[Badger (Barry)]

It seems that newcomers should introduce themselves.

Firstly, sites like Ice in Space are designed for those already familiar with the terminology and complexity with which they are designed. Although I have been using Macs since they were first introduced, this in no way prepares me to use this site. I have had the utmost difficulty in even registering in the first place, and cannot even handle some of the items like trying to change my password into something I can remember. We aren’t all familiar with this new technology, and it makes it difficult for these people, and old blokes like me to join and use this facility. Can it be made simpler?

My background has been a lifetime of interest in astronomy and especially photography. I actually ground a mirror from a porthole glass, and build a 6” reflecting telescope back in the late 50’s, but lacking the knowledge that we have now, was disappointed in the results. Only recently I have spent much of the kid’s inheritance in setting up for astrophotography. This of course turned out to be a tad more complex than normal photography. I was totally unfamiliar with Windows and its software, and missed my accustomed easy to instal and use Mac systems.

Unfortunately I am too far away from astronomy clubs to be able to get skilled help and had to learn the hard way.

My main equipment is an observatory, a Titan 50 mount, Ceravolo 12” and SBIG 11000M Camera. I use my Macbook Pro with Windows added. After a year of battling with four buttons and dicky software, the Titan and I have reached a truce when it mostly obeys my inputs instead of turning itself inside out and pointing to the ground or random areas of the sky. The next battle is to precision adjust its pointing to track for over 10 minutes with the coarse adjustments provided. I have finally managed to master Windows enough to use CCDops, and transfer the images to Photoshop in my Mac. I have used Photoshop since it was first introduced so this part is easy. I am getting passable images, but which still need to be perfected with more learning, practise and knowledge.

The Ceravolo has two focal lengths, but the seeing conditions are rarely good enough here to be able to use the longer focal lengths. I am based near the Snowy Mountains 2500ft above sea level, but which unfortunately tends to be clouded over far too often nowadays from moist sea air. It is not too far to drive to the 5000 to 6000ft altitudes such as Charlotte Pass or Cabramurra to be able to get better seeing conditions, but the Titan/Ceravolo system is too heavy for me to transport, and in any case I dare not interfere with the mount alignment.

To this end I decided to purchase a more portable setup, which lacking available advice and basic knowledge was a poor choice. Here I got a Vixen VC200L with many upgrades, plus mount, but found out that the SBIG camera was too heavy to be able to counterbalance. Then I obtained a SBIG 8300C and SG4 autoguider instead. I didn’t realize that the field of view of the 8300C was not as large as the 11000M, and again I had trouble with the Windows software for the installation.

I propose to start again by selling this portable setup cheaply, if I can ever find out how to get this web site accept it. I will replace it with a short focus system able to accept the 11000M, and with a more expensive mount. When the time comes, I will ask for advice here beforehand. Then off with the Campervan and gear for a few nights away every so often.

One thing that surprises me is that at the odd star parties that I have managed to get to, is that there is no, or little display of astro photos taken by the members. There are many of us still learning who could benefit from a session where everyone who uses cameras brings along say 3 of their best for appraisal. One could see the standards that could be achieved and could learn from the shortcomings of others. If only a formal session could be organized where a panel of experts rates the photos, comments on how make them better, and leaves them all on display, this would make the star party much more interesting.

It seems that most of us are coy about producing our best photos using affordable gear, because they would be shown up by the results from seasoned veterans using equipment out of the reach of many. The display of photos by everyone needs to be encouraged by introducing divisions or ratings related to the equipment used. Say, taking into consideration camera types, scope diameters - refractor or reflector, focal length (which also reflects on the tracking difficulties), and mount quality. In other words those using shoestring equipment have to be rated separately from those who have mortgaged their home, to get the biggest and best.

Just an idea.

Badger