[Lvas] Green Lasers

Tue Dec 18 22:02:04 PST 2007

Thanks! To capture them to my laptop, I used a Belkin USB DVD creator and an
s-video cable connected to the Mallincam Pro Dob.

To enhance them, I used the "deep sky stacker" and "registax" programs to
stack the photos, but I stacked the red, green, and blue images in photoshop
cs2. I also used the photoshop channel mixer and the levels histogram to
balance the colors.

I'm not sure if many people use it for this purpose, but the mallincam is a
somewhat capable imager, even without an EQ mount. But I suppose it's more
useful for live viewing, and there is a new forum called "Assisted Visual
Observing" at cloudynights.com. Worth a look:
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php/Cat/0/Board/VAA

I think it could be helpful to see what other people are doing with the
Mallincam on this forum.

On Dec 18, 2007 11:21 AM, Phillip Krumpos <PhilJ1945 at cox.net> wrote:

>  All I can say is wow!!!   Those are beautiful photos.  How did you
> capture them?  Did you enhance them with Photoshop?
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Martin Suñer Hilario <mhilario2 at gmail.com>
> *To:* Las Vegas Astronomical Society <lvas at lvlug.org>
> *Sent:* Monday, December 17, 2007 11:54 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [Lvas] Green Lasers
>
> I would like to share some of my images with you from the mallincam yahoo
> groups. The images were taken at Lake Mead last weekend with an older
> Mallincam pro dob and a dobsonian telescope. Objects include: Horsehead,
> NGC253, M33, M81, and others.
>
> Link: http://picasaweb.google.com/mhilario2/Redstone122007
>
> I hope to get good results for public outreach with the color hyper camera
> also.
>
> To Phil,
>
> I wish you and your daughter the best in selecting your telescope for the
> mallincam. I'm sure that the both of you will be happy with your choice.
>
> The wait time for the mallincam seems to be in the order of two months, as
> I am still waiting for an order placed several weeks ago. So I am sure that
> you will have ample time to select your telescope.
>
> I do not have experience with it yet, but many users recommend the color
> hyper plus camera over the black and white version. It is time consuming to
> make RGB astrophotos from the black and white camera with the computer -
> plus the color contrasts enable you to see details in objects more easily
> and live on a portable tv monitor or 10" dvd player.
>
> Regards,
> Martin H
>
> On Dec 16, 2007 8:31 PM, Phillip Krumpos <PhilJ1945 at cox.net> wrote:
>
> >  I greatly appreciate all of your advise on selecting a telescope for
> > use with a Mallincam.  It will take me awhile to digest all the information
> > you have provide.  My daughter has aperture fever, so it may take awhile for
> > us to select the right scope.  I will keep you inform on our progress.
> >
> >  ----- Original Message -----
> > *From:* Martin Suñer Hilario <mhilario2 at gmail.com>
> > *To:* Las Vegas Astronomical Society <lvas at lvlug.org>
> >  *Sent:* Sunday, December 09, 2007 10:55 PM
> > *Subject:* Re: [Lvas] Green Lasers
> >
> >   Phil,
> >
> > Focal reduction or having a short focal ratio telescope is the key when
> > choosing a telescope with  a mallincam. Focal ratios of f/2 to f/4 work
> > best. You can achieve those focal ratios by getting a "fast" optical system
> > or by getting a focal reducer like this:
> >
> > MFR-3 Focal reducer plus 10mm ring (multiplies focal ratio by ~0.67x)
> >
> > http://www.waningmoonii.com/Updates%20-%20July%202005/MallinCam%20Included%20and%20Optional%20Equipment.htm
> > .
> >
> >
> >
> > In the apochromatic refractor category, I recommend a short focal ratio
> > refractor like the Takahashi FSQ106 or Televue TV101 f/5 (~2400 USD on
> > astromart.com). 3 to 4" f/7 apo refractors or even 3 to 5" f/5 rich
> > field refractors like the orion/synta ones are good too, when used with the
> > MFR-3 focal reducer. These refractors are lightweight and absolutely
> > wonderful for viewing large, extended objects like the lagoon, m42, m20,
> > m33, etc. In my opinion, they actually give good images for smaller objects
> > as well although someone else will think otherwise.
> >
> > I have had excellent results with a modest 80mm f/5 achromatic refractor
> > with and without focal reducer for these large objects.
> >
> > I would also like to recommend an 8-10" SCT or Ritchey-Chretien with an
> > F/3.3 focal reducer and GOTO for ease of use with the camera. The larger
> > aperture, similar focal length, and short focal ratio will allow you to view
> > a greater number of objects with shorter exposures with the Mallincam. Also,
> > the 8" SCT can operate at f/6 with the Mallincam MFR-3 focal reducer and
> > f/10, so you have more "magnifications" to work with.
> >
> >
> >
> > Rod Wodaski's CCD Calculator will show you how the 8" SCT at different
> > focal lengths and many other telescopes will frame various objects in the
> > Mallincam. Link:
> >
