Geoff's Blog

Jupiter with Mintron

Tonight going crazy indoors and looked out and saw a break in the clouds. Set up Mintron on LX90 but got only 5 minutes or so to get pic. Still not got to grips with exposure but managed to get the Gallilean moons and an over exposed Jupiter. But as they say, things can only get better :) and guess what? it's started raining again :(

 

Deep Sky Video Astronomy Book

 Click on the book to purchase a copy.

Deep-Sky Video Astronomy is a concise guide to using modern video cameras for deep-sky viewing and imaging with the kinds of modest telescopes available commercially to amateur astronomers. It is not a beginner's book, but it does include an introduction and brief history of the technology, camera types, etc. More importantly, the authors examine the pros and cons of this unrefrigerated yet highly efficient technology, which is already beginning to compete with expensive astronomical cooled-chip CCD cameras in quality and ease of use. The book also includes a thorough examination of the variety of accessories that are available and can be used to achieve a particular result. Examples of accessories are focal reducers, Barlow lenses, and optical filters. However, much of the book's focus is on the practical side of creating beautiful and detailed astronomical portraits using image-stacking software, picture enhancement tools such as Photoshop, and in creating color images using only a very sensitive black-and-white camera. Practical step-by-step examples, supported by tried and trusted tips, show how it is possible to achieve the best possible celestial deep-sky video portrait! There is also information on how this technology is being used for comet hunting, supernova patrols, lunar and Minor Planet occultations, astrometry, and meteoroid observations
 
 
A great book I found written by Steve Massey and Steve Quirk
Deep Sky Video Astronomy. The book gives you all the info
you need to get great results from your Mintron/G-Star ccd
camera. Get it here. Highly recommended.
 
"G'day Geoff

Nice blog and thanks for the feedback on the latest book. We appreciate it. I'm half Scots myself - love the country.. been a while since I was there though.  "
Steve Massey
  Australia
 

Mintron remote cable update

OK I finally got the remote cable and the the Gstar software to co-operate (after the initial success I reported earlier it would appear that it was very intermittent)  and can use the the OSD without having to use GStar standalone program. It would appear that the pins 2 and 4 (ground) on the 8 pin DIN  plug need to be joined I achieved this bending them so they touch and it works so now I will remake the lead and solder a short piece of wire between them.

Cool
 

Mintron Remote Cable

Finally got the remote feature to work in the capture software with the Mintron CCD Camera. I obtained the RS232 to RS485 converter and a couple of Din plug ends from Bernard at Modern Astronomy. The cable I used was rounded telephone cable and used just 2 of the colours which makes recognising the other end of the wire easier. Having solderered the wires to Pins 1 and 3, I connected them to the converter and plugged it into the 9 pin serial port on the PC.

I opened the G star software and clicked on the GStarCom button and Nothing happened!!! Wahhhhhh!  Having had a nice cup of coffee I calmed down and approached the situation logically. I then downloaded the stadalone version of the software and tried again. Same result !! ?? what was I doing wrong. I re read the comments on the web and it all became clear. You have to plug the cable in to the aux port with camera powered off and then power up the camera and then run the standalone remote program and this time Success!

 

I now can change the Mintron camera settings without going near the camera. Oh joy of joys.

Geoff

 

Adventures in Video Astrophotography

 

Hello everyone! I have decided to try my hand at blogging and have put my thoughts and actions to paper (albeit electronic) for all the world to see.

Just lately I got hold of a Mintron 12V6HC-EX CCTV camera and linked it up to my Meade LX90 8inch SCT to see what I could achieve. Just to put you in the picture I recently built a small observatory in my back garden. My garden being south facing is ideal for obseving with fairly clear views from east-south-west with just the north being obscured by the lift up roof on my observatory.  The Scope is not mounted on a pier but on the heavy duty Tripod and the floor being raised off the ground flexes slightly if you move about so long exposure deep sky imaging is a deffinate no!

The Mintron seemed like a good bet so that's the road I chose. Trying to get info on how to set it up was a bit like having teeth pulled until, I came across the excellent sights by Dr. Steve Wainwright at  : http://x-bit-astro-imaging.blogspot.com/ and the excellent GStar (which I assume is a rebranded Mintron) site at: http://www.myastroshop.com.au/guides/gstar/index.htm#GSTAR-CAPTURE%20USER%20GUIDE

Both of these sites have a wealth of information, you just have to try to piece it all together and hope for the best. The Gstar software works a treat with the Mintron and I will let you know if I get the cable to work to control the camera settings remotely. Here's hoping.

Anyway last night 24/08/2009 I got some reasonably clearish kind of skies and I say reasonably because this summer has been terrible in Scotland! month after month of cloudy,rainy skies :(

So I got the scope nearly aligned and being anxious and impatient to get going and set the camera to Jupiter. The image was too bright so I turned the sense down and got a nice big disc and the four Gallilean moons no probs However no detail on the disc (still too bright) I assume this is a filter issue and will try to address this on later nights. I captured a short AVI and moved on to M57  WOW!!!  A nice big ring and the central star which I have never seen before even with my 12 inch Dobsonian!

Ring Nebula M27 in Lyra

On a roll now so off to M27 Dumbell Nebula. Again a big WOW this was spectacular so captured another short AVI (note to myself to upload to You Tube and post link) next was M13 in Hercules again very impressive. The rest of the night till 0100 was used messing about slewing and so on to see what the camera would reveal. Any way I am more than suitably impressed with this camera to explore it more so keep looking and we'll see what happens.
 M27 Dumbell nebula
 Single Frame from 30 second AVI M27 Dumbell nebula
 
 M13 in Hercules single frame from AVI
 

These images can only improve as I learn how to use the camera and how to process the images afterwards but not too bad for a start eh!

Geoff

P.S. if you want one of these great cameras then talk to Bernard at:

http://www.modernastronomy.com/camerasAstroVideo.html

 

Hi Geoff I've got a few questions?

1. When you say single image do you mean 1 single frame or was the final image a result of stacking?

2. What exposure times where used?

They are great images, truly a good camera you should be really pleased with them. I take it your camera does not have a fast enough shutter speed for Jupiter.

Well done again!!!!!

Astro George - Kirkaldy Fife

 

 
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