Re: Meade Deep Sky Imager (Review Part I)

From: Rod Mollise (rmollise_at_aol.com)
Date: 11/19/04 

Date: 19 Nov 2004 00:38:06 GMT

Hi:

Great review! I do have a few comments, however...;-)

>
>The Meade DSI is a beautiful thing. The box is beautiful, the
>packaging is beautiful, hell... even the bubble wrap is beautiful!

Yes indeed. Very professionally done. It looks like a CCD camera, not a
hacked-together webcam/videocam project.

>
>I was in fact hit with the smell of "new electronics" upon opening the
>package. And it was good.
>
>For starters, the learning curve is very steep for this thing. This is
>coming from a guy who isn't afraid to say "I know a lot about
>astronomy already". It would help if I knew more about photography,
>and especially image processing. Allow me to elaborate:

I agree. I had a pretty easy time getting going with it, but I've been using
the Meade LPI for a while, and its operation is very similar. This is not to
say that it's overly tough...just that ANY CCD camera is a challenge to get
going.

>
>The DSI is basically a digital camera. Except it doesn't have all the
>neat features you'd want in a digital camera such as an eyepiece, or a
>focuser. That is all controlled by the laptop computer (not included)
>via USB cable.

No...I wouldn't say so. It really doesn't have much in common with a digicam.
It's similar to a webcam, perhaps, in that (one) of its normal modes of
operation is image stacking, but, really, its similar in many ways to the other
astronomical CCD cams out there. The eyepiece, lens, focuser I can live without
and don't want for what I do. It has just what I need, a T-mount/1.25" nose
setup.

>
>>From what I can tell so far you take pictures by (1) inserting the DSI
>into the telescope where an eyepiece would normally go, (2) looking at
>the image on the laptop screen, (3) adjusting the focuser knob on the
>telescope ever so slightly, and then repeating steps (2) and (3) over
>and over again until you have a sharp image.

Yes, just like with any CCD camera. The Meade software does have a focus aid,
which at least gets you in the neighborhood.

>
>I have succeeded in doing this with the scope pointed at the address
>plate on a house across the street from me. This process took roughly
>45 mintues (only because it was my first time and I was trying to do
>all this without reading the manual) and I was rewarded with a very
>nice picture of the number "407". I'll gladly post it if anyone is
>interested.

I think this is pretty normal for folks using the Meade software the first time
out.

>
>Feeling very confident that I was on my way to something
>earth-shattering, I moved the telescope to a place where I would be
>able to view the crescent moon. After a few minutes of moving (a) the
>scope (b) a chair on which to rest the laptop (not included) and (c)
>aligning everything I realized that the moon is much further away than
>my neighbor's house, and that I'd have to repeat the focus-calibration
>on some very distant object (infinite focus).
>
>What better object than my actual target, the Moon?
>
>With some difficulty I managed to get the moon centered, and as I
>moved my attention from the finder scope to the laptop (not included)
>screen, I had just enough time so see the large blurry crescent blob
>go whizzing off the screen before actually finding the "take a
>picture" button. Jesus, there's like four hundred buttons on the
>screen!
>
>This led to (1) re-center on moon, (2) turn the focuser knob ever so
>slightly, (3) look at screen (4) realize that the moon had already
>drifted out of field causing me to NOT know if I turned the focuser
>knob in the right direction, (5) repeat...

It takes a while to get good at centering framing even "easy" objects like the
Moon. The included parfocal adapter for your eyepieces can help. So can a flip
mirror.

>
>And then the clouds came.
>
>So.
>
>Apparently it's crucial to (a) go outside during the day and focus on
>a stationary object (b) engage the tracking motor on the telescope,
>which involves about 30 minutes of polar-aligning and leveling, and
>(c) actually RTFM!

Yes, this is a must for _any_ CCD cam.

>
>Good thing I have insomnia!
>
>So, I'm having fun trying to get the DSI to do anything other than
>smell good. But since it's already dark outside when I get home from
>work, I won't even be able to focus and align this thing until the
>weekend.

Keep after it...I've had exactly one clear evening when I could play with the
DSI over the month I've had it. Despite the Moon being low on the horizon, I'm
pleased with the results:

<http://skywatch.brainiac.com/planets/index.htm> (new pictures).

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
Like SCTs and MCTs?
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