VIDEOTAPING (2d PART, CONNECTIONLOST...)

2d MESSAGE: Thank you for your reply and fax. I read your S&T article
with great interest at the time it was published. I admire what you have
achieved. What video camera do you use? How big is it? How heavy? My
super polaris mount can tilt from 0 deg to 90 deg latitude so it's quite
flexible - it could therefore 'pretend' to be an altazimuth! I am only
using it because it is all I have got. Can you see detail on Mir with
your system? MY ANSWER: I use a very sensitive B&W PHILIPS video-camera.
I'm presently in Provence for other demonstrations and left it at home.
I'll send you when I'll be back home the exact data of it. As I can
remember, it's about 40x40x100 mm big and 100 gram heavy. My mount is a
SuperPolaris I "tilted" in alt-az. My MAIN optic (I say main because there
are other optics in parallel for several observers) is a Newton D=130 mm
F=720 mm. Between the tripod and the mount, I have put a 130 mm long
spacer. So I can aim any point of the sky from 0 to 90 alt in any azimuth.
Two step-motors are controlled by my computer with a self-made program.
With my GPS, I get the coordinates of the place where I'm observing. The
alt-az setup of the mount takes my 5 minutes, anywhere, by means of a
spirit level which has to be horizontal in all azimuths. I aim manually a
well known star in the sky and from that star, the program aims the
telescope on the point where the sat will pass. The PC gives beeps each
second. When it remains 60 sec. the tonality of the beeps changes. Again
when it remains 10 sec. When the sat appaers in the eyepiece (often in due
time), I start the tracking by means of a remote control connected to the
serie port of the PC. The step-motors are connected to the parallel port.
With the optics I use, I can not see any detail, nore even any shape. As
I said already anybody would be welcome for observing with my system
either in WEPION Belgium (+50d23m 4d52m EAST) where I am living or in
ESPARRON (+43d44m 5d58m EAST) near PUIMICHEL where I am now and almost
every month. Alphonse POUPLIER Ing.Univ.Lg. 47, Chemin des vignerons,
5100 WEPION Belgique TEL and FAX ..32 81 460567 (in ESPARRON: ..33 92
771407) In both places I have a BBS (300-14,400 BPS) on request. E-mail:
pouplia_at_mail.interpac.be
Received on Tue Jun 06 1995 - 15:23:27 UTC