tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3890833663681096752024-03-21T18:20:33.670-07:00Photonic surfingEverything you wanted to know about Astronomy and lots of stuff you didn't.Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-78750910543360238652012-05-18T21:55:00.003-07:002012-05-18T21:55:54.630-07:00Part 3: Selecting a solar telescopeBefore I purchased a solar telescope, I had seen images from them but knew nobody that could advise me of what to look for, how to choose or even offer advise on which scope to buy. So I searched far and wide for information, unfortunately there were very few good reference points to help me select a scope.<br />
<br />
I did the best I could and chose the Coronado Solarmax II 90mm scope, it is a very nice telescope overall, good size / weight, great views,etc.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NL8yLekSHtA/T6CtWmh5L3I/AAAAAAAADOU/D8LnBXZHYqg/s1600/Combined-Sun-042912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NL8yLekSHtA/T6CtWmh5L3I/AAAAAAAADOU/D8LnBXZHYqg/s320/Combined-Sun-042912.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunspot and photosphere as viewed in the Solarmax</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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However, if I was to buy it all over again, I might have made some changes.<br />
<br />
First I will start with important considerations:<br />
<br />
<b>To double-stack or not to double-stack, that is indeed the question</b>:<br />
- I purchased a single etalon (filter) on a 90mm aperture.<br />
- A dual-stack (double etalon) will offer a lot more detail, based upon images I have seen, perhaps up to double the detail as you will get more contrast from the double stack. The contrast comes from the length of wavelength (angstrom) you allow in the scope. For instance my scope has a >.7 angstrom bandpass. Normally a double-stack scope allows in >.5 angstroms, so less light equals higher contrast as less energy is hitting your eye or the camera sensor.<br />
- The double-stacked scopes are about double the cost as well, <i><b>my suggestion is to trade aperture for double stacking!</b></i> <b>Spend as much as you can, but if you can get a smaller double-stacked scope, go for that one instead of the larger aperture single etalon scope</b>.<br />
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<b>Type of focuser</b>:<br />
This is an important one, that is very hard to get enough information about.<br />
There are two types of focusers that come with solar telescopes:<br />
- Dual-speed crayford types<br />
a) these types of focusers can be used to obtain exact focus, simple and very intuitive to use.<br />
b) they also have smaller focal travel, so you may have to add on extensions to increase the focus capability.<br />
- Helical focusers<br />
a) these types of focusers are much more difficult to use, requiring manipulation of two sliding focus tubes (one for course, one for medium focus) and then a circular focus knob for attaining fine focus.<br />
b) they do have a longer image train, so you don't need to add extensions to the image train.<br />
My suggestion is to <i><b>find a scope with a dual-speed crayford style focuser</b></i>, it is much simpler to adjust focus with these types of focusers. When your out in the Sun and covered by a sunscreen to block the sun so you can see your PC screen better, you will thank me for it.<br />
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<b>Aperture: How much is enough?</b><br />
This is a good question that many astronomers face constantly, this is commonly referred to as 'aperture fever' because it seems you never have enough and always want more. :-)<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MIvHZ1mHGuw/T63t7TzH6mI/AAAAAAAADTo/0swf0PRze4E/s1600/6-combined2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MIvHZ1mHGuw/T63t7TzH6mI/AAAAAAAADTo/0swf0PRze4E/s320/6-combined2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FOV of Solarmax II 90</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For viewing the Sun, this becomes even more interesting as the Sun is a relatively close and very large target.<br />
I find that I like to take my solar scope with me a lot, because as long as it is not cloudy outside, you can pretty much view from anywhere.<br />
The question you need to answer is: are you primarily a visual or photographic user?<br />
- If visual, larger apertures will offer amazing views and lots of detail.<br />
- If photographic, the larger aperture will restrict your Field of View (FOV) to a small portion of the Sun.<br />
<br />
<b>Blocking Filter</b>:<br />
This is one that many people don't really consider (myself included). The Coronado offers many different model numbers of blocking filters, here is the difference:<br />
- BF5 - this one is predominantly for visual use, it comes contained in a diagonal with a 1.5 in barrel<br />
- BF10 - this one is ok for visual / ok for photographic, it also comes in a diagonal with a 1.5 in barrel<br />
- BF15 - this one is ok for visual / great for photographic, it also comes in a diagonal with a 1.5 in barrel<br />
- BF30 - this one is tuned for photography but is ok with visual as well. This blocking filter comes inside the telescope, with a 2 in opening. This allows you to either place a 2 in diagonal on the scope or use a camera with a 2 in aperture in prime focus mode.<br />
<br />
<b>Recommendations:</b><br />
1) I would not buy the BF5 or 10 if you plan on doing any photography<br />
2) I would buy the BF15 if I planned on doing 'web cam' photography (this is the one I have on my scope), I have found it difficult to find a way to mount my 2 in aperture camera on this 1.5 in diagonal.<br />
3) This one is interesting in many ways, you have the flexibility of using 1.5 or 2 in aperture cameras and you have a larger blocking filter so more light will enter the camera. However, it appears that the blocking filter is inside the telescope inside the focuser, this may be problematic if you plan on moving from a helical focuser to a crayford style as you will have to find a way to remount the focuser (afaik).<br />
I will likely stay with my BF15 as I look to modify my focuser to a crayford-style (as soon as the warranty expires) :-)<br />
<br />
Well, there you have it, overall I am pretty happy with my scope. In the future I will buy a second etalon (double-stack it) to add contrast and detail and change the focuser to a crayford-style to make it simpler to focus.<br />
After all, you cannot be in this hobby without continuing to dump cash into your setup. :-)<br />
<br />
I am always happy to answer any questions or share my experiences on the subject.<br />
<br />
Clear skies!<br />
<br />
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<br />Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-81812694184504237582012-05-18T20:46:00.002-07:002012-05-18T20:46:58.950-07:00Part 2: Viewing the Sun safelyContinued;<br />
<br />
In the previous post <a href="http://photon-surfing.blogspot.com/2012/05/viewing-sun-safely-part-1.html">Part 1: Viewing the Sun Safely</a> I offered information about viewing safely as well as inexpensively. This post will be nothing like the first, except a continued focus on safety. :-)<br />
<br />
Here is where it gets more interesting, that is... if you have a telescope:<br />
-
Baader solar filters, these are somewhat inexpensive (as solar filters
go) and fit over the front of your telescope objective lens. They offer
views of white light, which is nice to view sunspots as well as an
eclipse. Images captured of the Sun in white light look like the photo
below (but this photo is extra cool, as they also captured an airplane
transiting the Sun!)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;">
<tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://physics1.usc.edu/solar/images/910726.large.gif" height="200" src="http://physics1.usc.edu/solar/images/910726.large.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /> </td><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun via a 'white light' filter</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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- In this same realm there are also glass solar filters, which fit over the front of your telescopes objective lens and offer similar views as found in the white light solar filters. Some of the glass filters have a tint to them that makes the Sun look orange-ish instead of purely white (or light blue).<br />
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Filters of these types normally run anywhere from $80.00 - $200.00.<br />
Generally these filters are very safe as long as you follow these rules:<br />
- check the filters before you put them on the telescope, by looking at the Sun with the filter, if you notice any spots of bright light (eg: a pinhole), take the following action, depending on your filter type:<br />
<ol>
<li>If mylar, take a piece of small black electricians tape to cover the pinhole</li>
<li>If glass, take a black 'sharpie' and fill in the part that is scratched or otherwise damaged </li>
</ol>
Now it is about time to hit your wallet hard... be prepared! :-)<br />
<br />
There are telescopes that are dedicated to viewing only the Sun, these scopes come in two major varieties:<br />
- Hydrogen Alpha - tuned to the wavelength of 656.281 nanometers, this telescope is great for capturing surface features as well as prominence.<br />
- Calcium Potassium - tuned to capture waves at 393.4 nanometers, this type of filter is really good for capturing magnetic phenomenon.<br />
Both of these types of specialized telescopes come in various sizes and thereby prices. The Hydrogen Alpha (HA) scopes are easier to come by as they are the most popular.<br />
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I own a Coronado solar telescope (HA), which I used to take photos like this:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A_nfXXgA17U/T63PLjYLLpI/AAAAAAAADS0/sU3RlWMfen4/s1600/10-combined1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A_nfXXgA17U/T63PLjYLLpI/AAAAAAAADS0/sU3RlWMfen4/s320/10-combined1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solar Prominence</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
There are many vendors for these types of telescopes, the most prominent vendors are Meade (Coronado) and Lunt Systems. Both of these vendors make fine solar scopes, so you will not do bad with either.<br />
In part 3, I will offer my observations on Solar Telescopes and photography.<br />
<br />
Clear Skies! <br />
<br />
<br />Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-21994585277170535582012-05-18T20:05:00.004-07:002012-05-18T20:48:04.657-07:00Viewing the Sun (safely): Part 1With the on coming annular solar eclipse this weekend (May 20th 2012), I thought it would be good to write about the Sun. <br />
I have been doing a lot of solar astronomy of late, that is viewing the sun through a telescope.<br />
Many people ask me 'how do you look at the sun, isn't that dangerous?'<br />
<br />
The answer is:<br />
Yes and No... let me explain.<br />
<ul>
<li>Yes, it is dangerous if you do not have the proper equipment, just looking at the sun through a telescope without the proper filters is a good way to permanently and completely damage your eyes. Even with the proper filters, great care should be taken to ensure the filters are in good condition.</li>
<li>No, it is not dangerous if you take the proper precautions and have the right gear.</li>
</ul>
So lets start with the gear:<br />
There are many things to choose from, some very inexpensive and others well.. let's suffice to say that Astronomy <b>can be</b> (<i>but doesn't have to be</i>) a very expensive hobby. ;-)<br />
<br />
Inexpensive items:<br />
- Solar viewing goggles, the ones pictured here can be purchased at Amazon.com (albeit they are pretty expensive for what they are. Of note, these are not the most fashionable eyewear, however, they allow you to view for longer periods as they are 'hands-free'. (http://www.amazon.com/Eclipser-Viewing-Glasses-Double-Alumunized/dp/B007XKWL7U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1337146524&sr=8-2)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Eclipser Solar Viewing Glasses with Double Alumunized Solar Skreen 2012 Pack of 30" border="0" class="prod_image_selector" height="200" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31SWgSiIF6L._SL500_AA300_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solar Viewing Goggles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
- Solar viewing card, the card pictured below is actually quite inexpensive, but cards are harder to hold up for longer periods of time. (http://www.amazon.com/Eclipse-Viewing-Sunspots-Transit-Hand-held/dp/B007R7A4T6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337146697&sr=8-1)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Solar Eclipse Viewer For Also Viewing Sunspots, Solar Flares, Transit of Venus 2012-3 inches x 5 Inches (5 Pack) Hand-held Card" border="0" class="prod_image_selector" height="200" id="prodImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21NFLY41TtL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solar Viewing Card<br />
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<a href="http://photon-surfing.blogspot.com/2012/05/part-2-viewing-sun-safely.html"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Continued in part 2</b></span></a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-8203373159718934612011-11-09T15:38:00.000-08:002011-11-09T15:38:10.972-08:00DIY Coronado SolarMax mount plateI have always been interested in viewing the sun, even with my first telescope I had filters that allowed me to see sunspots, but there is so much more to see with the sun. So, I recently purchased a Coronado SolarMax II 90 from OpticsPlanet.<br />
The scope came with a nice case, several eyepieces, a barlow and a clamshell mount with a solranger spotter. What wasn't apparent at the time of purchase was how it would mount to my CGEM, there was no mention of anything outside of the clamshell mount.<br />
<br />
So here is what I did to mount the scope:<br />
Purchased the following:<br />
- Aluminum door threshold ($9.99)<br />
- a pair of knobs ($2.00 for the pair)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznZMsTubGZ6LFVjg-8mCgk5z4YFjlHrpWIwW0EZiG1iLv5Avm91sjLRkxpFgTDNlK4cL9bQksvU7kwDOq3l3n0ym42qM-Oinr2VOyT-J64k1UqlGnuJfM4TtW_kWvDwipvMMh0KzAf1s/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznZMsTubGZ6LFVjg-8mCgk5z4YFjlHrpWIwW0EZiG1iLv5Avm91sjLRkxpFgTDNlK4cL9bQksvU7kwDOq3l3n0ym42qM-Oinr2VOyT-J64k1UqlGnuJfM4TtW_kWvDwipvMMh0KzAf1s/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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I measured the maximum width the CGEM mount would accomodate and decided that 3 inches would be about the right size for the width of the mount plate, to ensure that the mount head screws were firmly seated in the mount, you wouldn't want them to pop out or strip while your scope is mounted. ;-)<br />
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Next I cut and removed burs from the mount plate:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78nvH-wOc4WqtR4ZHDXFMMEsIUVta-sc3zIAOF8wagh3ma75aAZ7AJF9PNu9FnOoxUx1NhbZd978zarCDp_OLQo-JeTQsWHJmBX7AlHDq4HKmXF_RKF7l7qLKCqCdc4FlUvXgYUHSDmE/s1600/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78nvH-wOc4WqtR4ZHDXFMMEsIUVta-sc3zIAOF8wagh3ma75aAZ7AJF9PNu9FnOoxUx1NhbZd978zarCDp_OLQo-JeTQsWHJmBX7AlHDq4HKmXF_RKF7l7qLKCqCdc4FlUvXgYUHSDmE/s320/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
As you can see above, I also drilled out two small holes at each end to hold knobs used to secure the plate from accidental slippage off the CGEM mount head. You can also notice three holes I drilled to mount to the provided SolarMax clamshell.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HKANCScsy9v9KHz02Va-f7IIjQYxLP2gySIPOU3pNVAlp8-28zRJLB6j_ksm9U150lk1hdDbzyhHoRMCC2RhrK4tgfINyXHEuv73vPwBwHk0songELpVAH8tczwxYz2gHqe_jNY7ArA/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5HKANCScsy9v9KHz02Va-f7IIjQYxLP2gySIPOU3pNVAlp8-28zRJLB6j_ksm9U150lk1hdDbzyhHoRMCC2RhrK4tgfINyXHEuv73vPwBwHk0songELpVAH8tczwxYz2gHqe_jNY7ArA/s320/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Above is a side shot of the bottom half of the clamshell mounted on the new mounting plate and I inserted the safety knobs as well. Note: the safety knobs were installed on the bottom of the mount in the final procedure, this makes them act as a safety catch in case the mount slips from the CGEM mount head, keeping your scope off the pavement.<br />
