From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@me.com>

Date: February 1, 2010 7:45:57 PM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Damian Peach

Hi Ray, 

That is interesting! I looked up his camera too at one stage-an Atik usb-PC type I believe (my Atik filter wheel should be at the local post office ready for pick up when somebody goes into town-I recieved the notification card just before!)though this may have changed somewhat by now. That`s great what you were saying that you`ve gotten the bug for "astronomising" again. Sometimes it`s just a little stimulus we need at the right time. Great to hear you speaking about M 42 as well as Mars! I took my first images (unguided) recently of it with my colour Flea 2. This week the Flea 2 goes back to Canada to have a mark on it`s glass fixed under warranty. I couldn`t shift either the screws that hold the outer glass or the mark itself from the outside with a little detergent in water. At the moment we`re under the influence of a big rain depression from cyclone Olga which has now travelled south from Queensland. When things clear up I hope to try M 42 again with my Scorpion 20SO camera & lap-top this time (I `ve fixed a problem it had I think by re-setting the PMU). LRGB filters will be another couple of months down the track-I hope to get some Baaders which have to be bought at their Australian agents in Adelaide I believe.The scope is out in this rain under it`s Telegizmous scope cover-it was quite dry last lull in the rain when I checked...!Clear skies...

Mark.

On 02/02/2010, at 1:07 PM, Ray Byrne wrote:

Hi Mark,

He now uses a C14 mounted on a G11 and transports that to Barbados with another guy who uses a C11 on an EQ6. Damian personally told me that he thought the C9.25 all round was better than a C11 when I was considering them both, he probably meant in the UK generally - but on Barbados the C14 would be king because if seeing allows - aperture rules. 

The aperture rules bit has its limits though for planetary imaging as even the largest scopes in the world can only resolve to the limit set by us looking through the atmosphere. In the book "High Resolution Astrophotography by Jean Dregesco he felt that 16" was the upper limit and any more aperture than that was pointless. I must point out that this book was published pre webcam imaging and his comments may not be relevant, I'd be interested to hear any comments on this 16" rule.

BTW Damian still uses the C9.25 as the C14 will not always perform that well as often as the C9.25 in the English seeing. There are some contemporary Saturns that are C9.25 on his site and the C11 he sold may the one his mate uses in Barbados but I'm not sure (he said the C11 was a great scope).

From my experience tonight my C9.25 is a great scope - out in up to -17c at one point. And my EQ6 just did the business after several months in the same situation flawlessly tracking at nearly 400x mag. - wonderful gear

ATB

Ray

On 1 Feb 2010, at 18:52, Mark Gaffney wrote:

> Hi Ray,
> Last I heard Damian had given up his C11 for a C9.25 for his
> excellent imaging of the planets. Is this still the case do you
> know, that he uses a C9.25? I know he travels by plane regularly to
> the Bahamas or Canary islands (with the scope in the cargo) to get
> the best results with turbulence & jet streams..!
>
> Mark.