Hi Brendan,

    Glad that you found us!  First, you are invited to attend our club
meetings.  We meet at 7pm the 2nd Tuesday of each month, alternating
between CFHT and Keck headquarters in Waimea.  Our next meeting is
Tuesday July 12 at 7pm at CFHT.  You can bring your telescope and
after the meeting there are many of us that would be happy to share
our experiences with you.  I'll try to answer some of your
questions
now:

      You may have found that the longer focal length eyepieces (i.e.
higher numbers) give you sharper and more pleasing images than the
shorter focal length ones.  For example, the view through a 25mm
eyepiece will be wider and easier than the 12.5mm.  The Moon is a
great object to compare the various views through each of your
eyepieces.

    You should determine what the focal length of your telescope is.
I'm guessing that it will be 2032mm.  Then, to determine the
magnification of the image, divide the telescope focal length by the
eyepiece focal length.  For example, your 12.5mm will give a
magnification of 163X.  (2032/12.50 = 162.56)  For each eyepiece you
can determine the magnification it delivers on your telescope.  If
you have a 40mm eyepiece, it will give you a very pleasing 51X view.
There are many large objects in the sky (galaxies, star clusters,
etc…) that do not require much magnification to be seen
optimally.
The telescope is acting as a light collector, boosting the brightness
of these faint, large objects.  For planets, close double stars, and
fine lunar details, higher magnification is required.

   The maximum useful magnification of any telescope is about 50X per
inch of aperture.  So, for your 8" telescope, 400X is the highest
useful magnification.  Above 400X the images will suffer blurriness
and become faint.  By calculation a 5mm eyepiece is the maximum
useful for your telescope.  Practically, I bet the 12.5mm is getting
close to the limit, as the 50X/inch limit is "best case".  If
you are
shopping for more eyepieces, I would recommend against anything
shorter than 12.5mm

   If you have 3-4 eyepieces throughout the range from low
magnification (~40mm) to high (12.5mm) then you should be in good
shape.  Having exactly four eyepieces is not a requirement.  Many
observing sessions I use only two different eyepieces with my 8"
Newtonian; a low power and a medium power.

    There are many fine manufacturers of eyepieces.  The ones that
came with your telescope are probably fairly good.  I personally
prefer TeleVue eyepieces.  They are more expensive than others, but
perform at a higher level.

    Hope this is helpful!

Craig N.


--- In whac@yahoogroups.com, "trolldollrolecall" <brendansbox@h...>
wrote:
> Hi guys, I'm brand new here and glad I found you! I have an 8"
> Celestron SCT that is a basic scope. I bought it used with 3 bottom
> shelf eyepieces the shortest being 12.5mm. I wonder, will I get
much
> better images with a higher quality eyepieces and if so, which 4
sizes
> would be a most functional choice and of course, what product line
> will give me the "most bang for the buck"? I pretty new to amature
> astronomy and could use some guidance. Any takers? Thanks, Brendan

Hi guys, I'm brand new here and glad I found you! I have an 8"
Celestron SCT that is a basic scope. I bought it used with 3 bottom
shelf eyepieces the shortest being 12.5mm. I wonder, will I get much
better images with a higher quality eyepieces and if so, which 4 sizes
would be a most functional choice and of course, what product line
will give me the "most bang for the buck"? I pretty new to amature
astronomy and could use some guidance. Any takers? Thanks, Brendan

Enter your vote today!  A new poll has been created for the
whac group:

Where would you like to have Dark Sky Observing? 

  o Hualalai access road
  o Upper road, 10 miles outside Waikoloa
  o Onizuka Visitor Information Station at Mauna Kea
  o Oceanview
  o Hawi
  o Other (please send e-mail to whacmail@...)


To vote, please visit the following web page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whac/surveys?id=1209410

Note: Please do not reply to this message. Poll votes are
not collected via email. To vote, you must go to the Yahoo! Groups
web site listed above.

Thanks!

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Hi Laura,
I just googled Bushnell model#: 78-4501  and here's what I came up with.

http://66.227.50.148/1.0/entry.php?sectionid=12&entryid=400

I'd ask for OBO as the 4mm eyepiece most likely would only make a good
paperweight.

Kenneth

Laura Kraft wrote:
> Aloha,
>
> I have a friend who is selling a small telescope.  Assuming the optics
> are in good condition (I haven't checked), is she asking a fair price?
>
> Laura
>
> ********************************
> Telescope for Sale
> Bushnell model#: 78-4501
> 114mm Reflector Telescope
> Parts include:
> - adjustable aluminum tripod assembly
> - accessory tray
> - reflector telescope assembly
> - equatorial mount
> - wide field finderscope
> - 20mm 1.25" diameter eyepiece
> - 4mm 1.25" diameter eyepiece
> - Barlow lens
> Asking $180 o.b.o.
>
>

Hi Laura,
Here's the link to two advertised on Astromart in 2003. I'm not sure if
it sold.
http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=170493
Craig

Laura Kraft wrote:

> Aloha,
>
> I have a friend who is selling a small telescope.  Assuming the optics
> are in good condition (I haven't checked), is she asking a fair price?
>
> Laura
>
> ********************************
> Telescope for Sale
> Bushnell model#: 78-4501
> 114mm Reflector Telescope
> Parts include:
> - adjustable aluminum tripod assembly
> - accessory tray
> - reflector telescope assembly
> - equatorial mount
> - wide field finderscope
> - 20mm 1.25" diameter eyepiece
> - 4mm 1.25" diameter eyepiece
> - Barlow lens
> Asking $180 o.b.o.
>
> __________________________________________________
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> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
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>
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>
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Enter your vote today!  A new poll has been created for the
whac group:

Where would you like to have Dark Sky Observing?

   o Hualalai access road
   o Upper road, 10 miles outside Waikoloa
   o Onizuka Visitor Information Station at Mauna Kea
   o Oceanview
   o Hawi
   o Other (please send e-mail to whacmail@...)


To vote, please visit the following web page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whac/surveys?id=1209410

Note: Please do not reply to this message. Poll votes are
not collected via email. To vote, you must go to the Yahoo! Groups
web site listed above.

Thanks!

Aloha,

The agenda for the meeting June 14th at Keck HQ has been posted at:
http://www2.keck.hawaii.edu/realpublic/whac/calendar.html

PLEASE BRING YOUR TELESCOPE.  We'll be doing some observing, weather
permitting.

Agenda:
	 Introductions 	 Craig Nance 	 10 mins
	 GearTalk Show&Tell  All 		 10 mins
	 Night Sky Network  Laura Kraft 	 10 mins
	 The Sky This Month  Laura Kraft/All  10 mins
	 June 4 Observing Report Craig Combes/All 10min
	 Featured Web Link  All 		 10 mins
	 Future Observing Sessions All 		 15 mins
	 "Deep Impact" Discussion Craig Nance/All 45 mins
	 Group Discussions 			 All

	 Finish by 9:00pm

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Aloha-

We've returned back to Las Vegas from our busy 10 days on the island.
We thought we'd share a few pictures we took during a moonlight dinner
we had on the beach.  You can find them in the photos section under
the public folder "Sky".  The picture of Orion and Ursa Major/Big
Dipper were all taken with a Nikon D100 camera using the new 17-55mm
DX lens.  Each exposure is 45 seconds long at f/2.8 with a film speed
of ISO 1000 along with long exposure noise reduction turned on.  The
picture of the sun was taken with a Nikon 80-400mm lens.  Cindy and I
are getting everything packed up here and plan to be permanently on
the Big Island in mid June...we're really looking forward to it.

Steve & Cindy Cullen

Hi Jim,
The precise answer is dependent on the pixel size of your camera and
the final F/ratio of the afocal optical train that you will be
employing.  Usually when you do afocal photography - placing a
camera with a non-removable lens behind an eyepiece, the resulting
focal ratio is huge.  Everything will be greatly magnified.  Every
jitter and tracking error will be magnified and have huge
consequences.  The trick is to use short exposures and shoot bright
objects.  The Sun (with a filter), the Moon, Jupiter, Venus, Mars
and maybe Saturn (Saturn is surprisingly dim in an afocal setup).
Use the self timer to set off the camera as any contact with the
camera would cause a huge movement.  Another requirement will be to
solidly connect the camera to the eyepiece of the scope.
Scopetronix has many adapters to do that for many models of camera.
Then carefully counter balance the weight of the camera about the
mounts axes.  Having the weight "slightly" off balanced towards the
east will allow the drive system to work better.  Keep the drive
pulling the weight uphill for best results.  The Skyview Pro mount
would work under these conditions for Sun, Moon, Jupiter, Venus, and
Mars.  It would also work for birding during the day - with the
drive off.  Short Focal Ratio Optical tubes would be easier to
photograph with.  They have brighter images and cover wider angles
of view.  The pixel size is an error box that will determine how bad
mistracking or vibration will appear.  With small focal ratios
(Short tube OTA), the jitter may be invisible if it is less than the
pixel size.  With the huge afocal focal ratios, you have less room
for errors.  But a short focal ratio Non-Apo refractor will have
noticable chromatic abberation.  Wideangle Piggyback photography of
constellations would be OK and 15 seconds may be enough for many
constellations - shoot many exposures and stack them up with
Registax.  Afocal Double star Photography would work too.  You may
get many of the Messier star clusters with 15 seconds, but many of
them are huge and require low focal ratios to fit in a single
frame.  You could shoot a mosaic and put it together with Photoshop,
Images Plus, or some other image editor.  Just don't expect to shoot
any galaxies or planetary nebulae.  A determined astrophotographer
can do great things with thoughtful preparation and familiarity with
his equipment.  Good pictures CAN be done with a low cost scope and
mount.  It just takes more labor to get that good result.  Due to
the Skyview Pro's jitter and mistracking, you may have to shoot
copious quantities to get a few good shots.  I think the trade off
is time spent collecting photons vs. yield of good photos will be
better with more of an investment in equipment.  I am of the opinion
that if a person were determined, they could get a decent picture
with a pinhole camera and a barn door mount.  But, I personally
would not like to spend that kind of effort for the low yield that
such a setup would be expected to produce.  There are other factors
such as weather and phase of Moon that limit the number of hours you
can spend collecting photons.  I was very happy shooting Moon photos
on Tri-X in the 6th grade with a small 60mm scope with no drive.
Today, I would not deem any of those photos as presentable, but I do
treasure the memories and the experience.  Maybe my best advice is
to "JUST DO IT!" and get your feet wet.  You can always trade-up
later as your experience grows.

