Posts Made By: Alex McConahay

The Gemini system itself is a software/hardware system. If you want to hook it up to your computer (which is not necessary), you can do it with several planetarium programs--some of which are free on the web.

Alex

It does help a lot, I think, if the first time you set up and run the Gemini system you do it in your living room.

And then if you can have a helper who knows the system around to help you on startup outdoors, it is really easier to understand everything.

Alex

On Tuesday, September 1, the regular prices kick in on the Riverside AstroImaging Workshop to be held September 25, the Friday before PATS. You can save some bucks by registering now!

Info and registration is at http://rivastro.org/raw_registrationnew.html

There are ten "sessions" scheduled in "Affordable" and "Advanced" strands.
Don Goldman (Astrodon): “Narrow Band Imaging 101” (Two Hour Session)
Bryan Cogdell (Orion): “Selecting Affordable Equipment,” “Image Acquisition,” “Processing Basics”
Kevin Nelson (QSI): “Bias and Darks and Flats, Oh My! - How and Why of Image Calibration"
Greg Fisch: “Imaging for Everyone: Tools for Quality Images on Your First Attempt,”
“High Dynamic Range Images: Packing 65536 items into 256”
Daniel Mounsey (“Dr. D”): “Choosing and Using High End Equipment"

You can also obtain discount tickets to PATS included with your workshop registrations.

On Tuesday, September 1, the regular prices kick in on the Riverside AstroImaging Workshop to be held September 25, the Friday before PATS. You can save some bucks by registering now!

Info and registration is at http://rivastro.org/raw_registrationnew.html

There are ten "sessions" scheduled in "Affordable" and "Advanced" strands.
Don Goldman (Astrodon): “Narrow Band Imaging 101” (Two Hour Session)
Bryan Cogdell (Orion): “Selecting Affordable Equipment,” “Image Acquisition,” “Processing Basics”
Kevin Nelson (QSI): “Bias and Darks and Flats, Oh My! - How and Why of Image Calibration"
Greg Fisch: “Imaging for Everyone: Tools for Quality Images on Your First Attempt,”
“High Dynamic Range Images: Packing 65536 items into 256”
Daniel Mounsey (“Dr. D”): “Choosing and Using High End Equipment"

You can also obtain discount tickets to PATS included with your workshop registrations.

On Tuesday, September 1, the regular prices kick in on the Riverside AstroImaging Workshop to be held September 25, the Friday before PATS. You can save some bucks by registering now!

Info and registration is at http://rivastro.org/raw_registrationnew.html

There are ten "sessions" scheduled in "Affordable" and "Advanced" strands.
Don Goldman (Astrodon): “Narrow Band Imaging 101” (Two Hour Session)
Bryan Cogdell (Orion): “Selecting Affordable Equipment,” “Image Acquisition,” “Processing Basics”
Kevin Nelson (QSI): “Bias and Darks and Flats, Oh My! - How and Why of Image Calibration"
Greg Fisch: “Imaging for Everyone: Tools for Quality Images on Your First Attempt,”
“High Dynamic Range Images: Packing 65536 items into 256”
Daniel Mounsey (“Dr. D”): “Choosing and Using High End Equipment"

You can also obtain discount tickets to PATS included with your workshop registrations.

I got an email today:

My wife and I purchased a used Meade DS-114AT telescope at an estate sale... It was missing the 12 volt battery pack.
....
Does anyone have a similar MEade telescope that would be able to measure the voltage on the power cord where it plugs into the telescope tripod base? ....

Anybody know the answer for sure?


Alex

With less than two weeks to go, we still have some space remaining in the Workshop being held the Friday before PATS. We have ten presentations for both beginning and advanced imagers.

For details, go to http://rivastro.org/raw_registrationnew.html

Thanks,

Alex

With less than two weeks to go, we still have some space remaining in the Workshop being held the Friday before PATS. We have ten presentations for both beginning and advanced imagers.

For details, go to http://rivastro.org/raw_registrationnew.html

Thanks,

Alex

I took a picture of Moretus to practice up for the October 9 rocket crash.

I need the practice because I am new to webcam and lunar imaging.

I got what you see below.

My question: What is that line that comes at an angle up from the limb? It seems some kind of processing artifact. I used Registax 5.

Anybody have any advice for it?

Alex

Dave,

I don't have an Argo-Navis, but I have used other DSC's.

Point your telescope North, with the tube flat (0 degrees altitude).

Get your DSC's to report to you the raw encoder ticks (or, if you cannot do that with your DSC's, set it to read out raw altitude and azimuth).

Turn the tube through one whole circle (turn it to the east, south, west, and back to the North). Read off how many encoder ticks it went through. (Or how many degrees it went through.) THat should tell you how many ticks you really need, and is dependent on your encoders.(Or how many degrees it thinks it went through--which should be 360)

Now, send the tube to straight up. YOu should get 1/4th the number of altitude ticks you have on your encoder. (or 90 degrees in altitude).

If that is all working out, then check your settings to make sure you are in Alt-Az mode, and not GEM or something else.

Try your time, and other settings to make sure they are accurate.

If those work out, go back to exercise 1, and see if things are changing smoothly (do things grab, do you lose data, is East at 90, south at 180, west at 270, etc. )

Look for loose connections, slipping couplings, etc.

Are the objects consistently way off, or randomly way off?

Alex