie