Re: RE: [Utah-astronomy] Camera for Live Views of DSO's
Joe, I'd like to know how the Meade DSI works as a guider. Guidedog software is coming out with software for long exposure webcams/CCD cameras. It would be much cheaper than buying an autoguider. Also, does the Meade DSI plug into the autoguider port or do you plug it in to your laptop? Debbie
From: Joe Bauman <bau@desnews.com> Date: 2005/03/21 Mon AM 08:40:36 MST To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] Camera for Live Views of DSO's
The best use I've found for my Meade DSI so far (and I haven't played with it very much) is as a guider. It works well that way. The images it brought up weren't so great, thoguh, but maybe if I tweak it more they would be better. -- Joe
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Hi Deb! I've only used it one night as a guider, but I'm happy to share what little I know. There might be better information at this site maintained by Meade: http://www.meade.com/dsi/index.html. The DSI is specially designed for the Meade telescope, I'm certain, and I don't understand the protocols well enough to know if it would work with another kind. You can use it to guide and take images at the same time, but when I tried to get a view of Saturn the picture was so awful that I decided I wouldn't bother with the DSI to take deep-space pictures directly. Instead, I used it as a guider and let my camera take the pictures. The DSI cord plugs into the laptop and then the laptop serial port plugs into the telescope's guide port. To use it as a guider with a camera, the DSI has plug into an off-axis guider or a finder scope (though I am sure the off-axis guider is better). There's a serial port at the back of the laptop that you use to connect to the telescope's guide port. Then there's a cord that goes from the imager to the laptop's USB port. When you have the image coming in, you draw a box around a star to act as a guide star. As the view shows a little shift in the guide star's position, the computer sends commands to the telescope and makes it move to keep the guide star centered. That was a really neat feeling for me, to see the telescope adjusting on its own and getting the star centered again. That was so much better than the times I tried to hand-guide. The DSI seemed to guide well for long exposures, as the same central star apparently stayed in position while I was taking four pictures of M-104 over an hour's period. But I can't tell exactly how well, because I had a lot of blurring on my negatives due to field rotation -- I wasn't using the wedge, which I needed to prevent rotation during lengthy exposures. In a view of the Orion Nebula there was a doubling of some big stars, which I think happened when I accidentally did something to my laptop (shut its case too far) that made it begin to shut down, then reacquire the star when I got it going again. You can see my M42 pic on my gallery -- not great, but OK for a first try and without a wedge. Best wishes, Joe
Joe,
I'd like to know how the Meade DSI works as a guider. Guidedog software is coming out with software for long exposure webcams/CCD cameras. It would be much cheaper than buying an autoguider. Also, does the Meade DSI plug into the autoguider port or do you plug it in to your laptop?
Debbie
From: Joe Bauman <bau@desnews.com> Date: 2005/03/21 Mon AM 08:40:36 MST To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] Camera for Live Views of DSO's
The best use I've found for my Meade DSI so far (and I haven't played with it very much) is as a guider. It works well that way. The images it brought up weren't so great, thoguh, but maybe if I tweak it more they would be better. -- Joe
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Joe, Meade has a web cam type imager called the LPI for capturing great shots of the planets and the brighter deep sky stuff, and I know that the LPI isn't very good for the more dimly lit objects. The pictures I've seen so far, on other sites, taken with Meades DSI ranged from poor to excellent. Don't give up on using the DSI as an imager just yet. You might just have to experiment a bit to get the hang of it. Can't wait to see your pictures when you do. Guy Quoting Joe Bauman <bau@desnews.com>:
You can use it to guide and take images at the same time, but when I tried to get a view of Saturn the picture was so awful that I decided I wouldn't bother with the DSI to take deep-space pictures directly. Instead, I used it as a guider and let my camera take the pictures.
There you go! Just heard a radio plug for the new BYU Planetarium. They BYU Astronomy department seems pretty excited about it. They were saying that the projected views are so real, that if you wish to see the fainter objects, you need to bring binoculars. Maybe we ought to hold a dark sky star party there. Rich, Daniel, feel like packing those big Dobs up some stairs? ;) Guy
In today's Wall Street Journal Homer Hickam offers advice to the new NASA administrator.
My advice to Dr. Griffin is to take two steps: Put the Space Shuttle in the museum where it belongs and implement with urgency the design, construction and flight of a new crewed space vehicle before every good engineer you've got walks away in disgust.
For "up to seven days" it will available to anyone at http://www.emailthis.clickability.com/et/emailThis? clickMap=viewThis&etMailToID=1420428673 . It is available to online journal subscribers at http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111145768028885951,00.html? mod=opinion&ojcontent=otep Jim ---- Jim Cobb james@cobb.name
Thanks for the note, Guy. I do have an LPI and I agree, it does a fine job. Recently I ordered a SBIG gizmo that will guide or image, but not both. I'm planning to try it as a guider with a film camera, and as an imager while it's being guided by the Meade LPI. When I tried the LPI its quality wasn't so hot as an imager but it did an OK job as a guider. The SBIG 204 should take better images (though I think it has a narrow field of view, especially compared with a film camera). Meanwhile, the LPI does a good enough job autoguiding that it should allow the SBIG take nice photos -- it should stack as it makes images, compensating for shifts due to imperfect guidance. Anyway, that's what I'm going to try. Best wishes, Joe
Joe,
Meade has a web cam type imager called the LPI for capturing great shots of the planets and the brighter deep sky stuff, and I know that the LPI isn't very good for the more dimly lit objects. The pictures I've seen so far, on other sites, taken with Meades DSI ranged from poor to excellent. Don't give up on using the DSI as an imager just yet. You might just have to experiment a bit to get the hang of it. Can't wait to see your pictures when you do.
