CCD Project Home

Images

Sessions

History

Links

CCD Project - History

The project started in early 1997, when a friend at work told me that he would like to donate an old telescope to "an educational institution". I picked up the telescope, which was an old (circa 1973) 8" f/16.4 classical cassegrain, built by an optical engineer at CalTech. It was a massive, one-of-a-kind beast, and it had no mount.

I spent considerable time trying to find a school (or school system) that could take the scope. This included numerous phone calls, and even offering the scope free on the web (Astromart) to a qualified school. Unfortunately, those few schools that were interested had no clue what kind of a mount was required, how they would use it, how to maintain it, etc. Many schools already had telescopes that were in disrepair and disuse. Eventually I asked my friend if he would be willing to donate the scope to NOVAC, and that I would find some "educational" use for it within the club. He agreed.

Over the next few months, the idea behind the current project took shape. I began researching mounts, ultimately finding a used Losmandy G-11 available. I made this proposal to the Board:

1. The scope already belonged to the club.
2. I would be willing to buy a new SBIG ST7 CCD and all additional accessories, out of my own pocket, if the club were willing to invest in the mount.
3. I would make the system available to members, by holding sessions at our club sites.

The Board accepted this proposal, and put up $1,800 from the club treasury for the purchase of the G-11 mount. After many months of field tests, upgrades, climbing the learning curve, etc., the debut of the Project was held at Crockett Park in March 1998.

In late 1999 I asked for approval from the Board to sell the scope and mount, and apply the proceeds towards purchase of a used LX200. The reason for this was primarily to improve the amount of time actually spent imaging. The old 8" f/16.4 placed a very narrow field of view onto the ST7 CCD chip, and I was spending too much time hunting objects, and not enough time teaching the ins and outs of imaging. I wanted a bigger field of view and the LX200 computerized GOTO capability. This proposal was accepted by the Board, under the condition that no additional club funds would be expended.

I ultimately sold the old scope and mount, and bought the current 10" LX200 and accessories. Following another period of several months' learning curve, the Project was back in business in March 2000.

Of course, it has to be useful to the club to be worth anything. I have averaged about one session a month, demonstrating imaging to club members. I also bring the outfit to all major club events (e.g. Astronomy Day, NOVA Star Party). Results from many of those sessions have been posted here ; other sessions, while successful from the perspective of demonstrating how it works, did not result in any images worth posting (hazy skies; imaging the same objects that have been posted before; etc.).

Recently the CCD Project has been discontinued in favor of the new Novac project called the Robo-Scope. The LX-200 is being moved to West Virginia and automated to allow club members to tale automated photos. See the Robo-scope section for more details.