regards,
Wayne Fukunaga

--- In whac@yahoogroups.com, "lykemn" <jlyke@k...> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> Thanks for all the suggestions.  All of these scopes and mounts
that
> you've suggested look great, but most are way outside my budget
> range.  Here's a real challenge:  is it possible to get a
reasonable
> telescope and mount for short exposure astrophotography for under:
> $500? $750? $1000?  By short exposure, I mean not more than 15
> seconds (as that's the longest exposure for my digital camera).
>
> thanks,
> jim lyke
>

Hi All,

Thanks for all the suggestions.  All of these scopes and mounts that
you've suggested look great, but most are way outside my budget
range.  Here's a real challenge:  is it possible to get a reasonable
telescope and mount for short exposure astrophotography for under:
$500? $750? $1000?  By short exposure, I mean not more than 15
seconds (as that's the longest exposure for my digital camera).

thanks,
jim lyke

--- In whac@yahoogroups.com, Craig Combes <craigc@h...> wrote:
> Hi Jim,
> I think you should check out this new scope from Burgess Optical.
> http://www.highpointscientific.com/store/news_newburgess.asp
> I have a relationship with Bill Burgess, and all indications are he
will
> be delivering this scope in about 60 days. This will be an
incredible
> scope at an incredible price. It retails for $799 (not including
> mount/tripod).I might be able to get you one at a discount.
> He's also planning on having some mounts some time soon. He will be
> using William Optics mechanics for the scope and mounts.
> Let me know if you're interested.
>
> Craig Combes
>
> lykemn wrote:
>
> >
> > Hi Steve,
> >
> > I'm looking at a non-apo 4" refractor.  Something portable enough
> > that I will take it out once in a while.  I like the reviews I
see on
> > the Orion 100mm SkyView Pro.  I had looked at some of the cheaper
> > Goto scopes but, after reading the reviews on their tracking
> > accuracy, I decided I could point the scope myself.  Do you (or
> > anyone else reading this) have suggestions?
> >
> > thanks,
> > jim
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > *Yahoo! Groups Sponsor*
> > ADVERTISEMENT
> > click here
> >
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*http://www.netflix.com/Default?mqso=60190075>
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subject=Unsubscribe>
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> >       Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>.
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> >

Hi all-

I've created a new folder for sun pictures and placed a couple of
images I took today in Hydrogen-alpha wavelength.  There is one
sunspot image (sunspot 742), two image of prominences, and another
of a prominence and flare together.  The scope used is the Takahashi
TOA-130 with the Coronado Instruments SolarMax 90/BF30 combination.
The images were captured using a Philips Toucam Pro II web camera
and aligned, stacked, & wavelet processed using Registax v3.  I hope
to have a few more images from tonight's viewing...then we head to
the Big Island tomorrow for 10 days!  Comments/feedback/questions
are always welcome.

Steve Cullen

Hi Jim,
I think you should check out this new scope from Burgess Optical.
http://www.highpointscientific.com/store/news_newburgess.asp
I have a relationship with Bill Burgess, and all indications are he will
be delivering this scope in about 60 days. This will be an incredible
scope at an incredible price. It retails for $799 (not including
mount/tripod).I might be able to get you one at a discount.
He's also planning on having some mounts some time soon. He will be
using William Optics mechanics for the scope and mounts.
Let me know if you're interested.

