Results from new Mallincam Xtreme AstroVideo camera

[ballaratdragons]

I still have no idea what section to put my stuff from 'Video Astronomy' into as it isn't really imaging and it can't go in 'Observational' as most people wouldn't consider it as observing :rolleyes: :shrug:

Anyway,

here are some Screen Grabs from the last 2 nights using my new Mallincam Xtreme AstroVideo Camera whilst doing 'Live' Broadcasts on Night Skies Network. Watch the satellite travel through the 2nd pic.
Remember, these aren't 'Images', they are just Screenshots of Live Video :thumbsup:

- Mallincam Xtreme, Saxon ED80, 0.6x Focal Reducer.

[RickS]

That's pretty impressive, Ken!

[joe_smith]

Ken the video looked very good streaming on my screen, It was good to watch this live, and the interaction you have with the people watching is fantastic. It makes it more personal then just looking at it in a forum post :)

I look forwarded to the next one. I check every night when I get home from work, The new extreme looks like a good camera the detail it picks up is what most people want to see with there scopes. Kens astro video shows are very good if you haven't see one check it out :thumbsup:

Also thank you Bert for making this camera available to Ken, its not only him you have made happy but the people who now get to see stuff "live" and its perfect for lazy people like me that hate setting up, now we let Ken and the other video Astronomers do it, and then we ask them what we want to see :rofl: also they have better skies than me.

[Derek Klepp]

Gday Ken I'm very impressed with the colour you've gotten with the 80mm.What was the intergration setting.I have the Gstar colour but have not tried it on a small aperture on larger it is quite good.

[csb]

Very impressive!! Those views are what I am after.

The detail is great.

I have been considering video astronomy because I prefer to see things live and without having to do processing. Well those images are what I have been hoping can be achieved.

So, are those results easy/straightforward to achieve? Is video astronomy easier than astrophotography - both factors of time needed (not including processing time) and equipment quality/cost?

[ballaratdragons]

Hi Derek,

the integrations were all different.

The M42 was set at 20 seconds int, NGC 253 frames with the satellite were 30 seconds int, Helix was 26 seconds int, and the Horsehead and NGC253 were 120 seconds int. :thumbsup:

Hey Joe, thanks mate.
Was good to see you in my Broadcast :)

[jjjnettie]

Video astronomy is awesome! Best of both worlds, visual/imaging combined. :D
Great pics Ken.

[ballaratdragons]

Craig, easy is relative :lol:

Yes, it is fairly easy, but so is DSLR Imaging, or CCD Imaging once you learn how to do that too (but without the Loooong hours of imaging, stacking, darks, and processing).

It is actually a nice & simple process, but it may take a while initially with trial and error and experimenting to discover what scope, Focal Reducer, Filters etc suit you and your skies.

Some people use large SCT's and Skyglow filters due to their heavy light pollution.
Others like me can get away with tiny scopes and just an IR filter due to our dark skies.

The best way to learn all this stuff, what will work for you, etc is to read through all the threads in the Video Astronomy section in 'Cloudy Nights' forum and join the Yahoo Mallincam group.

This aspect of Astronomy is really slow in the take-up in Australia, but huge everywhere else in the world.
As Light Pollution takes over, more and more people are turning to Video Astronomy.
It's also big with those who's sight is starting to fail for Visual.

I like it because I get to share my 'Live' viewing experience with the world and show off our fantastic Southern Hemisphere, plus the 'Live' interaction with the viewers.
I'm like thier own personal GoTo remote Telescope :lol:
They ask to see, I go to it and show :thumbsup:

And it has been made even easier now to share views with the world thanks to the 'Night Skies Network'.

P.S. I forgot to mention, Video Astronomy shows objects even in heavy light pollution and through thin cloud! Try that with Eyepieces or Imaging ;)

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks Rick and JJ :thumbsup:

[Astroman]

Awesome images Ken, the last few times I have tried looking I keep getting dropped off my internet connection, stupid modem issues :D

Great series of images, will definately be getting a video camera once I am setup again....

[erick]

Great Ken! I look forward to seeing the camera in operation at camp.

I finally got to do some brief testing of my new zoom video lens (Kowa, 6.5-52mm f1.8) on my GSTAR-EX colour last night. Just on a tripod. Looking very promising. I could frame the Small Magellanic Cloud at full zoom. Who needs a telescope! Next move is get it onto my Alt-Azi mount with Argo Navis, so I actually point it at objects invisible in Sydney's light-polluted sky.

