my equipment
New: description of the troubleshooting caused by a runaway error of my LX200 Classic. (2009-12-04) (auf Deutsch)
Storyboard of my LX200 Classic since 1997
Since December, 26 2008 the Minor Planet Center assigned the code B82 Maidbronn to my observatory place.
All observations of comets and minor planets taken from my location
are submitted to the MPC.
The astrometry and photometry for the MPC is performed by
Astrometrica of Herbert Raab.
For performing photometry I use
FOCAS II
of Cometas_Obs
The images are processed with
Astrometrica,
CCDSoft Version 5,
MaxIM DL,
AstroArt and
Adobe Photoshop CS3.
The videos and animations are created with
Studio Version
9 or Adobe Fireworks CS3.
When I bought this telecope in 1992 here in Germany, I belonged to an
exotic group of amateurs in contrary to the most observers at this time.
Computerized telescopes were still taboo for many amateurs in the nineties.
Classical LX200 12"
f-10, here reduced to f-5.6 with a Lumicon Giant Easy Guider.
(Meanwhile I use
also a
Robofocus and a True Technology Ltd. 5 x
2" Filter Wheel sattled on the CCD camera)
On the image you see a hand controlled
2" filter wheel with IR Blocking, UHC, OIII, Hß and Swan filters, CCD camera:
ST10XME of SBIG
This telescope was
running since 1992 without any basic maintenance. In 2004 it fell from the
balcony you see on the image.
A tremendous squall during a thunderstorm lifted up the telescope and threw it
over the balustrade headfirst into a bush 3 meters down.
The bush was absurbing the fall and brought the telescope back on its right
position before it touched the ground.
The wet grass ground catched the telescope with the tripod in position down and
deformed parts of it. But the body of the scope was unhurt.
After replacing the tripod everything was working properly, even the mirror had
no scratches. Such kind of solid scope should bring
a good price :), but I will never sell it, sorry.
View in direction South, location: 49°51" N, 9°58' O, 260 m above sea level
Actual equipment for comet and asteroid photography:
Telescope: Classical
LX200 12", year of construction: 1992
CCD camera: SBIG ST10XME, year of
construction: 2001
Reducer:
Lumicon Giant Easy Guider, effecting f-6.532 on my telescope
Focuser: RoboFocus
Filter Wheel:
True
Technology Ltd. 5 x 2" Filter Wheel (not on the image)
Dew remover:
Kendrick
DigiFire 10
As you see, my view is
very restricted by the balcony. But over the night, most of the comets are
crossing my field of view.
The 130.000 inhabitants city of Wuerzburg is situated 7 kilometers (4 miles)
southwards. For naked-eye observation the light pollution is very disruptive.
But the CCD camera is pretty excusing this problem, especially at dry, clear
skies.
This bundle of steal,
glass and wires is controlled over four interfaces.
Over the COM1 port (special interface cable USB to COM #38011 of
W&T) the telescope is connected to the computer
and controlled by TheSky 6.
The COM2 Port (second interface cable #38011) is controlling the
RoboFocus.
The COM7 Port is handling the
True
Technology Ltd. 2" Filter Wheel.
A fourth cable is connecting the CCD camera via USB2. The imaging software is
CCDSoFT of Software Bisque.
The views from my home:
North-West
South
East