Craig Combes

lykemn wrote:

>
> Hi Steve,
>
> I'm looking at a non-apo 4" refractor.  Something portable enough
> that I will take it out once in a while.  I like the reviews I see on
> the Orion 100mm SkyView Pro.  I had looked at some of the cheaper
> Goto scopes but, after reading the reviews on their tracking
> accuracy, I decided I could point the scope myself.  Do you (or
> anyone else reading this) have suggestions?
>
> thanks,
> jim
>
>
>
>
> *Yahoo! Groups Sponsor*
> ADVERTISEMENT
> click here
>
<http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=129s5l88j/M=298184.6018725.7038619.3001176/D=groups\
/S=1705082805:HM/EXP=1110911408/A=2593423/R=0/SIG=11el9gslf/*http://www.netflix.\
com/Default?mqso=60190075>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *Yahoo! Groups Links*
>
>     * To visit your group on the web, go to:
>       http://groups.yahoo.com/group/whac/
>
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>
>     * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of
>       Service <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/>.
>
>

Hi All,

I posted a Hydrogen-Alpha image of the Sun taken 1-16-2005 in the
Photo section.  I have a Coronado Helios-1 H-Alpha scope.  It is a
70mm 0.8 angstrom scope that produces wonderful images of our active
star.  I used the Polaris DX8263 color camera 2X Barlowed at 1/750th
second exposure and captured 700 frames.  Stacked and wavelet
processed with Registax 3.

Just wanted to open the discussion to a wider array of topics.

Wayne Fukunaga

Hi all,

My best effort to date of Saturn is in the Photos section Saturn-
025a.  Planetary photography is very difficult due to atmosphereic
effects and the long focal lengths required to get a decent image
size.  This Saturn was taken with my C-11 at F20 using a Polaris
DX8263 color video camera.  This camera is a color version of the
Mintron / AstroVid StellaCam.  The camera was set to 6x - integrate
6 frames due to the low light levels at F/20.  I captured 2 frames
per second at 640 x 480 resolution for a total of about 700 frames -
about a 700 MB avi file.  Then I processed the avi with Registax 3
and dumped about 200 bad blurry frames and the result was wavelet
processed and posted here.  Registax will compensate for poor polar
alignment but I'd recommend avoid using that as a crutch.  From the
image, I'm thinking that I'll need to collect more data to improve.
Next time, I'll shoot 1.4 GB or 2 GB of data and have at least twice
the number of frames to stack.

All comments or questions welcomed.

Wayne Fukunaga

I'll second Wayne's comments here...both about the importance of a
good mount and that Losmandy's are excellent.  I had a G-11 for
about a year but had to part with it as it didn't support the weight
of the BRC-250, especially for imaging.  It is easy to use, once you
get used to the controller user interface.  I'd always spend a
little more on the mount and get one that might even be over kill
for your scope.  The trade off in stability, tracking, and future
expansion (imaging or moving up to a larger scope) will be worth it.

Steve

--- In whac@yahoogroups.com, "stargaze_hi" <stargaze@s...> wrote:
>
> Hi Jim,
>
> IMHO, I have found that my viewing experiences are very much
> affected more by the mount rather than the optics.  If you can't
> point and control the OTA, then the scope doesn't get used much at
> all.  The Orion Skyview mounts are flimsy Chinese copies of the
> Vixen Great Polaris mount.  The Celestron G5 is another example of
> the same flimsy Chinese mount.  Cosmetically different, but
> mechanically the same.  I have spent many wasted hours battling my
> G5 to stay pointed where I wanted it for just a "casual" look at
the
> sky.  These chinese mounts have badly manufactured gears with
loose
> tolerances, rough bearings, and clutches and locks that droop and
> don't hold and jump position when engaged.  I have since invested
in
> 7 Losmandy G-11 mounts and use all kinds of OTAs on them with no
> complaints about the mount.  I spend my time productively studying
> and photographing my quarry rather than battling a shaky, droopy,
> hard-to-point mount.  I think the G-11 may be slightly over kill
for
> you, but there are the Losmandy G8 ($1,439), Vixen GP DX($920.00)
to
> consider.  The Vixen has a solid reputation, but I have problems
> with the ergonomics of the placement of all the locks and
controls.
> I'd get a good mount first and then look for the OTA.  A few
skilled
> persons have built Dobson type mounts for Refractors that work
well
> for a "quick look".  That would be better than the Skyview Pro
> nightmare.  TeleVue makes some fine Alt-Az mounts that stay where
> pointed in the same price range as the Vixen and Losmandy.  I
> recommend the strategy of buying the mount and scope separately
and
> keeping the mount as you trade up the optics.  If astrophotography
> is a goal, then definitely invest in a good mount.  The Skyview
Pro
> will not do for any kind of long exposure astrophotography.  Also,
> consider the clock drive as essential for astrophotography.  Get
> that with the mount and not as an add on.  The Losmandy only comes
> with dual axis drive.  The Vixen has optional motors for either
one
> or dual axis control.  Not Go-to functionality, but just slow
> motions needed for guiding astrophotography.
>
> Wayne Fukunaga
>
> --- In whac@yahoogroups.com, "lykemn" <jlyke@k...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Steve,
> >
> > I'm looking at a non-apo 4" refractor.  Something portable
enough
> > that I will take it out once in a while.  I like the reviews I
see
> on
> > the Orion 100mm SkyView Pro.  I had looked at some of the
cheaper
> > Goto scopes but, after reading the reviews on their tracking
> > accuracy, I decided I could point the scope myself.  Do you (or
> > anyone else reading this) have suggestions?
> >
> > thanks,
> > jim

