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The Sky Above Us
#1

Gday All

This will be a bit "off topic" however seeing as we spend a heap of time looking up into the sky whilst RC flying I am wondering if we have any club members who look a bit further afar, a truckload further actually?

After a very long hiatus I rekindled my love of Astronomy and purchased an Orion Starblast 6 Dobsonian telescope. Not a bad piece of kit for not much $$.
Do we have any other club members who are either amateur astronomers or would like to experience observing the heavens above?

I'd love to respectively, learn more, or, share with members the quite wonderful feeling one gets when observing our solar system, star clusters etc etc.
I will never cease to feel humbled and in awe every time I peer through the eyepiece at the magnificent universe we are part of.

Cheers
Rob B
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#2

I've been observing the skies with my 4.5" Reflector scope for many many years. Love looking at the night sky and finding the various gems that hide up there just out of sight. I've also been experimenting for almost as long at taking photos, not always successfully, so I could share what I see with others. here is a couple from just last week, a few nights before the Luna Eclipse that I took.

Recently I've been using a point and shoot camera with Eyepiece Projection and also my Samsung Galaxy S4 phone as well with the same method. I also have hacked a webcam to use a method called Prime Focus with mixed results.

A Couple of the moon:
       

One of my favorite celestial subjects:
       

Mick

Spektrum DX7 Mode 2
Parkzone T28 Trojan
HK Sumo Flying Wing.... Completly Awesome!
Scratchbuilt First Step.... Slow Flyer
HK SPAD XIII....
J-Power Mini F-18 EDF
Scratchbuilt Morane Saulnier A1....Under Construction
Scratchbuilt Luton Minor.... Retired
Unbranded OV-10 Bronco.... Awaiting Build

· On the other hand, you have different fingers.
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#3

Good Stuff Mick

I too am getting the photography side slowly sorted using an Orion webcam into AmCap software then processed by Registax. Good results with space objects however I need to get a focal reducer to get all of the moon in view.

Are you a member at iceinspace or a member of any club?

Cheers
Rob B

1.64m V tail Glider
F-27 (Ted) Stryker
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#4

No, I'm not member of any club. Just self taught over many years. Lots and lots of trial and error. Usually more error than anything else Smile

I picked myself up a Camera Mount off Ebay similar to this one fairly cheap. This is what I'm using for my point and shoot digital camera. It's great for shots of the Moon and other bright objects. The moon pics above were taken with this mount.

I have also made a holder for my Samsung Galaxy phone which allows me to do the same thing. That's what I used to capture the Saturn images. Like the digital camera, its' good for bright objects.

I also have a Webcam that I've hacked to do a similar job to what I suspect you are using with your Orion webcam. I'm planning on doing some more experimenting on it shortly buy trying to cool the sensor down so see if it makes it more sensitive to light.

I usually use my phone or webcam to capture as much video as I can of the object initially. This has been difficult lately as the last time I moved house, I lost my motor drive for my scope so I can't track the objects any more so I'm limited to taking video for the amount of time the object stays in my eye piece.

I also then use Registax to process the video. I also recently have had success using another piece of software called AutoStakkert. The Saturn images above were produced with this software. My only gripe with it is that it is very picky with the video file that you feed it. I use a program by the same author called Castrator which will convert most any video into something that AutoStakkert likes.

Spektrum DX7 Mode 2
Parkzone T28 Trojan
HK Sumo Flying Wing.... Completly Awesome!
Scratchbuilt First Step.... Slow Flyer
HK SPAD XIII....
J-Power Mini F-18 EDF
Scratchbuilt Morane Saulnier A1....Under Construction
Scratchbuilt Luton Minor.... Retired
Unbranded OV-10 Bronco.... Awaiting Build

· On the other hand, you have different fingers.
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#5

Thanks Mick

I'll have a look at that alternative software you mentioned.
Happy observing.....

Cheers
Rob B
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