Any experience with Mallincam or similar?

[wavelandscott]

I am thinking about putting together a Mallincam or similar rig to use in outreach programs with school kids and the general public.

I have mixed feelings about this as I enjoy the visual aspect of this hobby but have watched too many people struggle to see the wonder via an eyepiece...not to mention the grabby hands on gear and the inevitable bump of target that seems to accompany public viewing.

Any and all thoughts and comments appreciated concerning best gear, worthiness of idea, real world experiences.

Thanks all!

[AG Hybrid]

Revolution Imager R2 is a cheap way to get your hands dirty in the dark or should I say illuminating art of Video Astronomy. Comes with all you need - even for outreach. Maybe a photo tripod for the monitor is good too.
I upgraded to an ZWO camera though for better frame control. But the RI R2 served as a great stepping stone to getting started and deciding if I wanted to go deeper.

[JA]

Hello Scott,

There is an excellent how to, not using video cameras though, by Carl Smith on Youtube (Not sure if he's a memeber here, but if so ... Well Done !!!), which is a live video taken of an imaging session of 15 to 30 second single images, that could be used for the sort of thing/outreach you had in mind. The setup is the 1st 9.5 minutes, then imaging.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85CYhrOU6WU&t=21s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85CYhrOU6WU&t=21s

Best
JA

P.S: I couldn't find Carl Smith in our member's list, but maybe he is one of the other Carls in that list or some other name. In any event Well Done Carl. Would the real Carl, please stand up?

[ChrisV]

Agree with both suggestions
-Rev Imager. Quick easy and no computer. Not the mallincam
-Howie (Carl) does beautiful stuff with a dslr. But you need a computer and it takes a while to sort out. Great deep sky shots with single 30s shots.

Or even a 224 based colour camera. ZWO or cheaper alternatives. Stack short 5-10sec subs with sharpcap. Again need computer.

And you need a goto mount.

For the ultimate outreach I've seen side walk astronomy where people run it through a portable projector onto the ground. It blows people away ! Kids can really dance on the moon or M42!

Chris