*******Don't Hate Playa******************************

[!mitationRust]

Oldie box for my spotting scope. I know it's a waste of a VGA switch. It only has to run one piece of Astro-software, so no cd-Rom needed in the mix.

http://img292.echo.cx/img292/1/19ed.jpg
http://img194.echo.cx/img194/5387/25jz.jpg
http://img194.echo.cx/img194/7128/30zh.jpg
http://img194.echo.cx/img194/6857/40ei.jpg
http://img194.echo.cx/img194/3923/53qb.jpg

I degraded the photos for the 56k's

[Und3ertak3r]

which astro software?

[!mitationRust]

I have a crap load, but this will be running *new Meade.........All the others I need are on my thinkpad.

[foxyloxley]

I HATE to sound stupid [face it, I can sound stupid ANYTIME]

What exactly IS this for ?

I know from your history that the sky at night is a place you like to visit, BUT ??

[Tim_axe]

!mitationRust - Dude, I'm just getting into astro (photography) stuff myself. I'm currently in the process of building a double barn door sky tracker so I can do some long exposure photography stuff without the stars trailing. I just need a jigsaw to finish a cut, a stepper motor + gear box, a 555 timing circuit to drive it at the right speed, and a few other misc parts. So it's coming along alright...

Care to explain what this is, though? Sounds like fun. Cheers

[!mitationRust]

Originally posted here by Tim_axe
!mitationRust - Dude, I'm just getting into astro (photography) stuff myself. I'm currently in the process of building a double barn door sky tracker so I can do some long exposure photography stuff without the stars trailing. I just need a jigsaw to finish a cut, a stepper motor + gear box, a 555 timing circuit to drive it at the right speed, and a few other misc parts. So it's coming along alright...

Care to explain what this is, though? Sounds like fun. Cheers

Sorry guys for not subscribing to the thread, my bad.

Project: This is an enclosed firearm/scope case from Wal-mart ($5). I needed something water-proof/ dew proof.
While closed it is fully functional through battery --> 750 watt inverter (8HR) or through direct line (which I'll be using). It's a cheap experiment, but will have plenty processing power for its use. I have 3 SOYO-DDR boards that will be running together with this board with my future observatory.

I'm attempting to build a vibration free platform, some like this guys. http://www.werbeagentur.org/oldwexi/pier.html

I'd like to build it on springs like NORAD, but my specific means of insulation should be enough for me. This project surely will not be accepted by my neighborhood association. I just had a fence built at 5 grand, to add cover. Some shrubs and some trees should be enough cover for my observatory. Hopefully.

I already mod'ed a web cam for my telescope, but I'm about to purchase a cryogenically-cooled CCD cam. http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/6231/cb2454zl.jpg I'm not going to use passive cooling nor air, but water. Slight vibration from the fan can cause focus problems in deep space photography as you could imagine.

I'm really diggin this guy's homemade sh!t right now!
http://web.qx.net/lhaddix/chiller.htm
http://web.qx.net/lhaddix/equipment.htm

He's using a medical laser chiller to control the temps on his unit. He's built a custom motorized filter wheel. etc.... *****MOFO awesome!

I'm really into "outer space" time-lapse photography with inverted and negative images injected etc... But mostly time lapse.


God....... .I really want to get back on this but I'm packing for a road trip/vacation Monday. I'll respond in a few weeks.

[tiDaLfAze23]

I cant wait to get my hands on a Meade LX200 GPS, I am looking at the 8" version
for my first scope.

I have always had an interest in the solar system, but never got around to getting serious
and investing in a scope.

Last week when i was in Portland Victoria, i was out in the boat fishing with my brother at
night. The sky was crystal clear, and without any major city lights, it was a buzz to view.

We spotted a bright satellite in orbit, then another and another, in about five minutes i saw
more satellites than i have ever seen before, i could have watched the sky for hours.

I wished i'd had a decent telescope to see more, and thought of buying one in a few weeks.

After reading your post, and checking out some of the links, you have convinced me to purchase
a serious scope for my new hobby, i think you should contact Meade and ask for your commission
from the sale.....



cheers and happy star gazing, TidaL.....

[!mitationRust]

Tim: looks like you have a few interesting projects of your own in commence. I'm embarking on several this year....not all technical some organic etc..

I just upped the voltage on a brand new Prescott 3.2 -----> attempting to hit its sweet-spot 4.0 I'll need to machine a liquid block for that and my Cold Fing3r project The Cookbook "CB245" CCD Camera .

