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Some of the last few daze...
Feb 7, 2018 14:08:58   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
So, the weather is being funky for me, and if there looks to be any clouds, why bother?
But the last quarter is now history, and February is going to be a 'moonless', or dark month. (Meaning no full Moon, in plain Engrish)
Of course the Moon is up there, but prime for trying to image deep sky objects. As long as the weather works out.
So, of course, I'm out and about, sharpening my talons, to suck the light out of hapless wonders drifting by in silence.
Orion is about to vanish for this winter season, and rise for others to enjoy (I think) in the Southern hemisphere.

Catch as catch can...
Several of the 2-6-18's are low in the N/W skies here. As they climb for the Spring/Summer viewing I hope to gather better images.
I did a 'Factory Reset' on 2-3-18 and got the AVX back on track again. I'm getting better at telling when it needs it to clear out the garr~bag`e it gets in it's head.
Last night, doing the entire remote alignment from inside, using the guiding and Infinity cameras as my 'eyepieces'. I now use the Infinity as my alignment camera, and my guide camera as a coarse aim view.

A while back now, I decided to try extending the legs on my AVX to get as much horizon as I could to work with, in spite of overwhelming 'shorter is stabler' advice around the web. That has been working very well for me, not that I have much horizon anyway being surrounded by Suburbia and lots of light pollution. But it got me up to the edge of the well, instead of down in a hole do to my various obstructions.
Always learning, always refining, always thinking. Just keep swimming, yeah Jim.

Andromeda 2-3-18
Andromeda 2-3-18...
(Download)

Flame Nebula and Alnitak 2-3-18
Flame Nebula and Alnitak 2-3-18...
(Download)

Triangulum, aka: Pinwheel Galaxy 2-3-18
Triangulum, aka: Pinwheel Galaxy 2-3-18...
(Download)

Triangulum, aka: Pinwheel Galaxy 2-6-18
Triangulum, aka: Pinwheel Galaxy 2-6-18...
(Download)

Bubble Nebula 2-6-18
Bubble Nebula 2-6-18...
(Download)

Wizard Nebula 2-6-18
Wizard Nebula 2-6-18...
(Download)

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Feb 7, 2018 14:20:45   #
SeamusMac Loc: Walla Walla, WA
 
Excellent!

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Feb 7, 2018 20:50:25   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
SeamusMac wrote:
Excellent!


Thanks. Having fun.

Reply
 
 
Feb 8, 2018 09:00:54   #
bastro
 
Thanks! Similar situation here. I had some nice night with clear skies then some travel and rain. Hopefully I'll get a chance to sign tonight in hopes of some DSO's after the weekend rains. I've debated working on remote setup, but I still enjoy looking up and seeing the occasional meteor and still learning some of the less will known constellations!
Have fun!

Reply
Feb 8, 2018 11:20:44   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
bastro wrote:
Thanks! Similar situation here. I had some nice night with clear skies then some travel and rain. Hopefully I'll get a chance to sign tonight in hopes of some DSO's after the weekend rains. I've debated working on remote setup, but I still enjoy looking up and seeing the occasional meteor and still learning some of the less will known constellations!
Have fun!


Definitely having fun! All it takes is some clear skies.
A long time ago, and many galaxies far, far way... I use to dream about being able to come in from the cold. I got laughed at by a friend in Minnesota because I told her I dawned my Carrhart insulated coveralls to sit in my Southern California backyard and manually shoot star trails pictures. She was surprised that anybody in California even knew about insulated coveralls.
Then, chatting with Stepping Beyond, he mentioned about getting set up, then going to his Bat Cave where he runs via WiFi to his Mount/Telescope. He told me of a program called Team Viewer, and I started with that.
I've since moved to a program called Tight VNC, which is a free, open sourced, peer to peer computer link up. And now that both of my computers are running 64 bit, and I have an updated router, it's a click-n-pop operation almost all the time. (My 12 year old laptop died. When it was replaced with the 2 in 1 'Baby Dell' the magic came together!)
Anyway, I like being able to chose to sit out, or sit in. But when it's chilly, this old fart likes sitting in.
So for me, it's about choices.

Reply
Feb 8, 2018 13:43:25   #
bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada
 
SonnyE wrote:
So, the weather is being funky for me, and if there looks to be any clouds, why bother?
But the last quarter is now history, and February is going to be a 'moonless', or dark month. (Meaning no full Moon, in plain Engrish)
Of course the Moon is up there, but prime for trying to image deep sky objects. As long as the weather works out.
So, of course, I'm out and about, sharpening my talons, to suck the light out of hapless wonders drifting by in silence.
Orion is about to vanish for this winter season, and rise for others to enjoy (I think) in the Southern hemisphere.

Catch as catch can...
Several of the 2-6-18's are low in the N/W skies here. As they climb for the Spring/Summer viewing I hope to gather better images.
I did a 'Factory Reset' on 2-3-18 and got the AVX back on track again. I'm getting better at telling when it needs it to clear out the garr~bag`e it gets in it's head.
Last night, doing the entire remote alignment from inside, using the guiding and Infinity cameras as my 'eyepieces'. I now use the Infinity as my alignment camera, and my guide camera as a coarse aim view.

A while back now, I decided to try extending the legs on my AVX to get as much horizon as I could to work with, in spite of overwhelming 'shorter is stabler' advice around the web. That has been working very well for me, not that I have much horizon anyway being surrounded by Suburbia and lots of light pollution. But it got me up to the edge of the well, instead of down in a hole do to my various obstructions.
Always learning, always refining, always thinking. Just keep swimming, yeah Jim.
So, the weather is being funky for me, and if ther... (show quote)

Another fine suite of images!

No imaging here! Currently sitting in Banff in a snow storm...

bwa

Reply
Feb 8, 2018 18:14:35   #
bastro
 
Any issues setting up VNC? I read that was one of the best, downloaded it, but have not taken time to get it running!

Reply
 
 
Feb 8, 2018 18:49:35   #
CathyAnn Loc: Apache Junction, AZ
 
Excellent shots, Sonny!

Reply
Feb 10, 2018 10:24:28   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
CathyAnn wrote:
Excellent shots, Sonny!


Thank You, CathyAnn!

Reply
Feb 10, 2018 11:15:32   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
bastro wrote:
Any issues setting up VNC? I read that was one of the best, downloaded it, but have not taken time to get it running!


None that bring immediate nightmares. Please note that I am a PC/Windows user. You may find help HERE
One computer is the Main, or Host/Server. Then the other computer(s) are network computers.
I just named mine Sonny 1, Sonny 2. The satellite (2nd, Baby Dell in my case) computer gets a web type address assigned to it, in my case: 192.168.2.16 currently. But the last two digits (16) can change, and it makes me walk out to check what they are, enter that, and it opens the password screen. That was the only thing that bugged me.
But that number (16) hasn't changed in a while.

The only other quirk I've had a fight with was the distance. But with both computers running at 64 bit, and my newer router, things are very reliable and fairly quick. (My router and old laptop were ~12 years old.)
WiFi is a different animal, and things like walls can effect the operation and speed of the two computers. Sometimes just turning the Baby Dell so it is more aimed towards my routers location can spice up the speed. I know they have a certain bit of directional to their antennas.

Once in a while things get funky, and last night I wound up shutting down the Baby Dell and restarting it. Something was making it hang occasionally during alignment. Unusual for it to act up. But starting over cures all ills.
WiFi is certainly miles ahead of Bluetooth though. Bluetooth is a very close proximity peer to peer wireless (Example: Your Cell and your car connecting). But WiFi has up to a 150 foot range. Up to... not definite.
Mine is an estimated 75 feet, and has one stucco wall, and a few interior walls, in the path.

Wired (CAT 5/6), in my opinion, is still the best and fastest and is reliable. But it can also be harder to set up. And if you want to be portable like I do occasionally wired would be a PITA.
Still, cable networking can be the most secure and reliable.

Reply
Feb 10, 2018 11:17:32   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
bwana wrote:
Another fine suite of images!

No imaging here! Currently sitting in Banff in a snow storm...

bwa


Thank You Brian!
Sorry to hear of the snowstorm. BURR!

Reply
 
 
Feb 12, 2018 14:49:12   #
CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.
 
SonnyE wrote:
So, the weather is being funky for me, and if there looks to be any clouds, why bother?
But the last quarter is now history, and February is going to be a 'moonless', or dark month. (Meaning no full Moon, in plain Engrish)
Of course the Moon is up there, but prime for trying to image deep sky objects. As long as the weather works out.
So, of course, I'm out and about, sharpening my talons, to suck the light out of hapless wonders drifting by in silence.
Orion is about to vanish for this winter season, and rise for others to enjoy (I think) in the Southern hemisphere.

Catch as catch can...
Several of the 2-6-18's are low in the N/W skies here. As they climb for the Spring/Summer viewing I hope to gather better images.
I did a 'Factory Reset' on 2-3-18 and got the AVX back on track again. I'm getting better at telling when it needs it to clear out the garr~bag`e it gets in it's head.
Last night, doing the entire remote alignment from inside, using the guiding and Infinity cameras as my 'eyepieces'. I now use the Infinity as my alignment camera, and my guide camera as a coarse aim view.

A while back now, I decided to try extending the legs on my AVX to get as much horizon as I could to work with, in spite of overwhelming 'shorter is stabler' advice around the web. That has been working very well for me, not that I have much horizon anyway being surrounded by Suburbia and lots of light pollution. But it got me up to the edge of the well, instead of down in a hole do to my various obstructions.
Always learning, always refining, always thinking. Just keep swimming, yeah Jim.
So, the weather is being funky for me, and if ther... (show quote)

Some really nice work Sonny.
Craig

Reply
Feb 12, 2018 15:48:32   #
SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA
 
CraigFair wrote:
Some really nice work Sonny.
Craig


Thank You Craig.
One of these days I might get the hang of this...

Reply
Feb 12, 2018 16:08:30   #
CraigFair Loc: Santa Maria, CA.
 
SonnyE wrote:
Thank You Craig.
One of these days I might get the hang of this...

You are doing very well Sonny.
Craig

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