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Douglas
Vendor - Night Vision Astronomy
Reged: 05/21/07
Posts: 291
Loc: Pound Ridge, NY
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I think my 12.5" Dob is an optimal size for both viewing at the EP as well as the MallinCam. I am hoping to use it in my 80mm refractor for wider fields of view. With my MallinCam I don't have to worry about aperature fever any more!
One interesting note about aperature and the MallinCam, I believe Rock mentioned in a post on the Yahoo Forum, that a large UTA might be bad on larger aperature scopes, in light polutted skies, because it allows more stray light to make its way to the camera and highly sensitive CCD chip. A shield on the UTA across from the focuser may do the trick to help if that was an issue for light polluted skies.
I've also read many posts suggesting that filters don't seem to improve any of the images and in many cases results in a worse image. I had found the same thing with my filter collection. John Paladini recently used a Na Hg filter which darkened the sky and worked very well with the MallinCam. John wrote the specs for the filter for Omega optical and they are selling it only on Ebay. It filters Sodium and Mercury bandwiths. I just ordered one. Here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170092652296&ssPageName=M
- Doug
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Night Vision Astronomy
BIPH - Binocular Photon Machine
IDA Member
Obsession 12.5" Argo Navis/ServoCat #1528
Tak FSQ-106 EDX2 & EM-200 Temma II
Canon 450 Xsi No Modification
QSI 532ws CCD with AstroDon Filters
Home Built Gen III Image Intensifier
Denk II Binos D14s & D21s
MallinCam Hyper Plus Color
Bunch of Naglers & 13mm Ethos
Stellarvue 80mm F/7 NHNG #36
PST SolarMax 40 Double Stack
Canon 15 x 50 IS Binoculars
AstroTrac
Edited by Douglas (12/12/07 11:59 AM)
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Douglas
Vendor - Night Vision Astronomy
Reged: 05/21/07
Posts: 291
Loc: Pound Ridge, NY
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Neil: If you have in-travel problems with the focuser and the low profile adapter isn't enough to achieve focus, you could purchase longer collimation bolts and use them to raise the mirror closer to the secondary. It does increase the light cone so you want to make sure your secondary is large enough to avoid vignetting but that is one way to go.
- Doug
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Night Vision Astronomy
BIPH - Binocular Photon Machine
IDA Member
Obsession 12.5" Argo Navis/ServoCat #1528
Tak FSQ-106 EDX2 & EM-200 Temma II
Canon 450 Xsi No Modification
QSI 532ws CCD with AstroDon Filters
Home Built Gen III Image Intensifier
Denk II Binos D14s & D21s
MallinCam Hyper Plus Color
Bunch of Naglers & 13mm Ethos
Stellarvue 80mm F/7 NHNG #36
PST SolarMax 40 Double Stack
Canon 15 x 50 IS Binoculars
AstroTrac
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jgraham
Postmaster
Reged: 12/02/04
Posts: 5370
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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"...the Mallincam gives you detail and color on any object in around 28 seconds, and with no processing required. I don't know of any ccd camera that can do that!"
Welll, it depends. This has been a very interesting thread and the cameras sounds like a neat tool, but I've been using my CCD cameras to observe in a very similar manner for the past couple of years. I can typically reach about 18th magnitude using 30 second exposures on a 6" f/5 from my light polluted back yard. The software I use (Envisage) allows me to do some basic image processing in real-time (image stacking, de-rotation, sharpening, color, brightness, contrast, gamma, etc.) and it's proven to be a very versatile observing technique. Soooo, you can indeed do a lot of this type of stuff with a CCD, it just depends on your particular system.
Have fun!
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-John
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Homebuilt scopes from 4.25-16.5"
Meade LXD75-N6/SN6/SC8, DSX-90, ETX-60BB, ETX-125PE, DS-2130
Orion StarBlast, BinoViewers, Coronado PST
Rebel XT/XTi, DSI Pro (I & II), DSI, LPI, Electronic Eyepiece, Phillips SPC900NC
Tasco 60mm Refractors
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smokin oakum
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 09/24/07
Posts: 1426
Loc: Wilmington, NC
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Quote:
Neil: If you have in-travel problems with the focuser and the low profile adapter isn't enough to achieve focus, you could purchase longer collimation bolts and use them to raise the mirror closer to the secondary. It does increase the light cone so you want to make sure your secondary is large enough to avoid vignetting but that is one way to go.
- Doug
Thanks brother. I actualy did two things. First I tightened up the collimation screws one full turn, and all my eye pieces and my toUcam now can achieve focas without a barlow. Second thing is that tomorrow I calling Ron at moonlite to order a two speed low profile focuser. I should be well covered by the time my round table platform and my mallincam get here in January.
Neil
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Broadcasting live views of the night sky @
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C11 CGE / Hyperstar
MallinCam Hyper Plus Color
Orion 12" XTi f/4.9
MoonLite Focuser
Round Table Platform
12" Parralax rings
Cape Fear Astronomy Club
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