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Simplifying My Remote Systems
Raining here in northcentral PA today, so I'm working on filling your inboxes!
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My first Astrid system consists of a C-5 on a manual Astrotech Voyager mount, with 0.33x focal reducer.? I really like the simplicity, quick set-up, low weight, and only needing power for the Astrid and the dew heater.? The Voyager has slow motion knobs that are 3 degrees per turn, so I can quickly dial it in using the Astrid's arrows and distances.?
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My second Astrid system currently consists of another C-5 on a single arm Nexstar mount, with 0.5x focal reducer.? While I don't align the mount to the sky and let it track, I do use the mount motors to move the scope in alt/az.? It has more parts, is heavier, takes longer to set-up, requires additional power, etc.?
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I dislike it enough to replace the mount.? I couldn't find another Voyager, but I was able to find a used Vixen Porta II that should arrive this coming week.? It is roughly the same size/weight as the Voyager--and most critically has the same 3 degree per turn for the slow motion knobs.? I think the azimuth knob has the same directionality, but the altitude knob may be reversed.? I may be able to match them by changing the Voyager to match the Porta--we'll see.
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As much as I hate the Nexstar single arm mounts for these portable stations, I regularly use (and like) them for public outreach events--often I have two set-up tracking.
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Steve C
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Re: Occult Horizons Errors
It apparently was something to do with my user file of events.? It was working fine a few minute prior to the issue starting, and would have the same issue after several reboots and software restarts.? But as soon as I ran a new user file, it was happy again.? Not sure how the input file could cause this problem, but that seems to be the cause.
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Steve
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Re: Sometimes a MISS can be a good thing...
All:
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.....And yet again!!
This time it skimmed past the Target Star 20 seconds after the (positive) occultation. Tho it doesn't look like it in the stacked image (of 10 frames), the Target Star and Satellite were both of about equal brightness. As above, this is a full frame view from my Astrid.
It's the "Wild West" up there folks.
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G |
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Re: OT-Lunar meteor impact imaging?
Lawrence,
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No reason to take the discussion off-line in my opinion, a fair number of IOTA folks have support lunar impact work over the years.? I'd be interested in participating, but my observatory is severely tree-line impacted to the west, unfortunately.
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There was a related talk on this at last weekend's ALPO conference, day 2--last talk prior to the keynote.? You can watch it on YouTube here, go about 4 hours, 10 minutes in: ?
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Steve C
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Re: Occult Horizons Errors
Steve:
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In an earlier post you also mentioned this error. I've also seen similar Horizon connection issues, but I've never seen in my error messages the part that said "Could not create SSL/TLS secure channel." Is perhaps your virus scanner preventing a connection?
I just (8/3 at 12:30pm) acquired Horizon data for a list with 378 events and it ran without error. I'm using Occult4 v2024.7.15.
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G |
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Re: OT-Lunar meteor impact imaging?
Hi Lawrence:
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[To all - Lawrence has a long history of asteroid work (and has a rock named for him). He has captured several occultations and has a RunCam NE2 and VTI. He's not too far from Burlington VT].
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Do you know... Is the Perseid meteor stream heading roughly "toward" the Earth-facing part of the Moon? Also, one comment - video monitoring could add up to MANY files with MANY Gbs of data. But it could be a worthwhile endeavor. And yes, any impact really should be video recorded by two independent video systems in order to distinguish an impact from a cosmic ray hit on the detector.
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G |
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Occult Horizons Errors
Anyone else having the "Error requesting data from Horizons, Horizons will be skipped for next 20 secs.? The request was aborted:? Could not create SSL/TLS secure channel." problem this morning?? I've done all the usual, stopping and starting Occult, rebooting my laptop, etc., with no joy...
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Steve ?
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Re: 8051 Pistoria
All,
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I provided the information that Norm wanted on this event to him, and he's forwarding it on to Dave H.? If I hear more, I'll let you know.
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Steve ?
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Re: 8051 Pistoria
Steve, Roxanne, Kai:
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Noble attempts - Congrats. I have to wonder about those 9th mag (or brighter) Targets... I've also missed a couple bright "sure things".
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Yes Kevin, Dave did say to let him know of essentially certain events that ended up being Misses. I let him know of one recently - never heard back (or maybe that wasn't needed?).
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Rock on,
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8051 Pistoria
All,
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Roxanne and I deployed 4 stations for this rank 100, mag 9.5 event early this morning.? All stations recorded the star passing through center at the predicted event time.? All stations ran at 20 frames per second or higher, and look like they have high SNR.
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Unfortunately, our preliminary analysis shows no blink on any of the 4, despite having having high (53 to 99%) probabilities <heavy sigh>...
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Kai deployed another station between 2 of our misses, hopefully (but unlikely) he'll have a better result.
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Steve
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Re: (8051) Pistoria Early Monday AM
Steve:
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Yes, you look to be mainly cloud-free (maybe not "fog-free") for your event (roughly at the arrow) - Best of Luck! If anything I would be driving down the Northway to Schroon Lake, NY (where the circle is) to try for your event... and I'm seeing a very good chance of clouds for 3am (see attached). For me at home it clouds-up about midnight and I have a couple low probability events I can try for in the evening here.
Again, best of luck! 9th mag events are nice.
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Re: July 27UT (623)
The clouds for tonight here (Wellsboro) are still not suppose roll in until about 8 AM.? My bigger worry is fog, especially at my new site that is right by a large lake.? We will have fog, just a question of does it form before or after event time.
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Still planning to use my observatory and 2 C-5/Astrid stations.
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Steve?
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Re: July 27UT (623)
Even if clear skies, this was quite a 'tough' event - being so low to the horizon. Thx to all who tried. Wish it were more often that paths crossed several of us. Almost always it's just 1 observer. I'm tempted to do a drive to try for Steve's 9th mag event tonight (29th), but I'm seeing clouds moving in. ...And sadly the smoke is back this summer.
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Re: July 27UT (623)
There was a bank of clouds that refused to leave the southern sky for about 24 hours¡ or more. Very strange as there was almost no movement. Almost half the sky was covered. It simply wasn¡¯t possible for me to make an attempt.
In OW desktop I can input ¡®no observation¡¯ and give a reason. I am able to cancel the station in OWC, but I can¡¯t find a place to put a reason so others will know why I canceled. That event did not show up in desktop, probably because of filters. Sorry, but I had to drop out around 15 minutes before the event. Rick Bria? |
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Re: July 27UT (623)
Made the attempt.......
Hazy horizons and VERY bad seeing did me in. I do get a plot of the Target Star in the "Py's", but it's buried too much in noise. Almost, but not quite. Had to go to 1/2 sec exposures. One of the "by-far-better" video frames attached.
Was redeemed a couple hours later, from another site, with a different, very nice Pos.
I see others disappeared from OW. I think I saw clouds down toward NYC.......
Anyway, this is (one reason) we have this forum - trying to coordinate multiple chords.
???? -G
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Steve C
George Viscome
rickbria22
