As you can see there are also lots of cables. I control everything from my laptop via usb 3. I've got a USB hub up on the telescope along with power distribution and a dew heater controller.

I can control my dedicated astro cam as well as my DSLR from the laptop. I couldn't imaging setting this up all the time.


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1522266909.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1522266936.jpg

holy kamolee? that is amazing..that is the whole other level!!

you ever turn that towards the hot neighbors? haha..

I can see you Vash!:D

zoom out!! those arent pillows!


oh..i could have gone with a Uranus joke..:D

that is great stuff Eric..very impressive gear.

LOL, that's classic right there.

Eric, Have you ever used any of the "shared" telescope platforms - such as iTelescope.net?

https://www.itelescope.net/

I haven't. I'm just in the process of learning how to do this astro photo thing. I've enjoyed visual use for about 25 years and decided now was a good time to get into photographing it all. Didn't want to rent time to learn.

The folks at OPT (oceanside photo and telescope) are sending a satellite camera to low earth orbit that one can rent time on. That would be pretty amazing.

Looks like the dome rotates pretty easily on those rollers. I assume it's all mechanical driven by you.

Thanks for this thread and all your informative and interesting posts, Eric!

I took 2 Astronomy courses in college (mid 70's) and still have my text and notebooks but have to admit, I haven't really spent a great deal of time working on my knowledge base about our skies above since then.

But I used to really enjoy Jack Horkheimer's show which always came on late at night. I'll have to pull out my old books and brush back up on this amazing science.

"Keep looking up"! :)

It does and yes mine is all manual, however; both the shutter and dome can be motor driven and opened/rotated via remote computer.

I won't be doing that automation as I enjoy being out there.

Finally had a semi clear night last night. Decided to go test out a new camera lens at Cape Horn along the Columbia river gorge. Big, bright one in the center is Jupiter.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1524151586.jpg

Very nice. 15mm on a full frame. Great shot!

Yepper, thanks! Also, ISO 6400 and 15 second exposure. Lens at f2.8, one stop down from wide open.

The Moon tonight. Shot with 12", 3048mm telescope and Canon 6D MK II.

Nice but I think you may be off juuuust a wee bit on your mm's.;)

Nope, the focal length is 3048 millimeters, Diameter is (12") 304.8 millimeters, so that makes this particular scope F10.

The image is not cropped either.

Had some clear skies last so went out to the observatory to image. Had all kinds of troubles. Only manages to get 18 minutes worth of exposures and no calibration files to reduce image noise. Anyway, this is a small portion of the veil nebula.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...05&oe=5B51E39D

So jealous of the observatory and dark skies. Great shot.

oh focal length I thought it read the diameter was 3048 :o

Got out Sunday evening and got some captures of the Moon.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1527042578.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1527042578.jpg