Re: Optical 28 Jan 2013

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Wed Jan 30 2013 - 06:09:46 UTC

  • Next message: Jon Mikel: "FPAS 30774"

    Morning Scott
    
    I will be only too pleased to answer any questions you may have. The use of a 
    DSLR camera for geosats is nothing new on SeeSat- for example Marco uses his 
    DSLR and Ian Roberts in Randburg, South Africa does the same. Ive already done 
    some geosats with my DSLR using a 200mm focal length lens which convinced me it 
    was worth following up with my camera. All I am basically doing now is 
    increasing the aperture of the telescope.
    
    It will certainly be a welcome addition if you and Cees get more involved with 
    geosat observing as those satellites need more observers to get a better 
    longitude coverage. Scott Campbell used to do an excellant job of covering his 
    part of the geobelt but due to other activities he appears to have lost interest 
    which is a great pity as he had the best optical setup of any amateur observer. 
    Your operating from the west coast will fill a gap that has always existed in 
    your area so I, for one, would be very happy to see you and Cees providing extra 
    coverage,
    not so much on the real geosats but on the many objects drifting around the 
    world, some of which are very infrequently observed due to our poor longitude 
    coverage.
    
    The software that Cees has written and which you and he use  has provided a 
    major breakthrough for allnight observing. I just wish I could implement it here 
    but Im still stuck with the much "loved" microsoft stuff.
    
    Of course if you want to do what Ian and I do - ie use APEX for the measuring - 
    APEX is the software used by the ISON network - I will be only too happy to tell 
    you where to get it and how to use it as ISON has given me permission to 
    distribute it to worthwhile observers. It does have a mode where if several 
    images of a particular field are all taken at the same hour angle it will 
    process the images and automatically detect all non-stellar- ie satellite - 
    objects in the field and identify them - if known objects. This would be fine 
    for automatic patrol work. It is an area that western amateurs have not yet 
    explored but you will have to use microsoft.
    
    So fire away with any questions although frankly I know you and Cees are 
    perfectly capable of doing it without any input from me :-))
    Good luck
    Greg
    
    
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