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I painted the new mount plate a semi-gloss black to kind of match the CGEM as well as the black parts of the scope. In the image below you can see it mounted to the CGEM and scope mounted on it. You can also see the placement of the knobs and see how they might be helpful if the mount starts to slip from the mount head.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhON3isn3DFKMzQq8PeYUjqKWnQpi_UeF-_BVfPapKk-9uj2X_TM2NhoMYEyrkAzSJ1RWQg95aGln7zueUZ3LMNtcMxcEshZTx5byWht_0bUEzI8qtLUaVEE54Pk1ks6nJD6r4xEvZQWAo/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhON3isn3DFKMzQq8PeYUjqKWnQpi_UeF-_BVfPapKk-9uj2X_TM2NhoMYEyrkAzSJ1RWQg95aGln7zueUZ3LMNtcMxcEshZTx5byWht_0bUEzI8qtLUaVEE54Pk1ks6nJD6r4xEvZQWAo/s320/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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The image below shows the mount and scope as it is tracking the sun.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgFGMSBX5UBsj9bQD2VUsA9-IEPbHAIzAbS5Mmy5fEmS9NAXGH8XWAXuIBgmNsodE9ZRDIFkkP7d6Sc7i7eQxmrf63rBYSE4wbqyowHiP9_wzK2d7R-Cb454ViL_jkSwGjdbcg7aB5Ls/s1600/photo+%25287%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSgFGMSBX5UBsj9bQD2VUsA9-IEPbHAIzAbS5Mmy5fEmS9NAXGH8XWAXuIBgmNsodE9ZRDIFkkP7d6Sc7i7eQxmrf63rBYSE4wbqyowHiP9_wzK2d7R-Cb454ViL_jkSwGjdbcg7aB5Ls/s320/photo+%25287%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Here is a link to my first light video I got from the setup:</div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPKJ_DzhsVE">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPKJ_DzhsVE</a></div>
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I used an Orion Starshoot Planetary imager for this image, I will be creating a way to mount my other cameras that should provide a greater level of detail than the 640p image provided in this imager. I found that the level of detail provided in the video is about 100x less than what you are able to see visually. If you have never looked through one of these scopes... it will take your breath away.</div>
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As a final note: I was initially somewhat concerned about the stability of the choice of materials, but after hours of visual use, tracking for 3 hours and my first video, I believe the mount plate will prove to be a very acceptable part of this setup and at about 6x less cost than a mass produced mount plate.</div>
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Happy Photon Hunting!</div>
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</div>Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-18515994414199629182011-10-09T22:37:00.000-07:002011-10-09T22:37:06.829-07:00Bahtinov Mask and ImagingOne question that I get asked a lot is:<br />
- How do you know when a star is perfectly focused? <br />
<br />
When attempting to focus on a star, the range of focus can be somewhat large, meaning that the difference between perfect focus and out of focus can be very visually challenging to discerne. This is true of visual astronomy, but even more difficult and time consuming in astrophotography.<br />
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There are many ways to obtain a perfect focus, one of my favorites is to use a tool called a Bahtinov mask, which fits on the front of your telescope over the aperture.<br />
If you are performing visual focusing with the mask, just point the telescope at a bright star and you will see diffraction spikes emanating from the star as you look into your objective lens. You can then adjust the focus of the telescope to create a perfect diffraction image, where the spikes are completely in alignment.<br />
Here is an image of what the alignment should look like:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkFo6qRkxCcRJvxvYH9Hu_Sc7komdi0q2C3p4K3M3peqtcxOF7ZwlChuKZqa-Vj8nqTgEgF30QkKqLlAWw0j1qtLYy1tbKwxdTjd_mNx-CUxRbitV1-XHl0VU6KiZscSH5wtPW9pmNx4/s1600/Bhat_Diffraction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkFo6qRkxCcRJvxvYH9Hu_Sc7komdi0q2C3p4K3M3peqtcxOF7ZwlChuKZqa-Vj8nqTgEgF30QkKqLlAWw0j1qtLYy1tbKwxdTjd_mNx-CUxRbitV1-XHl0VU6KiZscSH5wtPW9pmNx4/s320/Bhat_Diffraction.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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In the image above, you notice three diffraction spikes per side of the star, the objective is to align the center spike so it is equidistant from the two outer spikes. If it is closer to either side, then the image is out of focus. This is a very simple procedure if you are looking to focus for visual astronomy, however if you are attempting to perform this for astrophotography, this is where some challenges emerge.<br />
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Here are some tips that I use when attempting to focus with the mask on a live camera image:<br />
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<strong><u>Getting good diffraction spikes:</u></strong><br />
1) If you are attempting focus with a camera and Bahtinov mask, you will need to increase the time of the image to ensure that you capture enough photons to obtain a good view of the star and diffraction spikes. The image above was taken with 30 seconds of exposure, when I took images of 10 and 20 seconds, the diffraction spikes were almost not visible. Experiment to find the right time for your imaging setup to capture enough photons to enable you to see the diffraction spikes clearly, once you see them clearly, note the imaging time and move on. Spending more time per image than absolutely neccessary to see the diffraction spikes is not going to help you achieve better results.<br />
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<strong><u>Imaging focus:</u></strong><br />
2) If you choose a 'focus' routine in your imaging software (such as Maxim DL), the software will have the camera initiate a continuous loop of photos for the duration of imaging time you set (eg: 30 second images), spaced apart by a time roughly equal to the amount of time necessary to download the photo from the camera to the PC. I find this to be less than optimal in most cases as the loop doesn't allow enough time between photos and downloads to perform modifications to focusing. The lack of delay in focusing, may make you waste a bunch of time making 'blind' focus changes thereby increasing the time spent focusing.<br />
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Instead I choose to shoot a single photo, see what focus modifications need to be made, make the adjustments and shoot another single photo. I find that this process is generally much faster than trying to work within the 'focus' routine.<br />
For example, using the 'focus' routine I will spend roughly 15 minutes attempting to gain perfect focus, when using the single shot method, I usually have focus within 5 minutes. (given 30 second image captures)<br />
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<strong><u>Reducing setup time:</u></strong><br />
3) Once you find great focus on your camera, you may want to remove the camera and insert an eyepiece with a focusing ring into the telescope. The concept here is to move the eyepiece around until you have a very clear picture of the stars without changing the actual focus of the telescope, essentially giving you the same image visually that you had while taking photos. Once you obtain focus, you then lock the focusing ring in place around the barrel of the eyepiece. This makes the eyepiece parfocal with the camera, allowing you to use your eyepiece to move between objects to image without having to repeat the focusing of your camera.<br />
When you have a parfocal eyepiece, it can be used to gain an initial setup for your telescope without moving your focus, making it faster to get to the fun stuff and away from additional setup time.<br />
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In summary:<br />The Bahtinov mask can be a very effective tool for obtaining great focus, leaving you with very tight round stars and clear shots of your intended target. Taking the time to learn how to most effectively use it in your setup routine can shorten time to imaging, which is time well spent in my book.<br />
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Notes:<br />
1) In order to facilitate removal of the mask after focusing and not getting fingerprints on the primary objective lens of my SCT, I placed a couple of small zip-ties on the edges of the mask, they are not in the light gathering path so they do not affect the images and they make the removal of the mask a very simple task in the dark. (Photo below)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5avpa7c41nQ-ScmzPiuFhFnsFnh6QAg0zDMbOxh_ic4MwdpuLECbQkoxQZC_JYoWmY1L1a64TnZxSob1hCSUT7sAcbgZo1FvWyu8z_Iqbx9ejbTegYFY22krqpS3AkYUis2t7QnTi3JI/s1600/PA090857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5avpa7c41nQ-ScmzPiuFhFnsFnh6QAg0zDMbOxh_ic4MwdpuLECbQkoxQZC_JYoWmY1L1a64TnZxSob1hCSUT7sAcbgZo1FvWyu8z_Iqbx9ejbTegYFY22krqpS3AkYUis2t7QnTi3JI/s320/PA090857.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-72996489638036036222011-06-25T17:44:00.000-07:002011-06-25T17:44:46.652-07:00Homebrew: Dew shield (day 1)I decided to build a new dew shield for my telescope. <br />
