First Light New Camera

Mike wrote:

my goal is to have an MPC Observatory Code before the end of the year and to add (in my small humble way) to the great work you guys are doing. So, plenty of questions on the way!

Clear skies
Mike

Cool! Ask away!

Hi Dave, great!

Will you be attending the Galway Astrofest? I and Eamonn A should be there, all going well, on the Saturday, it would be great to meet up with you and the rest of the guys and gals.

Clear skies
Mike

Hi Mike - sure - I'll be there. We'll meet up and hatch a cunning plan to beat WISE and Pan Starrs

The slacker from J41 definately won't be there but I'm not sure about J16 or J09...

But J62 and J65 will

Now you’re talking Dave, let's give them what for!

Mike

Mike wrote:

Hi Dave, OK, you’re putting me on the spot here!
Camera: SBIG-STL 1302E
Telescope: 8” F10 Celestron SCT
Mount: Celestron CG5-GT
Exposure: ~25 seconds x 50 exposures
Cooling: -30 degrees C
Filters: None
FOV: ~28 x ~35 Arcmins @ F10
Reduction: Dark frames only, no flats
Software (control and imaging): CCDOps, CCDSoft V5, TheSky6.

I guess it’s now time to bite the bullet as they say and therefore I will be upgrading the mount to a G42 over the coming months and the telescope to a 14” SCT shortly. I have on the way to me an Optec 2” TCF focuser and photometric filters, my goal is to have an MPC Observatory Code before the end of the year and to add (in my small humble way) to the great work you guys are doing. So, plenty of questions on the way!

Clear skies
Mike

Mike,

Many congrats on the camera.
I see you are also getting a G42. Best of luck with it! I have a G41 and it'a fine mount.
With the ST8XME, I found that an Astronomik 2" L filter was necessary for focusing purposes. Becasue the chip is sensitive to such a wide range of wavelengths, it is hard to get precise focus. With the L filter, it helps reduce some of the UV and IR wavelengths, making focus much more precise without signifiicantly impacting the sensitivity of the camera to "normal" visible wavelengths.

Michael.

Excellent Michael, many thanks for the advice. That makes a lot of sense indeed and is most useful. I guess a good set of photometric filters (or any good set of filters) is the only way to go. I went for the SBIG UBVRI 50mm Filter set in the end.

Clear skies
Mike