Category: Star Parties

The 2016 East Coast Video Astronomy Rendezvous (ECVAR)

10/13/2016

This year my wife, Sharon, and I again made the trek to Cool Breeze campground in Virginia and arrived a couple of days before the official start of ECVAR. Unlike last year where we arrived after it started, this time we were the first ones there and I was able to take my time setting up our camper, outside tent and telescopes.

My first viewing was during the day using my MallinCam AGc camera on my Coronado PST with my small SkyProdigy Mount.

After a few days, the open area portion of the campground was once again occupied by a variety of video astronomers, telescopes, cameras, tents and campers. It was good visiting with others, learning about their gear and picking up helpful tips.

I primarily used my CG-5 Equatorial Mount, Celestron 8” Telescope, StarSense AutoAlign accessory and Celestron GPS. This past year I sent my MallinCam X2 in to be upgraded to a XT828 with a much more sensitive chip in a sealed chamber with enhanced electronics. So I was eager to see how it performed under the dark skies at Cool Breeze. I used a combination of a Celestron f/ 6.3 Focal Reducer on the back of my telescope and another reducer on the nosepiece to the XT828 resulting in a reduction to about f/4.4 total. I did not use any filters. I used a powered USB hub at the telescope and a single active USB cable to my laptop in my tent or camper.

I was very fortunate to be camping next to Michael Carnes who was also using his upgraded XT828 on a MallinCam 8” Telescope operating with about the same field of view as my setup. It was great being able to compare results and learn from each other. We were both using MiloSlick software on our laptops in the MallinCam XTerminator mode for real time image processing/viewing and controlling the camera settings. Michael also had a video monitor set up next to his laptop so he could see a direct video feed from the XT828. I had not used my video monitor in a while, so I decided to set mine up next to my computer screen as well. I am so glad I did!

There is something about viewing the subtle details in the unprocessed image on an analog monitor that draws you into the object you are seeing. Yes, the laptop enables you to use real time processing techniques, dark frame subtraction, frame stacking, etc. that enhances the image in its own way, and provides a means of saving the image on your computer. But there is a Wow factor that is present in seeing the analog video image on a monitor. After slewing to a target and setting the exposure, I adjust the analog monitor brightness until the background is black, then increase the contrast to bring out more detail, and make one more adjustment to reduce the brightness a little to have a really nice image on its screen. Then I work with the Miloslick software adjusting the histogram, etc to get the best image on the computer screen and save it.

Unlike last year, we had several rainy and cloudy days and nights this year and our telescopes stayed covered.

However, the last night I was there it was very clear and dark, which made it all worthwhile! The XT828 is so sensitive, I left the gain set to zero (off) the whole time. The following pictures are untouched, live screen captures from my last night with hyper mode set at 30-40 second update intervals and no image stacking.

M20 Trifid

M16 Eagle

M8 Lagoon

NGC253 Sculptor

NGC6992 East Veil

M82 Bode

But all good things must come to an end, and we headed homeward the next day.

1 Comment

The 2015 East Coast Video Astronomy Rendezvous (ECVAR)

9/30/2015

5 Comments

Having packed up two of my telescopes, my wife and I embarked on a two day drive pulling our camper to Cool Breeze campground in Virginia. The end of the second leg of the drive took us a little longer than expected...our GPS took us the "scenic route" over a mountain. Great scenery, but late arrival!

We arrived at the campground for ECVAR late Tuesday afternoon, and we proceeded to settle in for a week of video astronomy!

Tuesday night

Later as it got dark, we stepped outside, looked up and were amazed at what we saw. The Milky Way was painted from one end of the sky to the other! I was able to set up my portable mount (after midnight) and try out my Remote Focus Mask and Dark Mask using the following equipment:

SkyProdigy Mount with AutoAlign built in
Celestron 5" telescope
MallinCam Micro-Super
MallinCam MFR-5 with 5mm spacer
JMI Motofocus with PCFC for remote focusing
Remote Focus Mask (prototype)
Powered Hub at scope with single USB cable to MS Surface Pro 2
MiloSlick for video, MMEC for controlling the Super and Starry Night to control the mount

I turned on the mount and started an AutoAlign while getting my laptop powered up. I then slewed to Vega, entered the command to close the Focus Mask over the end of the dew shield, and clicked on the focus setting on my MMEC app. Then I remotely adjusted the focus until the mid-line was between the X of the other two diffraction patterns.

Next I entered the command to open the Focus mask for normal viewing. I slewed to M27 and clicked on an MMEC preset useful for centering faint objects, and then used the Starry Night manual mount controls to get M27 centered. I clicked on the MMEC DSO preset (which uses x1024) and waited for the screen update. Here is the image of the Dumbbell Nebula that I saw using my 5" telescope and MC Micro-Super entry level video astronomy camera.

Then a thought occurred to me ... whether it might be useful to have a dark frame image at x1024 for the Super. So I got my felt pouch and put it over the focus mask, entered the command to close the Mask over the end of the dew shield, and waited for the image to appear. Here are pics of the Remote Dark Mask open and closed over the end of the dew shield.

Now with no light entering the telescope, the next image I saw was dark. I mean really dark. The Micro Super has virtually no amp glow! And to my surprise I did not see any hot pixels either (camera pixels that are stuck on and look like small stars)! It was about 50 degrees outside at this time. I even used the MiloSlick software to scan the image for hot pixels and it did not find any. This just reinforced my opinion that the MallinCam Micro is a great entry level video astronomy camera, especially the Micro-Super!

I also felt good about how the Remote Focus Mask and Remote Dark Mask concept actually worked in the field. But by this time it was way past my bedtime and I had to defer its further testing to another night.

Thursday and Friday nights

Unfortunately Wednesday night at ECVAR had some clouds, but Thursday and Friday evenings were great and made up for it. On Thursday I had my main telescope set up with the following equipment:

Celestron CG-5 Equatorial Mount
Celestron 8” Telescope
JMI Motofocus with PCFC for remote focusing
NexGen MAXfield 0.33X Telecompressor
MallinCam X2 Deluxe with Class 0 sensor
StarSense AutoAlign accessory
Celestron GPS accessory
MallinCam Micro-EX on Orion 50mm finder scope
Powered Hub at scope with single USB cable to MS Surface Pro 2
MiloSlick for video and X2 control, MMEC for Micro Control and Starry Night to control the mount

The NexGen Focal reducer essentially converts my C8 F10 telescope to F3.3. The single USB cable from the powered hub at the telescope enables me to operate underneath a nearby canopy, or using an active USB extension cable I can move inside for warmer viewing.

Here are some of the screen grabs of the near real time images I saw on my screen. Keep in mind these are "live" views at 10-20 second update intervals with no stacking or post processing.