Hi Steve,
Bill Brevoort and I are working on a Peltier cooler for the DSLR.
We intend to put the DSLR in a box and pump cold air from a peltier
device into the box.  Our main concern is the weight of the
contraption at the eyepiece.  We have a prototype that weighs 16
pounds!  That is too much weight for the eyepiece tube to support
and still be able to fine focus.  Our next attempt will remote mount
the peltier device and bring the cold air in by hoses.  The protoype
lowers the camera temperature by about 30 degrees F.  Things get wet
with condensation around the camera box.  As another tack, I'm
experimenting with lower ISO settings and longer exposures.  The
high ISO settings produce very noisy backgrounds in fairly short
exposures.  Lower ISO can give blacker backgrounds with longer
exposures, but also have less signal.  But, with Registax 3, we
think we may have another approach to the problem.  Now, we just
need some good weather and also less moon to shoot more tests.

Wayne Fukunaga

--- In whac@yahoogroups.com, steve@k... wrote:
>
> Hi Wayne-
>
> Very nice image.  It's amazing that the camera is able to pick up
> the nebula while at the same time not over exposing the inner
> region.  I just read that Canon is coming out with the 20Da that
is
> specifically designed for astrophotography.  It is extra sensitive
> to H-alpha (656 nm) by about 2.5x.  This would allow it to pick up
> even more of the reddish nebulosity.  They have also added a live
> preview mode on the finder screen for focusing.  I just received a
> single shot color camera, the SBIG ST-2000XMC.  At some point, we
> should see how it stacks up next to an SLR.  My guess is that the
> SBIG camera will have better QE and less noise but the question
will
> be is it worth 2x the price of an SLR?  I wonder if there is a way
> to cool the Canon CCD to lower the noise?  Looking forward to
> talking more.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Steve Cullen
>
>
> --- In whac@yahoogroups.com, "stargaze_hi" <stargaze@s...> wrote:
> >
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I have been borrowing a Canon 20D DSLR from Cliff Livermore and
> > thought I'd share what can be done.  See the uploaded file in
the
> > Photos section.  The sheer simplicity of a single shot color
DSLR
> > that is self contained - needs no external computer to capture
> > images is revolutionary.  The ST-10XME can blow this image away
> with
> > the LRGB system plus any H-alpha enhancement, but I'm happy with
> > what I got with just three exposures.  I took a 3 second, a 30
> > second, and a three minute exposure then combined them in
> Photoshop
> > CS to fill-in the over exposed areas.  I set the camera at ISO
> 3200
> > and used an AP 5" F/8 on a G-11 mount to take the images.
> > The "huge" chip in the Canon (22.4mm x 15mm) covered 49 x 74 arc-
> > minutes!  Canon has released a model 20Da for astrophotography
> that
> > has the usual IR cut off filter removed for improved nebula
> > imaging.  (Not usable in daylight without external filters and
not
> > yet available in the USA).  The main limitation of the current
> DSLRs
> > is the noisy background that results from long exposures.  The
> lower
> > the ambient temperature, the less noise in the background.  I've
> had
> > to limit my exposures to 4 minutes to avoid objectionable
> background
> > noise at the VIS.  Two or three minutes at sea level
temperatures.
> >
> > Wayne Fukunaga

