nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Whoa it has been a long time since I was on the hog. I was trying to see if I could figure out when my last post was. It has been a long time at any rate. Good to see Bwana still posting good images. Sonny, Stepping Beyond and a bunch of others were very active when I last logged on to the hog...are they still active on the hog?

I started making youtube videos on astro photography for the past year if anyone is interested in my two cents.

https://www.youtube.com/user/MrEdoverstreet/videos

Marc G Loc: East Grinstead, West Sussex, England

Hiya
welcome back, Stepping Beyond is still around as am I, I haven't seen or heard anything from Sonny for a while thou.
Marc

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

I was trying to think of others that were active then......age limits my memory I. Due to my wife's health and difficulty of climbing stairs, we downsized to a single story home. But the views from my backyard are very good. I have 365 degree access from 20 degrees up. I did put in a concrete platform an added to permanent piers with the kits out year around covered by 365 Telegizmos. it sure makes things easier not having to set up each night the skies are clear. I am also helping with a middle school observatory and planetarium several days/nights a week....and still taking sports pics. I swore during the Covid closures that I was done with that.....but low and behold I and still on the sidelines, but it is all local. No more travel. I turned 77 in May so time will eventually end my sideline picture taking :) But I still feel like a kid! Marc, good to hear from you! Yourself and Bwana are mighty faithful "hogsters"!

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

I don't recall you being gone all that long but good to see you back.

As for being 77... It is the new 60's.

bwa

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

I like your thinking about that age deal.....I remember thinking my life was coming to and end when turned 60. Everything is relative! I think the last time I was posting was pre covid. Really not sure. When I did logon.....I was unfamiliar with the new look and could not find the Astrophotography group. I was looking through pictures being posted and they are awesome! Bwana I see where you have gotten into solar imaging. Good stuff up there with a lot of science happening live and in person. i really like solar imaging, unlike planetary, deep space, and lunar - the sun is always changing. Stepping Beyond just lives 45 minutes from me - we exchanged emails from time to time but I haven't heard from him in a while. Hope everyone has clear skies! I'll check in more often to say howdy!

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

How ya doing Ed, I'm running 6min narrowband subs and 4min. rgb collecting those photons whenever I can . You're one busy BEE , I must say. The trees have grown around me but, I'm still pulling at least" 10subs @360s narrowband and 15-20subs@ 240s rgb and sleep while I collect 40 to 60 darks and when I get up "I go unplug" and see what they look like and transfer to my desktop in my Cave where the magic really takes place. I check your channel every now and then and things are coming along for you. I had a channel with google+ using twitch for live feed but, when google+ went so did I. I wasn't into broadcasting anymore.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Holy moly! That is awesome! I am tickled you have everything up and running! You put more time and had more patience than anyone I know to get your kit working for you! I keep copying you in my emails ......but wasn't sure if you were getting them. Glad to hear from you!

Marc G Loc: East Grinstead, West Sussex, England

Covid most certainly rocked the world big time.
So sorry to hear about your wife Ed.
Age is only a number mate, but 77 & still so active is brilliant to hear. That must make me a hog baby at 54yrs young?

Really looking forward to viewing some of your images in the near future.
Take care ED

Marc

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Marc....I didn't mean to leave the impression that my wife died. She is very much alive and saying NO to every astronomy purchase I consider :) I lost my sister to Covid and niece. A lot of close friends.....my workout partner caught it in the spring of 2020 and is forever disabled. Breathes with help and wasi n great health before catching covid. My oldest son is a neurologist and involved with the FDA on a weekly basis. He begged my wife and I not to get vaccinated. We didn't. I made it until July 1st of this year and got what I thought was a sinus infection. I tested positive and they put me on (I forgot) what it was called but it was the same thing they put Biden on. My wife tested positive the next day and she started it to. We took it for 5 days. I was fine in a week...she was good to go in three days. But I know all too well far too many who did not fare so well. I did not image all of July or August due to clouds and rain most days and every night. I did get some solar imaging in. I have had one clear night last week.... for about 5 hours and I squeezed Andromeda in LRGB. I just finished processing it.

(Download)

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

I just checked out some of your video's. Great work. I haven't seen anything from SonnyE or Europa lately.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Thank you for the kind words! I hope they are ok!

stepping beyond Loc: usa eastcoast

I have reached my limit on astro-equipment, so she says "I still get to get my usb and serial cables, I did get my s2 03, and a dark frame filter and 8 position efw and a manual rotator so I don't lose my focus. Its working and I've been out so many times setup and ready to go only to get 1or2 subs only to pull the plug and shut down. Always a learning experience yall.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Me too....but my asto wants are now harder to justify given my age....and health history. I put on the buying brakes by doing some cost benefit analysis. When you divide the number of clear sky nights I might have between now and the "pearly gates", into the cost of "whatever".... it becomes a very very expensive hobby.

I also realize that I would never be totally satisfied ....as new stuff is always coming out with more bells and whistles than my stuff.

Ballard Loc: Grass Valley, California

One site that I use that really helps to determine if it is going to be a decent night for imaging is called
https://www.meteoblue.com/
In this site they have an Astronomy seeing section under outdoors and sports that gives an hourly estimate at any location you ask for of the high, medium and low level clouds expected, along with arc second seeing, winds aloft and other data.
Here is the exact link I get when I enter Grass Valley as the location.
https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/outdoorsports/seeing/grass-valley_united-states_5353775

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Yessir, I am an avid user of Meteoblue as well.

This has proven to be a great real time graphic of what's going on and what may happen weatherwise.

https://weather.cod.edu/satrad/?parms=continental-conus-13-24-1-100-1&checked=map&colorbar=undefined

Also

https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?w0=t&w3=sfcwind&w3u=1&w4=sky&w5=pop&w7=rain&w10u=0&w13u=1&w14u=1&w22=vsby&AheadHour=48&FcstType=graphical&textField1=34.9183&textField2=-81.86&site=all&unit=0&dd=&bw=&BackDay.x=67&BackDay.y=13