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Post by davy on Apr 23, 2016 5:55:49 GMT
Great images bobby,having really bad weather for a long time myself,,it's like starting all over again for me lol
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2016 14:49:19 GMT
Good first effort Bobby. I've found focus on planets to be difficult to achieve, especially with the poor seeing I often have due to high humidity. I had considered getting a Universe but use my Cannon T5 instead for planetary and lunar. I'm headed over to the Texas Star Party this week. If you are attending, look me up. I'll be on the lower field as that's where my travel trailer will be.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Apr 25, 2016 13:31:30 GMT
Good start Bobby. Have you looked into using a bahtinov mask to help perfect your focus?
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bobbycloud
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Posts: 53
home town/country: Odessa, TX United States
time zone gmt +/-: -6 Central
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Post by bobbycloud on Apr 26, 2016 23:40:14 GMT
Rick I do have the bahtinov mask just have not spent any time using it. Set up a second monitor at scope for focusing which has helped greatly, my eye sight is not the best on a good day but I am getting better. I have used Jupiter and its moons the last couple of the nights for focus thru eyepiece and the install the camera. It gives a good starting point with min. further focusing needed.
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Apr 27, 2016 13:42:08 GMT
I had the same challenge Bobby... Those masks help greatly. Especially if there is some slippage when the scope is pointed close to zenith. I've had to tweak it in the middle of a session before and its nice not to have to take out the camera and put an eyepiece back in or have to have your monitor right next to the scope to be able to tell.
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Post by howie1 on Apr 28, 2016 0:26:53 GMT
Yes, know the pain of walking up to the scope to put on the mask and then realising I should have turned the laptop and table around so I could see it from the scope ... doing that then walking back to the scope to rotate the focus knob and squinting back at the laptop trying to see if its in focus. Old eyeballs arent what they used to be. I recently asked Optec if they could make a small bahtinov mask on a 2" or 1-1/4" filter ... so it could be permanently in a motorised filter-wheel and rotated into position automatically. They replied that apparently it can't be done optically. The focus point is different to the overall focal point of the scope ... or something like that. Just reminded myself that despite their reply, I should use my flyscreen bahtinov mask building process and try it out using a donor 2" filter. The flyscreen would be small enough to be able to make to fit. Heck I've made a small flyscreen mask to fit a EOS lens which isn't much different to a 2" filter diam. Not that I don't believe them ... just interested to see it doesnt work myself and try to figure out why!
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Apr 28, 2016 14:33:09 GMT
If you think about it being in a filter wheel, when you change focus you are changing the position of the mask in the light field. That means the interference pattern would always stay the same because its relative position to the focal point doesnt change because they are moving together. What you want instead is a set interference pattern and then move the focal point to where that interference pattern is aligned.
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Post by ChrisV on Apr 29, 2016 4:22:18 GMT
I've been using the half-width measure in sharpcap for focusing, using a star I'm using for star alignment (or a small nearby star. Drag my computer outside and watch the width bar chart while focusing - seems good.
But is a bahtinov mask better ? The scope I've got came with one, but I've never used it.
Chris
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2016 6:01:20 GMT
ith the poor seeing I often have due to high humidity. that is a great quality
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Post by Rick in NWArk on Apr 29, 2016 16:11:06 GMT
I've been using the half-width measure in sharpcap for focusing, using a star I'm using for star alignment (or a small nearby star. Drag my computer outside and watch the width bar chart while focusing - seems good. But is a bahtinov mask better ? The scope I've got came with one, but I've never used it. Chris I like using it. I dont mind popping it on if things get a bit fuzzy because my focus slips a little.
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Post by Dragon Man on Apr 29, 2016 16:50:55 GMT
Bahtinov Masks are fantastic. It saves so much time instead of trying to 'eyeball focus' because it is so accurate.
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bobbycloud
Member
Posts: 53
home town/country: Odessa, TX United States
time zone gmt +/-: -6 Central
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Post by bobbycloud on Apr 29, 2016 17:30:23 GMT
Went and checked upstairs/downstairs/garage all my supplies and equipment I have collected thru the years. Going to try a Meade F/6.3 FR/FF tonight with the Universe on the LX850, found my Bahtinov Mask which I will attempt to use. Hoping the infamous West Tx weather will cooperate and allow me some time out observing. Rick I bookmarked the ESP site. I need to think about the star party at Prude Ranch/Fort Davis area next year that was my old SRU/college days stomping grounds in the 60's. Thanks again to everyone for the various info.
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