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Helen

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Posts posted by Helen

    Processing software and online data sources

    in Getting Started With Imaging

    Posted

    For data you could try the LCOGT site.  This has data from scopes (2m, 1m and 0.4m) located around the world.  You can download freely, either reduced data (already had flat fields, darks, bias applied) or raw and calibration files if you want to go the whole hog on processing from scratch.

    https://archive.lco.global/?q=a&RLEVEL=&PROPID=&INSTRUME=&OBJECT=&SITEID=&TELID=&FILTER=&OBSTYPE=&EXPTIME=&BLKUID=&REQNUM=&basename=&start=2019-06-01 00%3A00&end=2019-12-02 23%3A59&id=&public=true

    Guidance here:

    https://lco.global/documentation/archive-documentation/#ui-download

     

    Downloading and decompressing is a bit of a pain, but easy if you do it the way set out in the attached word document.

    Have fun!

    Helen

    Unpacking fz files.docx

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    New light pollution laws

    in The Astro Lounge

    Posted

    Well I've just submitted a request for shielding to our local council (did feel a prat taking a photo of a lamp post to get its number 🤣).  It's not that close to our house but the angle is such that the light bounces off the various angles of our conservatory and it looks like 4 bright white lights.  We'll see.  I'd actually be happy to pay any (reasonable) cost of sorting it out.  Watch this space...(hopefully!!)

    Helen

    • Like 3

    What did the postman bring?

    in The Astro Lounge

    Posted

    2 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

    Lovely! Have just sold an SXW with starbook which was a superbly portable yet capable mount,  this sx2 shoul be great to use. Just FYI if you need a tripod tray it's exactly the same as the SW az4 alloy legged tray, which pop up on astroboot now and then 

    Thanks Craig 😁. I've found the EQ3 one is the same too 😎, so that's now in use. 

    I'm going to need a half-pillar to stop my Tak hitting the legs 😏

    Had some fun with starbook last night though 😁

    Helen

    What did the postman bring?

    in The Astro Lounge

    Posted

    3 hours ago, robbymain said:

    Apologies in advance if I drool over your new mount at Lucksall - one day I will own one of these beauties! In the meantime I must be content with my vintage GP (SW enhanced drives) and not impulse buy an OTA that is too heavy for it (hate to overload a mount!).

    Can I ask, did you consider an AP before deciding to buy this? At the current UK prices, the SX2 seems like much better value for money (not the Starbook 10 version obviously)

    😎. You can willingly come and drive it 😎. The starbook is really fun!

    I did look at the AP, but by the time I added drives etc it got quite expensive.  I actually got what I think is an excellent deal on the sx2.  It's ex-demo, but you can't tell 😎Mount, tripod, starbook ten,  total £1,600.  I am a very happy bunny!! 😁😁

    Helen

    What did the postman bring?

    in The Astro Lounge

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, DeepSkyMan said:

    Helen, congratulations on your new Sphinx, I have an SXW, they are splendid mounts.  Regarding wireless setup here is an excerpt from a post I made on CN regarding my setup:

     

    Regarding the Sphinx and remote setup you need the following components:

    Additional 12v power supply (or one with sufficient capacity to power your WiFi, Dew control and Sphinx)

    Length of CAT5 ethernet cable (Note: This is std ethernet NOT cross-over)

    A small WiFi router, I use this one:

    https://www.netstoredirect.com/tp-link-routers/39960-tp-link-tl-wr802n-6935364071721.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6abnst6L1wIV8TLTCh34EglnEAQYAiABEgJk1fD_BwE). 

    There are more compact solutions available now, but this one works for me.

    A tablet or mobile phone (Apple or Android)

    A planetarium app (again Apple or Android).  I use SkySafari.

    You connect the Starbook to the WiFi router power it up and subject to config changes in your planetarium software thats all there is to it.  Make sure the router is powered up prior to the Starbook.  When the Starbook then powers up it immediately detects the router and obtains an IP address from the DHCP server on the router.  The IP address can be found under the About menu option in the Starbook.

    Using SkySafari is a breeze.  You just make the appropriate IP address setting in the Scope Setup in SkySafari, connect to the mobile router from your tablet or phone and hey presto!  From this point forward you communicate with the Starbook from SkySafari.  You have all the functionality of the Starbook but in addition you have access to the 'gazillions' of astro objects in SkySafari and a more intuitive user interface.

     

    One thing to remember make sure you are running SS and the Starbook in the same time-base.  If DST in the Starbook make sure SS is in DST as well, otherwise your gotos will be out by an hour in RA.  Something else that you might find useful and caused me some confusion when trying to understand how SS worked with the Starbook, SS knows within its coding what epoch co-ordinates a specific mount is expecting and always converts the SS co-ordinates to that epoch.  This is from correspondence with Bill Tschumy at Simulation Curriculum:

     

    "Bill Tschumy
    February 08, 2017 20:49

    The setting for the epoch (J2000, Now, etc) in SkySafari is for your benefit only.  It has nothing to do with the coordinates we use when talking to the scope.  We know what each mount expects and always convert to that epoch before sending an RA/Dec to the mount."