Why you ask? Because I thought it would be an interesting project and I didn't have one for my CGEM.<br />
I plotted out what I would need to buy to complete the project, here was my shopping list:<br />
- 24 inch wide aluminum flashing, this is a very light and flexible material (not sure if it will be rigid enough, but a good first try :-))<br />
- flat black spray paint, for both the inside and outside of the dew shield<br />
- pop rivet set (black pom / hand rivet tool)<br />
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At a minimum this should give me a very light, dew shield that will protrude about 24 inches from the primary objective lens. Offering a good amount of both dew and ambient light blockage.<br />
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I am a little worried about the rigidity of the aluminum, but getting it cut and formed will tell me a little bit more about the material and it's weaknesses.<br />
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Happy Photon Hunting!Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-8825241735256637642011-06-15T23:59:00.000-07:002011-06-15T23:59:15.006-07:00Any night is a great night for AstronomyTonight is June 15th, the moon is in the Waining Gibbous phase, meaning that it is illuminated at about 99.73 (or so) percent, pretty much a full moon to most people. That means that there is so much light in the sky that you can only see a handful of stars. The moon is also so low on the horizon that it is pretty much unable to be viewed in my telescope.<br />
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About now you might be asking yourself, so why is Ken saying that any night is a great night for astronomy? He can't even see a thing through his telescope because of all the light of the moon and can't even see the moon due to tree coverage.<br />
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Let me let you in on a little secret... Shhh, don't tell anyone, but...<br />
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Astronomy is a hobby that requires instruments, some that are as in expensive as a set of binoculars, while other instruments may be as (or more) expensive than an automobile, but they are all instruments and just like musical instruments or other scientific instruments, they take practice and sometimes tuning to ensure optimal performance when you need them.<br />
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So being the boring guy that I am, I took this evening to do a couple of fun tuning activities for my scope, here is what I did:<br />
1) I checked mechanical zero against my mounted optics to make sure that everything was aligned and operating as it should.<br />
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2) I tried out my brand new dew shield, one that I designed and fabricated myself out of lightweight aluminum (worked as expected, but saw some areas of improvement that I will work on this week).<br />
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3) tested my optics for collimation, which to my surprise was remarkably aligned, about as close as one could reasonably expect, can't ask more than that. :-)<br />
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4) tested the new bhatinov mask that I fabricated for this scope, the legs of the stars came out brightly, slowing for pinpoint focus of the stars.<br />
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So even though I wasn't able to see some of the skies wonders tonight, I was able to dial in my instruments to a fine level of precision, ensuring that when the moon and the atmosphere provide me more optimal viewing opportunities, I will be ready and able to take in the beauty of our universe, one object at a time.<br />
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Happy Photonic Hunting!Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-63815885542495128192011-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:002011-01-23T00:00:02.411-08:00CGEM Telescope leveling made easyIf you have a telescope and it isn't on a permanent pier, chances are you have had to worry about leveling the scope at one time or another. Due to a somewhat less than clear viewing area in my tree-filled backyard, I need to move my scope and scopebuggy into different spots in order to view the entire night sky. This normally implies that each time I move the scope, I need to re-level it to compensate for the different terrain.<br />
As my scope and mount offers about 80+ lbs sitting atop the tripod, this poses some interesting challenges:<br />
1) Do you remove the scope each time, prior to adjusting the tripod? <br />
(This takes a huge amount of time,but it can be done.)<br />
2) Do you try to lift each leg independently to adjust it while the scope is attached? <br />
(It is pretty heavy and dangerous for one person to perform this action, but using some simple tools it can be accomplished, but not without a lot of work and perspiration.)<br />
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So what to do? <br />
Well for my fork mounted Celestron CPC it was a cinch, Dave Yates at TPIAstro.com had just the solution, levelers for the CPC. When I bought my CGEM, Dave unfortunately had no answer for me, so I just continued the laborious leveling routines I have always done. Then one day Dave reached out and told me that they had some new levelers available for the CGEM! I told him to send me a set right away, I couldn't wait to finally have the simple leveling experience that I did on the CPC!<br />
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Here is what the unit looked like right out of the box, nicely built and finished. It appeared that he may have used some of the suggestions I offered from my experiences from the CPC levelers to modify the design.<br />
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Putting them on was very simple, I removed the scope and mount from the tripod, then proceeded to use a flat screwdriver and a small hammer to knock off the cap that was lightly glued to the bottom of the tripod leg.<br />
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Once the caps were off, I inserted the tubular portion of the unit into the shaft of the tripod leg. I could have chosen to mount it much further inside the shaft, but opted to place it into the shaft with a little over an inch of the unit exposed below the tripod shaft (note the brushed aluminum in the photo). I figured that if I needed to ever remove the leveler, it would be necessary to have a surface area large enough to get a good grip on the unit to prevent turning inside the shaft.<br />
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Here is a shot of the unit installed on the tripod and sitting on top of my scopebuggy. There are a couple of things to note about the scopebuggy + leveler combination that I will share below in the bold area named 'scopebuggy'.<br />
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This is a photo of the tripod and levelers mounted on the scopebuggy, note a couple of other good upgrades to the tripod and scopebuggy. First is the aluminum spreader that is mounted on the tripod, it is also made by TPIAstro. This creates a consistent and stable tripod, for some reason the CGEM doesn't ship with a spreader, so this was a necessary accessory for the scope. The next I built myself, I added the shelf onto the scopebuggy, making it large enough for all my supplies including power supply, hair dryer, power receptacles, etc.<br />
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So, you see the levelers... but what exactly does it do for you?<br />
Prior to adding the levelers, the leveling process took about 10-15 minutes of trial and error (sometimes more), just to ensure complete level. Think of how frustrating this is if you need to do this a couple times a night; you lose about 30+ minutes of viewing opportunity to level the scope.<br />
With the leveling system, it took me a whole 30 seconds to level the scope... 30 seconds, that is all, super simple. Once I document the exact movement characteristics using my bubble level, it will be even easier and faster!<br />
