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Post by Dragon Man on Feb 3, 2016 10:39:47 GMT
Top stuff Howie! Your M42 looks schmicko Good detail and nice sharp stars.
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Post by davy on Feb 3, 2016 10:53:22 GMT
How do you find the star adveturer..I was going to get one but opted for the allview
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Post by howie1 on Feb 3, 2016 12:10:32 GMT
Thanks Ken. Davy, I bought it when they first came out for camera panoramas and never used it. It's finally getting some use with the ST80! Its strength is its a really lightweight backpackable mount. It tracks good enough for my live-in-field-viewing 20-30 sec shots. Well, provided you balance weight heavier to one side or the other as the RA gears have a lot of backlash - has wobbled once at the balance point to and fro across the gear gap while tracking! It also has a guider port, but I havent used it yet as I dont need more gear to carry and dont take 3-5 min exposures. I'd say your allview, or a smart EQ pro would be better than the adventurer. Both GoTo, have sturdier tripods, and cost about the same as the adventurer (by the time you add the cost of a half decent camera tripod). But they are heavier and larger and more stuff with them to carry around. I doubt I could backpack them for instance. For now its a good muck about, quick to setup grab n go GEM ... but I am watching out for a 2nd hand smart EQ pro. So I guess that tells you something One last thing which is I also wouldn't put anything heavier than the ST80 on it either. Especially with a camera hanging off the end. So its limited. Amazing just how many uses I have put that ST80 through. I think its the only scope I have kept since I bought it. LOL.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Feb 3, 2016 14:42:34 GMT
Some hiking/backpacking adventures have taken me to some pretty remote locations with incredible skies. I always wished I could get some images of the views.
Can the Star Adventurer run on batteries?
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Post by davy on Feb 3, 2016 18:16:32 GMT
Yes takes batteries,
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Feb 3, 2016 18:49:25 GMT
Cool, cool!
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Post by davy on Feb 4, 2016 2:30:32 GMT
Great image howie,are you using the dslr for ap or video,I have a couple of canon 600d that I bought to try video on..using the allview/ ed80 with sw focal reducer and 600d.
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Post by howie1 on Feb 4, 2016 12:30:21 GMT
Thanks davy. No ... haven't used video on either Canon or Nikon. But Canon liveview has satisfied neighbourhood kids live viewing (no shots taken just liveview) stars have diff colours, the moon, globs, the Pleiades, and M42 which shows quite a bit of colour (enough for them to go Wow!). I have also used my old Mallincam VSS vid cam with the Star Adventurer and ST80. Not so lightweight in the backback though, carrying 20Ah battery, battery clips and a car headrest LCD screen. I didn't use the VSS with laptop as that would require even more cables and video grabbers and stuff! The views on the little headrest LCD screen were (due to its 12cm diagonal size) the best most sharpest views I ever got with the VSS! And, I have also ditched the ST80 and put a c-mount to EOS lens adapter onto the VSS and it works perfectly. The VSS has a 1/4" thread underneath and screws right onto the DEC head of the Star Adventurer (No ST80 to lug around!) with either the 18-55 f/3.5-f/5.6 or 55-250 f/4.0-f/5.6 zooms fitted to the VSS. I carry those anyway when hicking so it was pretty lightweight except that darn battery Surprisingly good views though! And the latest aim is a variation of that, but havent used it yet. I bought a ZWO ASL224 and have an adapter for it to also take the Canon lens. Havent tried it yet but it could be perfect!?!?! 3 times as many pixels as the VSS so sharper looking stars. Good sensitivity having watched a few broadcasts. I just have to make an aluminium adaptor to fit it onto the Star Adventurer DEC head as shown in the photo. Single USB cable to the macbook for power. Macbook runs FireCapture.
