What projects do you have on the boil?

[timetraveller]

Hiya

Well my project books rather full at the moment

between Teaching two youngsters both members of SGl Astronomy

I'm also in the processes of setting up Swindons first Astronomy club called strangely enough The Swindon Stargazers Club and if that wasn't enough Just started on a second degree currently reading Astronomy and Planetary Geology courses with the Open University so my days are quite busy

regards Pete

[narrowbandpaul]

no worries the 1A resolution still loks good, plus, you'll cover more over the spectrum than us...

how did you measure the 20um slit.

We first shone a gren laser 532nm through the slit and measured the diffraction pattern. THen we got a pair of vernier calipers to find something about 20um thick. Tin foil wrked perfectly, confirmed once again by diffraction through the slit. We measured the width at the ends and middle of the slit for parallelism

[George]

I'm planning on adding a warm room to the observatory and motorising the roof (if i can ever find a cheap garage door opener) I'll be doing these in the summer months, also be adding 2 or 3 extra electric sockets (you can never have enough). Also planning hard wiring the observatory network (currently WIFI).

Might also fit a basic weather station so I can accurately match darks with my lights (I can then start a darks bank)

Also need to finish my dew heaters, there working OK but it was a quick fix that needs tidying.

I could go on and on, I'll probably not get round to half of it

[Merlin66]

I used the laser diffraction method, as per the link in my construction write-up. Seems, as you've found, to be pretty accurate. I'm using the Surplus Shed adjustable slit mechanism so can open it up to >2mm for aquisition and then close it down. Measured data gives <0.5 A/ pixel, hence the 1A FWHM. The Littrow is 200mm fl.

[narrowbandpaul]

dont know the fl of our littrow (collimation and focussing using same lens), but our images were captured with a meade 12" at f10 with 7.4um pixels.

i tell you what i want, what i really really want.

and thats a much lower res grating, say 400lines/mm.

then we could do seeing independant wide band photometry and nebula spectra (which i see hardly any of. except PN's)

just now our low res grating 100lines/mm is just a 1.25" fitting, with no slit, so we are seeing dependant. And we image from the middle of glasgow almost.

the low res would be a great asset, plus more power per pixel, since each pixel sees a wider wavelength range.

can you post some of your results.

[Merlin66]

Richie,

Somehow we seem to have "highjacked" your thread and seem to be on the verge of turning it into a "spectroscopes are Us" - Sorry about that.............

I have a 600lpm grating in the Classical, which is handy; also use the Baader 207lpm transmission ( similar configuration to the Star Analyser). Paul... maybe you should start a new thread on Spectros....

[astro_dt]

To get the thread back on track!

I have a number of projects on the go, keep getting diverted (sound familiar?)

1. Tracking mount for camera, prototype built, working on better electronics

2. Wedge for my ETX125

3. Polar scope for the wedge/tracking mount - just finished!

4. Publish details and photos of 1-3 on my website

5. Cool down fan for the ETX125

6. Bahtinov mask

7. Enter more comet data in Stellarium

8. Generate some light pollution displays for an IYA09 event

9. Design my own viewfinder-magnifier for the EOS350

10. Think of a tenth project

Cheers

Danny

[RichieJarvis]

S'ok - tis an interesting read...

I posted this and then got caught up with work and life outside of Astronomy

Still - I can't sleep atm, so here I am, checking back

I was thinking of imaging targets which would benefit some time spent - the M81 intergrated flux sounds like an interesting project TJ, but I fear that is out of my league for the present time, and out of my FoV.

I do plan to try and capture a decent M81 this year though - its not looking too great at the moment though - can't wait to have the GSO 8" up and running (without triangular stars) so I can get a decent shot of that. I took some subs on the 31st, but they were still there

Seeing Dietmar's shot of M81 is pretty inspirational (here if you haven't seen it)

Spectroscopy sounds interesting (and expensive) - maybe in a few years I might see if I can afford something in those lines.

Last years project was getting the obsy finished - and repairing it is also going to be this years over the summer as well (damn water ingress!)

Its nicely covered in a thick blanket of snow of course at the moment!

Thanks for the inspiration guys!

Cheers,

Richie

[ukbigd]

might be small chips but I have just bought an three led dynamo light which I plan to convert to red led bulbs.... Might do an how to for your pleasure's (as in comparethemeekat.com )

[Psychobilly]

Knocked another one of the list lastnight - Modded the New 1000D with a Baader ACF filter

Billy....

[Merlin66]

Last word (promise!)....

The Star Analyser / Rainbow Optics type transmission grating costs less than a good eyepiece nowadays, so a reasonable cost of entry to a new exciting dimension of the hobby!