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Black Forest Star Party (Cherry Springs SP, PA) September 6-8, 2024

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#401 John Vogt

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 08:00 AM

On that last one, you will see a small camera mounted on top of the mirror box. This guy had a program that tracked using this camera for plate solving. I didn't talk to him for long, because he was busy and not particularly chatty. Nor did he offer views. I think he said it was a 25.5" to beat out his friend with a 25". lol.gif

Hi Will,

 

Sorry I missed you, too bad the weather tanked before the star party.

 

The plate solving program you mentioned attached to the 25.5" is called an eFinder designed by Keith Venables. The unit uses a Pi5 computer, handpad w/ display and ZWO camera. This is a DIY project and works with Servo Cat, SkyTracker, Sitech drives. I'm in the process of integrating it with the Skytracker drive on the 32".

Link to Keith's site:

https://astrokeith.c...structions.html

 

BTW, Keith also offers a complete drive system design called ScopeDog.

 

https://astrokeith.c...em-description/


Edited by John Vogt, 10 September 2024 - 08:01 AM.

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#402 peleuba

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 08:30 AM

On that last one, you will see a small camera mounted on top of the mirror box. This guy had a program that tracked using this camera for plate solving. I didn't talk to him for long, because he was busy and not particularly chatty. Nor did he offer views. I think he said it was a 25.5" to beat out his friend with a 25". lol.gif

 

Jack's scope is, officially, a 25.1 Zambuto, to beat out his friend's 25.0 Zambuto  grin.gif.  Competitiveness reigns supreme here in the northeast!   The plate solving solution implemented on Jack's scope is genius!  But, my favorite part of the structure  is the Takahashi 60mm APO mounted as a finder.  Exquisite. 

 

In full disclosure, I have the smaller version of this scope - a JPAstrocraft 16 F/3.7 Zambuto so my opinions are certainly not without bias.  But, for "commercial" wooden Dobs, these scopes are, perhaps, the finest in the field.  New Moon are nice, too.  I think if one wants to do better, I think it would have to be self-built.  And then I am not sure.  John Pratte is a true craftsman in the wood work as well as the metal work on these large fast Dobs.  The spiders and secondary holders are made one at a time and the mirror cell needs to be seen to be believed.


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#403 peleuba

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 08:36 AM

There astrophotography part of the hobby was well represented at Cherry Springs.   Here are some photos...

 

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#404 peleuba

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 08:36 AM

More

 

 

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#405 peleuba

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 08:37 AM

More

 

 

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  • _DSC0120 (Medium) (Small).JPG
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#406 WillR

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 09:09 AM

Jack's scope is, officially, a 25.1 Zambuto, to beat out his friend's 25.0 Zambuto  grin.gif.  Competitiveness reigns supreme here in the northeast!   The plate solving solution implemented on Jack's scope is genius!  But, my favorite part of the structure  is the Takahashi 60mm APO mounted as a finder.  Exquisite. 

 

In full disclosure, I have the smaller version of this scope - a JPAstrocraft 16 F/3.7 Zambuto so my opinions are certainly not without bias.  But, for "commercial" wooden Dobs, these scopes are, perhaps, the finest in the field.  New Moon are nice, too.  I think if one wants to do better, I think it would have to be self-built.  And then I am not sure.  John Pratte is a true craftsman in the wood work as well as the metal work on these large fast Dobs.  The spiders and secondary holders are made one at a time and the mirror cell needs to be seen to be believed.

My apologies to Jack for suggesting he was not open to sharing views in that impressive scope. He didn’t mention coming back to me, but I was interrupting his visit with a friend I think, so I didn’t want to linger. 

 

I wish I had come back now, because he was very generous in sharing some views.


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#407 WillR

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 09:11 AM

Hi Will,

 

Sorry I missed you, too bad the weather tanked before the star party.

 

The plate solving program you mentioned attached to the 25.5" is called an eFinder designed by Keith Venables. The unit uses a Pi5 computer, handpad w/ display and ZWO camera. This is a DIY project and works with Servo Cat, SkyTracker, Sitech drives. I'm in the process of integrating it with the Skytracker drive on the 32".

Link to Keith's site:

https://astrokeith.c...structions.html

 

BTW, Keith also offers a complete drive system design called ScopeDog.

 

https://astrokeith.c...em-description/

I walked over on Thursday, but you had covered the scope and packed it in.  I have to remember to get over earlier! 
 

Thanks for the links! Something to consider.


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#408 belliott4488

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 09:31 AM

More

Paul - these images of the AP rigs and the ones you previously posted of all the Dobs are great! Would you mind if I used them for a presentation that my local club has asked me to make? I think putting all of the images for each type on a slide together will be very effective for giving a good impression of what it was like to be there.

 

Bruce


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#409 Ionthesky

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 10:28 AM

The conditions on Sunday night were superb.

Figures.  undecided.gif  I wish I could have stayed.  Maybe next year I can extend my stay.  Glad those who could stay were rewarded for enduring the weekend weather!


