ISS / Satellite Tracking Observatory Set-Up
Taken by Philip Smith on April 6, 2020 @
Manorville, NY USA
Click photo for larger image
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Camera Used: NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D100
Exposure Time: 10/40000
Aperture: f/1.0
ISO: 1600
Date Taken: 2020:04:06 08:23:38
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Details:
This is my Observatory from Manorville New York. This is where I do all my Imaging of the International Space Station. I have also added a picture of Emmanuel Rietsch Very creator of Videos Sky SoftwareER Tracking System for Orion Atlas EQ-G mount and Takahashi EM400 and all Electrical and Hardware modifications including larger stepper motors for each of our custom mounts to keep up with the speed of the International Space Station, as it crosses the sky with its Illuminating reflecting light from the sun. His tracking system is designed to see the light as it passes thin the path for the tracking camera and guidescope. When given the command by way of me pressing the button on the hand controller labeled lock on, as indicated in the hand controller picture diagram I made so you can see Is needed to communicate with the tracking software. At that point the only thing that is needed for me is to just make small adjustments with the hand controller to keep it centered on the Imaging sensor that I can see on my monitor. As the software automatically is tracking the ISS.
So look at my picture that I added of the ISS - Xbox 360 hand controller used to give Small adjustment commands to the
Tracking software. The tracking software will then send that information to my modified and custom built Orion Atlas EQ-G mount with those corrections. As you can see on the hand controller I labeled each function needed to communicate so you can get a better understanding of my ISS tracking set-up. The needed set up is to Communicate with one of the two laptops. This way each laptop can do their own needed function Independently so they can work at peak performance. Each of the laptops carry out individual functions.
For Example: Laptop #1 on the right in the ISS set-up image, Is just set up for the tracking software and communication by way of hand controller back to Software, then to the mount.
Laptop #2 on the left, of the image, is the set up only for Imaging / recording ISS with FireCapture software. Laptop #2 Soul Purpose is to gather all the information from the Global Shutter - ZWO ASI174MM mono imaging camera that has Astrodon Red filter on a1.6X barlow lens.
I keep the mount in Alt-Az set up. I have because of the over max weight restrictions of Orion Atlas EQ-G mount with EdgeHD 14" on it. I can only do this because I have it on a permanent pier in the observatory. This would not work on a tripod with the same setup as it is now. I have a custom pierhead I designed to rotate with the mount and telescope at the same time 360° and will face in any direction I want it to. If I had a lighter telescope like the Edge HD 8, 9.29, or 11 OTA. I would be able to set the mounts axis to match the exact fly path of the International Space Station.
But I would lose a lot more resolution of the ISS with a smaller diameter telescope. I may Troy with my EdgeHD11in OTA as an experiment.
The picture of the Is my in the middle and my two friend. You can look them up on the web for more info :-) The The last image is the name of the ISS Tracking software. *** Videos Sky 2018 Professional *** Emmanuel Rietsch is the creator.
Photographer's website:
https://www.facebook.com/philip.smith.5686
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