Cannot wait to gather first light with the new additions, will write more after I get some field results. <br />
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<b>Scopebuggy</b><br />
There are some peculiarities to be aware of when combining the scope buggy with the levelers.<br />
- TPIAstro normally ships 3 inch pads for the levelers, these WILL NOT work with the scopebuggy, all of the tripod stays on the scopebuggy can handle a maximum of a two inch pad. If you tell Dave about your application, he can get you some 2 inch <i>(need to recheck for exact size, will modify this if necessary, later)</i> pads for you. With my CPC he shipped me two sets of pads, one that was about 1 inch as well as the 2 inch pads, after much work I settled on the 2 inch pads and advised Dave of the better scopebuggy fit. It is apparently a difficult task to get these pads, but Dave will eventually get them to you.<br />
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- The levelers increase the tripod width, if you own a scopebuggy that is set on the lowest mount size, it will NOT work with the levelers (initially), the scope legs will no longer fit. This can be fixed by increasing the size of the scopebuggy, not a big deal to do, but if you weren't aware that you needed to do this, you would spend a couple minutes scratching your head attempting to figure out how to get it on your scopebuggy. Be prepared to have your scope buggy width increased by about 4 inches in all directions in order to correctly fit the tripod with levelers.<br />
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- The leveler pads are not an exact fit for the scopebuggy tripod stays, they are pretty close but not exact. I will likely put some circular (metal) cutouts on the base to offer a completely flat surface. I haven't seen any stability issues with the 'out_of_box' levelers on the scopebuggy, but think that it would be best overall to have one completely flat surface when moving the scopebuggy around.Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-68411389807287824782009-12-30T21:09:00.000-08:002009-12-30T21:56:27.435-08:00Helping focus.. Bahtinov MaskIn my long line of posting fun stuff that helps make my astro-life easier... I decided to write a short one on gaining perfect focus quickly and easily. While performing focus with an eyepiece, you can normally get pretty decent focus by taking a little bit of time and moving the eyepiece back and forth. In all likelihood you can get a pretty good focus (at least good enough for your viewing pleasure) just by moving in and out of focus, perhaps pretending your at the optometrist and chanting 'how about now' or 'this one or this one' :-) until the image looks good. <br />
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When attempting to take photos however, this becomes a bit more problematic as the camera and associated photos are generally less tolerant of less_than_perfect focus, this becomes more apparent with longer exposure times. It is also more difficult and time consuming gaining focus when you are using a camera (either prime focus or via a computer) as you need multiple exposures to test the focus, this takes a very long time to get perfect for your next frame-able photo of M42. One evening I spent almost 40 minutes moving my focuser back and forth trying to gain perfect focus. :-( Spending this much time on focusing, takes valuable time away from capturing those photons on your image sensor... not a great use of time.<br />
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While looking for focusers (dual speed Crayford types), I ran into some sites that discussed products they made to make focusing easier (Spike-a.com / Astrozap). I decided to give one a try, selecting the astrozap version. <br />
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I ordered it from Astronomics and received it a couple of days later, on a cloud-less evening no less! So I took it right out and placed it on my CPC, hooked up my CCD camera and gave it a run.<br />
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In less than 3 minutes (after alignment) I had the selected star in perfect focus! My shots came out just as planned and even better than expected. The more you use the mask, the faster your focusing becomes (as with all things, the more you practice something, the more efficient you become). <br />
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You can find more detail about how these things work, but I will supply a brief overview here:<br />
The mask creates diffraction spikes (like an astrograph, but instead of 4 spikes you will see 6) that can be used to dial in your focus.<br />
If the spikes are not perfectly aligned, then the star is out of focus.. but when aligned you will have a perfectly round star. If you have a dual focuser, it will be easier to put the diffraction spikes in perfect alignment, if you do not, it will still get you right on the 'money' it just might take a few seconds longer.<br />
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This turned out to be a pretty good purchase overall, as it reduced my focusing time from 40+ minutes to less than 2 minutes. You can go to Spike-a.com to see how they work, at less than 100 dollars (USD) it is probably the least expensive <br />
accessory I own but one that saves me quite a bit of time (and time is money right?).<br />
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Happy Photon Hunting!<br />
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[note: I am not getting paid by astrozap or any other vendor for publishing my views here]Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-83933866914085464622009-10-17T17:39:00.000-07:002009-11-28T10:25:43.248-08:00SCT collimation tool: 'collimation helper'Collimation of a Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT) is no simple task... good news is, doesn't need to be done too often. ;-)<br />
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One thing I struggle with continually in my infrequent collimation attempts is understanding the direction that I need to adjust in order to make the correct movements of the secondary mirror.<br />
Articles on SCT collimation say to look into your eyepiece and reach around the front of your telescope putting your index finger near the front of your telescope pointing towards the center. While a great (and easy) thing to describe, this is a very difficult thing to do, especially if your telescope is wedge mounted. <br />
The distance from your eyepiece to the front of a wedge mounted telescope (alt-az is much easier as it is a shorter distance) is pretty far making it pretty much out of reach unless you have some pretty long arms. ;-)<br />
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So thinking about this more, I wondered what I could do to mimic the pointing characteristics needed during collimation, without reaching around to the front of the scope with my hand. <br />
Here were the characteristics I considered:<br />
- stability (it needed to stay put in one place until I removed it)<br />
- mobility (it needed be able to be put on and removed as necessary)<br />
- size and weight matters (needed to be something I could put in pocket or toolkit)<br />
it also needed to reasonably perform the function necessary, meaning that it should obstruct enough light to mimic a finger but not enough that it takes away from the collimation efforts.<br />
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I decided to try out a very simple mechanism to do this, choosing an ice cream stick *, an 'alligator clip' and a wood screw**. I also decided to use epoxy to bind the stick / 'alligator clip'.<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoGMWs_2X9VE04njFZwlO5ZPP0cxuDXsRmrSLGHUZ7HABFGHX6-ep_xcEnbLVhvHXC_RvZzqYCWBFGtWCMATYjDIlTlpAYslyX3LvRHs-siU3O9ZRid8XW8xWYxi7oVvlxONP4GB4sX0/s1600-h/IMG_5497.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoGMWs_2X9VE04njFZwlO5ZPP0cxuDXsRmrSLGHUZ7HABFGHX6-ep_xcEnbLVhvHXC_RvZzqYCWBFGtWCMATYjDIlTlpAYslyX3LvRHs-siU3O9ZRid8XW8xWYxi7oVvlxONP4GB4sX0/s320/IMG_5497.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393738881227060082" /></a><br />