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Post by howie1 on Feb 4, 2016 13:06:19 GMT
BTW crowman2 ... your se mount will take vixen dovetails. If you really struggle with focal reduction on the 1250mm (?) SE tube, get a second hand ST80 and (thanks to Ken's advice) a yellow #12 filter to tame the coma. They're quite reasonably priced new and even less 2nd hand. In my photos earlier you will see a longer dovetail on my ST80. This allows it to balance on the Star Adventurer, but also fit onto a nexstar well forward in the dovetail grip - leaving more room at the back end so it can rotate to zenith without getting stuck on the nexstar base. I've only done it a couple of times with a mates nexstar but I think I had to use a 1-1/4" diagonal on the 1-1/4" focuser on the ST80. So the cam was 90 degrees to the OTA and the diagonal still cleared the nexstar base at zenith. That clearance is the important bit. I dont know if a longer scope (longer than the ST80 - like an ED80 650mm FL) will fit on the Nexstar without colliding. Also pretty sure my mate uses a Meade 0.63 reducer on his SE. I dont think he paid that much for it either.
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Post by Dragon Man on Feb 4, 2016 13:49:10 GMT
Howie, I have an idea for you. I made some graphics to show you how to use 70mm Guide rings and a simple base plate cut to length and drilled and tapped to accept the 1/4" camera bolt. The rings will hold both the camera and the lens. The Camera is 62mm Dia, and the lens looks almost the same.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Feb 4, 2016 14:54:57 GMT
Very nice thread here...
Does the Backyard EOS software allow for the LiveView to be brought in through a USB connection to the Monitor (and then Broadcast of course!)
Great solution Ken!
I really like my ZWO ASI120MC camera. I am looking forward to seeing what some of their new cameras look like and what they can do.
And I have to shout out to Torsten and his most excellent FireCapture product. Great great software!
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Post by howie1 on Feb 4, 2016 23:11:49 GMT
Agree with Rick ... great solution Ken! Those look like the rings which came with the ST80 for autoguider duties! (Yet another use of the ST80). Rick, I havent played with BYEOS for ages, but it certainly did show liveview for the Canons. It had a FWHM focus tool too. I see your comment re grabbing that liveview window for broadcast. Yeah that'll work fine. Just in case you ever need it, for your 450D which doesnt take video, BYEOS will grab the live view screen and save that live view as .avi video. EG planet imaging/vid frame stacking (if you can get enough mag with a dslr that is! . That'll solve any probs re actually shooting video with your 450D should you wish to. Or say you wanted to keep a copy of an ISS transits of the moon etc. I have a 700d and it takes video but saves as Canons .mov format. That has to be converted to .avi for most stacking software. So even though my 700d does do vid I have used BYEOS to control it and save straight away in .avi to save the hassle of converting later.
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Post by davy on Feb 5, 2016 8:26:23 GMT
Thanks for the info howie
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Feb 5, 2016 14:54:41 GMT
Great info Howie, thanks! I am not going to have clear skies this weekend, but the itch is so strong that I can at least start working with the camera and BYEOS software and see what I can do.
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Post by howie1 on Feb 28, 2016 12:14:10 GMT
Update on using the ZWO ASI224 + Vello C mount to EOS lens adapter + Canon zooms as a grab n go lightweight EAA rig. Had bad weather here the past week due cyclone off the Coast, so ... thanks Ken for the idea ... I made a guidescope ring carriage to hold the ZWO + 55-250mm zoom and it works brilliantly. Trouble is, it is really hard to focus those zoom lens, especially the 55-250mm. One mm movement of the zoom ring and the ZWO goes through the focus point! I checked on the web and found a guy who built a fully motorised worm drive for a zoom lens, but as the whole idea was lightweight portability I don't want to carry more stuff when hiking. I also saw a guy who fashioned a lever focuser from a large diameter engine hose clamp with a piece of dowel sticking out of it about 3 inches or so. Made one and tried that but in the end its just too fine to focus the small high mag ASI224. The adapter worked fine with the Micro EX as a finder as I used the 18mm-55mm zoom for it and pretty much left it at 30mm or so zoom (6x mag) to act like a finder. I didnt constantly zoom in the 55-250mm range. So guess I will just have to continue to carry the ST80 as the 'lens' in the backpack on hikes/camping. No problemo as that's what I have been doing up to now anyway. But, mucking around today, I found I can use the Mallincam MFR5 reducers on the ZWO ASI224. So now I can get 0.8x down to 0.3x reduction with it if needed. And I also found my Williams Optics Binoviewer 1-1/4" barlows (2x and 1.6x) also screw right onto the ZWO! And I can double stack the 1.6x onto the end of the 2x but I havent checked the shots yet to work out the final barlow effect I got with that combo. But the point being the MFR5 and the two WO barlows are all small, light and easy to carry to enhance the use with the ST80. cheers Howie
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Feb 29, 2016 0:18:02 GMT
Howie,
What about going from an 80mm short tube achro to a 65mm quad?