     

    here is a pic of my setup:

     

     

    Hope this makes you take the leap to remote control, it really is liberating 🙂

     

    Kind Regards

    Paul J.

    16A76C17-CBF8-45E0-98CB-F90D7D2D848E.jpeg

    Thank You!  Its always good t get positive feedback and help from someone with first hand experience.  Yes, very favourable first impressions and I've this evening got the little router working with skysafari 🙂   The next challenge is to get it all working with the Asiair...

    But before that, I'm looking forward to just playing with the Starbook Ten for some visual fun 🙂   Maybe on the weekend...

    I'll report back (new thread time I think 😉 )

    Helen

    7Wells Observatory Build

    in DIY Observatories

    Posted

    I use turnbuckles and eyelets attached at an angle at each corner.  They work really well - quick to use, and not fussy about changes in relative position (useful for changes caused by temperature, settling, etc).  (I usually just secure a couple unless poor weather is forecast)

    Helen

    What did the postman bring?

    in The Astro Lounge

    Posted

    3 minutes ago, Stu said:

    Very nice Helen, I guess it is the successor to the Vixen Sphinx I have? It's a nice design, requiring less in terms of counter weighting because the motor and electronics are positioned to act as a counterweight themselves.

    I suspect the Starbook 10 is quite an improvement over the original, but I've managed to connect to Skysafari using a wifi router which is great.

    Enjoy!

    Thanks Stu 😊. If I was purely visual I would have gone for the older version, but the jumping issue made using for imaging too risky.  The redesign gets good reviews, although there aren't too many around.  I'm hoping that for visual the Ten will be sufficient - combination of lists and graphics looks good.  For imaging I'll need to connect though - what router are you using?

    I'm also pleased that I can easily carry it 😊. I'll hopefully get years of service out of it 😎

    Helen

    • Like 1

    What did the postman bring?

    in The Astro Lounge

    Posted

    Hmm more boxes arrived today...

     

    IMG_20190909_103223.thumb.jpg.f00d672320d91d703034f91f6ff647f8.jpg

    IMG_20190909_103252edit.thumb.jpg.44ce3d9c2bab1386e85ddad7a38630e2.jpg

    IMG_20190909_184005.thumb.jpg.10d40ec46e99dd9609ab78a01c1d7dda.jpg

     

    My initial impressions are very favourable -  robust, nicely engineered, relatively lightweight. This will be my travel/starparty mount.  It takes my Tak so easily that I almost got away with no counterweight .  The starbook Ten is rather different to the standard skywatcher ones.  I'm looking forward to exploring its use in the field.

    It should also be controllable via asiair, so that's the next challenge, in time for the SGL star party (or I'll be picking Grant's brains 😉 )

    Helen

     

    • Like 12

    Celestron PS1000

    in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice

    Posted

    Hi Jessica,

    Welcome to SGL 🙂   With that budget I would recommend this https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/skywatcher-heritage-130p-flextube.html  It is a very good telescope on a solid easy to use mount.  The size of scope is the same as the astromaster, but I'd say the mount is actually better than the astromaster in terms of stability and ease of use.  Many experienced observers here have the heritage scope, even if they have larger scopes too, as it it good quality.

    Helen

    What did the postman bring?

    in The Astro Lounge

    Posted

    A well packaged box (@David Hardie has been having lots of practice 😉)  containing a hotech SCT collimator.  I finally decided to bite the bullet and get one to try to maximise the views from my C11 (I get too few clear nights to waste time collimating, and I've never really felt I've nailed it!).  I understand there's a learning curve on the hotech use, so expect some muttering...... 😉

    Thanks David 😁

    Helen

     

    • Like 6

    TeleVue - a VERY brief first light

    in Discussions - Eyepieces

    Posted

    One more thing to think about is field of view.  The eyepieces you have are all relatively narrow field.  So you may be able to still get the framing you like but at higher magnification with a higher power, wider field eyepiece.  And for manual then as you say wider is easier.

    I love my 24 Panoptic in all my scopes.  

    My favourite 16mm is the William Optic/Nirvana UWAN.  I also like the 13 Nagler.

    May be an idea to play around with FLO's five calculator.

    Enjoy the hunt!

    Helen

    • Like 3

    Case for Tak FC100 Class

    in Discussions - Scopes / Whole setups

    Posted

    6 minutes ago, A McEwan said:

    That's the very same case I use.    :) 

    ...and me 🙂 

    I also found the case that my william optics 123 came in works well too when I'd like a bit more protection (eg when I want to be able to put things on top of it without worrying).  It looks like they no longer make them though.... https://www.astroshop.es/bolsos/william-optics-bolso-de-transporte-para-fluorostar-98-110-123/p,22230

    Helen

    • Like 3
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