Joe, I had trouble with my Telrad finder last Tuesday night. I could not even find Arcturus with it. Finally Jim found Arcturus, I kept the scope centered while Jim fiddled with the screws to put the bullseye on Arcturus. The night would of been a total waste if I hadn't had help. Yesterday, I got a new Telrad finder so I can use my scope without anymore grief. I told Jim I'd rather get a new one than put up with the frustration of not being able to point my scope. It seems like there are less problems with visual observing than astrophotography. I'm very careful with my equipment because I have ruined my NGC-Max cord twice. In the future, I'd like to try some piggy-back astrophotography at Kolob Canyons. Debbie On Mon Aug 16 15:15 , Joe Bauman <josephmbauman@yahoo.com> sent:
Thanks, Daniel -- Wish I had thought of that earlier! But now I've had the practice. Best wishes, Joe
--- On Mon, 8/16/10, Daniel Holmes danielh@holmesonics.com> wrote:
From: Daniel Holmes danielh@holmesonics.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Astrophoto failure To: "Utah Astronomy" utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Monday, August 16, 2010, 10:51 AM
Joe, when I'm trying out a new technique, I do it in the daylight so I can see things, and practice it until I can literally do it in the dark--is there a mountain or something that is far away that you can see from your driveway?
Dan
On Aug 16, 2010, at 10:47 AM, Rob Ratkowski Photography wrote:
Joe
keep the faith! sounds like equipment more than technique that's bugging you, just work thru it
Aloha Rob
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-- Daniel Holmes, danielh@holmesonics.com "Laugh while you can, monkey boy!" -- Lord John Whorfin
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That's the spirit, Debbie! We have to keep slogging away, fixing stuff, trying again. Best wishes, Joe --- On Tue, 8/17/10, Debbie <astrodeb@beyondbb.com> wrote: From: Debbie <astrodeb@beyondbb.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Astrophoto failure To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 11:26 AM Joe, I had trouble with my Telrad finder last Tuesday night. I could not even find Arcturus with it. Finally Jim found Arcturus, I kept the scope centered while Jim fiddled with the screws to put the bullseye on Arcturus. The night would of been a total waste if I hadn't had help. Yesterday, I got a new Telrad finder so I can use my scope without anymore grief. I told Jim I'd rather get a new one than put up with the frustration of not being able to point my scope. It seems like there are less problems with visual observing than astrophotography. I'm very careful with my equipment because I have ruined my NGC-Max cord twice. In the future, I'd like to try some piggy-back astrophotography at Kolob Canyons. Debbie On Mon Aug 16 15:15 , Joe Bauman <josephmbauman@yahoo.com> sent:
Thanks, Daniel -- Wish I had thought of that earlier! But now I've had the practice. Best wishes, Joe
--- On Mon, 8/16/10, Daniel Holmes danielh@holmesonics.com> wrote:
From: Daniel Holmes danielh@holmesonics.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Astrophoto failure To: "Utah Astronomy" utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Monday, August 16, 2010, 10:51 AM
Joe, when I'm trying out a new technique, I do it in the daylight so I can see things, and practice it until I can literally do it in the dark--is there a mountain or something that is far away that you can see from your driveway?
Dan
On Aug 16, 2010, at 10:47 AM, Rob Ratkowski Photography wrote:
Joe
keep the faith! sounds like equipment more than technique that's bugging you, just work thru it
Aloha Rob
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-- Daniel Holmes, danielh@holmesonics.com "Laugh while you can, monkey boy!" -- Lord John Whorfin
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I've told this story before, bear with me if you've heard it. It was the spring of 1976, IIRC, maybe 77, without looking it up, when comet West burst into the early morning spring sky. I was using a home made 8" f/7 Newtonian on a Cave Astrola heavy-duty mount. At least a hundred pounds of iron and steel, packed around in my mom's '68 Vista Cruiser station wagon. I had borrowed a Nikon F camera body and lens from a family friend who happened to be a photographer for the Tribune, and had it attached piggy-back to the Newtnonian. I was taking time exposures and tracking, doing very well. Understand that I was in high-school at the time and quite the nerd. Ask Patrick, he remembers. LOL! Near the end of the roll, that morning on Little Mountain so many decades ago, I decided to adjust the camera a bit, due to the changing geometry of the comet/horizon relationship. Well, somehow the camera fell off the piggyback mount, crashed to the rocky, icy ground, and the back popped open. I turned my flashlight to the scene of the disaster and, yep, fogged the entire roll of high-speed Ektachrome. Not only that, but the camera and lens were damaged to the point where I could not get them to function. My entire morning, and all my shots of West, were destroyed. The camera was irrepairable, but my 'friend' (whom never volunteered to loan me another camera, lol!) never asked me to pay for it. I have always been very grateful since back then it was way beyond my budget! I still have my memories of comet West, though, which remains to this day the best comet I have ever seen, bar none. Imagine a Hale-Bopp about 5X larger and twice as bright. The tail started to rise some 3 or 4 hours before the nucleus. Yeah, like that. Counting my blessings, still, and broken camera aside. That's my Great Tale of Astrophoto Failure. At least up until now, but life's not over yet, lol. Thanks for listening.
What a great story, Chuck! I certainly can relate. -- Joe --- On Mon, 8/23/10, Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> wrote: From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Astrophoto failure To: "Utah Astronomy" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Monday, August 23, 2010, 12:24 AM I've told this story before, bear with me if you've heard it. It was the spring of 1976, IIRC, maybe 77, without looking it up, when comet West burst into the early morning spring sky. I was using a home made 8" f/7 Newtonian on a Cave Astrola heavy-duty mount. At least a hundred pounds of iron and steel, packed around in my mom's '68 Vista Cruiser station wagon. I had borrowed a Nikon F camera body and lens from a family friend who happened to be a photographer for the Tribune, and had it attached piggy-back to the Newtnonian. I was taking time exposures and tracking, doing very well. Understand that I was in high-school at the time and quite the nerd. Ask Patrick, he remembers. LOL! Near the end of the roll, that morning on Little Mountain so many decades ago, I decided to adjust the camera a bit, due to the changing geometry of the comet/horizon relationship. Well, somehow the camera fell off the piggyback mount, crashed to the rocky, icy ground, and the back popped open. I turned my flashlight to the scene of the disaster and, yep, fogged the entire roll of high-speed Ektachrome. Not only that, but the camera and lens were damaged to the point where I could not get them to function. My entire morning, and all my shots of West, were destroyed. The camera was irrepairable, but my 'friend' (whom never volunteered to loan me another camera, lol!) never asked me to pay for it. I have always been very grateful since back then it was way beyond my budget! I still have my memories of comet West, though, which remains to this day the best comet I have ever seen, bar none. Imagine a Hale-Bopp about 5X larger and twice as bright. The tail started to rise some 3 or 4 hours before the nucleus. Yeah, like that. Counting my blessings, still, and broken camera aside. That's my Great Tale of Astrophoto Failure. At least up until now, but life's not over yet, lol. Thanks for listening. _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
participants (3)
-
Chuck Hards -
Debbie -
Joe Bauman