Last night's Frozen scope and camera!

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #1 01-06-2011, 08:31 PM

Last night during my 'Live' AStroVideo broadcast the conditions became a bit more 'cooler' than other nights.

My thermometer told me it was -6c ambient

Here are some pics from last night.
The last one shows the lens even though it had the heater strap on High!

I still managed to broadcast the sky 'live' until 5:30 this morning

and looking at the camera I can tell my new Peltier Cooler was working well

RobF (Rob) · #2 01-06-2011, 08:41 PM

Ah Ken, that's just not right!
Brrr. I need a warm drink (and I don't drink warm drinks normally!)

DavidTrap (David) · #3 01-06-2011, 09:10 PM

And people say it doesn't get cold in Australia...

DT

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #4 01-06-2011, 09:12 PM

5:30am and still out, damn I was going to have a look this morning too... I hope the warm room was well stacked with coffee and warmth

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #5 01-06-2011, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astroman

5:30am and still out, damn I was going to have a look this morning too... I hope the warm room was well stacked with coffee and warmth

Andrew, I sit in the Dining Room at the PC to do all this.

I'm not silly Billy

If anyone wants to read about the adventure of my Cooling Project, go here: http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthrea.../o/all/fpart/1

If you aren't a 'Cloudy Nights' member you will need to click on 'attachment' to see the pics.

dugnsuz (Doug) · #6 01-06-2011, 09:36 PM

Woo Hoo!!! I love the cold when it comes to imaging!

renormalised (Carl) · #7 01-06-2011, 09:39 PM

I think the peltier did its job a little too well

Methinks a hairdrier will come in handy on nights like this

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #8 01-06-2011, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by renormalised

I think the peltier did its job a little too well

Methinks a hairdrier will come in handy on nights like this

Yeah, it looks like the Peltier froze everything!

Hopefully it won't get as cold tonight. I am currently broadcasting and it is lovely and clear

Hagar (Doug) · #9 01-06-2011, 11:13 PM

Ken , youve got it wrong mate. The peltier runs on 12V not 240V.

That's a cooler on steroids. Got too cold for me last night as well.

Waxing_Gibbous (Peter) · #10 02-06-2011, 12:22 AM

No worries about cool-down then?

danielsun · #11 02-06-2011, 07:36 AM

Wow Ken, Arctic conditions eh... People pay good money to have their camaras cooled like that.

mikerr (Michael) · #12 02-06-2011, 08:34 AM

That is amazing Ken.

What type/brand/homade, Dew Strap were you using? Do you know the resistance of the strap in Ohms? I assume it is running on 12 Volts.

Michael

lacad01 (Adam) · #13 02-06-2011, 10:05 AM

I guess hot pixels wouldn't have been an issue

erick (Eric) · #14 02-06-2011, 10:18 AM

Another lovely night in Snake Valley - Oh how I have missed the beautiful skies you get when the scope is covered in ice!

That was Mon night/Tue morning, Ken?

Sorry I didn't drop into www.nightskiesnetwork.com last night. I was busy in my driveway both observing with the 12" and pointing the GSTAR at the sky with a 16mm lens. A better lens on the GSTAR with a longer focal length could be very interesting from a wide field perspective. I have a lens coming 8-50mm zoom, good quality. Finally had my work friend with me - she who has been dying to get back under the stars for some 3 years. Such was life BC (before children) for her. But she made it and marvelled over the scope, the Explore Scientific 14mm 100 deg eyepiece and the views until about 12:30.

Glad to hear your modified camera is working well.

Ric · #15 02-06-2011, 03:59 PM

Yep, thats cold alright.

Nice pictures to show the effect Ken.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #16 02-06-2011, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikerr

That is amazing Ken.

What type/brand/homade, Dew Strap were you using? Do you know the resistance of the strap in Ohms? I assume it is running on 12 Volts.

Michael

Michael, I use home-made straps and controller. The straps are Nichrome wire and I have no idea in Ohms. I cut the wire to length when it was just slightly warm.
Runs on 16.5 volts

Quote:

Originally Posted by lacad01

I guess hot pixels wouldn't have been an issue

See the link I posted to my Cooling Tutorial in Cloudy Nights. It ends with the Hot Pixel test.

Quote:

Originally Posted by erick

Another lovely night in Snake Valley - Oh how I have missed the beautiful skies you get when the scope is covered in ice!

That was Mon night/Tue morning, Ken?

Glad to hear your modified camera is working well.

Thanks Eric.
It was Tuesday Night/Wednesday Morning

Yeah, the results in the CN thread speak for themselves

gary · #17 02-06-2011, 04:15 PM

Hi Ken,

The Australian Antarctic Division is currently hiring.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #18 02-06-2011, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary

Hi Ken,

The Australian Antarctic Division is currently hiring.

Thanks Gary.

But they don't have a vacancy for a Telescope 'Live' Broadcaster

Kevnool (Kev) · #19 04-06-2011, 04:36 PM

That cold would get the knees a knockin.

KB would need a fire near-bye.

Cheers Kev.

Suzy · #20 04-06-2011, 04:40 PM

Good grief!
You've seriously got to be kidding me...

Crazy question perhaps, but I'm curious.. tell me,, as warmly dressed as you obviously were, did you feel cold?

I must be the only one on here that thinks you guys are crazy

for loving the cold this much.