> > http://www.newastro.com/newastro/book_new/camera_app.asp
> >
> > In the camera box, you can select "SAC-9", as it has the same
> > specifications (752x582) and the same ccd chip (Sony ICX428/9) as the
> > Mallincam.
> >
> >
> >
> > Have you looked at the Mallincam Yahoo Groups photos section? Jack
> > Huerkamp has some single frame captures using a six-inch refractor and an 8"
> > SCT with f/3.3 focal reducer. My photos (Martin Hilario folder in photos)
> > show processed images taken with an older mallincam with 80mm f/5 refractor
> > and 10mm f/6 dobsonian. link:
> >
> > Mallincam Yahoo Photos
> >
> > http://tech.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/mallincam/photos/browse/4733
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > The Mallincam provides roughly the same horizontal field of view as a
> > 6.4mm eyepiece with a 50 deg. field of view. With such small field of
> > view and high magnification, a focal reducer is highly recommended. When
> > coupled to a focal reducer like the MFR-3 plus extension ring, the Mallincam
> > acts like a 12.5mm eyepiece with 50 deg. field of view.
> >
> >
> >
> > From my experience and many others with cameras like the mallincam, fast
> > focal ratios (f/2 to f/5) seem to work the best, as the faster focal ratio
> > would allow the Mallincam to capture good images with shorter exposure times
> > and more field of view.
> >
> >
> >
> > Personally, I have had excellent results with the Mallincam Pro Dob (an
> > older mallincam) with a 10" tracking dobsonian and the 80mm f/5 achromatic
> > refractor that is piggybacked on it. Both were utilized with a Vixen
> > 0.6x focal reducer, so the effective focal ratio for both is around
> > f/3.5. Alt-az Field rotation seems to be a nonissue, even at the 28 or
> > 56-second settings of the Mallincam, as long as an object is well placed in
> > the sky (eg. Preferably not at zenith or high up at the meridian). Chromatic
> > aberration is also nonexsistant when I couple the Mallincam with the 80mm
> > achromatic refractor, so even a short tube achromatic refractor will work
> > great.
> >
> >
> >
> > I highly recommend an 8-10" SCT, when coupled with an f/3.3 focal
> > reducer or hyperstar (available at
> > http://starizona.com/acb/hyperstar/whatis.aspx ). Hyperstar is a
> > corrector that replaces the 8" SCT secondary mirror and transforms it into a
> > dedicated 8" f/2.0 telescope (therefore only usable for astrophotograpy if
> > you want a dedicated mallincam telescope). f/3.3 focal reducer has worked
> > perfectly for me too with a 12" SCT I've used.
> >
> > Celestron CPC 8" GOTO Telesccope
> >
> > http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=1-600-602-892-6393
> >
> > F/3.3 Focal Reducer for SCTs
> >
> > http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=779
> >
> >
> >
> > Otherwise, a good 4" f/5-f/7 refractor like the TV101/Orion 120ED plus
> > MFR-3 focal reducer is very much an excellent choice for portability and
> > ease of use. Any equatorial mount like the Orion Sky View Pro will suffice,
> > especially since the Mallincam exposes at relatively short (2/7/14/28/56
> > second) intervals. Periodic error and field rotation will not affect a live
> > view.
> >
> > http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=refractors/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=24357
> >
> > <http://www.telescope.com/control/product/%7Ecategory_id=refractors/%7Epcategory=telescopes/%7Eproduct_id=24357>
> >
> > Also look at this 120mm f/5 rich field achromatic refractor: http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=optical_tube/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09836;jsessionid=771C5F91857BD81CB726095504D2B07E.ivprod1
> >
> > <http://www.telescope.com/control/product/%7Ecategory_id=optical_tube/%7Epcategory=telescopes/%7Eproduct_id=09836;jsessionid=771C5F91857BD81CB726095504D2B07E.ivprod1>
> >
> > Looks great for mallincam use, especially with an UV/IR blocking filter
> > to reduce the chromatic aberration. Maybe not good with eyepieces, as
> > chromatic aberration and maybe coma will be pretty apparent. I'm not sure if
> > this is what you want, but it's probably good for mallincam-only use.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > One last recommendation is an f/4 newtonian like the Meade SN-8 on LXD75
> > goto mount but the mount and the OTA are quite heavy:
> > http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=3223
> >
> >
> >
> > It's an excellent focal ratio and aperture for use with the mallincam
> > though! The orion short focal ratio newtonians look like they would match
> > well with mallincam. Coma does not seem to be much of a problem when using
> > the Mallincam with short focal ratio newtonians like these because the FOV
> > of the camera is small. The newtonians are so cheap, but they will work
> > great for mallincam! (though the views through the apochromatic look better
> > when using eyepieces)
> >
> > Orion 4.5" f/4 reflector
> >
