Telescope Reviews: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime

· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt

· Submit a Review / Article

Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums

Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User

You are not logged in. [Login]

Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online
FAQ · Calendar

Equipment Discussions >> Video and Electronically Assisted Astronomy

Pages: 1

nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

SX Lodestar-C in near realtime
#5576195 - 12/17/12 06:29 PM Attachment (137 downloads)

Scope's been down for 3 months but back in action last night - here's M1 in 30s exp - full data on image

Post Extras:

nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: nytecam]
#5576202 - 12/17/12 06:31 PM Attachment (120 downloads)

and the Horsehead B33 in 30s [inset] and 2m [main pic] - both DSOs almost identical in size

ps: No hope of seeing HH visually with my severe light pollution but my cam can

Post Extras:

highfnum
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/06/06

Loc: NE USA

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: nytecam]
#5576293 - 12/17/12 07:43 PM

interesting
how long can you go(time wise) with your setup

Post Extras:

nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: highfnum]
#5578455 - 12/19/12 06:25 AM

Quote:

interesting how long can you go(time wise) with your setup

Jon - exposures are controlled by laptop s/ware and there is no limit on duration but a practical limit for me set by severe light pollution to <3m exposure where the image 'whiteouts' [complete saturation] via my 'fast' f/3.7 SCT optics which are unfiltered. For longer exposures images are stacked after the bright sky background is removed. Hope that clarifies

Post Extras:

PEterW
professor emeritus

Reged: 01/02/06

Loc: SW London, UK

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: nytecam]
#5579116 - 12/19/12 03:11 PM

Wouldn't be so sure Maurice, I caught the California neb from Bushy Park last week.... ;-)

PEterW

Post Extras:

nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: PEterW]
#5579325 - 12/19/12 05:32 PM Attachment (57 downloads)

Quote:

Wouldn't be so sure Maurice, I caught the California neb from Bushy Park last week.... ;-)PEterW

Yes Peter the California is relatively bright as my e-finder Lodestar shot of a few years back below - still await your pic postings links

Post Extras:

nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: nytecam]
#5587619 - 12/24/12 06:45 PM Attachment (62 downloads)

Could resist another M1 with Seasonal Greetings
from Nytecam

Post Extras:

Raginar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/19/10

Loc: Rapid CIty, SD

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: nytecam]
#5587675 - 12/24/12 07:28 PM

beautiful Maurice, I love your lodestar images. Nice M1!

Post Extras:

nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: Raginar]
#5590167 - 12/26/12 07:24 PM

Quote:

beautiful Maurice, I love your lodestar images. Nice M1!

Thanks Raginar - hope to please

sent via Kindle Fire

Post Extras:

highfnum
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/06/06

Loc: NE USA

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: nytecam]
#5590180 - 12/26/12 07:38 PM

Nice color

Post Extras:

nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: highfnum]
#5616857 - 01/11/13 08:54 AM Attachment (44 downloads)

Quote:

Nice color

Thanks - here's my 4s exp shot used for centering the target M1 - amazingly it gets down to ~mag 17

Post Extras:

norden
super member

Reged: 09/08/08

Loc: Norden

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: nytecam]
#5696555 - 02/23/13 12:53 PM

I find it very difficult to decide which camera I should get. A MallinCam or Lodestar-C? These cameras should be comparable with respect to sensitivity. I have a CPC1100 telescope on an ordinary ALT / AZ mount. I will use a focal length of about 3.8. My question is if they give similar and the same magnitude during enexponering between 15 to 50 seconds? Can I use a Lodestar-C with ALT / AZ mount? Are there other color cameras with similar sensitivity and perhaps with cooling?

Edited by norden (02/23/13 12:55 PM)

Post Extras:

nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: norden]
#5696743 - 02/23/13 02:41 PM

Quote:

I find it very difficult to decide which camera I should get. A MallinCam or Lodestar-C? These cameras should be comparable with respect to sensitivity. I have a CPC1100 telescope on an ordinary ALT / AZ mount. I will use a focal length of about 3.8. My question is if they give similar and the same magnitude during enexponering between 15 to 50 seconds? Can I use a Lodestar-C with ALT / AZ mount? Are there other color cameras with similar sensitivity and perhaps with cooling?

