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SonnyE

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    Male
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    Many.
  • Location
    Santa Clarita, CA; U.S.A. N34 26' , W118 36, West of Orion.

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  1. No need to change at all. I would be delighted to enter, now that I have a decent camera. Just for the fun of it! I have no aspirations of winning anything. Less disappoints that way. Thank You!
  2. I would like very much to participate in the OSC DSO Challenge, for the fun of it. Could you please post a period for it so I don't miss it? Or a schedule? In the meantime, I'll be sharpening my talons...
  3. Might be your best route to have a Pro take a look. Finding the compatibility mode that works for you can sometimes be daunting. At the same time, a good computer guy can enlighten you to what step it is that has been tripping you up. Ultimately, if you really want to, Windows 10 can be reverted to the previous operating system, like Windows 7, or 8 variety. But something that drastic is a last step. Just learning how to get around the compatibility mode should get you going. Also, I find browsing You Tube for instructional video's has really helped me with different stumbling blocks in this Astro bog. PHD2, or other programs or methods. I have a couple of programs I had to install in an earlier compatibility mode. But it is very frustrating until you find the way. Hang in there.
  4. Actually, Doug, I'm still sticking with my behemoth AGM battery for now. It's a pain to move around, but works all night, night after night. And in a pinch, will start the car. I hope for those who do adventure into the labyrinth of Lithium, it proves worthy of their trust and investments. Like CMOS cameras, it is probably the future of the sport.
  5. Over where? And out back? It's cloudy here, I have to start packing, and my glass is empty. So I'm heading over to the kitchen, getting out my jug, and getting another snoot full. Carrion... (Hey you started it....)
  6. I have a low end cooled CCD color camera. I long for a Mono camera because I think it would be nice to be able to choose each color, no color, or distinct filtering like HA without the matrix. But my draw for the color camera originally was ease of imaging. Much like what I was use to with my DSLR with it's matrix R-G-G-B. However, having a mono camera, and a filter wheel or even individually applied color filters, imparts maintenance of the filters. I'd still like to be able for the ability to choose. My next camera (if such a blessed day ever arrives) will be a Mono and electronic filter wheel. As a package. Thus I could control the filtering remotely, as I do my other functions at the moment. I may be wrong, but I think I could reduce my exposure times since all pixels would be being bathed with one of the colors, intensifying the effect for stacking... thus shorter exposure times. (Possibly?) Anyway, my dream camera would be mono with an EFW. Too soon oldt, too late schmart.
  7. That's fine, just take your time. I did a lot of learning with my telescope and mount aimed out a (closed) window, focused on a neighbors chimney cap a ways off. It was all cloudy, but I played anyway. Just take your time and you'll get there.
  8. ST-4 is, I believe, the actual connector used commonly from the guide cameras, and the mounts ST-4 port. More here. More commonly used in telephone connections and computer modem connection, but adapted by the Telescope industry, or ASCOM. Now I have a great video set for you to take a look at about PHD and how to get it set up and going. PHD (Literally, Push Here Dummy) was too difficult for this dummy to get working. Until I found these: PHD Basics 1 PHD Basics 2 You're getting there, but it takes a lot of patience, and some twiddling. When you do get PHD2 operating, do your adjustments in smaller increments. Experiment with the settings to find the best settings for your equipment. Review the videos as needed, take it slowly. I managed to get mine to where I haven't changed any settings in a very long time. Because it works, and works great. Just take it slow, and enjoy learning.
  9. If you do have to resort to a drill, And I mean as a very last resort, find some left hand drill bits. Often using a left-thanded drill set, the drilling will free the threads and the damaged screw will back out.
  10. You do realize you have doomed yourself to a year or two of bloody awful skies. Always follows new equipment....
  11. It does get faster as you become more confident in your mount. You are learning each time. Tiny steps, small adjustments as you go along. I'm usually up and running in 30 minutes or less. That is with a 2 Star alignment + 4 more calibration stars. 6 Stars has worked very well for me all along. (Celestron AVX mount) I go the extra mile for the assurance I've done as much as I can to eliminate human error. The graph in PHD2 can be "adjusted" with the x, y, and Settings. One of the first things I look at in a PHD post is what somebody has those settings at. With an x = 400, and a y = 16, anybody can get a 'flat line'. But it's BS. The bitty-bobbity, boo, is reference. A steadier more bulls-eye in the target window tells me more. But even with jittery indications, great images can be gathered. The proof in the pudding is how long an image can be gotten with fairly round stars. Just be patient, and do the best that you can do. Sometimes I have spent my entire time working at the alignment. Doing over and over, learning. If I can do it, anybody can. (19 ea - 600 second images. Comet Johnson C/2015 V2)
  12. Beautiful Image Carol! I can only hope to achieve such results. But I keep working at it.
  13. Thanks Olly. The inherent curiosities with reflectors as a whole was what turned me away from them originally. And in looking towards a telescope as an actual lens for imaging is how I landed in a Refractor as my choice. Put simply, I suppose I'm Galilean. Less to go wrong = more to enjoy.
  14. Hi Gerry, Yep, exactly why going in I planned an auto guide into my equipment. To give the mount an eye on the sky, if you will. At first I tried to do it 'my way' using an off axis guider. That, of course, doesn't work with a small refractor. I finally learned the hard way OAG's are for SCT's. So I relented and got the 50mm and used my already owned guide scope camera. Eureka! That worked! Later, I encountered this 1:3 focal length palaver. But it makes no sense, do to the one star guiding these guide scopes actually do.
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