The inaugural StuPOD, winner announced!

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, niallk said:

Here's my effort taken hand-held up to my 15mm TV plossl in my Lunt 50mm DS.  The phone really struggles to auto focus and control exposure, and I really struggle to hold it steady and flat on!  I played with the photo editing graphs on the phone not really understanding what I was doing, to twiddle out this cropped image:

Way, waaaayyyy better visually with just a Mk I eyeball than this pic shows

Too good for a StuPod! Disqualify him! Hound him out!

[Stu]

3 hours ago, niallk said:

Here's my effort taken hand-held up to my 15mm TV plossl in my Lunt 50mm DS.  The phone really struggles to auto focus and control exposure, and I really struggle to hold it steady and flat on!  I played with the photo editing graphs on the phone not really understanding what I was doing, to twiddle out this cropped image:

Way, waaaayyyy better visually with just a Mk I eyeball than this pic shows

Well the judge has had extensive conversations with himself about today's entries, and against all better judgement (to award it to myself ) I have decided that Niall is the obvious winner. Great shot Niall!!

[niallk]

Oh my, what an honour! I'm lost for words - I'd like to thank my family for always believing in me, the judging committee (especially for not picking his own far superior image ), and also the gifted coders in Samsung who enabled the photo to be dollied up!

 

[furrysocks2]

Lucky me to catch M42 in Orion last night... iPhone through 16mm on a 12".

 

[Stu]

On 16/12/2017 at 08:21, furrysocks2 said:

Lucky me to catch M42 in Orion last night... iPhone through 16mm on a 12".

 

I do apologise @furrysocks2 (are you related to furry socks??), the judge was obviously too busy preparing for the festive season and missed your entry. For the fine split of the Trapezium and faint whiff of nebulosity, I'm pleased to announce you as the winner for 16th December  

[Stu]

By popular demand, I've decided to enter my moon image from yesterday evening for the judge's consideration. Let's see whether there are any other entrants  by this evening before final voting takes place  

[Helen]

One from last night from me... before it snowed.  This was the only 'hit' - lots of misses!  I really struggle to get the camera position right!!! ?

Nexus 5 on a Tak100, no processing.

Helen

[Stu]

That's nice Helen, nice and sharp, nothing wrong with your focus!

Have you tried holding the phone a little bit away from the eyepiece? You need to be in the same position as you would put your eye i.e. at the eye relief difference. Closer to the eyepiece and you get blackouts all the time, or just nothing at all!

[GavStar]

Tonight was the first time I’ve tried my televue fonemate and iPhone. This was using my fc100d and NV eyepiece in my back garden in London. Certainly I need practice but you can see Alnitak, Flame nebula, ic434 and, I think, the horsehead.

Edited December 28, 2017 by GavStar

[Stu]

3 minutes ago, GavStar said:

Tonight was the first time I’ve tried my televue fonemate and iPhone. This was using my fc100d and NV eyepiece in my back garden in London. Certainly I need practice but you can see Alnitak, Flame nebula, ic434 and, I think, the horsehead.

Awesome Gavin! Wonder how good that will be with the 160? I can't quite believe you got the Horsey in the Tak! Could you see it visually?

So, apologies Helen, but I think today's StuPOD has to go to Gavin!  Nice one.

[GavStar]

10 hours ago, Stu said:

Awesome Gavin! Wonder how good that will be with the 160? I can't quite believe you got the Horsey in the Tak! Could you see it visually?

So, apologies Helen, but I think today's StuPOD has to go to Gavin!  Nice one.

Thanks Stu! ?

The photo is a pretty good representation of what I saw at the eyepiece but actually it was a bit better at the eyepiece. The exposure time for the photo was very short maybe 1/3 second but the iso was cranked up to around 1500 I think hence there is a fair bit of background noise on the photo which is not as noticeable when viewing directly. 

Really pleased to get the horsey tonight in London what with the moon being bright and close by. Sqm is reading 18.0 so not exactly a dark site.

Edited December 29, 2017 by GavStar

[Helen]

I can see your point though Stu! Horsehead with a phone 

Is the phonemate easy to use Gavin?

Helen

[GavStar]

27 minutes ago, Helen said:

 

Is the phonemate easy to use Gavin?

Helen

Yes very easy Helen. Took me 5 mins to set up - I think it works well. I think I’m always going to be a visual person but it’s nice to be able to take the odd iPhone pic.

[Helen]

11 hours ago, GavStar said:

Yes very easy Helen. Took me 5 mins to set up - I think it works well. I think I’m always going to be a visual person but it’s nice to be able to take the odd iPhone pic.

Thanks ?  I'd like to be able to take quick snaps on nights/days when I don't want to bother setting up imaging equipment but still would like a momento of what I saw... And to be able to share it too ?

Helen

[GavStar]

Had a very nice observing session tonight. I will post some details in due course but I managed to view this object at last - lagoon nebula.

Edited May 7, 2018 by GavStar

[johnfosteruk]

Somebody told me there was a prize for this. Where do I put my address for the cheque? ? 

Edited May 22, 2018 by johnfosteruk

[Ibbo!]

2 hours ago, johnfosteruk said:

Somebody told me there was a prize for this. Where do I put my address for the cheque? ? 

I thnk its the same one as the guy in Nigeria that has 1M to give away

[johnfosteruk]

6 hours ago, Ibbo! said:

I thnk its the same one as the guy in Nigeria that has 1M to give away

I’m not falling for that again ?

[Stu]

On 07/05/2018 at 03:32, GavStar said:

Had a very nice observing session tonight. I will post some details in due course but I managed to view this object at last - lagoon nebula.

Apologies for the absence of the judge for a while. Gavin, amazing image and a worthy winner for May 7th’s award!

[Stu]

10 hours ago, johnfosteruk said:

Somebody told me there was a prize for this. Where do I put my address for the cheque? ? 

John, what can I say. Excellent image, very sharp and I can honestly say it is the best of those submitted today....., so a worthy winner!!!

The cheque is in ....the bin  Actually I don’t have a cheque book any more so that’s that sorted  

[Stu]

Yesterday’s entry from me, an Ha solar attempt to capture the lovely prom on show, which successfully makes it look quite ordinary

[Stu]

Last night’s effort, not as good as I had hoped but this was with the Samsung S9 using fonemate adaptor onto a 24mm Panoptic (with the diopter adaptor).  Being weird as always, I popped the Pan into one channel of the Binoviewer with Barcon and x2.6 GPC giving the mag. When I can afford a higher power EP which takes the fonemate things will get easier.

Anyway, if you squint you can see GRS . Seeing was a bit dodgy, and also I think if I use the headphones to trigger next time I might eliminate a little shake. Visual was much better than this obviously  

[Littleguy80]

The picture represents the first time I managed to capture the GRS in an image. Handheld iPhone 8 through a 5mm BGO at 240x. I’m pretty sure it is the GRS and not just dirt on the lens  

[ro88ieuk]

Man in the Moon peeping out of high wispy cloud...Samsung J3 through one eye piece of20x80 Celestron 'noculars one in negative mode

[Helen]

Thread resurrection time.....?

I've finally got a phone adapter that seems to work reasonably well - the nexstar xyz ?

I think I need a lot more practice with the camera settings, but for the moment I'm counting this as a success!  I present the moon through a 16mm eyepiece on the Tak 100 (sharpness and contrast tweaked in PS)

Helen