Who's got the longest imaging train?

[kittenshark]

Being mostly a visual astro peep, I don't use much more than a couple of adapters if I feel like taking a few photos.

I'd love to see some of your crazy imaging trains. :thumbsup:

[Slawomir]

Hi Cheryl,

Not sure if my imaging train was crazy, but it used to have a few parts in it :)

(Now I'm in a process of making a new and hopefully better imaging train).

[Atmos]

Mine was a 2.5" Focuser, 10mm M68 to FLI PDF, FLI PDF, 4mm PDF to QHYCFW, M54 to M42, 11mm continuous M42 thread, ASI1600

Not the longest but it's longish.

[kittenshark]

That's dwarfs the scope itself! :rofl::thumbsup:

[pmrid]

Wouldn't it be nice if you could take the whole imaging train off the back of the scope and house it beside your PC/Laptop - connecting the scope to CCD by fibre optics. They do amazing things with multi-channel spectroscopy using fibre-optics. It seems plausible to consider taking it a step further to CCD imaging. How crazy is that?
Peter

[kittenshark]

I suppose the technology to do all this is already there; just whether they can make it within reach of the average layperson in terms of cost and availability is another question. But would it be just as fun tho? :question:

[Slawomir]

I have been recently thinking about the same Peter. In particular, having two smaller 80-100mm telescopes side by side on one mount, say 50 -100 cm away from each other, and using fibre optics to combine light from both telescopes (kind of an interferometer), and thus allowing for a much much greater resolution in astro-images. As Cheryl mentioned, I feel that cost is prohibitive though for such experimentation.

[Shano592]

Perhaps you need to talk to Fred Watson at the AAO. What you have described seems to be right up his alley!

I am currently reading his book, "Star-Craving Mad," which is why it came so quickly to mind.

[Shiraz]

that might be a bit hard - you would need a fibre for each pixel and 16million fibres is a long way from the thousand or so that are currently used for big spectroscopy - I think that we are stuck with conventional image trains for a while..

But you could take everything off the scope and put it on the mount at a Naysmith focal plane maybe? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasmyth_telescope

[strongmanmike]

Her ya go, this (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/133257301/original) is pretty long :P

Mike

[Slawomir]

For a moment I thought you bought a new camera Mike!

[Paul Haese]

This is a fairly decent length imaging train. It now has an AOX in the mix too but essentially 1 rotator > 1 focusor > AOX> Filter wheel > STXL. I don't think it is the longest but it is heavy.

[LewisM]

I dunno about you lot, but I prefer to keep my imaging train as SHORT as possible. I thought reducer to sensor spacing of 83.9mm for my Tak was excessive... meh.

[strongmanmike]

That big black FLI bird will come out again soon...once my FSQ arrives :D ...been sitting idle in the cupboard since late 2013 :sadeyes:

Mike

[Slawomir]

Wow Paul! Your imaging train does look heavy- approaching 10kg perhaps?

Lewis, I totally agree that simplicity is great, but you also need to keep the essentials in, if you aim for quality data. Essentials IMO are motorised focuser, corrector (for most scopes), OAG or ONAG, filter wheel and a camera plus whatever spacers are required. Rotator would be certainly needed for remote imaging.

Yes, we can stick a dslr directly into the focuser but will it allow for the best data possible to collect with a given telescope and location? :)

Mike- hopefully your FSQ will land shortly :thumbsup:

[RickS]

Fairly longish, end to end :)

Just waiting for some decent weather to set up here again in light pollution central to do some narrowband...

[kittenshark]

Love it! :thumbsup:

I like the idea of a streamlined approach, but sometimes when you try to make a device that can do everything--or rather, claim to do everything--it can't do all of it well, or cheaply. Not that we should stop trying.

There are days where I've contemplate renting time on a remote observatory setup than actually setting the darn things myself despite having plenty of scopes available to me.

Maybe I need an astronomy valet/slave of sorts? :lol:

[Atmos]

I think they're called an Observatory ;)

[strongmanmike]

Gee, looks like a cheap and nasty, rickety'ol setup there Rick :eyepop:...good luck with it! :sadeyes:


:rofl:


Sorry....:D

[Atmos]

Hubble is about as cheap and nasty as it gets; remember, they don't even use a mount!

[strongmanmike]

:lol:

[RickS]

Gotta make the most of what you have, Mike :lol: Actually, it's the skies that are the weak link in my chain :mad2:

[Slawomir]

Someone must have bought a decent telescope recently...it has been raining every day!

[skogpingvin]

... and the essential accessory, the big glass of red!

(Jealous)

[DJT]

Ah...sorry about that :ashamed:

If you want a long imaging train, try a Takahashi FS60CB plus 1.7 module plus 1.6 extender plus the usual connections...I'll put an image up when I get back home..

[RickS]

Just added for scale, Bill :D