For those new to all of this...
Dec 23, 2015 11:47:38 #
I am enjoying spending some time with my son and his family.... after everyone has retired - I am stewing in my juices looking for something to do. I came up with two things that may be of help for those new to astro- imaging. The first is a simple calculator to help you plan your imaging night. I added some hints and reminders that I still use (check list) if you will. BTW, if I have left out anything - let me know so I can add. This is a work in progress.
Last, Calibration frames are very important but - they do add to a night of imaging and when it is freezing cold - who wants too. We also have other problems....far too many nights are horrible for astro-imaging so this can be a good time to build your calibration frames library. You do not need to set up your entire kit....just bring the scope and camera out for the ambient temperature and shoot away. I have attached an example of my library tree. BTW, FLATS can't be libraried - as focus, camera attachment must remain intact. Also, with the exception of the Darks, FLATS and BIAS can be taken inside as temperature is not important. If shooting FLATS inside, carry your scope and camera attached making sure your focus hasn't changed.
I am trying to upload an excel file - if it doesn't work and you want one, just send me an email at ed@emphoto.net and I will attach one and return, via email - it may be next year before I will be able to do that.
Before we left my wife (who knows me all to well) said, why don't you leave your IPAD and laptop at home, otherwise you will spend the entire time on it instead of enjoying your family. I agreed...but she didn't say anything about using my son's :) catch ya next year!
Last, Calibration frames are very important but - they do add to a night of imaging and when it is freezing cold - who wants too. We also have other problems....far too many nights are horrible for astro-imaging so this can be a good time to build your calibration frames library. You do not need to set up your entire kit....just bring the scope and camera out for the ambient temperature and shoot away. I have attached an example of my library tree. BTW, FLATS can't be libraried - as focus, camera attachment must remain intact. Also, with the exception of the Darks, FLATS and BIAS can be taken inside as temperature is not important. If shooting FLATS inside, carry your scope and camera attached making sure your focus hasn't changed.
I am trying to upload an excel file - if it doesn't work and you want one, just send me an email at ed@emphoto.net and I will attach one and return, via email - it may be next year before I will be able to do that.
Before we left my wife (who knows me all to well) said, why don't you leave your IPAD and laptop at home, otherwise you will spend the entire time on it instead of enjoying your family. I agreed...but she didn't say anything about using my son's :) catch ya next year!
Dec 23, 2015 13:50:55 #
Leave your laptop home??? :shock:
Oh, hell no. :hunf:
That's "Survival Gear".
Even if you have to go to Starbutts or McDonads to use it.
I'll be thinking of you while I'm playing tonight...
PS: Orion said to send the G3 in for evaluation.
Now go play with the grand kids.
Oh, hell no. :hunf:
That's "Survival Gear".
Even if you have to go to Starbutts or McDonads to use it.
I'll be thinking of you while I'm playing tonight...
PS: Orion said to send the G3 in for evaluation.
Now go play with the grand kids.
Dec 23, 2015 16:31:43 #
SonnyE wrote:
Leave your laptop home??? :shock:
Oh, hell no. :hunf:
That's "Survival Gear".
Even if you have to go to Starbutts or McDonads to use it.
I'll be thinking of you while I'm playing tonight...
PS: Orion said to send the G3 in for evaluation.
Now go play with the grand kids.
Oh, hell no. :hunf:
That's "Survival Gear".
Even if you have to go to Starbutts or McDonads to use it.
I'll be thinking of you while I'm playing tonight...
PS: Orion said to send the G3 in for evaluation.
Now go play with the grand kids.
Ah the grands! I wish I liked my kids half as much! Kidding! No I'm not. :)
At any rate, I made some cosmetic changes and have already planned what I am going to target and my setup for my next imaging session. Accuweather says that it will be Jan 3rd before I have a chance for a clearsky night...then the 4th and 5th look good too.
Dec 23, 2015 17:03:59 #
nikonshooter wrote:
I am enjoying spending some time with my son and h... (show quote)
Thank you very much Ed for sharing this with all of us.
Craig
Dec 23, 2015 17:06:04 #
SonnyE wrote:
Leave your laptop home??? :shock:
Oh, hell no. :hunf:
That's "Survival Gear".
Even if you have to go to Starbutts or McDonads to use it.
I'll be thinking of you while I'm playing tonight...
PS: Orion said to send the G3 in for evaluation.
Now go play with the grand kids.
Oh, hell no. :hunf:
That's "Survival Gear".
Even if you have to go to Starbutts or McDonads to use it.