[Poita]

Wow, amazing stuff. It would be great for use at the school here. What sort of money does the new Mallincam run at?

Can you use it with Hyperstar to get faster integration times?

[taminga16]

Hi Ken,
Thanks for the great images, I have just signed up and look forward to your next broadcast. It will be beaut on those nights where it is just too difficult for me to get the telescope out on my own.
Greg.
P.S. Good luck with the upcoming camp.

[csb]

This seems the direction I want to go in with my astronomy viewing.

Poita, price starts at $1500 for the Mallincam Xtreme:

http://mallincam.tripod.com/id54.html Other Mallicams start at $1000.

[Robh]

Ken,

Very impressive results for unedited images.
What a great observing tool to show the night sky in real time simultaneously to many onlookers.
I like that it is much more sensitive than the human eye and picks up detail you wouldn't otherwise see.

Thanks for posting.

Regards, Rob

[Stu Ward]

I gotta get me one of those !!!

[Ric]

Nice captures Ken.

Your doing some great work there.

[Poita]

I'd love to see a 'Video Astronomy' section on this site.
How critical is alignment etc. to be able to do this? I'm impressed by those images coming through something as small as an ED80, it would make for a great portable teaching setup.

[avandonk]

That looks pretty good to me Ken. I cannot imagine what you will be producing when you really master your camera. I know you are a quick learner but it takes time to really tweak that last little bit out of your system.

What I find very rewarding is that we are no longer alone with our telescopes but part of a vibrant community with a common interest. This interest is of course only limited by our Universe.

Again well done and amazing images for 'real time'.

Bert

[Stu Ward]

I would love to see one of these in action

Stu

[strongmanmike]

Have to say Ken, these are pretty sensational!

The stills look good but do they look any clearer when viewed as a constant stream on the screen?

Only an 80mm too from non dark skies, what can we expect if it was put on a 20" say under dark skies..? :eyepop:

I am thinking one of these cameras may be well worth the cost of a couple of eyepieces really? May as well see deep sky objects properly in real time and in colour huh?

Great stuff, hope someone has a video at IISAC.

Mike

[Mliss]

wow, what a fantastic set up. i wonder why it's been slow to take off here. :question:

I'll definately be signing up too.. now i don't care if i've got clouds or not, i can watch your corner of the sky :D

:thumbsup: thanks Ken!!

[Poita]

I think because overseas there are much longer periods of the year where standing outside to do visual would be just far too cold and bleak, so the Mallincam phenomenon fills a real need. Also just a lack of exposure to the tech, I think it is a real word of mouth thing, to see one in action would be a very strong sales tool, a lot of people who are disappointed with the faint B&W views through their eyepieces would be very interested in suddenly being able to see detailed colour images more like the ones they see on TV.

Here we are luckier with the temps and weather, but I think there will be a snowball effect once people start to see them here.

[Poita]

I think these images are with dark skies. I'd love to see how one performs on a C11 or C14 with Hyperstar.

[Poita]

Ah, my wish is answered:

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2590

[ballaratdragons]

Mike, the constant video stream looks exactly the same as my pics. That's where I grabbed them from, off the screen. No processing, nothing. Just a screen grab of the video :thumbsup:

And I do have Dark Skies.
But with video, don't make the mistake of thinking 'Apature'.
Bigger is not always better with Video.
It is all about FAST! F2, f3 etc.
The larger the apature the longer the focal length, the narrower the field, the dimmer the object which defeats the purpose of the larger apature in the first place.
SHORT focal length is the secret to good Video :)

[Derek Klepp]

Thanks Ken

[joe_smith]

You can here (http://www.nightskiesnetwork.com/) :thumbsup: when people are broadcasting

[ballaratdragons]

and my You Tube Video will give you an idea too.
The camera in my You Tube Video is the Samsung SCC-A2333, the AstroVideo camera I used before I got the Mallincam Xtreme, but the video will give you an idea of how it looks and works.
While watching the video imagine talking to people (yes, in a microphone) while Broadcasting and they type back and ask questions while the Live video is happening. Exciting stuff :thumbsup:
Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHiCNmYdkaE