Lester
sage
Reged: 07/05/06
Posts: 204
Loc: South Australia
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Thanks Timo.
I use a 14" LX200 OTA that I have flocked internally. I have fitted ice water cooling to the tube with 1/2" hose wrapped around about 10 revolutions. I have a 12 volt bilge pump in a large esky of water. At the beginning of a imaging night I place 3 x 2 litre blocks of ice into the water and turn on the pump. this pumps the ice water around the OTA and cools it to ambient in 1-2 hours. My coldest night temperature only gets down to 5 degrees C. This cooling method works fine for my conditions, but where the temperature gets to below 5 degrees, this system would struggle.
I have a temperature sensor fitted to the rear of the primary mirror to inform me of its temperature.
I use a DFK 21af04 camera, that I have removed the filter off of the CCD. I never use to get good images before I did that.
My scope is permanently set-up in an observatory on my farm. I built it when I was 16 and now I am 51. It has been modified a few times in that period.
Here is a image of the hose around the OTA for cooling.
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Mare Nectaris
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/09/08
Posts: 1114
Loc: Toijala, Finland
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Wow Lester!
Thanks for that info and that pic!
Additional congrats for constructing that inventive setup -and for having this kind of magnificient result on a site you built with your own skill!
The DMK really delivers - as we see!
Clear skies - and please keep us posted!
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Share - and you shall have it all
Timo Keski-Petäjä
CtheMoon
Observation shelter KuuMaja (MoonHut)
TAL 250K*Celestron C8-N*SkyWatcher Skymax 150 Pro*TAL1(Mizar)*EQ6 Pro SynScan*Celestron Advanced GT (CG-5 GOTO)*Baader Hyperion Clickstop Zoom 8-24*17 mm UWA-70*TeleVue BIG 2x Barlow*Celestron 2x Barlow Ultima SV Series
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Bird
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 08/07/03
Posts: 2621
Loc: Canberra, Australia
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That's an awesome image Lester, one for the showcase for sure.
cheers, Bird
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Deep Sky Optics 13.1" f/5.5 newtonian,
PGR Dragonfly Express, PGR Dragonfly 2
RedHat Linux + Coriander
http://www.acquerra.com.au/astro/
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blackhaz
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/20/06
Posts: 1564
Loc: Prague, Czech Republic
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Wow!
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Max,
10" Aries MCT AP900GTO, C11-SGT XLT, WO ZenithStar 66ED, 90mm <1Å H-a, <2.2Å CaIIK Solar Achromats
Photos and Projects: http://www.bcsatellite.net/bao/
ČAS Solar Section
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Lester
sage
Reged: 07/05/06
Posts: 204
Loc: South Australia
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Thanks everyone for your comments, I appreciate it.
Here is the same image, just with some extra black around it, which adds slightly to the image IMO
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OMAR
journeyman
Reged: 05/09/07
Posts: 75
Loc: Caguas,P.R moved to FL
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Hi Lester
That's a superb picture.I can imagine the satisfaction that you feel getting those wonderful results.
Thanks for sharing and best regards,Omar
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Antares 152mm F/6.5
Intes Micro MN66
Atlas EQ/Dual Drives
Philips SPC 900 Webcam
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isramirez
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/04/05
Posts: 762
Loc: Mexico City
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Superb, superb Lester!!!
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Santel MK91 & MK6
IntesMicro 715
Celestron SCT6 & ONIX80 EDF
Meade SN6 & AR6
Chinese 6in MakCass.Gregory
DBK + DMK + NexImage + LPI
CG-5 & LXD75 Mounts
many EP's, Barlows and Binoviewers
Great astronomic passion 
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Lester
sage
Reged: 07/05/06
Posts: 204
Loc: South Australia
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Thanksagain everyone for your comments.
Here is a image taken 25 minutes earlier.
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nik59
member
Reged: 07/07/08
Posts: 43
Loc: RUSSIA
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Dear mister Lester! I have camera DMK21AF04 black-and-white. Why you have preferred the color camera?
