CCD-Freak

another mount going on the heap...

I just saw this first engineering image from JWST. 8^P

I just found this good site to keep a constant watch on what's happening. https://webb.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html

With the CGE series mounts "No Response error 16" indicated no signal from the encoder. It was usually a cable issue. Don't know if this applies for your mount but it might be something to check.

A big mount will not care about a small load. (^8 Getting a bigger mount gives you "room to grow".

Bad Santa !!!!! When you ARE Santa you don't have to be good !! (^8

I like to use my AT60ED for terrestrial viewing with a 45 degree erect image diagonal. The little scope is quite compact and has a very smooth focuser and crisp optics. The AT60ED is often referred to at the "Tiny titan" I also use it for wide field imaging with the optional field flattener.

I am getting my pier adapter plates ready to mount on the Todmorden pier. I have one for an iOptron GEM-45 (left) CI-700 (center) and my AP900 (right). Now I need to make a new board that holds my hub and power distribution box so I will be ready for my next trip out to SRO.

Welcome to SGL from a fellow Texan. You in Deaf Smith county? BTW....I have been known to howl at the moon. 8^P

WOW !!!!

You can put it on the front of the coma corrector and it might be the best place for it so that the UV and IR do not enter the optics of the coma corrector. I often put it on the nose piece of my field falttener when I am using refractors.

Those images were made with a SharpStar 150mm F2.8 Hyper Newt. The window of my ASI-533MCP is only AR coated so I use a 2" Baader UV-IR filter with a ZWO filter drawer with it all the time now after I wasted several nights thinking I didn't need the filter with a Newt.

If the window of your camera is not IR blocking use a UV-IR filter since IR leakage can mess with the color balance. This image of the NGC7023 shows what can happen. The star at the far left of the image should be red and not pink. The microlens artifacts are much worse too. The second image is the same setup but with the UV-IR filter. Play it safe and use the UV-IR filter.

I made some mods to the mirror cell to keep the mirror from shifting around and it stays collimated quite well now. Here is my latest image from the SS15028HNT / ASI-533MCP combo. 10 hours of NGC1333 The Embryo nebula complex in Perseus from mt SRO dark site.

I even have a sign....."Moonlight Manor Bed and Breakfast" While at TSP I was asked how much to stay the night ??? I said $20,000 per night ...and...they would have to bunk with me. So far NO takers. 8^P

My SharpStar 150 mm F2.8 Hyper Newt riding on the AP900GTO while doing imaging NGC1333 at SRO last week.

This is my latest project with my ASI-533MCP and SharpStar 150 mm F2.8 Hyper Newt and a UV-IR filter. NGC1333 The Embryo Nebula in Perseus 300 x 2 minutes ( 10 hours total ) captured and processed with Astro Art 8. I am still working with the data so I am not ready to call it done yet. The ASI-533MCP is a great camera and I am wanting to get it's big brother the ASI2600MCP. (^8

The Moonlight Manor is my caravan made by a company here in Texas called Casita. Makes imaging trips very comfortable. (^8

We do have very good horizons in all directions. The area is farm and ranch land so population density if very low so it is quite dark (low end of Bortle 2) A friend and I searched 3 years to find it so I am very happy to have "my own small dark corner of the universe" were we are often serenaded by coyotes late at night. (^8 Yes....It only takes a short time to install the tarps on the SkyBox frames and since the frames are anchored with concrete footings I don't have to worry about tie down ropes. I will be building a permanent observatory soon and the SkyBoxes will then be used for temporary setups and guests. The attached picture is one of my scopes inside a SkyBox. After the observatory is in I plan to build a cabin or a "barndominium" but for now I use my Casita caravan aka the "Moonlight Manor" for lodging.

I need to put up some other piers with astronomical alignments to complete my megalithic structure. I sometime call it "Tarphenge" 8^P

I captured M78 during the new moon in November with an ASI-533MCP through a SharpStar 150 mm F2.8 Hyper Newt from my SRO site near Paducah, TX

It is 46" TALL !!!! (^8 I will post pictures of the pier with scopes on it when I go out next time....Gotta let the cement cure.

I just finished a Todmorden pier and it turned out very nicely. I stacked 8x8x8 half blocks using mortar with the opening vertical then filled them with concrete and rebar and capped it with block turned on it's side to allow attaching adapter plates for my various mounts. The base is a footing that goes down to the frost line which is about 15 inches "in these parts". It will be great not having to haul out tripods or piers to my SRO dark site. The pier is in the frame for my 6 x 10 SkyBox and I plan to install another in my 8 x 12 SkyBox as well. I would like to thank whoever it was who thought this up.

I have to laugh at myself....Here in Texas we have a bad habit of expressing distance in hours. Example....it takes me 4 hours to drive the 200 miles to my SRO observing site. (^8