L200 at HHO

[higginsdj]

Well the Spectra-L200 at HHO is nearing completion. Just some tweaks and a bit more thought about the CCD connection to facilitate focusing and she will be ready to roll.

http://www.david-higgins.com/l200hho.jpg

This was a rebuild after I stripped a thread on the micrometer locking block (had to strip it down to get to the block and re-thread it) and it was calibrated 'out of the box' so to speak (c/- my mate Phil who provided some details about what I could expect to see).

Cheers

[higginsdj]

After some extensive effort I have finally connecte the L200 to my SBIG ST-8, focused it on the Slit, and semi calibrated the slit then ran the Neon reference lamp.

The results this time were good. The resulting spectra measured 0.7432 A/pixel (by VSpec) and a FWHM of 2.02 (by VSpec) which is close to the theoretical values predicted by SimSpec (0.70 A/px). The FWHM value doe snot correlate however with the Slit width I thought I dialed up but a slit width of 21 microns (I think - more research needed on this aspect).

Results can be seen here:
http://www.david-higgins.com/Astronomy/spectroscopy/l200calibration.htm

Cheers

[higginsdj]

Well it's time for me to try my first actual target - a star - but which one?

Spica, Procyon and Sirius are well placed........ Any thoughts?

(14" LX200GPS at f/9.4 with the L200 at a 20 micron slit width. My average FWHM at 1.43"/px resolution is 5)

Cheers

David

[Terry B]

I used miaplacidus ( beta car) because it has very good H absorption lines. Canopus is also good but getting a bit low in the sky.

[higginsdj]

Declination is too far south for me to try to tackle beta car (fork mounted LX200GPS). The spectrograph hits the mount well before that Declination, I'll be lucky to get to -50.

Cheers

[Terry B]

What a pest. I use a GE mount so didn't think of that.