CCD-Freak

This is not mine...but I get to use it from time to time. A rare 6" F16.6 Unitron EQ at the university of North Texas observatory. I lusted for one of these after I got a Unitron catalog with it on the cover. Now...this is a frac !!! (^8 The 4" f15 guide scope looks small. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

I see you are also in Texas....where ya at? John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Here are my "fracs"... Astro Tech AT60ED Willliams Optics 80ED Orion 110ED Explore Scientific 127ED with a University Optics "Kit Scope" 80mm for a guide scope. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

I chose the ASI-533MC-Pro because of the square sensor which is more forgiving about edge aberrations than a rectangular sensor. I also like the way most objects frame in the square field...there is a lot less wasted "real estate". Some scopes may not even need a flattener or coma corrector with the ASI-533. The camera having little or no amp glow is a big plus and it also has a 14bit ADC, 50Ke well depth, cooling and very low read noise. It came with a "cloud curse" (at no added cost) so I have not had much chance to use it yet. Once the Covid thing goes away I am anxious to get out to the dark site to properly try it out. I sold an ASI-1600MC-Cool to get the ASI-533MC-Pro even though the sensor is a bit smaller. This test shot of M3 is 60 x 10 seconds with an old Ultima 8 SCT @ F10 no darks or flats. taken from my Bortle 5 "garden". My $.02 John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

I just looked up that scope.....The 130 pds scope will need a coma corrector if your sensor is large. I have the SW coma corrector which I like better than the MPCC with my 8" F3.8. The thing that will give you the most grief while imaging is the mount. Get the best one you can afford. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

I have an Astro Tech AT60ED which is very sharp with very good color correction and a nice compact size. Williams Optics also sells a version much like it and there may be others. It is a little "over mounted" in the picture. (^8 I plan to use this to image the next total solar eclipse in our area 4/8/2024. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Welcome Tom and family I just joined myself and I am just a couple states away down here in north Texas. (^8 John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Welcome...I just joined too. I am down in Texas. John Love CCD-Freak WD5IKX

Okie-Tex is my favorite star party and I have been to about 25 of them. http://www.okie-tex.com/index.php I get more imaging done in a week there than most of the rest of the year. If you are there look for our flags and drop by for a visit. We have a great group and we have lots of fun. John Love aka CCD-Freak aka WD5IKX

And here is the scope inside the scope area which is 6x6 and the enclosed computer area is 4x6. The image of NGC7023 was made during a fairly windy night.

I always say...."Never underestimate the power of moving air" !!! I had the roof taken off my observatory during a "Texas thunder boomer" back in the 80s. The wind moved the whole structure and ripped the roof anchor bolts right out. What was left of the roof landed about 300 feet away.

Here it is with the roof on at Okie-Tex 2019.

Great build. I use something similar for a portable observatory when I go out to my favorite dark sites. I call it my SkyBox. Out in the west we have to make sure to securely anchor our SkyBoxes to keep the wind from blowing us away. At Okie-Tex my SkyBox has allowed me to image with wind blowing as high as 35 MpH while everyone else went to bed. (^8

Howdy from Texas. I just joined these forums to see what is happening and to see what new stuff I can learn.