Guy
Quoting Joe Bauman <bau@desnews.com>:
You can use it to guide and take images at the same time, but when I tried to get a view of Saturn the picture was so awful that I decided I wouldn't bother with the DSI to take deep-space pictures directly. Instead, I used it as a guider and let my camera take the pictures.
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Take a look at this eBay item. Thought it worth a giggle for those non-believers, and a crucial piece of info for those who would believe. :). http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5567689023&fromMake Lisa Zeigler www.johnstelescopes.com www.mirrorkits.com
Ooo how fun! I want a mummified alien corpse! ;) John and Lisa Zeigler wrote:
Take a look at this eBay item.
Thought it worth a giggle for those non-believers, and a crucial piece of info for those who would believe. :).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5567689023&fromMake
Lisa Zeigler www.johnstelescopes.com www.mirrorkits.com
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
-- CH Pembroke Faded Glory NA NAJ NAC NAJ TN-N Elsinore Lucilla Aurelius CGC Angel Pumpkin Spice Lady CGC Spirit Chasers Spice http://www.utahdogs.com http://www.cynthiablue.net
Seriously, how did they do that? I wonder if it's from a movie set. -- Joe
The guy has a web site. Apparently he makes "mermaids, and other creatures", using pieces preserved from dead animals and fishes. While it sounds disgusting, his pictures look interesting. This is the link: http://www.thefeejeemermaid.com/ Jo At 01:53 PM 3/22/2005 -0700, you wrote:
Seriously, how did they do that? I wonder if it's from a movie set. -- Joe
Any one know what is happening at tomorrows meeting? speakers, presentations?
I do. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Josephine Grahn" <bsi@xmission.com> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 5:27 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] What's on for tomorrows meeting?
Any one know what is happening at tomorrows meeting? speakers, presentations?
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
I hope so...lol! On Mar 21, 2005, at 6:08 PM, Siegfried Jachmann wrote:
I do.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Josephine Grahn" <bsi@xmission.com> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 5:27 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] What's on for tomorrows meeting?
Any one know what is happening at tomorrows meeting? speakers, presentations?
Well, good, as long as ~someone~ knows. That WAS my main concern..... Jo At 06:08 PM 3/21/2005 -0700, Siegfried replied
I do.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Josephine Grahn" <bsi@xmission.com>
Any one know what is happening at tomorrows meeting? speakers, presentations?
I thought this was a group of friends and that light-heartedness was OK. I guess I was wrong. I expected responses like that from Dave Bennett and Jo's first response. I certainly didn't expect the personal attacks. I guess I have a few fewer friends in here than I thought. Siegfried ----- Original Message ----- From: "Josephine Grahn" <bsi@xmission.com> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 6:23 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] What's on for tomorrows meeting?
Well, good, as long as ~someone~ knows. That WAS my main concern.....
Jo
At 06:08 PM 3/21/2005 -0700, Siegfried replied
I do.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Josephine Grahn" <bsi@xmission.com>
Any one know what is happening at tomorrows meeting? speakers, presentations?
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Perhaps I was too timid to add my $0.02 yesterday, but I thought the personal attacks directed at Siegfried were inappropriate. Usually this group is good at avoiding such things, but I have noted them on occasion. Let's continue to keep it all "light-hearted." Siegfried, I still want to be your friend... Kim ----- Original Message ----- From: Siegfried Jachmann<mailto:ziggy943@xmission.com> To: Utah Astronomy<mailto:utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 6:50 AM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] What's on for tomorrows meeting? I thought this was a group of friends and that light-heartedness was OK. I guess I was wrong. I expected responses like that from Dave Bennett and Jo's first response. I certainly didn't expect the personal attacks. I guess I have a few fewer friends in here than I thought. Siegfried ----- Original Message ----- From: "Josephine Grahn" <bsi@xmission.com<mailto:bsi@xmission.com>> To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com<mailto:utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com>> Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 6:23 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] What's on for tomorrows meeting?
Well, good, as long as ~someone~ knows. That WAS my main concern.....
Jo
At 06:08 PM 3/21/2005 -0700, Siegfried replied
I do.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Josephine Grahn" <bsi@xmission.com<mailto:bsi@xmission.com>>
Any one know what is happening at tomorrows meeting? speakers, presentations?
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com<mailto:Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy<http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy> Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com<http://www.utahastronomy.com/>
_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com<mailto:Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy<http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy> Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com<http://www.utahastronomy.com/>
participants (10)
-
astrodeb＠charter.net -
Cynthia Blue -
David L Bennett -
diveboss＠xmission.com -
Jim Cobb -
Joe Bauman -
John and Lisa Zeigler -
Josephine Grahn -
Kim Hyatt -
Siegfried Jachmann