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#410 peleuba

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 11:13 AM

Paul - these images of the AP rigs and the ones you previously posted of all the Dobs are great! Would you mind if I used them for a presentation that my local club has asked me to make? I think putting all of the images for each type on a slide together will be very effective for giving a good impression of what it was like to be there.

 

 

Hi Bruce,

 

Yes, please use them...   Better yet, contact via a PM with your email address and I will send you the originals.   These images above are compressed, greatly, so they can be posted on CloudyNights.  There is some resolution that is lost when compared to the originals.


Edited by peleuba, 10 September 2024 - 11:15 AM.

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#411 Dave Mitsky

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 11:46 AM

These are two of the hand-held iPhone Night mode shots that I took through John Vogt's 32" Dob and night vision device on Tuesday night.

NGC 7293 (the Helix Nebula)

Attached Thumbnails

  • NGC 7293 9-3-24 PM 32-inch Dob Night Vision IMG_3697 Processed Resized 850.jpg

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#412 Dave Mitsky

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 11:53 AM

(continued)

 

M17

 

North is up in both photos.

Attached Thumbnails

  • M17 9-3-24 PM 32-inch Dob Night Vision CSSP IMG_3702 Processed Resized 850.jpg

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#413 WillR

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 01:30 PM

These are two of the hand-held iPhone Night mode shots that I took through John Vogt's 32" Dob and night vision device on Tuesday night.

NGC 7293 (the Helix Nebula)

I observed the Helix through his scope last year. It’s even more spectacular in person and you could see the “eyebrow” above the “eye” clearly.


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#414 George N

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 02:39 PM


 

Hi Will,

 

Sorry I missed you, too bad the weather tanked before the star party.

 

The plate solving program you mentioned attached to the 25.5" is called an eFinder designed by Keith Venables. The unit uses a Pi5 computer, handpad w/ display and ZWO camera. This is a DIY project and works with Servo Cat, SkyTracker, Sitech drives. I'm in the process of integrating it with the Skytracker drive on the 32".

Link to Keith's site:

https://astrokeith.c...structions.html

 

BTW, Keith also offers a complete drive system design called ScopeDog.

 

https://astrokeith.c...em-description/

I didn't make BFSP this year (was there the last two - my NMT 20" F/3.5 at BFSP 2023 https://www.flickr.c...177720311396858) -- but at Stellafane this year Dr RobertW was singing the praises of this 'system'. He and a group pitched in to purchase the parts for several Dobs - especially a box for the Pi. I believe he has one on his 22" SDM with StellarCat and NexusDSC. He said it would work just fine on my NMT 20" F/3.5 with just encoders and NexusDSC - I assume that means it works with a GoTo drive and a PushTo (at least with Nexus). Since my Nexus has never failed to put an object in my mid-power eyepiece -- Why do I need this? Robert said - "It will put anything in the sky right on a cross-hair of a high-power eyepiece!" He was claiming it would cost me about $400. Might be a nice wintertime 'project'. I'm hoping his 'group' has a spare set of parts that they might sell me.....


Edited by George N, 10 September 2024 - 02:52 PM.

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#415 George N

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 02:48 PM

I just returned from about a week of observing at Cherry Springs.   It was good to see more Dobs in the field then the last couple of years...

"Return of the Dobs" -- might make for a good Sci Fi Movie!  wink.gif

 

Wish I could have made BFSP '24 -- but my 20-inch F/3.5 was at BFSP 23 - see Flickr image (https://www.flickr.c...77720311396858/) - The Obsession 20 under the silver cover in that 2023 photo *was* there this year - and at Stellafane 2024 too. The 60mm solar HA double stack is mine too.

 

My wife and I were at our Indian Lake NY camp - central Adirondacks - SQM = 21.85 on a good night. We had 8 clear nights out of 15. Alas, for August this year I didn't have a vehicle that I trusted to carry a $20,000+ Dob. I do now. This year I was transporting my C-9.25 Evo -- but if I get back to Cherry Springs before the snow flies -- I'll bring the NMT20.


Edited by George N, 10 September 2024 - 02:50 PM.

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#416 Dave Mitsky

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 03:50 PM

I took this rather poor hand-held iPhone photo of Jupiter and its Galilean satellites later that night using John O'Hara's vintage 6" Astro-Physics refractor.

Attached Thumbnails

  • Jupiter 1 9-4-24 AM 6-inch Astro-Physics Refractor IMG_3704 Resized 700.jpg

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#417 Dave Mitsky

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 03:58 PM

Here's a screencap from SkySafari displaying the unusual configuration that the Galilean satellites assumed.

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  • Jupiter SkySafari 9-4-24 AM.jpeg

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#418 John O'Hara

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 04:01 PM

My wife and I stayed through Sunday night. As Dave Mitsky said, Sunday night was excellent. Dave,we enjoyed our time observing with you.
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#419 Speedy1985

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 05:19 PM

These are two of the hand-held iPhone Night mode shots that I took through John Vogt's 32" Dob and night vision device on Tuesday night.

NGC 7293 (the Helix Nebula)

(continued)

 

M17

 

North is up in both photos.