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Now, when I use the 'collimation helper' <name trademark...> I clip it on to the band surrounding the front of the telescope, pointing towards one of the three collimation screws. This then gives me an awesome point of reference when adjusting the screws to collimate the scope and takes the guess out of the direction of movement necessary in perfect collimation. Now my collimation attempts are easier and faster with less frustration due to incorrect directional movement. <br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMhdiukgZZXoOC93KxZlMKpotPLjeZfjezWCJJOS0XVBBflIT7a1d0Sbf1-586TF45UEVb6R8g1WYT54lryVvAcxfdoSN6C7LedVUMaAbgBLiWLmcHurCj6XY_9UTmzf5sUpK49ketZk/s1600-h/IMG_5498.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMhdiukgZZXoOC93KxZlMKpotPLjeZfjezWCJJOS0XVBBflIT7a1d0Sbf1-586TF45UEVb6R8g1WYT54lryVvAcxfdoSN6C7LedVUMaAbgBLiWLmcHurCj6XY_9UTmzf5sUpK49ketZk/s320/IMG_5498.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393738888601005858" /></a><br />
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This is a representation of what to expect when peering through your eyepiece while collimating your telescope using this device, the straight line emanating from the outer circle is the 'collimation helper'.<br />
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<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-M8a-G7S4dOnfKzc7kNAu2xz9YnlLQdS8klE4JIbpkbbmK8R3_ucVx4IbqxqVNa3TqDYY-PSaztSf7Ooz2NItfB48z6-qj88l0sb7vKwu4wkJPczZZERBABFiz-xJtpbbj9RK1Q5FAhw/s1600-h/collimation-small.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-M8a-G7S4dOnfKzc7kNAu2xz9YnlLQdS8klE4JIbpkbbmK8R3_ucVx4IbqxqVNa3TqDYY-PSaztSf7Ooz2NItfB48z6-qj88l0sb7vKwu4wkJPczZZERBABFiz-xJtpbbj9RK1Q5FAhw/s320/collimation-small.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393741756383826898" /></a><br />
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Next step will be to paint it, probably flat black but that is only cosmetic, it is really unnecessary as it will work just fine without any paint.<br />
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Notes:<br />
* any ice cream stick should work, I chose a thicker one to ensure I had a decent obstruction.<br />
** any type of screw should do, as long as it fits snugly within the 'alligator clip'<br />
<br />
<still not employed by by any telescope or peripheral manufacture as of this writing><br />
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Update: Never bothered to color the instrument, worked as expected even without coloring. Choosing a fatter stick worked well as it enabled me to really see it in the focal picture. One modification that I did and would highly suggest is making the end (toward the center of the view) pointed, I worked out what the center should be and then employed my 'dremel tool' on it to give it a pointed end, leaving the rest of the contour in place, this minor adjustment gave me something to focus on and assisted in making the final adjustments.<br />
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Happy Photon Hunting!Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-68991487269163113282009-10-02T10:23:00.000-07:002009-10-17T17:33:58.727-07:00Dual Speed FocuserThis post covers the use of an external focuser to increase the granularity / speed of focusing your telescope.<br /><br />In attempting to gain fine focus on my Celestron CPC, I found the primary focus knob insufficient for fine grained or quick focus of the telescope. So what does the primary focus knob do? Well it focuses the telescope, more specifically, the primary focus knob moves the primary mirror back and forth to focus an image in your eyepiece or camera (as the case may be). This mechanical movement of the mirror *may* be prone to many irregularities that make focusing your telescope challenging, like image shift (eg: movement in mirror causing the movement of an object in the Field of View [FOV]).<br /><br />In addition to the potential movement (shift) of the mirror I was also unhappy with the amount of time it would take to gain focus on objects, even when using a bahtinov mask, where the 'sloppiness' associated with the original focuser led to lots of back and forth movement attempting to focus the object. (I will cover the use of a bahtinov mask in a future blog as it is a nifty tool to have in your toolbox). While looking for ways to combat the above, I started to look into 'crayford' style focusers as they took the movement out of the primary mirror, making focusing faster and more fine grained by moving the eyepieces or 'image train'.<br /><br />I found a couple of different options and finally settled on a dual-speed focuser from William Optics, ordering it online directly from the company as opposed to one of it's distributors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUjUbDwdod7l14K4RPplkfQTJbPABwL104PZYTBqsdAlFCWSoVyIQJIhA2P0aAml937_Ny0jUyqqb-dsPToVRkTFxizBFzxGBuED7BIfvoohOipzCur7qu9sTwvYm5KTcGGJKQ8xVN6U/s1600-h/IMG_5483.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUjUbDwdod7l14K4RPplkfQTJbPABwL104PZYTBqsdAlFCWSoVyIQJIhA2P0aAml937_Ny0jUyqqb-dsPToVRkTFxizBFzxGBuED7BIfvoohOipzCur7qu9sTwvYm5KTcGGJKQ8xVN6U/s320/IMG_5483.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393729487013202050" /></a><br /><br />A few weeks later my new focuser came via the US Postal service, tightly wrapped and sufficiently encased in bubble wrap. The very first thing I noticed about this focuser was the weight, it came in at just under 2 lbs!<br />It was very well constructed, with a very smooth focal range (about 2 inches of travel). The small focus knob made getting precise focus super-simple, while the larger focus ring made for very quick focus.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnlTOJVYmQNu55EpIQ99PauaPFRm1XNfHkf5XH6tJnQRhy_42whNKF4qojj52l6O-0Yn1KWoigcWcJQ4IfhV7UFUhGrLTs6E-vuEnOSF9utMazZZaC-cfqsuw8v-HoEgH4f2m09NE7-Q/s1600-h/IMG_5484.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCnlTOJVYmQNu55EpIQ99PauaPFRm1XNfHkf5XH6tJnQRhy_42whNKF4qojj52l6O-0Yn1KWoigcWcJQ4IfhV7UFUhGrLTs6E-vuEnOSF9utMazZZaC-cfqsuw8v-HoEgH4f2m09NE7-Q/s320/IMG_5484.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393729494353000690" /></a><br /><br />My original telescope focusing routine, had me centering an object in my FOV, then using the primary focuser to move the primary mirror forward and backward until the object was close to focus, then I would move the primary mirror into a more solid position by turning the primary focus knob counter-clockwise to place the mirror in a more stable position. This was normally repeated at least 3-4 times as I would inadvertently 'pass' the optimal focus and have to perform a 'do-over' until I stopped the mirror at a perfect position.<br /><br />Now the focus routine is far easier and faster to perform, here are the steps I take:<br />1) center the object in my FOV<br />2) perform a rough focus using the primary focus knob on the telescope, making sure to make the final movement counter-clockwise to steady the primary mirror<br />3) perform a second level focus with the larger focus knob on the focuser, getting the object to close focus<br />4) performed the final focus with the smaller focus knob on the focuser, putting the object in perfect focus<br /><br />My focus routines now take less than half the time to obtain a perfect pinpoint focus and offer an easier and less frustrating time, giving me more time to stargaze and less time in set-up mode.<br /><br />Just a note to say that both of my dual-speed focusers are very well constructed, I purchased the William Optics focuser after-market for my CPC, but the focuser that came stock on my Astro-Tech AT66ED finderscope is also well constructed and silky smooth. It doesn't matter what type of viewing you do, if you don't have one already a dual-speed focuser would be a very good investment, making the pinpoint focusing of objects a breeze.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUU2JH-zW_IXMtiyvThxsXOeDldGhyphenhyphenT9OKtqDqnywUJMw_6pUo7yBeHXSd0WDz9yIz_C3Fm0RewyLYGJidsC6MmtYszBuJM8bg64Os5YnzRginyTbHiLPjODM62lOnLDprvZDjlbM1cg/s1600-h/IMG_5487.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNUU2JH-zW_IXMtiyvThxsXOeDldGhyphenhyphenT9OKtqDqnywUJMw_6pUo7yBeHXSd0WDz9yIz_C3Fm0RewyLYGJidsC6MmtYszBuJM8bg64Os5YnzRginyTbHiLPjODM62lOnLDprvZDjlbM1cg/s320/IMG_5487.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393729501690692354" /></a><br /><br /><note: I am not compensated in any way by William Optics nor Celestron, nor any other astronomy related company at this writing><br /><br />Happy photon hunting!Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-86892912965086395422009-09-27T20:48:00.000-07:002009-09-27T21:27:18.135-07:00Balancing ActThis post covers some tips, tricks and observations on scope balancing.