Showing posts with label equipments. Show all posts
Showing posts with label equipments. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
A New Observatory!
After shooting from very bad location many years I finally have had
a new location for my observatory.
It stil located in very center of the Town and light pollution is a huge problem.
the good thing is, that new place has a good warm room next to the roof dec.
The dec is very well protected from the wind and I have 360 degree free view above 25 degree.
There will be a protective building around the telescope in near future.
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I build a permanent pear for the telescope. It makes a huge difference to my polar alignment
and vibrations. Since I'm using my telescope for photographing only, I made the pier
only 60 cm high. It's very heavy doe the 20mm steal and the actual pier diameter is 200mm.
Here is some images from the new location.
Telescope on the new pier
Canon 200mm f1.8 monster lens on the telescope.
The pier before painting and bolting down.
Leveling is done by the four bolt in the concrete. 
Modification to QHY9 camera
I made a small mod to the QHY9.
There is now angular scale added to the camera.
to be able to read the scale in any position I made it
to move by the gravity. Now I can easily rotate the camera
to specified angle for guide stars when OAG is used or moaic images are made.
QHY9 8,6mb cooled astro camera
My new B&W astro camera is now under testing.
So far it looks like a winner!
Information about the camera:
http://www.qhyccd.com/QHY9.html
The KAF8300 sensor is not known for low noise,
I was litle worried about it.
After first tests I can say, the noise is not a problem.
Cooling in this camera is very good.
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I tested the cooling with ambient temperature of -10C.
It took about 60s. to reach maximum cooling, -60C,
and I was uning about 95% of the maximum cooling power.
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Here is the QE of the camera (The Green line):
Main Features Total pixel : 3448*2574 (8.9mega pixel) Active pixels: 3358*2536 (8.6mega pixel) Pixel Size: 5.4um*5.4um FullWell: 25.5Ke- Imager Size : 19.7*15.04mm 4/3inch Readout noise: TBD(Appox 10e maybe) Preview Speed: 3Mpixel/s (3sec download time) Download Speed: 1Mpixel/s (9sec download time) Peak QE: 56% @540nm 48%@Ha Microlensing on chip ABG: 1000X 16bit ADC with CDS and Preamp USB2.0 High Speed interface Build in 32MBytes SDRAM buffer Support Binning: No Bin, 2*2,3*3,4*4 Communication port to QHY color wheel Improved 2-Stage TEC cooling -50 from ambinet Improved Heat Sink For KODAK CCD Build in Temp sensor and 16bit high presion ADC DC103 DC adapter & TEC Controller, Regulated Build in Mechanical shutter for Full Frame CCD Fully Airproof with Two 4.0mm Air Socket Weight: 510g Deep Cooling DC103 DC adapter & TEC controller Single voltage Input: +12V Output +-15V +5V to CCD PWM TEC controller: 0V-12V to TEC Single Cable connection with QHY2PRO Accquire Temp sensor information For more informations please visit discuss forum http://qhyccd.com/ccdbbs/index.php?topic=989.0
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Some quick and dirty first test images.
Note! NO DARKS are used, only flats and BIAS, 7nm Baader H-alpha filter.
Images are scaled down 50%.
Rosette Nebula. 2 x 10 min with Canon 200mm EF f1.8L lens and QHY9. NO Darks
Extremely dim supernova remnant in Taurus.
Only 5 x 10min Canon 200mm EF f1.8L lens and QHY9, NO Darks
California Nebula, 2 x 10min Canon 200mm EF f1.8L lens and QHY9. No Darks-
Please Note!
Images here are just a very quick test.
The lens was manually focused, and at f1.8 it's not possible to do accuratetly,
all the images are somehow soft for that reason.
No sharpening or noise reduction was used, just stretching.
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The camera has a small pixel size, 5,4 microns.
That gives me resolution of 5"/pixel with 200mm Canon lens.
With 300mm Tokina it will give about 3"/pixel.
Under sampled? yes a litle, but with my seeing conditions not actually at all.
With those lenses I can have both, high resolution and wide field!
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With longer focal lenght, like my LX200 GPS 12", the camera can be binned down 2x2.
It will give resolution of about 1"/pixel. Doe the fact, that the camera has 8,6mb,
image has enough resolution after binning.
Canon 200mm f1.8 lens
My new camera lens is a World fastest telelens, Canon EF 200mm f1.8L.
Here is some information:
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This lens has best difraction limited optical quality I have seen.
Lens is used in SuperWASP project, actually eight of them:
http://www.superwasp.org/
UPDATE
Astronomical images shot with this lens can be seen here:
http://www.astroanarchy.blogspot.com/search/label/Canon%20200mm%20f1.8%20images
UPDATE
Astronomical images shot with this lens can be seen here:
http://www.astroanarchy.blogspot.com/search/label/Canon%20200mm%20f1.8%20images
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The model I bought is electronically focused, so there is no mechanical link between lenses and
focusin ring. After lots of thinking I ended up to modify the lens for the astro work.
Opening up and messing with electronic and mechanic of the expencive lens was not a
easy decision, but it was the only way to use it with my new astrocamera, QHY9.
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Modification:
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removing the original Canon bajonet
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cutting off all the wires between the lens and the bajonet
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soldering an extencion cord between the lens and the bajonet
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attachment of the M42 ,75mm thread to the lens end
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Aftger the modification I can use any EOS Canon body to powering up and adjust the lens
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Images of the modification:
Original wires are cutted and extencions soldered in.
Canon bajonet with cutted wires.
Extencion cords are soldered to the bajonet.
M42 ,75mm thread is attached to lens end.
