Meade CCD Camera

[dpab]

Well here I go again , this darn camera .
I beleive the cause of most of my headaches is this dang laptop I am using . Its a older one and I dont hardly use it .I only started using it again when I bought the camera.Its a Toshiba Satellite with a ...I hate to say it a 1.8 celeron. My home computer...64 bit AMD 3000 plus processor and 1024 meg ram and a very high quality video and sound card work this thing good .
I am looking to replace the laptop. I would never buy a celeron but the price for the laptop was right 100 dollars , even new I think I paid to much.After seeing the difference between the AMD performance versus the Intel...I will never go back to the Intel garbage.
Even the dual core processor that Intel has is good ,but my 3 yr old AMD still runs qucker.
I cannot focus the CCD camera with the Laptop right now ...way to much delay in the system .
I will get back to you guys later, thanks for the info and support.
Ive got a buyer for the Laptop for 250 bucks , so its a time for a upgrade.

[dmill1220]

Are You using USB2.0?
I too have a Toshiba Laptop brand New! And I also own AMD powered 2.7 GHZ desktop with a gig of memory, I really dont notice that much of a difference.
But one thing for sure you need at least Win XP/SP-2 and USB2.0 or it will run sluggish. MY Current laptop has nothing but USB, and video out ports a wireless and your other typical laptop ports but Mine has one that is a USB-1 The other ports are USB-2 and Im only running a intel 1.7 GHZ with 512 Megs of Ram, have you tried other USB ports Mine works great on my Toshiba! did you get the latest upgrades from Meade?
Dennis

[dpab]

Well your ideas sound just like those at the RASC meeting last night. there are a few fellows in the club and they are starting a AG(astrophotography group) within the RASC group.
And after briefly talking with a few of the guys they say the camera should be taking good shots.
By the way I can get some real good shots during the day of land based objects.
Its just at night , thats when I have all the problems .
The 1.8 celeron should not be a problem , other than the amount of info it sends.The USB is just creating a bit of drag in the response other than that it works.
We are going to start doing a support and help group and will do field set-ups and sort of classroom brainstorming ideas.
I am starting to feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel.
I will keep you posted as to the progress I make and will post a photo when I get one ...I can hardly wait to make my own screen-savers and stuff.
I thank anyone that has given any input to my dilema.
oh yah the skies at SSSP 2006 were great .
it was the best sky Ive seen since starting this obssesive,consuming, and satisfying hobby .
It truly is addictive.

[dmill1220]

Dpab!
one thing that I forgot to mention!
you must be in the live view mode only, in order to focus at a faster download rate!
if you try to focus in the long exposure mode it will only update itself on your screen to whatever long exposure setting you have placed
In the long preview mode, no matter what type of system youre using! make sure that there are no entries in the long preview exposure box! another thing that helps with focusing is to make sure that you have the average button selected and that you have placed a centroid box around a star and use the Zoom mode.
I hope this helps!
Dennis

[dpab]

Thanks for the input , but I am sitting here waiting for the monsoon season to end ....ha ha .
I am going to try all of helpful tips out.
Yah the Toshiba laptop works good otherwise, but its slower than the tower for sure ,,a big difference in operational speed, and like yours all USB.The all USB laptop is a drag , I really like having a rs-232 serial port for flashing.
Ive got a Celestron C8i not the XLT , the model just before it with the Starbright coatings and the silver/grey tube not the new re-release of the old orange tube.
Ive got the GPS attachment and what a great difference

[dmill1220]

Hi Dpab!
I love my old Celestron CGE 8" SCT it doesn't do so well with the DSI Chip size I had to get the 6.3 reducer and flattener and it still didn't cover enough sky for me and thats with my radial offset guider and the 2" Red,Fltnr, at prime focus.
The mount that it came with has the built in EQ wedge, good tracking, and low PEC, even with the added acessories that I got installed.
Dennis

[dpab]

Well I decided to post a follow up from a while ago .
The cause of my problem was that @#$#$%%^ laptop.
The transfer rate was so slow that I was taking a eternity to focus on anything as you would go past the point of focus and constantly restarting the process, I got so discouraged ,I stopped using the darn thing.
Now Im working okay with it and will be using it to attach to a guide scope for taking exposures.