<br /><br />Of the several things you need to do to properly align your telescope, I previously posted about balancing via the use of a leveling system... this one covers another important aspect; balancing your telescope.<br /><br />When you pull the scope out of the box and use *only* the accessories provided in the box, which may include the scope, tripod, small star diagonal, small finder-scope and maybe one eyepiece, it is likely that all the equipment will balance fairly well. When you start adding new accessories like I have, you will start to see that the scope will become unbalanced and heavier in either the 'front' or 'rear' ends of the scope. Additionally, you may find that now your scope is heavier on one side or the other, but that is for a different post, this one only covers the front / rear balance issues.<br /><br />So now you have an interesting challenge, you need to add weight to either the front / rear of the scope to balance it out. You do have some options, I chose to head to Starizona.com to see what counterweight options they had available. Looking at their storefront I saw the following options:<br />--> top weight set<br />--> bottom weight set<br />--> complete weight set<br /><br />Then I was faced with the inevitable question, what should I order? Without any documentation to guide me to a decision, I opted for the complete weight set.. I couldn't possibly go wrong there! (famous last words)<br /><br />So in comes my order, I read the instructions and placed them on my scope.. now to do my balancing act.<br />I immediately installed the top weight (only 1 to start) and the bottom rail (with 1 disc). I was able to almost immediately balance vertically by moving the bottom rail to a rearward position (see image below).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOsun0EHRQgHm7F1JHwMljx25D3SetABSl-_NhmUqMZN_KQRAfWJiDFr2glX6ZvQiiqHgDqfaV4jMhY0YjHyUlGFwDZ5VnmZD_AdLI5_u_XswjlZXN-2qybaUutbcPETRQqh7U_nOljw/s1600-h/First-Balance.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOsun0EHRQgHm7F1JHwMljx25D3SetABSl-_NhmUqMZN_KQRAfWJiDFr2glX6ZvQiiqHgDqfaV4jMhY0YjHyUlGFwDZ5VnmZD_AdLI5_u_XswjlZXN-2qybaUutbcPETRQqh7U_nOljw/s320/First-Balance.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386364467521298802" /></a> <br /><br />Notice the weight on top as well as the position of the weight disc on the bottom rail, this position allowed me to get a perfect balance vertically, but unfortunately not horizontally. So I would reposition the weights horizontally to get balance and it would negate my vertical balance, leaving the scope unbalanced in the vertical position again... just when this looked so simple... ;-)<br /><br />I ended up taking off the upper / lower weights and observed the scope balance more carefully. The scope was pretty heavy in the rearward upper position, placing a weight on top made horizontal balance easy, but didn't help the vertical balance at all. So noting the above, I decided to not put a counterweight on the top at all and instead move the bottom counterweight into a more forward position.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlCV4eHjewdosxlBXkmKGcD76FoCWJDbaBRk1K4bFiquaWAN4da3qBF_0s9fUfwrmIUoFRY2VZDTmgwIj5IJSqtPtx1X93F16FASn7Yvsb_qEjmRJk9DxfGkWUt5GdnSg5jY0mxVq5Nk/s1600-h/Horizontal-Balance.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlCV4eHjewdosxlBXkmKGcD76FoCWJDbaBRk1K4bFiquaWAN4da3qBF_0s9fUfwrmIUoFRY2VZDTmgwIj5IJSqtPtx1X93F16FASn7Yvsb_qEjmRJk9DxfGkWUt5GdnSg5jY0mxVq5Nk/s320/Horizontal-Balance.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386366621427920626" /></a><br /><br />Moving the bottom counterweight back and forth, I was eventually able to find the sweetspot for both vertical and horizontal balance.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjns8ZuN9oUx96qY_h7J_hF3DDi2KUpB-bqpY3JdGsMZAqcVYiMZbxAcDtlf8cHn-Xi6Zf91ANP2rlgEeGdbAHXA2-qjrrijE6eOdDKArCRl3cTkQ1ERpgstAf0fJ2y_wKtQhI7CIoNU/s1600-h/Vertical-Balance.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUjns8ZuN9oUx96qY_h7J_hF3DDi2KUpB-bqpY3JdGsMZAqcVYiMZbxAcDtlf8cHn-Xi6Zf91ANP2rlgEeGdbAHXA2-qjrrijE6eOdDKArCRl3cTkQ1ERpgstAf0fJ2y_wKtQhI7CIoNU/s320/Vertical-Balance.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386366615461247826" /></a><br /><br />Now my scope is perfectly balanced in both the vertical as well as horizontal positions!<br /><br />One other thing that I had to work on for the balance was the position / distribution of the weights on the bottom rail not only for balance but also to ensure that I could clear the CPC base with the bottom counterweight. I was able to find and mark the position appropriate to this particular visual setup. <br />As I use some other accessories like cameras, etc.. I had to additionally put other marks on the bottom rail so I could know where exact balance was for these other configurations (eg: imaging). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvztQam79cbMAvGxjqx_r8_1KKuxAj8D02NI1IHjAJQHYwM5AtQYM4kX00mwDOauMhjwLOwCSD_hHFKK2IgZOgtASU4dNwljUeLhOPploMdzbPO2Isa55eDrjUTvsSGfJ03boBZmfsmg/s1600-h/Weight_under.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvztQam79cbMAvGxjqx_r8_1KKuxAj8D02NI1IHjAJQHYwM5AtQYM4kX00mwDOauMhjwLOwCSD_hHFKK2IgZOgtASU4dNwljUeLhOPploMdzbPO2Isa55eDrjUTvsSGfJ03boBZmfsmg/s320/Weight_under.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386367911502546978" /></a><br /><br />Of note: In retrospect, now knowing my scopes balance points, I would have probably just ordered the bottom rail and weight set, saving myself $79.00 (plus shipping / tax). Of course your mileage and setup may vary... understanding your setup and observing your specific balance variables on your setup, will lead you to select the right product for you.<br /><br />Happy (Photon) Hunting!Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-84688893096548821822009-09-26T09:28:00.000-07:002009-09-26T19:41:43.693-07:00Scope Port Protection: HomebrewI have heard some horror stories about scopes electronics being fried by dew getting into the external ports on the CPC (eg: aux, PC, etc). This is probably a real issue as you have contacts inside those ports that do carry electricity, dew build-up *could* lead to the possibility of shorting those contacts, leading to (guess what) a fried CPC motherboard.<br /><br />Hadn't happened to me yet, but I convinced myself that it *could* happen to me and so off I embarked on a small project: to find a cheap and easy way to cover those exposed ports!<br /><br />So looking at the options here:<br />You could surf to Amazon.com, where you will find molded 'dust covers' @ .69 cents each + shipping of $4.49 (total $5.18 for one RJ-45 cover, not even adding the RJ-11 dust covers to the equation)<br />OR<br />You could go to your local Radio Shack (now called 'The Shack") and pick up 3 RJ-11 connectors and 1 RJ-45 connector, 4 small finishing nails, glue or epoxy and some leftover black paint (paint is optional) and make yourself some nifty plugs for only about $2.00 (save yourself $3.18++, get it done in one day and have the fun of building homebrew... priceless!)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqysb01QueiloGhpDjLC93dqkF-J6ukJjZoZrFnYWM3z2WnrGzU41KohqzKPFvWOfTgHY0wZJuSiXaeq0daS0jeTjV9wZyiCGoEWCRrHsDgYgLev7-VZMNKjqp6-CruqUDVXO-adcX0U/s1600-h/IMG_5469.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqysb01QueiloGhpDjLC93dqkF-J6ukJjZoZrFnYWM3z2WnrGzU41KohqzKPFvWOfTgHY0wZJuSiXaeq0daS0jeTjV9wZyiCGoEWCRrHsDgYgLev7-VZMNKjqp6-CruqUDVXO-adcX0U/s320/IMG_5469.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385822366698426050" /></a><br /><br />*** Note: I have some basic tools (eg: crimper for connectors) so this option may not be for everyone as you do have to crimp the empty connector to get it to fit into CPC ports. ***<br /><br />Here is what I did:<br />- Buy supplies (above incl; 1 rj-45 connector and 3 rj-11 connectors)<br />- Crimp the connectors to fit into CPC ports<br />- Pushed finishing nails into the rear of connector (where wires normally go), just enough to hold in place, you should not push them too far in as you don't want them to come in contact with the connector contacts.<br />- Applied epoxy to nail / rear of connector to hold in place (of note: I oriented the nail such that it pointed downwards or away from the tab on the connectors, time will tell if an upwards or downwards orientation is best, will update blog accordingly)<br />- Let epoxy set for 2 hours per the instructions<br />- Painted the units, let them dry for a couple of hours..