So with your set up is dew going to be factor?




Current Projects:

http://img50.imageshack.us/img50/3263/13yo.jpg [I bought all the brackets the store had. I'll have the second and third board stacked on top soon. Right now it's on a plexiglass MOBO test-bed]

1: Triple stack water-cooled Beowulf cluster, served in clear acrylic cube, with custom-linkable 3cm mount screws. Custom machined copper bottom and top acrylic water blocks for MOSFET's, Northbridge, Southbridge and CPU __Via: A-s-5 thermal epoxy.... 3 SOYO DDR 478's -- CPU brackets removed for custom machined brackets with tension-spring screws/wing nutted.
Tools: Drill Press, Tap & Dye micro-set, Milling bit, Band saw etc..

Materials: Clear acrylic, Copper billet or whatever my standars may be Wiedemann-Franz law. .


2: Homemade Mock-up IHADSS Helmet. For you n00bs that's: Integrated helmet and display sight system (Army) (US DoD)

I'm modifying my street bike helmet mainly for visor GPS, while maintaining its external design.

The GPS waterproof Garmin street mount I have, I want to get a wireless feed into a see
through screen in my left-side visor.

Motorcycle Helmet Bluetooth modification to accept wireless calls.



3: CCD CookBook CB245 liquid-cooled. http://www.physics.wayne.edu/wsu/ccd.html
http://www.astroturtle.com/cb245.htm


Later guys



*****Edit
Yeah, the brightest objects in the sky ....Sun, Moon, ISS etc.. in that order I think.

[Tim_axe]

Must not be fun with the Neighborhood Assc (my own show stopper is parents, haha).

And where do you live that you can observe well from your home? I'm in Northern Idaho, but in this small <800 population town I'm seeing enough light pollution that it is visible in my photos. So right now I'm driving about 8 miles out of town for a good viewing location. Which seems to be what your sweet machine there is ready to do.

Such a machine might keep me less afraid of the "killer" deer that seem to lurk whereever I go. (the deer in this photo was unintentional, and it spooked me for a quick trip home because it snuck up on me and I thought it was another beast...)

http://files.timaxe.com/forums/photo...50553_crop.jpg



Here is a semi-recent picture. Just tripod mounted and an exposure time short enough to prevent the stars from trailing...unfortunately I can't pick up very dim objects with such short shutter speeds of 5 seconds with my lens wide open (85mm f/1.8 = 47.2mm apeture diameter) even with a relatively sensitive ISO 800...

http://files.timaxe.com/forums/photos_img_05050527.jpg

Hopefully after I get that barn door tracker built ( http://education.jlab.org/tracker/ --> http://hometown.aol.com/davetrott/page17.htm ) I can start exposing for 5 - 30 minutes or so, along with stacking images, and pick up some -8EV to -10EV objects from the sky. Then I'll try to score another camera and remove the IR-cut filter myself and then I'll get some more prettier pictures.

But for now I'm *still* trying to find someone with a jigsaw I can borrow



BTW, here is a star trails shot I did recently. Came out nice IMHO...

http://files.timaxe.com/forums/photos_img_05050518.jpg



And just because it is about that time of year here are two fireworks shot from last night. The 2nd one I submitted to the newspaper with some IPTC comments stating MAGS OUT, INTERNET OUT, and NO 3RD PARTY SALES that they better honor if they decide to run it in the reader's photo section.

http://files.timaxe.com/forums/photos_img_05071958.jpg
http://files.timaxe.com/forums/photos_img_05071984.jpg

[tiDaLfAze23]

Thanks for those links, i found an astro site here in OZ, that's got a great forum,
images, advice etc.

I am slowly learning the basics of astrophotography before i rush out and spend mega
bucks on useless junk.

The homemade CCD is interesting, and i may attempt to build one in the future, it should
cost around $1500 AUD

I am stoked at the cost of a decent EQmount though, the Losmandy will cost nearly more
than my scope, man i thought setting up to take a few happy snaps was going to somewhat
cheap (silly me)

I am now undecided on the scope i want, ETX125 or the LX200 GPS in the 10"
I know the images from the 125 are very good, but think i will regret not getting the lx200.

I am finding it hard to part with $7-8000 AUD to get a setup that gives me good sharp images
of deep space objects, but what the heck you only live once, and i mean it's not like i can't keep
warm somehow once i get booted outside for life by the finance minister.

cheers TidaL.....