I'd like to know who on the Forum has got a Lodestar-C, using it successfully on what and where they're secreting their images

I'd hate to think I'm the Lodestar guru with no competition - my DSO images under city skies here

Post Extras:

norden
super member

Reged: 09/08/08

Loc: Norden

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: nytecam]
#5696852 - 02/23/13 03:40 PM

Nice pictures, but how do one short exposure, 15-40 seconds with alt/az?

Post Extras:

Jay B
member

Reged: 07/15/08

Loc: Richmond, Virginia USA

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: norden]
#5697414 - 02/23/13 09:44 PM

Like the post above, I have been admiring your Lodestar -C images (and your awesome website), and I am trying to decide what I should get for this type of real/time short exposure imaging. I have been playing around with an imaging source camera, but I need something with a bigger chip.
What software are you using with the Lodestar-c does it come with it?

Other than a Lodestar-c which I am considering after seeing your work, any other CCD (non-video) cameras you might recommend at a price similiar or less than the Lodestar-C?
Thanks.

Edited by Jay B (02/23/13 11:24 PM)

Post Extras:

nytecam
Postmaster

Reged: 08/20/05

Loc: London UK

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: norden]
#5697809 - 02/24/13 05:41 AM

Quote:

Nice pictures, but how do one short exposure, 15-40 seconds with alt/az?

I've no experience of alt-az imaging [beyond my tiny ETX-70 and Schmidt-Lensless conversion - see via link below] and something I'd not recommend for larger scopes. 'Spos as 90% of scope users eyeball, manufacturers don't see the need of the minority eg imagers with realistic tracking!

However here's some old Lodestar-M [monochrome] shots eg

http://home.freeuk.com/m.gavin/lodestar-c.html mixed 30cm+70mm+yt vids

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/attachments/3801336-lodecolmix.jpg =piggy etx-70+lodestar c

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/attachments/2405357-sxlodedsomix080518... gxy snaps 3s-10s 30cm f/2.6

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/attachments/2407501-sxlodedsomix080519... gxy snaps 30s 30cm f/2.6

The 70mm shots only 1/13th of the light grasp of your 11" and all are a fair guide of what is possible with brief exposures so tracking not an issue

Post Extras:

Raginar
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/19/10

Loc: Rapid CIty, SD

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: nytecam]
#5698074 - 02/24/13 11:06 AM

Awesome as always Nytecam.

Post Extras:

norden
super member

Reged: 09/08/08

Loc: Norden

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: Raginar]
#5698301 - 02/24/13 01:46 PM

Orion StarShoot G3 Deep Space Color Imaging Camera has a ICX419AKL sensor and Lodestar-C ICX429 AKL sensor. Anyone know the difference and pros and cons?

MallinCam sensor ICX418AKL

Edited by norden (02/24/13 01:49 PM)

Post Extras:

mclewis1
Thread Killer

Reged: 02/25/06

Loc: New Brunswick, Canada

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: norden]
#5698321 - 02/24/13 01:58 PM

Mallincam is a 418 or as an option the 428. The 429 (like the 428) is the newer ExView HAD sensor which is something like 20% more sensitive. The HAD sensor is also more sensitive in the IR region.

Post Extras:

norden
super member

Reged: 09/08/08

Loc: Norden

Re: SX Lodestar-C in near realtime new

[Re: mclewis1]
#5698340 - 02/24/13 02:10 PM

Thanks Mark! Lodestar-C should be ICX429 AK without a L

Post Extras:

Pages: 1

Extra information

0 registered and 4 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator: Undermidnight, knuklhdastnmr

Print Thread

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Thread views: 1518

Jump to

CN Forums

Home

Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics