My first ASTRO CCD images (and film stuff too!)

by Paul LeFevre


Richard did some great shots with his new CCD toy, and we were having fun watching the images come across on his laptop screen.

I spent most of Friday night struggling with my new 201XT autoguider...I finally got it working by the end of the night, and managed a couple of nicely guided piggyback shots. I put one of Orion up, a solar shot I did right after I arrived (through an AP/Baader filter), and one of folks setting up at: http://www.slip.net/~lefevre/newmarch.htm

It was a wonderful night, finally being able to get out under the somewhat shimmering stars, see the gang, and get to play with some of my new toys. I can't wait for summer to get here...!!

Paul Sterngold wrote:

Hey, Paul, that's great. It looks like you're on your way. Were you experiencing problems with the autoguider, or was it just the learning curve?

Mostly the learning curve. My initial polar alignment wasn't good enough, so by the time I'd center a guide star with my reticle EP then switch in the autoguider, the star would sometimes have drifted out of the FOV of the tiny CCD guider chip. Once I did a nice drift alignment, I cured that problem. Then, I had not had a chance to make an EP parfocal with the autoguider, so I was trying to do that in the field, and find the best focus point for the CCD. Since it has no visual output, this has to be done using the brightness readings, a real trial-and-error (mostly error!) process.

Add to that this was the first time I'd used the thing at all except to make sure it worked in the back yard (still unfamiliar with the flowchart process of the 201XT single-button-press navigation), the first time I'd used my new f/6.3 focal reducer, and the fact that I'd been up since 3AM Friday morning, and I'm pretty happy that I got anything to work at all! By the end of the night I had parfocalized an EP for the autoguider, done the best polar alignment in my life, and had the procedure down pat. Too bad by then I was too tired to do much with all that experience :) Next time out I should be able to be much more productive, though.

Despite all of the challenges, I learned a lot -- and this is fun!

Paul LeFevre
ATM Pages: http://www.slip.net/~lefevre/scope.htm
203SC Page: http://www.slip.net/~lefevre/203SC/m203sc.htm