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Equipment My
imaging equipment has changed over the years with three main “epochs” My
first main setup consisted of: ·
A 12” Meade LX200
“classic” ·
Astro Engineering
Wedge and Pier ·
Starlight Xpress
MX716 USB CCD Camera ·
Meade f3.3 Focal
Reducer ·
JMI NGFS focuser ·
Various Pentax screw
and T mount lenses ·
Philips ToUcam
Webcam for planetary work This
setup worked quite well for short exposures but the Periodic Error made long
exposures a problem. I had a little
success using the Starlight Express STAR2000 system for guiding but this was
a bit of a pain to use (needs special Darks and processing) so I added a
smaller refractor as a guidescope and for wider field views. Obviously, guiding needs a 2nd
camera so the setup now became: ·
A 12” Meade LX200
“classic” ·
Astro Engineering
Wedge and Pier ·
Starlight Xpress
SXV-H9 USB CCD Camera ·
Meade f3.3 Focal
Reducer ·
JMI NGFS focuser ·
Takahashi Sky90
Refractor Piggy back on the 12” ·
Starlight Xpress
MX716 USB CCD Camera used for guiding ·
Various Pentax screw
and T mount lenses ·
Philips ToUcam
Webcam for planetary work This
setup worked better and allowed for longer exposures and an introduction to
RGB colour work. However, it was
clear that what was required was a better, more stable mount and when a
second hand Paramount ME was advertised I managed to get hold of one. The
Paramount takes the 12” and the Sky90 easily with no balance problems. This allows exposures up to 20 minutes,
though I normally limit myself to 5 mins.
The only real problem with the 12” LX200 is the occasional “mirror
flop” which will ruin an exposure completely. Use of mirror lock reduced this
but far from completely. So I started
looking for a quality refractor on the second hand market and managed to pick
up a TEC140. The 12” has now been
relegated to visual alt-az use (which it’s great at) with the TEC as the main
workhorse. Over time, I also added a
focussed and filter wheel so now I use: ·
Telescope
Engineering Company (TEC) 140 Apochromatic Refractor ·
Software Bisque
Paramount ME 3000 Mount and pier ·
Starlight Xpress
SXV-H9 USB CCD Camera ·
Optec TCF-S
Temperature compensating focusser ·
True Technology
Superslim Filter wheel ·
Astronomik LRGB, Ha
and OIII filters ·
Takahashi Sky90
Refractor Piggy back on the TEC ·
Starlight Xpress
MX716 USB CCD Camera used for guiding ·
JMI NGFS focuser for
the MX716 ·
Canon 300D Digital
SLR used with a field flattener/reducer on the Sky90 These
are all housed in a self built roll-off roof observatory, built at the end of
2001. Inevitably,
this lot requires accessories which currently include: ·
Kendrick dew remover
system for the scopes ·
Various SCT and T
mount adapters ·
USB Hub, USB to
Serial converter and USB extender …
and controlling software including: ·
Maxim DL for image
acquisition and processing ·
SkyMap Pro for star
maps and telescope control ·
The Sky 5 to control
the ·
Excel for recording
observations ·
Photoshop LE for
occasional photo tweaking ·
Philips and Canon
acquisition software for their cameras And
the list goes on…
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