Perth Guys

[TrevorW]

Out there now, it was still 30 at 8:00pm

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

same started taking happy snaps just after 8. the seeing has finally settled down so my guiding isn't going mental anymore! back down to what it normally is. So four hours on this target then off to lay the rest of the night on HH.

[Poita (Peter)]

When do you sleep?

[ReaPerMan (Paul)]

Some of us work nights.

I've just worked 4 nights, done astro for 2 and now have 2 more work nights, come off thursday morning and hoping for an Astro weekend away this weekend!

If you love Astronomy you have to be a creature of the night!!

[Grahame (Grahame)]

so so true

alarm set to go off for 6am .... 5 hours and counting!

[TrevorW]

I fit it in with my night time job which really sucks

Regards Count D



wind really started picking up around 10:30 I had a few teething problems alignment framing etc so only ended up with an hour or so of data, packed up at 11:30

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

See this is the thing for some of us 5-6hrs sleep is like others 10hrs of sleep 4-5 hrs sleep is like a 6 hour snooze to others I went to sleep at 1am got up at 5am to pack my kit up! All up 4 hrs and then back to the number crunching and designing.

The sky was really soupy last night which was a shame as my normal FWHM for Luminance is about 3, last night it was mid 5's its a stark contrast to see the difference in details from 3 to 5 almost like somebody put a opaque piece of perspex infront of the tube!

[TrevorW]

I had about the same 4-5 FWHM at 10 minute exposures

I get up at 5:30 every day so by 11:30 it's been a long one for me already I need one of those nights where I could put a timer on then set and forget

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

Yep im up at 6am usually for the hour and a half commute.

On saturday night sunday the sky was as still as could be thats where i snagged some really shnappy data while curled up on Grahames recliner grabbing some zzz's

[ReaPerMan (Paul)]

Been up all night just got in bed and will be back up at 11 to go shopping for some gear for the away weekend. Candles should be burned at both ends AND the middle.. (they make such a pretty light!)

[TrevorW]

Marki I think the peltier didn't like the heat I've got a bright band at the top of every frame, don't know if it was caused through that or a light leakage some where

[marki]

Sounds like you have cooked something Trevor, the 8's petier runs flatout all of the time as you don't have temp regulation.

Brenden although the 9's are capable of -50 from ambiant I would not recommend you try on nights where the temps are in the high 20,s to low 30's and I am saying this from experience. I always image at -20 C as I can achieve this most of the year round and I am lazy coz I only have one dark library taken at that temp. I have run my camera on numerous occassions at 100% cooling at much lower temps on cold winter nights (before I worked out there is little gain beyond -20 C) and had no problems. Last year I was imaging on a warm summer night (28 - 31 C) and had to run the cooling at 100% just to to get to -20 C. It worked fine all night but the next day it was cactus (no veiwable image just a big noise band across the top of the sub). I sent it back to Theo who could not find a quick fix and had to send it off to the far east for repair (thank goodness for 3 year factory backed warranties and Theo's excellent after sales service). When I got it back it was all fixed but the error report pointed to my my stupidity at trying to go too far. I had fried the power board in the depths of the camera and this could not be repaired here at the time. Lesson learn't, if I need more than 80% to get to -20 C on a warm night I stay inside and don't bother....there will be other nights.

Mark

[bmitchell82 (Brendan)]

I generally don't run it past 50-60 % power as im fully aware if you run it on red line for long times you end up frying things Played with plenty of peltiers

-25 is better than -20 but i didn't notice much difference on -30 with my little baby but there will be some difference its the law of physics. If my peltier is running much past 80% this weekend ill more than likely drop it down till i gain that temp then shoot my darks. Not that the 8300 chip really needs them its just a niceity

Oh and a small tribe of us are heading to Tammin on ASWA's site this weekend to do some serious kinda astro work any takers

Brendan

[Poita (Peter)]

I was just wondering. I average about 4 hours sleep a night, and was interested if everyone here was the same or if they stole sleep at other times in the day.

[Poita (Peter)]

I just wish I was only sleepless on clear nights

[marki]

Originally Posted by bmitchell82

I generally don't run it past 50-60 % power as im fully aware if you run it on red line for long times you end up frying things Played with plenty of peltiers


Brendan

It's not the peltier that gives up the ghost it's the power board at the very rear of the camera but it has only happened on a hot night and I would still happily run high cooling % during winter if I thought it was worth it. I have noticed no real difference between -20 and -30 C but that may be due to my camera/chip combo or just my poor eyesight. -20C is achievable just about all year round so I will leave it there. Problem with frying the power board is that not only the peltier stops working, so does everything else.

Mark

[TrevorW]

Something may be amiss

I ran a 10 min dark and the bright band is still there

I rang Theo he suggested cleaning the CCD contacts which I did and still no change varying length darks still showing band

so its off to Theo's for a closer inspection as the camera is still under manufacturers warranty

[TrevorW]

Camera now working fine

12:10am anyone else in Perth out tonight

[midnight (Darrin)]

Originally Posted by TrevorW

Camera now working fine

12:10am anyone else in Perth out tonight

Yep, but down here 2hrs south near Bunbury. Beautiful night. Pity got to go to work later this morning.

I think we're in for good weather for the next few days & leading into a new moon too.

Darrin...

[TrevorW]

I'm off tommorow but have to be up by 6:30 might stay up till 2:30 then call it a night