Hi Jim,

IMHO, I have found that my viewing experiences are very much
affected more by the mount rather than the optics.  If you can't
point and control the OTA, then the scope doesn't get used much at
all.  The Orion Skyview mounts are flimsy Chinese copies of the
Vixen Great Polaris mount.  The Celestron G5 is another example of
the same flimsy Chinese mount.  Cosmetically different, but
mechanically the same.  I have spent many wasted hours battling my
G5 to stay pointed where I wanted it for just a "casual" look at the
sky.  These chinese mounts have badly manufactured gears with loose
tolerances, rough bearings, and clutches and locks that droop and
don't hold and jump position when engaged.  I have since invested in
7 Losmandy G-11 mounts and use all kinds of OTAs on them with no
complaints about the mount.  I spend my time productively studying
and photographing my quarry rather than battling a shaky, droopy,
hard-to-point mount.  I think the G-11 may be slightly over kill for
you, but there are the Losmandy G8 ($1,439), Vixen GP DX($920.00) to
consider.  The Vixen has a solid reputation, but I have problems
with the ergonomics of the placement of all the locks and controls.
I'd get a good mount first and then look for the OTA.  A few skilled
persons have built Dobson type mounts for Refractors that work well
for a "quick look".  That would be better than the Skyview Pro
nightmare.  TeleVue makes some fine Alt-Az mounts that stay where
pointed in the same price range as the Vixen and Losmandy.  I
recommend the strategy of buying the mount and scope separately and
keeping the mount as you trade up the optics.  If astrophotography
is a goal, then definitely invest in a good mount.  The Skyview Pro
will not do for any kind of long exposure astrophotography.  Also,
consider the clock drive as essential for astrophotography.  Get
that with the mount and not as an add on.  The Losmandy only comes
with dual axis drive.  The Vixen has optional motors for either one
or dual axis control.  Not Go-to functionality, but just slow
motions needed for guiding astrophotography.

Wayne Fukunaga

--- In whac@yahoogroups.com, "lykemn" <jlyke@k...> wrote:
>
> Hi Steve,
>
> I'm looking at a non-apo 4" refractor.  Something portable enough
> that I will take it out once in a while.  I like the reviews I see
on
> the Orion 100mm SkyView Pro.  I had looked at some of the cheaper
> Goto scopes but, after reading the reviews on their tracking
> accuracy, I decided I could point the scope myself.  Do you (or
> anyone else reading this) have suggestions?
>
> thanks,
> jim

Hi Jim-

I hear what you're saying about portability.  I keep telling my wife
how much I can't wait to get to Hawaii and have my observatory set
up.  Getting out the 34 pound BRC-250 is at the edge of what I'm
willing to deal with so I have been more likely to mount the 22
pound TOA-130 refractor (they are both on dovetail bars so they can
be mounted in the saddle plate on the NJP easily).  My 16" RCOS
scope (89 pounds!) is just sitting in the garage as it is just too
much to wheel out to the driveway when I want to image.  In fact, we
bought a couple of Takahashi FS-60C refractors (3 pounds) so we can
do more "grab and go" astronomy.  So, my experience is with the 60mm
FS-60C and the 130mm TOA-130 and it looks like you're aiming
somewhere between.  While I haven't looked through a lot of other
refractors, I can tell you that the quality of my Takahashi scopes
is excellent.  Tak makes the FSQ-106 which is in the aperture range
you're looking for.  The folks that have one seem to love it.
There's another Yahoo forum at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UncensoredTakGroup/ where you can see
what folks are saying first hand.  Another place where you can read
additional reviews and get more information at
http://www.cloudynights.com/index.htm.

All that said, I am probably getting ahead of things.  The first
thing to decide is what do you want to do with your scope today and
down the road?  This will help zero in the choices on the scope and
the mount a bit.

Steve

--- In whac@yahoogroups.com, "lykemn" <jlyke@k...> wrote:
>
> Hi Steve,
>
> I'm looking at a non-apo 4" refractor.  Something portable enough
> that I will take it out once in a while.  I like the reviews I see
on
> the Orion 100mm SkyView Pro.  I had looked at some of the cheaper
> Goto scopes but, after reading the reviews on their tracking
> accuracy, I decided I could point the scope myself.  Do you (or
> anyone else reading this) have suggestions?
>
> thanks,
> jim

Hi Steve,

I'm looking at a non-apo 4" refractor.  Something portable enough
that I will take it out once in a while.  I like the reviews I see on
the Orion 100mm SkyView Pro.  I had looked at some of the cheaper
Goto scopes but, after reading the reviews on their tracking
accuracy, I decided I could point the scope myself.  Do you (or
anyone else reading this) have suggestions?