I’ve seen quite a bit from home with my NV device. But those just make me drool and I can’t wait to get a shot at those skies with my new scope! I’m slowly building up things I need for such a trip. 


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#420 Dave Mitsky

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 05:26 PM

Here's a hand-held iPhone Night mode photograph of M42 that I took through Tony Donnangelo's 24" Starmaster Sky Tracker Dob and night vision device a bit later.

Attached Thumbnails

  • M42 9-4-24 AM 24-inch Dob Night Vision CSSP IMG_3716 Processed Resized 850.jpg

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#421 jrsbww1

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 05:42 PM

Two if the three presentations are on You Tube.... search for BFSP 2024.... 

 

This is the Galileo one...  https://www.youtube....h?v=vTjIu18ym10


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#422 jg97

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 06:18 PM

On that last one, you will see a small camera mounted on top of the mirror box. This guy had a program that tracked using this camera for plate solving. I didn't talk to him for long, because he was busy and not particularly chatty. Nor did he offer views. I think he said it was a 25.5" to beat out his friend with a 25". lol.gif

WillR:
Thank you for the clarification you made; I thought your comments had to be some sort of a misunderstanding, I was quite taken aback when I read them, and that is why I reached out to you via DM prior to responding openly.  I never once told anyone that they could not look through my scope.  Quite the contrary.  I tried to take time and talk with everyone who stopped by, and had about a dozen or so look through my scope on the one night that I was there.  Heck, I was on vacation and having a nice day at CSSP.  Anyway, thanks for the clarification. I did not want people here thinking I was some sort of standoffish jerk based on your original post.

 

Paul:
Thanks for the very kind words about my scope and the nice pictures.  It was nice meeting up with you in person after chatting here on CN.  Was neat seeing your scope at John Pratte's while I was picking up mine.  Looking forward to looking through your scope sometime.  Possibly at a future visit to CSSP...

 

John V:
I tried stopping over twice to follow up our phone call on the eFinder.  But I missed you.  Next time.  Let me know if you need any more info on that.

 

Plate Solving:
Yes, I use the eFinder and I LOVE IT!  I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE EFINDER!  It places the object inside the FOV of a 6 Ethos in my 25f/4... can't ask for more than that!  Keith V. designed a VERY nice system.  There was a group of us that built 8 eFinders together, and 6 are currently fielded on scopes.  One of our members, Steve, led the charge with this and worked very closely with Keith.   Steve is authorized by Keith to build and sell eFinders.  (Please DM me if you would like to be put in touch with Steve and have him build an eFinder and/or a custom carbon fiber stalk for you).

 

My Scope:
I appreciate all of the kind words. I am very appreciative of all of the artisans that lent their talents to making my telescope.  John Pratte (structure), Carl Zambuto and Chuck (primary), Terry Ostahowski (secondary), Randy (secondary holder), Gary Myers (Servocat), Keith Venables (eFinder).... Yeah, I am extremely happy with my new scope, big big smiles here.  As for the 25.1, that was an inside joke when I was ordering my mirror with Carl Z with my buddy on that call.  Joking aside, it is a TON of fun when you are observing with two CZ 25's with eFinders.  We will make sure to share our adventures with these epic scopes in a fun way in the future.

 

Thanks,
Jack


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#423 WillR

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 07:14 PM

WillR:
Thank you for the clarification you made; I thought your comments had to be some sort of a misunderstanding, I was quite taken aback when I read them, and that is why I reached out to you via DM prior to responding openly.  I never once told anyone that they could not look through my scope.  Quite the contrary.  I tried to take time and talk with everyone who stopped by, and had about a dozen or so look through my scope on the one night that I was there.  Heck, I was on vacation and having a nice day at CSSP.  Anyway, thanks for the clarification. I did not want people here thinking I was some sort of standoffish jerk based on your original post.

Thanks for reaching out Jack so we could clear it up. The fault is all mine for writing a post that made you sound less than welcoming. Let me know if you are at a future star party because I would love to see your scope in action. flowerred.gif

 

Putting the target in the FOV of a 6mm Ethos, now that is something! It means you can know confidently that you are on a very borderline target. For me, star hopping, it's always a bit of a guess "Exactly where is it?" and "Is that possibly discernible AV glow it, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?"

 

Have you guys posted topics on this system over on the equipment forum?


Edited by WillR, 10 September 2024 - 07:37 PM.

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#424 Domerman

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 07:34 PM

Unfortunately I missed the actual star party, but I was there Monday through Thursday. Great pictures everyone. Keep them coming!
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#425 jg97

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Posted 10 September 2024 - 08:36 PM

Putting the target in the FOV of a 6mm Ethos, now that is something! It means you can know confidently that you are on a very borderline target. 

 

 

Exactly!  if you know that is IS there you will try for it, and likely get it.  Also you will spend less time hunting for he object and more time observing that object and others.

 

Only "problem" I have encountered with this is that I now consume more power due to more slewing to more objects.  Yeah, it is a very small price to pay.  My goto's prior to this were very good, but being able to put them in the field of a 6 ethos... that is quite nice!

 

Jack


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