I'll be thinking of you while I'm playing tonight...
PS: Orion said to send the G3 in for evaluation.
Now go play with the grand kids.
Use you D3300, it will take some great shots of the Great Orion Nebula.
Craig
Dec 23, 2015 17:06:04 #
Dec 24, 2015 08:17:55 #
nikonshooter wrote:
Ah the grands! I wish I liked my kids half as much! Kidding! No I'm not. :)
At any rate, I made some cosmetic changes and have already planned what I am going to target and my setup for my next imaging session. Accuweather says that it will be Jan 3rd before I have a chance for a clearsky night...then the 4th and 5th look good too.
At any rate, I made some cosmetic changes and have already planned what I am going to target and my setup for my next imaging session. Accuweather says that it will be Jan 3rd before I have a chance for a clearsky night...then the 4th and 5th look good too.
It's much easier to like grandkids - you are not responsible for raising 'em, and you get to give them back when you have had enough!
It's raining here, too. I got to spend several hours last night driving a school bus around in the fog and rain doing a charter for a local church. It wasn't too much fun, but as long as it stays wet rather than white, I am not going to complain. Here we are, Christmas Eve, and the forecast is for a high of 68 degrees! I'll take it...
Merry Christmas to all...!
Dec 24, 2015 10:01:06 #
Bloke wrote:
It's much easier to like grandkids - you are not r... (show quote)
We have either overcast or rain through Jan 2 - extended forecast. Unfortunately a lot of folks in our area are getting flooded out. It's been a wet fall and winter so far.
I will be heading home later tonight - my daughter lives in Spartanburg, down the road, and we will be joining up with her family tomorrow. I also have an older son in Nice France, he has 4 of our youngest grands. He is the one that got me "shooting up." 5 years ago, he bought me the Vixen 81EDs scope and Vixen skypod Alt Az mount with all of the adapters for attaching a DSLR. I never looked through the scope until two years ago (it was boxed for 3 years), let alone take a picture.....just too bloody busy to try to figure stuff out. Heretofore, my experience with looking through these things was poor - I didn't realize this was a good piece of kit. My son also got me several Televue eyepieces - one in particular I like is the 13 Ethos wide field. When I looked through that for the first time....I felt like I wa swimming in stars. I WAS HOOKED. I begin reading everything I could regarding "up" I didn't know the difference between the Meridian and Ford Maverick. Well that was then and now I devote as much time as I have to the "up" experience.
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you get lots of "up" goodies to play with!
Dec 24, 2015 17:06:39 #
nikonshooter wrote:
We have either overcast or rain through Jan 2 - ex... (show quote)
Love those wide field eye pieces. When you compare them to the standard junk eye pieces they ship with every scope, it is a night and day difference.
Raining here in the Bay Area (25 miles south of San Jose) all day today (again). The average for this time of year is 60 for the high, but we are 48 today. Even Boston is warmer than us today.
Merry Christmas,
Jim
Dec 24, 2015 17:16:51 #
nikonshooter wrote:
We have either overcast or rain through Jan 2 - ex... (show quote)
You and I started playing with stardust about the same time.
I bought my first telescope back in June 2013 and didn't really start learning to image until later in the year.
I was advised in several groups not to buy an SCT and I ignored that advice after doing some viewing in one.
I am so glad that I did. I can get good images with my 120mm 1000mm refractor but I get much more consistent and cleaner images with my two big dogs. Heck I do better with the Newtonian with deep skies then I do the my refractor. Maybe I'm not patient enough I don't know.
Anyway enjoy your Christmas trip and hug all the kids extra just because.
Merry Christmas.
Dec 24, 2015 22:23:53 #
Bloke wrote:
It's much easier to like grandkids - you are not r... (show quote)
Ditto on the heat. It has been in the 70's in the south and humid. But again, many families have been flooded out so I will not complain.
Ah, it is good to be home!
Merry Christmas!
Dec 25, 2015 12:57:30 #
nikonshooter wrote:
Ditto on the heat. It has been in the 70's in the south and humid. But again, many families have been flooded out so I will not complain.
Ah, it is good to be home!
Merry Christmas!
Ah, it is good to be home!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Ed, I see that huge storm is headed your way.
Take care I hope you are high and dry.
Craig
Dec 25, 2015 18:10:29 #
CraigFair wrote:
Merry Christmas Ed, I see that huge storm is headed your way.
Take care I hope you are high and dry.
Craig
Take care I hope you are high and dry.
Craig
Yep.....we have a mess now and another 6 plus days of "wet" still ahead of us.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.