> > http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=optical_tube/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09974
> >
> > <http://www.telescope.com/control/product/%7Ecategory_id=optical_tube/%7Epcategory=telescopes/%7Eproduct_id=09974>
> >
> >
> >
> > All in all, I think that a good quality short focal length 4" apo or
> > achro (plus MFR-3) or a portable 8" SCT (plus f/3.3 focal reducer and goto)
> > and the mallincam, will be an excellent inheritance for your daughter and
> > for generations to come. Mount, in my opinion, does not seem to matter so
> > much, as long as it is reasonable quality or even alt-azimuth, due to the
> > ability of the mallincam to take pictures very quickly (6 seconds to 56
> > seconds), unlike a dedicated CCD imager.
> >
> > Martin H
> >
> >
> > On Dec 9, 2007 10:43 PM, Douglas Phillipson <douglas at intermind.net>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Phillip Krumpos wrote:
> > > > I am planning to buy a new telescope.  I want a telescope that will
> > > give me
> > > > the ability to use the Mellincam.
> > > >
> > > > My daughter, Joanne, will eventually inherit the telescope, so the
> > > weight of
> > > > the components will need to be considered.  My "bad back" also makes
> > > weight
> > > > an important factor.
> > > >
> > > > >From what I have read about astrophotography the most recommended
> > > telescope
> > > > type is apochromatic refractor.  It also appears that getting the
> > > right
> > > > telescope mount is as important as getting the right telescope.
> > > >
> > > > However, from what I have been able to gather from the internet,
> > > people are
> > > > using a very wide variety of telescopes and mounts with the
> > > Mellincam.  With
> > > > your experience with the Mellincam, I would like to get your opinion
> > > on what
> > > > would be good system to fully utilize the Mellincam.
> > > >
> > > > Phil K.
> > > >
> > > Phil, the telescope you select is highly dependent on your available
> > > funding. Also should you choose a refracting scope, you won't be able
> > > to
> > > enjoy many  objects through the eyepiece.  Refractors just don't have
> > > the aperture to see anything good, unless you buy a very large one
> > > which
> > > costs big bucks.  They are only really good for planets and splitting
> > > double or triple stars, boring stuff in my book.  A reflector is much
> > > better.  I bet you would enjoy a 8 inch Meade, similar to mine but
> > > smaller to better accommodate your weight requirements.  8 inches is
> > > large enough to enjoy the Messier objects but also large enough to add
> > > the Mallincam for some really spectacular color images.  If you buy
> > > anything less than 8 inches, you will soon be very disappointed with
> > > it
> > > and want a larger one.  Then you will have to sell the smaller scope,
> > > only getting 75% of the money back.
> > >
> > > I also suggest the Mallincam because of its ease of use.  If you buy a
> > >
> > > regular CCD camera, you will be dealing with complicated setup,
> > > snapping
> > > many images on a laptop, dark frames, doing image processing and stuff
> > > like that.  The Mallincam can do that but you don't have to, you can
> > > just get video out of it like I do, and display the image on a small
> > > inexpensive monitor.
> > >
> > > I suggest a Meade 8 inch LX200R or a Celestron CPC 800 GPS.  They are
> > > both about 2,000 bucks.
> > >
> > > Here are the links:
> > >
> > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > Meade: http://www.scopecity.com/category.cfm
> > > Select Brand = Meade,
> > > Drive type = Computerized-GoTo
> > > Mount type = Alt-Az
> > > Scope Type = Schmidt-Cassegrain
> > > Aperture = 8.00
> > >
> > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > Celestron: http://www.celestron.com/c2/product.php?CatID=9&ProdID=33
> > >
> > > Hope this helps.
> > >
> > > Doug P
> > >
> > > P.S. Please say hi to Joanne for me...
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Sent via the Lvas mailing list Lvas at lvlug.org
> > > Set options or unsubscribe at http://lvlug.org/mailman/listinfo/lvas
> > >
> >
> >  ------------------------------
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Sent via the Lvas mailing list Lvas at lvlug.org
> > Set options or unsubscribe at http://lvlug.org/mailman/listinfo/lvas
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Sent via the Lvas mailing list Lvas at lvlug.org
> > Set options or unsubscribe at http://lvlug.org/mailman/listinfo/lvas
> >
> >
>  ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via the Lvas mailing list Lvas at lvlug.org
> Set options or unsubscribe at http://lvlug.org/mailman/listinfo/lvas
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Sent via the Lvas mailing list Lvas at lvlug.org
> Set options or unsubscribe at http://lvlug.org/mailman/listinfo/lvas
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lvlug.org/pipermail/lvas/attachments/20071218/39e582ca/attachment-0001.htm 