Allmost ready assembly.
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As you can see from the images I used the lenses filter holder as a route for the cords.
(The canon holder is too small for 2" astronomical filters.)
After final image I wrap some aluminium foil around the lens end to
prevent any light leaks. The foil was then attached with
Black tape around it.
After the modification the lens can be controlled with any unexpencive EOS body.
I build a power source for the EOS body, so there is
no need for the batterys.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
New equipmets and some development work.
New focusing system for the Tokina 300mm lens.System is based on temperature compensating TCF-s focuser and
it's very accurate.
I printed an angular scale and glued it to telescope ring.
The ring is supporting the front end of the heavy lens and same time works
as an indicator to a camera angle.
New flat "box" with EL-sheet.
Last winter I had lots of problems with bad flats.I managed to buy one A2 size sheet of electro luminescent material.
(Here is the link: http://www.posterpoweruk.co.uk/page5.htm )
It works as a perfectly uniform light source and delivers perfect astronomical flats.
I used unexpencive, light weight, plastic frames to protect the light source.
(Not the one with real glas, it's too heavy for the purpose)
As seen in the image, I used two rubber bands with hooks to attach the panel.
In action
New Lens for astro imaging
Tokina AT-X 300 f2.8 is a big and heavy lens.
Diameter of the main lens is 112mm.
Optical quality is very good. At f2.8 stars are absolute pinpoints to very corner of the
imaging area of my APS size camera.
STAR TEST IMAGES, LENS FULL OPEN @ f2.8:
Here is five images from cornes and the center of the image.
Image is just stacked (5 x 900s) and stretched, no other image processing methods are used.
As seen in the images, there is no visible optical flaws!Some brighter stars may have some distortion, but it's cauced by guiding and polar alignment errors.
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This is a single 900s H-alpha filtered, flat and bias calibrated frame.Red pixels only, hence 1/4 size from original frame.
Mildly stretched under CCDStack software due the 8bit format, no other prcessing.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Focusing & imaging system for the camera lens
I promised to post images of the focusing system I build for the camera lens,
so here it goes.
Focusing system from top.
image about whole imaging system
The Business end of the lens
Accurate focusing is needed doe the very fast lens. At f2.8 the sharp focus zone is about 20/1000 mm! Focusing by hand is a pure Lottery. I have TCF-s focuser and its temperature compensated, so thereis no need to refocus every time when temperature drops.
The focusing system has been build from the scrap metal and some parts found from
the drawer.
Its very easy to move the focuser back and forth between main scope
and the lens.
There is a right size can lid bolted down to a L-shape body.
Focuser is then atattched to the lid.
In a focuser, there is a brass tube. This tube goes back and forth when focuser moves.
Its then rotate the focuser ring of the camera lens. There is peace of fine sandpaper glued
to the tube to prevent slipery, tube has allso a spring load for the same purpose.
I have used TCF-s focuser but it can be any focuser, even manual one!
It will make focusing easier and less random.
The whole project took about three hours of time and cost 50c (I had to buy
some bolts)
The whole assembly is then attached to the dowetail rail at top of the LX200 scope.
This is a second version.
The firs version was made by blywood, but I made it again with metal doe flexsure problems.
Shematic
Thursday, February 14, 2008
First light, Canon FD 200mm f2.8 lens
Last nigh was very windy, almoust a storm. Normaly I do not shoot under that kind of
conditions. How ever, this time I wanted to test my 200mm f2.8 Canon lens under the stars.
"HARTH & SOUL"
IC 1805 & IC 1848 in H-alpha light.
Only 6x1200s, this is a fast lens. Flats and Bias, guided with LX200 and PHD-guiding.
Camera QHY8 + QHY5 guider.
I added some color, but there was problem with camera orientation, so image is clipped.
Color data: only 3x600s with UHC-s filter
I shoot California nebula as well. Elevation was very low at the end of the exposures,
only about 28 degrees.
H-alpha 4x900s, same setup.
Color version:
3x600s trough UHC-filter added.
Over all, I'm veryhappy with this lens. This is very first time to me use camera lens
for astro photography.
I was expecting severe distortion in the image edges, there is none!
I was expecting severe color aberration, there is none!!!
This lens was unexpencive, doe the old FD model, about 120€.
Here is the link for moreinformation:
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/companies/canon/fdresources/fdlenses/200mm.htm
All the images are shooted with full f2.8 aperature.
The front lens aperature is 72mm.
FOCUSING Fast lenses are very difficult to focus manually, it's pure luck to reach sharp focus. 200mm f2.8 lens has about 20 microns sharp focus area! I build a simple autofocuser to my lens by using TCF-s temperature compensating focuser. I'll send real pictures about that later. Here is a picture about principle.
This system solves allso problems with focus temperature shift!
TCF-s focuser is easy to move back to the main telescope at anytime.
I was able to use FocusMax with the lens and reach sharp focus in 30 seconds.
Monday, December 31, 2007
SXV-AO, Active Optics sytem first light
Comparison image of AO and no AO system. On the left side Bubble nebula 4h HaRGB image, guided with SXV-AO.
On the right side, older, 2h UHC RGB image from spring 2007.
Right side image is guided with traditional sytem, ED80+QHY5 camera and PHD-guiding.
LX200 GPS 12", QHY8 cooled 6mb color cam.4h H-a + 2h RGB with UHC-filter
Image of the AO-unit, from the telescope side
Assembly
http://www.starlight-xpress.co.uk/SXV-AO.htm STEREO 3D tests, just fof fun!
STEREO image test for "parallel viewing"
STEREO image test for "cross vision"
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