thanks,
jim

Hi Wayne-

Very nice image.  It's amazing that the camera is able to pick up
the nebula while at the same time not over exposing the inner
region.  I just read that Canon is coming out with the 20Da that is
specifically designed for astrophotography.  It is extra sensitive
to H-alpha (656 nm) by about 2.5x.  This would allow it to pick up
even more of the reddish nebulosity.  They have also added a live
preview mode on the finder screen for focusing.  I just received a
single shot color camera, the SBIG ST-2000XMC.  At some point, we
should see how it stacks up next to an SLR.  My guess is that the
SBIG camera will have better QE and less noise but the question will
be is it worth 2x the price of an SLR?  I wonder if there is a way
to cool the Canon CCD to lower the noise?  Looking forward to
talking more.

Best regards,

Steve Cullen


--- In whac@yahoogroups.com, "stargaze_hi" <stargaze@s...> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> I have been borrowing a Canon 20D DSLR from Cliff Livermore and
> thought I'd share what can be done.  See the uploaded file in the
> Photos section.  The sheer simplicity of a single shot color DSLR
> that is self contained - needs no external computer to capture
> images is revolutionary.  The ST-10XME can blow this image away
with
> the LRGB system plus any H-alpha enhancement, but I'm happy with
> what I got with just three exposures.  I took a 3 second, a 30
> second, and a three minute exposure then combined them in
Photoshop
> CS to fill-in the over exposed areas.  I set the camera at ISO
3200
> and used an AP 5" F/8 on a G-11 mount to take the images.
> The "huge" chip in the Canon (22.4mm x 15mm) covered 49 x 74 arc-
> minutes!  Canon has released a model 20Da for astrophotography
that
> has the usual IR cut off filter removed for improved nebula
> imaging.  (Not usable in daylight without external filters and not
> yet available in the USA).  The main limitation of the current
DSLRs
> is the noisy background that results from long exposures.  The
lower
> the ambient temperature, the less noise in the background.  I've
had
> to limit my exposures to 4 minutes to avoid objectionable
background
> noise at the VIS.  Two or three minutes at sea level temperatures.
>
> Wayne Fukunaga

Hi All,

I have been borrowing a Canon 20D DSLR from Cliff Livermore and
thought I'd share what can be done.  See the uploaded file in the
Photos section.  The sheer simplicity of a single shot color DSLR
that is self contained - needs no external computer to capture
images is revolutionary.  The ST-10XME can blow this image away with
the LRGB system plus any H-alpha enhancement, but I'm happy with
what I got with just three exposures.  I took a 3 second, a 30
second, and a three minute exposure then combined them in Photoshop
CS to fill-in the over exposed areas.  I set the camera at ISO 3200
and used an AP 5" F/8 on a G-11 mount to take the images.
The "huge" chip in the Canon (22.4mm x 15mm) covered 49 x 74 arc-
minutes!  Canon has released a model 20Da for astrophotography that
has the usual IR cut off filter removed for improved nebula
imaging.  (Not usable in daylight without external filters and not
yet available in the USA).  The main limitation of the current DSLRs
is the noisy background that results from long exposures.  The lower
the ambient temperature, the less noise in the background.  I've had
to limit my exposures to 4 minutes to avoid objectionable background
noise at the VIS.  Two or three minutes at sea level temperatures.

Wayne Fukunaga

Hi Jim-

Nice picture...thanks for sharing it.  It's amazing what can be done
with a good digital camera.  Registax makes it even easier to take
long exposure images to get a better s/n ratio.  I haven't tried
version 3 but I hear it is out.  Once you get your scope, you should
be able to use the same digital camera for imaging the moon and
planets.  Scopetronix makes a number of adapters to allow you to
hook it up to your scope and eyepieces easily.  You can probably
even do imaging of some brighter objects like M31 and M42.

I was playing around with my Tak refractor and ST-10XME camera last
night and captured the quick shot of M42 that I placed in the
imaging folder (this is about 5 minutes of imaging, no guiding...L-
80s, R-80s, G-80s, R-80s all binned 3x3).  Clearly this is not a
long guided exposure and the inner region of M42 is way overexposed
but it gives folks an idea of what's possible with almost no effort.

What scope are you considering?