<br />- Insert into CPC ports and walk away<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuozjibw12odOFIQBQlc0-2RoBiq9Y8Gu8xg8t2iaXAnnD5Sz_V09o5NTwk1WSr-ggEcZfzZIr9K_jaukMVBX4_Ubkvn-kkUhjZKiyzKVl9fUVCwilEQJK8owd4msTmLDGgYv21FaFO8U/s1600-h/IMG_5473.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuozjibw12odOFIQBQlc0-2RoBiq9Y8Gu8xg8t2iaXAnnD5Sz_V09o5NTwk1WSr-ggEcZfzZIr9K_jaukMVBX4_Ubkvn-kkUhjZKiyzKVl9fUVCwilEQJK8owd4msTmLDGgYv21FaFO8U/s320/IMG_5473.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385821055901465778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now should you need to unplug covers and plug in a device, just grab the nail and push in the tab, you will be good to go.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">As the retail dust covers make no promises about being water-tight or any such thing, this option *should* be at least as good as the dust covers.<br />I take no responsibility for your scopes *protection* from dew or any other problem that arises from using this method of plugging your CPC external ports.</span><br /></span>Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-8621085231994186642009-09-24T21:19:00.001-07:002009-09-24T21:32:39.888-07:00Telescope levelers (part III)This is the final post (perhaps) on the telescope levelers... so about now after two other posts on the leveler quality as well as installation methods, I am now at the point to comment on the use of the levelers.<br /><br />On average it took me about 10 - 15 minutes of lower tripod leg adjustment to get my scope to level and even then on many occasions the level wasn't 'dead-on' but as close as I could get it without messing around with it for another 10 minutes or so.<br /><br />Now in comes the TPIastro telescope leveler... it took me all of 2.5 minutes to get a PERFECT level, a really 'DEAD-ON' level. No lifting, pulling, pushing or any hard labor, merely turning the handles and watching the movement on the bubble-level. I could have never imagined an easier way to level my scope.<br /><br />I can take that 7.5+ minutes and use it towards gaining 'dead-center' on my star alignments!<br /><br />Awesome job on the levelers TPIastro!<br /><br />I would highly recommend these levelers to anyone requiring perfect level!Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-79627341440415861682009-09-24T16:26:00.000-07:002009-09-24T16:57:43.792-07:00Telescope levelers (part II)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-99MrK72afS4ze3h0eVPVUMEyHUd1iaF8tmFFxJpmnr9onmhBV_sZgkkD0RG_dZICQ6MZyDHAeOwaBfPNbYguY2fxvuIGrBJjZYNBMOtQ11H-6r3dFYkMWyHrLbLXWt30Ed-uoQyhIaQ/s1600-h/IMG_5467.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-99MrK72afS4ze3h0eVPVUMEyHUd1iaF8tmFFxJpmnr9onmhBV_sZgkkD0RG_dZICQ6MZyDHAeOwaBfPNbYguY2fxvuIGrBJjZYNBMOtQ11H-6r3dFYkMWyHrLbLXWt30Ed-uoQyhIaQ/s320/IMG_5467.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385187431581528114" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In the previous post I spoke about the new telescope levelers from TPIAstro.com in terms of fit / finish. This post will cover the installation of the levelers on the Celestron HD Tripod.<br /><br />Ok, so I unwrapped the Telescope levelers and took down my telescope to start the install process. The Celestron HD Tripod is a pretty stable device overall, pretty solid and heavy. Here is what I did to install the levelers:<br />1) Removed my telescope from the tripod<br />2) Removed the telescope wedge from the tripod (to make the tripod easier to maneuver)<br /><br />Now here is where the decision point comes in... in order to install the levelers, you need to first remove the existing tripod extension legs... there are two ways to do this (that I am aware of) one of the options is easier than the other, but in some ways perhaps not optimal.<br /><br />Methods of removal:<br />a) Unscrew each tripod leg from the tripod 'head' and extension leg will come (fall) out of the top of the upper leg.<br />b) Release clamp on extension leg and pull briskly until the internal guide pops off, leaving a part inside the tripod upper leg.<br /><br />Method (a) is more difficult and time consuming but it is the method I chose. Why did I choose that method? Great question!<br />I opted for method (a) as it offers me an easy way to get back to 'stock configuration' in case I ever decide to sell my CPC and HD Tripod. Method (b) leaves parts inside the tripod, which *may* lower the selling price of the unit.<br /><br />Ok, so method (a) it is:<br />1) remove the locknuts and bolts from the tripod head, releasing the legs from the head<br />2) there are some small screws that hold the upper leg tube assembly to the tube head connector (get a piece of tape and put the screws on the tape to ensure they don't get lost)<br />3) tap off the tube head connector with a rubber mallet (it is wedged in pretty good)<br />4) tap off the 'ground spike' at the bottom of the lower extension tube, the rubber mallet is good here too.<br />5) Once the head connector and 'ground spike' is removed, you can release the lower extension leg clamp and invert the tripod upper tube, the lower extension leg should fall right out of the tube.<br /><br />So now the old lower extension leg is out of the tripod, next comes the easy part. Take the new leveler and insert it into the bottom of the upper tube, closing the clamp to restrict the movement of the leveler. Place the tube head connector on the upper leg tube, insert the screws that connect these parts. Next replace the head tube connector and head connection, using the head screw and bolt to secure the connection.<br /><br />Super simple! You have now successfully installed the new levelers!<br /><br />Next post will cover the acquisition of perfect level and differences in time to acquire level with the new equipment.<br /><br />Until then, happy photon hunting!Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-389083366368109675.post-55683308389836497102009-09-23T23:07:00.000-07:002009-09-24T21:33:25.318-07:00Telescope Levelers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifANmiM1Gtv7dZWVto8wGQ9f-EOwAFMgNOzTolnESn3K2H48MfzMwbn_swFPRJJSPLG10QjlA_wMuCtvfGXvbq08RAunn7Xw00rnslFAczGmvgvNEEa-imOEIO5PJ1yJucVbdG77Tf9yI/s1600-h/IMG_5466.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifANmiM1Gtv7dZWVto8wGQ9f-EOwAFMgNOzTolnESn3K2H48MfzMwbn_swFPRJJSPLG10QjlA_wMuCtvfGXvbq08RAunn7Xw00rnslFAczGmvgvNEEa-imOEIO5PJ1yJucVbdG77Tf9yI/s320/IMG_5466.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5385187266348518450" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>If you are into astronomy and more specifically astro-photography, you will eventually run into many 'learning opportunities' that need to be overcome in order to capture that great shot of <insert star="" nebula="" planet="" galaxy="" etc="" here="">.<br /><br />One of these 'opportunities' is leveling the telescope, this of course is no easy matter.<br />Let me give you an example: I have about 100 lbs sitting on my tripod legs, this makes upwards and downwards adjustments on the individual legs very difficult and obtaining a perfectly level telescope nearly impossible for one person to acquire.<br /><br />In comes Telescope Performance Industries to answer all of my leveling needs! I spoke with Dave Y at TPIastro.com about their levelers and how they could make my telescope leveling duties much easier and more accurate. Dave told me about his manufacturing process, materials used and sent me the documentation as well as some photos so I could see his work in action.<br />I immediately liked what I saw, in fact I thought to myself if they were half as well constructed as they appeared in the photo, these would be very solid levelers and make it 'super-simple' to dial in my telescope.<br /><br />Dave shipped me a set to mount on my telescope, along with stellar documentation and packing that would have made a mummy jealous. When I opened the box and packing materials (probably spent the majority of the time unwrapping the bubble wrap!), I saw a sight to behold! The levelers were even better quality than they appeared in the photos / documentation, worth every penny just on look and feel alone.<br /><br />Next blog, mounting the levelers on my tripod and putting them to use...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></insert>Ken Durazzohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14395093545400138820noreply@blogger.com0