[Callum Potter]

Hi Peter,

the contact form link does not show for yourself (why would you want to send a message to yourself? – rhetorical question 🙂

But others when logged in will see a Send Mail link like:

So all should be working!

Cheers. Callum

[Callum Potter]

Hi David,

I don’t use one myself, but other options to consider are the

Ioptron SkyTracker – i’ve seen a lot of good images made using these.

Other newer things to think about are:

Ioptron SkyTracker Pro – more ‘heavy weight’

And something new I saw recently mentioned in Astronomy Now is the 

SkyWatcher Star Adventurer Mini.

Would be interested to hear from anyone that’s tried these newer mounts.

Thanks, Callum

[Callum Potter]

Hi Kevin,

Welcome to the BAA!

yes – just contact the section directors of the sections you are interested – you can use the contact forms on the website, or the email addresses in the back of the Journal. 

You will be most welcome to the Deep Sky Section!

Cheers, Callum

[Callum Potter]

Hi Grant, I’m not sure if it was an actual quote… but I was asking about a Kite EM247 CL.

http://www.laser2000.co.uk/camera_product.php?no=10426

And there is an interesting application note:

http://www.laser2000.co.uk/pdfs/download/white_papers/Technote-All-Sky-Kite.pdf

[Callum Potter]

Hi Tim,

I have looked into this a couple of times, but was not able to find an affordable route…

The last time I got in touch with a supplier (for a Raptor Kite from Laser 2000) they quoted a price starting at £6800.

If you find a ‘cheap’ source I would be interested.

Callum

[Callum Potter]

I have used Baader Optical Wonder Cleaning Fluid – it seems to do a good job.

Callum

[Callum Potter]

Hi Denis,

I don’t know the answer, but I would try running the question past Jim Wild…

Cheers, Callum

[Callum Potter]

Leslie Peltier’s Starlight Nights 

Walter Scott Houston’s Deep-Sky Wonders (selections by Steve O’Meara)

And I too have a lot of affection for my 1950 epoch Norton’s

Callum

[Callum Potter]

Hi Roger,

what was the calibration process used – perhaps there was some normalisation along the way…

Cheers, Callum

[Callum Potter]

Hi Bill,

I’m not sure I can spread much light – but it seems for me on the view of one of the forums there is a Views column present when logged on, but not if not… 

I’m not sure if this has changed with the latest site update or not.

Cheers, Callum

[Callum Potter]

Thanks for the suggestions Bill & William.

I did use hi AGC before (with another lens), but the images were fairly noisy, so I switched to low.

I will try some more experimentation, and rewiring the lens control sounds attractive.

Will report back on progress…

Cheers, Callum

[Callum Potter]

Douglas Adams, H2G2

“But the plans were on display…”
“On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them.”
“That’s the display department.”
“With a flashlight.”
“Ah, well, the lights had probably gone.”
“So had the stairs.”
“But look, you found the notice, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” said Arthur, “yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ‘Beware of the Leopard.”

[Callum Potter]

Council meets six times a year, normally at Burlington House. Usually these are on the same day as an ordinary meeting (morning or afternoon preceding the OM).

There are something like 35 people on council. Usually council meetings are quite well attended, with something like 20 – 25. A few council members (principally section directors) who live far away rarely attend.

It’s always good to get ‘new blood’ onto council, so please do stand if you are interested. All that’s expected is an enthusiam to contribute to the work of the association.

Cheers, Callum

[Callum Potter]

If you use refracting optics IR will focus at a different point to the visible – so will lead to blurry images.

With a reflector this does not happen. But the IR will still be detected (silicon detectors tend to be more sensitive to IR than visible light), and cause the colour balance to be off (usually appearing much redder).
But that is something you could correct in photoshop (or whatever…)

Callum

[Callum Potter]

Hi Nick,

I am not an expert on the technique, though I have some understanding of how it should work… What sort of telescope were you using to do the observation?

Thanks, Callum

[Callum Potter]

yeah – i was meaning public outreach type star parties – not camps…

[Callum Potter]

Although I used to use a laser pointer at star parties, I have become rather reticent in recent years. They do look rather ‘cool’ at night, so i’m not sure i’d like to encourage those who don’t understand the dangers…

There are already restrictions on use near airfields, and sensible use at star parties will probably not be a problem – but you might end with a visit from the police regardless these days… I am not sure the hassle would be worth it.

Callum

[Callum Potter]

The Who’s who page has been updated with elected trustees and members of counci:

https://britastro.org/about-who

Cheers, Callum

[Callum Potter]

Possibly the difficulty of fitting Spectroscopy into an existing observing section lends some strength to it being a section or group in it’s own right. 

There are similarities with the Radio Astronomy Group, so something like that might suit.

Of course the recent changes to the BAA ‘constitution’ means that section directors are no longer trustees/directors of the ‘company’ – so there may be less reluctance to consider new sections – or perhaps a more flexible approach with special interest groups could be adopted.

Hope to make the spectroscopy meeting, but there is a Scotland match that day…

Callum

[Callum Potter]

Yes, I always use and record the numbers from the SQM when i’m observing. I have a Unihedron one too. There is also an iPhone app but I don’t know how accurate it is. The app developers said they had difficulty doing an Android version because of the number of varieties of camera in the phones…

Callum

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