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LX200 10",LXD500 8",Celestron 80 mm ED,TAL-2 150 mm,DMK 21AF04,DSI-pro,LPI,NexImage,Philips-900,Celestron 25*100mm Skymaster
Edited by nik59 (07/08/08 12:27 PM)
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Lester
sage
Reged: 07/05/06
Posts: 204
Loc: South Australia
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Hi Nik,
I started off with a Neximage colour camera and progressed to this more sensitive colour camera. I like to keep things simple, the idea of taking 3 avis through different filters and processing all 3 to get one image sounded too difficult and time consuming for me.
If I get a new camera it would most cirtainly be a mono type camera, as that is where the best images come from. That will only be after I retire from work and have more spare time for processing.
All the best.
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isramirez
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/04/05
Posts: 762
Loc: Mexico City
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Lester, so now your DFK works as a DBK camera... can only say superb results!!!
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Santel MK91 & MK6
IntesMicro 715
Celestron SCT6 & ONIX80 EDF
Meade SN6 & AR6
Chinese 6in MakCass.Gregory
DBK + DMK + NexImage + LPI
CG-5 & LXD75 Mounts
many EP's, Barlows and Binoviewers
Great astronomic passion
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astrodoctor
newbie
Reged: 09/27/07
Posts: 2
Loc: Russia
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Hello, Lester!
Very good images of Jupiter! Congratulations! Can you post the single frame from your avi and the stacked image with no processing, please? It would be nice to see them.
Thanks.
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MEADE LX90 12" GPS, Philips 900
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Lester
sage
Reged: 07/05/06
Posts: 204
Loc: South Australia
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Thanks again for your comments.
Here is a single image from the avi of the last image and stacked version with waveletts applied.
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Lester
sage
Reged: 07/05/06
Posts: 204
Loc: South Australia
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Here is the stacked frames with waveletts applied
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astrodoctor
newbie
Reged: 09/27/07
Posts: 2
Loc: Russia
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Splendid, Lester! It seems, the optics of your scope is excellent! Some more questions. What's the exposure time? How many frames did you stack? And can you post the picture of your mount?
Thanks again.
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MEADE LX90 12" GPS, Philips 900
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longfocus
sage
Reged: 02/03/07
Posts: 378
Loc: Sunshine Capital of Canada
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Quote:
Hi all,
I experienced very steady atmospheric conditions on the 2nd July.
Imaged Jupiter with 14" LX200, 2x barlow and small extention tube. The image of Jupiter was almost too big to fit on the CCD, thankfully the tracking was okay to not clip any of Jupiter off.
Hope you enjoy the image.
That one is amazing!!!!!!!
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<.5A PST
4" APO refractor
Premium TeleVue eyepieces
Waiting for my 17.5" reflector!
All achromats sold
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Lester
sage
Reged: 07/05/06
Posts: 204
Loc: South Australia
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Hi,
I capture frames at 30fps and till I recieve 4,500 frames.
I had completely dismantled the OTA a few weeks ago and washed the primary mirror and corrector. Recollimated visually with 5mm eyepiece = 700x.
I don't have any images of the mount with me. It is a 28 year old EQ mount that I have fitted a Thomas Matthis 14" R.A. drive to. The mount has 2" solid steel shafts on both axis. On the Declination I have fitted a 24" tangent arm slow motion adjustment.
So in short, I would say there is nothing flash about my set-up, just that the mount is very sturdy, tracks well and the conditions were very good on this night.
All the best.
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siriusc
super member
Reged: 04/03/07
Posts: 184
Loc: Racine, WI
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Hi Lester, which DFK do you have, is it the 640-USB, and do they still come with a fixed IR cut filter? I here prices are lowering and that I.S. has new webcams in the pipeline. Are you using IC Capture or a different one like VDub? Thanks, Dan 
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Lester
sage
Reged: 07/05/06
Posts: 204
Loc: South Australia
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Hi Dan,
My DFK 21af04 is firewire connected to a powered hub and then to the laptop. I have removed the fixed filter some months ago, so my DFK is similar to the DBK now.
I use IC capture.
All the best.
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Lester
sage
Reged: 07/05/06
Posts: 204
Loc: South Australia
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Here is another processed version; which is slightly smoother.
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