Global RentAScope

[supernova1965]

Hi all I saw an add on IIS for global Rent a Scope and that you could get a free 60 min's of CCD imaging so I thought I would give it a go not sure about the results is the stuff around the edge something growing on the mirror or on the camera itself and guiding seems to be completely off all this is the opinion of someone with zero experience with deep space imaging so maybe I am completely off track but the whole idea of the free 60 min's of imaging was to get me to pay for regular access so I was expecting a better image:confused2: this one is off M27 and I am doing one of M57 which I will post when I have it emailed to me I know they are not high res.

This was using the G3 scope at Mayhill New Mexico

[Omaroo]

Me thinks there's something intrinsically wrong there Warren. Have you contacted the operator? I'm sure they'll realise that this isn't any good and offer reparation.

[multiweb]

:eyepop: Looks like there were major tracking problems and the sensor iced up too. Unreal. :shrug:

[supernova1965]

I haven't paid any money so am not after reparation. I just wondered what was up. I will let them know but I think I will not be sending any money their way.:D

Here is the image of M57 cant see anything but to be fair the live skycam showed cloud rolling in after I started the image run

[Omaroo]

What I meant by "reparation" was that you should get another free shot...

[supernova1965]

Right don't mind me I am a bit thick today it was a fun thing taking over a Scope across the other side of the world don't you love the internet wouldn't be without it for quids:rofl:

[supernova1965]

Now that you mention it the controls showed that the camera was at Minus 10

[supernova1965]

So I got onto Arnie Rosner via skype and he said the camera battery was almost flat and he was going to get it serviced and as for guiding he thinks that I was unlucky with clouds partway through the imaging run and it lost the guide star. They were very helpful and are going to credit me the time they now have a storm hitting the area

[renormalised]

Yikes!!!!....bad focus, definitely iced up!!! And the tracking problems. I'd be taking that camera offline for awhile and getting it seen to. Actually that rig... GRAS13 or 003 (whichever one it was) should get a complete overhaul.

That is a rather bad ice problem...probably need to either cure or change the desiccant, for sure. And watch that cooling, it's obviously a little too aggressive for the temps they're experiencing...they're waaayyyyy below the dew point there!!!.

[supernova1965]

And I will be able to use a Prepaid system so I don't have a monthly bill nice I am going to use the scope system tonight at Moorook australia

[renormalised]

It's not a bad system they do have setup and Arnie is a pretty cool bloke. They have pretty competitive rates for long term usage.

[supernova1965]

Here are three images from Moorook Australia on the G3 setup much more acceptable mind I have no experience with processing Deep Sky Objects so don't blame the equipment. The first is M104 the second NGC5367 and the third NGC6744. And these are just processed from the JPEG as you cant get the FITS with the free trial.

[gregbradley]

What you are seeing is condensation frozen on the CCD window as it must be an SBIG camera that does not have a hermetically sealed chamber.
They rely on desiccant to keep the chamber dry and the desiccant needs to be baked. With my STL camera I only had to do that once a year so it worked quite well. With my ST2000 it had some fault and it needed to be baked more often.

-10C is with not cold for a CCD. I prefer to run at -35C where the chips are noise free.

Focus is also off.

Occassionally with CCD imaging if a cloud interrupts the autoguider you will get crazy images like that. That is just part of what we overcome to get the good images. It isn't a reflection of their gear. The desiccant is merely a maintenance issue. Focus is something you have to do before each shot.

Greg.

[multiweb]

Never used time on rental scopes but I thought there were already polar aligned and focused for you or would have some kind of temperature compensation system. Like a turn key solution. Just push the buttons and download subs. Didn't realise you had to focus before each shot. So you don't end up getting much real imaging time then?

[alexch]

I kind of like this frame :)

[supernova1965]

I think you can do it simple there is a script you can use to do it automatically or you can do the whole thing yourself I chose the single click picture option

[gregbradley]

I meant that as a general rule im imaging as the image was way out of focus and wasn't commenting on what global rent a scope provides. I don't know what they give. I assume they probably provide a robofocus or a FLI PDF focuser and some sort of focus software like focus max.

Greg.