Jeff's Blog

So, given the previous post, what does all that get you?

Here’s 80 minutes of M27, through the AT8RC:

80 minutes (16x300s lights kept, 5x300s darks), Celestron CGE-Pro, Astro-Tech 8″ RC in ADM side-by-side config, with the Astro-Tech FF., Orion StarShoot Pro V2 color CCD cam, guided with an Orion 80mmED@F7.5 refractor, Orion StarShoot autoguider and PhD guide. Minimal processing in PS CS4.

Took some quick iPhone shots of my setup this past Sunday (6/20/10).

Overall shot, at Camp Highroad. Mount on left obviously, imaging laptop, 85 amp-hour battery setup in foreground.

Closer shot of the imaging laptop, battery with inverter atop and 3 socket cigarette lighter. White extension cord running to the truck, so I can charge my other laptop (more on that in a bit).

Cooler for beverages, close-up of the battery box. Had great luck with it so far, can have two laptops charging on it at once, pulling 190W and it still puts out 12.6V consistently. Takes 24hrs+ to fully recharge off a 2A charger tho, but that’s fine by me.

USB cable to USB hub. From here I run the USB mouse and a USB extension to the USB hub on the mount.

Bottom of the CGE-Pro. Despite all the horrors people seem to have had with this mount, it’s worked flawlessly since day 1. I’ve done PEC on it (I’ll have a separate post here on that when I revisit it to redo it, more accurately). I’m using the Duracell PowerPack 600 inverter/DC battery box. One to power the mount, USB hub and imaging camera and the other for the dew heaters.

USB hub near the imaging laptop runs to this hub. From here, the mount connects, and the SSAG camera and the imaging camera.

Another shot of the mount, before the scopes are attached.

Orion StarShoot Pro V2 color CCD cam box, and the silver Celestron eyepiece box everyone has, I keep some assorted stuff in it.

Right before mounting the scopes. You can see the side-by-side Losmandy type bar from ADM here. The box on the left is the Orion 80mm ED refractor, and the one in the center is the Astro-Tech AT8RC. The one on the right is the Astro-Zap dew heater stuff. I’ve got 3 straps in there.

This is the fun part. I turned on tethering on my jailbroken iPhone 3GS. Connected to it with my work laptop and ALSO with my imaging laptop. Thus, as a side effect I can UltraVNC into the imaging laptop from the work laptop. While sitting comfortably in the truck. 🙂 So, once I’m all focused and guiding seems good, I trundle into my comfy seat and control all the action remotely.

I took this 105 total exposure time thru the 8″ SCT, guided with the 80mm shorttube and guidecam with PhD. The wind was up around 10mph, and slightly higher, and I think I started out of focus and it might have drifted further out of focus.

Taken at Camp Highroad, Middleburg, VA on 04/14/2010. I used a Celestron CGEM mount. Atop that a side-by-side ADM setup with a 80mm Orion StarShoot scope and guidecam combo, and a Celestron 8″ SCT. In back of the SCT was a Orion StarShoot Pro V2 color CCD. 5 5 min subs for each target, guiding with PhD Guide, and Maxim DL Pro 5 running the imaging cam.

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Went thru the stuff I’ve imaged, and did a little processing on them. Next time I’m out, I’ll do things with *much* more imaging time.

In order of when I did them…

11-29-2009 – M42:

12-11-2009 – M42 (processing done by Bob Long):

03-18 and 03-19-2010 – Horsehead and Flame:

03-18 and 03-19-2010 – Rosette:

03-18-2010 – Pinwheel:

03-18-2010 – Owl:

03-31-2010 – M42:

03-31-2010 – Owl:

04-01-2010 – M1:

Gonna do some quick screencaps in Starry Night Pro Plus 6 about future possible targets and what hardware I might use to shoot them with. Also, this is a good exercise in looking up targets and keeping them here to reference.

Cassiopeia A, Cassiopeia, mag -. Orion 80mm with Orion Pro V2 with F6.3 reducer.

Bubble nebula/NGC 7635, Cassiopeia, mag 8.7 (central star). Orion 80mm with Meade Deep Sky Imager II.

The Cigar Galaxy/M82, Ursa Major, mag 8.4. SCT 8″ with Meade Deep Sky II Imager.

Pinwheel Galaxy/M101, Ursa Major, mag 7.9. Orion 80mm with Meade Deep Sky Imager II.

Whirlpool Galaxy/M51, Canes Venatici. 8″ SCT with Meade Deep Sky Imager II.

Dumbbell Nebula/M27, Vulpecula, mag 7.4. Orion 80mm with Meade Deep Sky II Imager.

Ring Nebula/M57, Lyra, mag 8.8. 8″ SCT with Meade Deep Sky Imager II.

North American Nebula/NGC7000, Cygnus, mag -. Orion 80 mm with Orion Pro V2.

The Veil Nebula/NGC6960, Cygnus, mag 5.0. Orion 80mm with Orion Pro V2.