Steve

--- In whac@yahoogroups.com, "lykemn" <jlyke@k...> wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> There was some mention of astrophotography in a previous post, so
I
> created a astro-images photo album.  Everyone can add to it (I
> think!).  As I wait to buy a telescope, I thought I'd start with
the
> most simple example...a long exposure of the sky.  Before we lose
him
> for a few months, I thought Orion would make a good subject.  I'm
> (kinda) a beginner to astrophotography.  I say 'kinda' because the
> other times I've done it are on professional telescopes.
>
> The image is a stack of 17 15-second images (total time 255
> seconds).  I used free-ware called RegiStax
> (http://registax.astronomy.net/) to register and stack the
images.  I
> have not adjusted any levels in the image.  It looks pretty good
to
> me already.
>
> Details:  Canon PowerShot S1 IS (3.2 megapixel digital) and a
> tripod.  ISO 400 equivalent, f/2.8 (wide open), widest angle
> on the zoom lens.
>
> I welcome and appreciate and comments and suggestions!
>
> Happy hunting!
> jim lyke

Hi All,

There was some mention of astrophotography in a previous post, so I
created a astro-images photo album.  Everyone can add to it (I
think!).  As I wait to buy a telescope, I thought I'd start with the
most simple example...a long exposure of the sky.  Before we lose him
for a few months, I thought Orion would make a good subject.  I'm
(kinda) a beginner to astrophotography.  I say 'kinda' because the
other times I've done it are on professional telescopes.

The image is a stack of 17 15-second images (total time 255
seconds).  I used free-ware called RegiStax
(http://registax.astronomy.net/) to register and stack the images.  I
have not adjusted any levels in the image.  It looks pretty good to
me already.

Details:  Canon PowerShot S1 IS (3.2 megapixel digital) and a
tripod.  ISO 400 equivalent, f/2.8 (wide open), widest angle
on the zoom lens.

I welcome and appreciate and comments and suggestions!

Happy hunting!
jim lyke

Aloha Steve,

I think the yahoo group is still taking shape, so nothing much has
gone on here yet.  I suspect many folks just haven't yet accepted the
invitation to join this yahoo group.  It will happen....all good
things take time, but we're well on our way.

BTW, we had a very nice turnout for our last meeting (~25
folks?)..just need to get the notes typed up and put out on the web.

I also think folks are waiting nervously for word on our Spring Star
Party which is tentatively scheduled for this Saturday night.   We're
watching the weather very closely and plan on making a decision today
on whether to go ahead and hold it or to put it off and wait for
better weather a few weeks more.  A pretty good wind is blowing right
now, and I'm hoping (I fear against hope) that we'll have a miracle
and be able to view.  I'll make the call later today and send out
word.

Laura sent me some stats on the membership list recently; it was
interesting to note that many folks are eager to learn more about
astrophotography.  You might start thinking about an introductory
talk to the group about yourself, your equipment, and your
experiences with astrophotography.  We could really use someone to
champion this particular aspect of the club and help members learn
along the way.  Lots of folks are interested, but we have only a few
folks with experience, and two of the biggest are either not here
and/or are away right now.  We have another member who's very active
in astrophotography, but he's usually not available to meet with us
due to his business (a nighttime tourism business in star parties).
So, if you're willing, start thinking about a talk on this subject.

Meanwhile, I hope the logistics of your move arrangements are coming
along; it will be nice to meet you.

Cheers,
Doug

Aloha WHAC members-

We've been watching the new board to see if anyone was going to post
anything and nothing has shown up...so, we thought we'd kick the
board off.  What does everyone use today for observing, do you do
mostly visual or CCD, what would you like to use in the future, what
kind of observing would you like to do with your scope going forward?

We have an RC Optical Systems Ritchey-Chretien 16" carbon truss
scope on a Paramount ME that will go in to the observatory we'll be
building at our new home (15' ProDome).  We also have a Takahashi
BRC-250 on a Takahashi NJP mount that we use for our "portable" set
up.  We also have a Takahashi TOA-130 refractor with a Coronado
Instruments hydrogen-alpha filter for solar observing.  We have a
couple of Takahashi FS-60C scopes for finders and wide field
imaging, they also make very nice traveling scopes.  Most recently
we acquired Oberwerk giant binoculars which will serve double duty
in astronomy and also for whale watching.  On tap, we have a
Takahashi TOA-150 refractor (they should be shipping in May or
June)...we have aperture fever in our house!  <g>  The one thing
we're really looking forward to is escaping the light pollution of
Las Vegas.  We've been trying to get into imaging for a while now
but the sky is getting brighter by the day in the Las Vegas valley.

Cindy and I are looking forward to being part of the WHAC.  We just
purchased a "temporary" house in Kohala Ranch while our new one is
being built...we expect to be there in June or July to start
enjoying the islands (we live in Las Vegas right now).  If you are
interested in reading more about us, you can find us at
www.kohalamountain.com.

Mahalo,

Steve & Cindy Cullen