Going and looking, it looks like the 80mm is still lighter. 3.8 vs 4.75 lbs. But focal length of 400mm vs 420mm so not a ton of savings there.
Just thinking of alternatives.
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Post by howie1 on Feb 29, 2016 0:32:29 GMT
Thanks for the info on 65mm quad Rick. Yes, I have been trying to figure if anything is better/lighter too. I see Davy is mucking about with small stuff and I have seen a guy doing M31 on one of those Orion mini 50mm x 165mm finder/guiders. But waiting to see how Davy goes, cos his looks fixed "twist the objective to focus" type. The guy whose M31 I saw taken through one had a helical focuser ... for the same reason of the problems I am having .... namely, hard to focus without something really fine. So yeah, I am even wondering about doing something like Davy and trying a helical focuser 50 x 165mm finder/guider. The ZWO horizontal size is 5mm so heaps of mag and with the 165mm FL I will still get widefield ok. And provided it has enough helical travel, or I can maybe use an ext tube on it, I should be able to use the two WO 1-1/4" nosepiece barlows on the ZWO if I need to get higher mag. So much to try out ... so much to buy in order to try out!!! Will have to visit my local astro club and beg/borrow some stuff
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Post by davy on Feb 29, 2016 0:55:45 GMT
Hi howie,yeah my finder is the orion,twist top focus and via a parafocal ring,,yip piggin nightmare to get focus ,deffo a day time procedure..cant get same orion mini guider from same source was £65+ postage from germany,same one,,china,and I dont fancy catching that slow boat,,seen a twist helicoil focus one its £89 on ebay,going to check my clearances with my original finder on the twin finder bracket before I shell out.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Feb 29, 2016 1:14:17 GMT
I wish the club I was with did video or even imaging so that we could do some borrowing & testing. They're all fogeys, lol!
I may switch clubs, but I'm also thinking about starting a video specific group over a bigger geographic area - and leading up to a video party.
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Post by howie1 on Feb 29, 2016 1:58:49 GMT
Hi howie,yeah my finder is the orion,twist top focus and via a parafocal ring,,yip piggin nightmare to get focus ,deffo a day time procedure..cant get same orion mini guider from same source was £65 postage from germany,same one,,china,and I dont fancy catching that slow boat,,seen a twist helicoil focus one its £89 on ebay,going to check my clearances with my original finder on the twin finder bracket before I shell out. Thanks for that Davy. So helicals the go then! The astro clubs going out this coming Saturday so I will chase someone down. The main honcho who organises loo's for the women folk, and insurance and notifies the council n stuff (Damn Nanny state I live in!) also owns an astro shop, so I might give him a call to see if he can bring a helical along there for me to try. I think you're onto something davy. If the finder/guider helical works out, it could be the ultimate carry in a backpack lightweight GEM (StarAdventurer) setup. BTW I have DIY'd a DEC seting circle to the DEC head of the Adventurer, and figured out how to use it's 12 hour polar setting circle as a RA setting circle (just double the digits on its scale ... LOL!). But I also found my iPhone SkySafari app has Hour Angle as well as DEC/RA. The hour angle makes it much easier to figure and find stuff than using RA. I will have to make a video and post it up in case anyones interested. Course it won't be up to Ken's standard! Top job you do on your vid's Ken. Wish I had the knowledge, patience and skills to do titles, n blend the sections together n stuff.
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