Star Tracking Camera Mount
Originally uploaded by edhiker

Star Tracking Camera Mount, an astrotracker telescope mount used astrophotography



I'm happy with this astro tracking camera mount. Viewfinder use and tilt framing is easy. See previous photos for components ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/3131095207/ ).

This astrotracker will be used for wide field astrophotography. Two screws allow installation of original Newtonian telescope linked below.

Teflon bearing drive using clock motor was homemade about 40 years ago, still works good. Originally used for 6" F3.8 scope www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/14436002/ also seen at www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/14436035/sizes/o

Click on photo for other related photos showing how and why this was made. (Flickr URL http://www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/3132751114/)

Moonset, Friday Morning 12/12/08 - Largest full moon in 15 years today

Moonset, Friday Morning 12/12/08 - Largest full moon in 15 years today
Originally uploaded by edhiker

A full moon, closer and larger than it has been in 15 years will occur Friday evening.

Moon is setting below storm clouds in Los Angeles, snow is due.

Stories about: news.google.com/nwshp?tab=wn&ned=us&ncl=127964999...

Got out of bed 1 minute before this was taken, an unplanned photo! No time for a tripod.

The moon is also further up in the sky than the summer sun (82º high tonight). The combination of height and size is most likely once in a lifetime. Be sure to take a look around midnight.

Sometimes the moon is not our friend, the peak of the Geminids, is predicted to occur late Saturday and early Sunday, Dec. 13-14. Bright moonlight will flood the sky.

IMG_5064_Moonset_Rain_Due - camera hand held

Moonset, Friday Morning 12/12/08 - Largest full moon in 15 years today

MSM Charting for the stock market Bottom line: not as good as the Yahoo original *** example http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=AAPL&t=5d&l=on&z=l&q=l&c=Clim_UP_2-5,sptn,ivac,dwsn,iig,ryaay,vmw,avct,stx1- Ticker symbols not on chart, important time saver when multiple comparisons are called up (see Yahoo original charts)2- No way to stop pop-up box next to cursor. 3- Needs Earnings data as a "key developments" field.4- Your server is slow.----------------------------------The basic chart design is good, but in view of the above problems, Yahoo (original) charts will be used most of the time.Ed

Eye vs Digital Camera - Hot mirrors, KG3, KG5 filters

We see red better during the day. Your camera has a filter that mostly blocks wavelengths longer than about 650nm (deep red).

Most cameras now are using hot mirrors, multi-layer interference coatings that give a sharper cutoff. KG5 glass was used more in the past, note date on www.sbig.com/sbwhtmls/IRfilterchart.htm (looks like a KG5). See www.lifepixel.com/ir-tutorials/canon-20d-digi tal-infrared... for how easy a camera can be converted to take IR pictures. My nephew just bought a Canon 50DH from Hutech (clear glass instead of cut filter). Great camera! Why Canon doesn't offer such a camera themselves for the scientific community and hobbyists is a real mystery.
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Below are some curves for filters used to modify the camera's response to the longer wavelengths that silicon is most sensitive to:
Most likely a "hot mirror", typ curve at: www.k3pgp.org/ccd/filter/hotmirror0.gif
www.optical-filters.com/bg18.html BG18
www.optical-filters.com/bg38.html BG38
www.uqgoptics.com/pdf/Schott%20KG1.pdf KG1
www.uqgoptics.com/pdf/Schott%20KG3.pdf KG3
www.uqgoptics.com/pdf/Schott%20KG5.pdf KG5
echeng.com/photo/infrared/filter-data.html Red and IR Wratten filters

Main plot at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/3023085085

key words: IR eye response light silicon camera infrared 50DH edhiker

Fire from Ed's kitchen door, 10/13/08

http://www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/2938356918/

IMG_4058S_Gears_for_180-360-720_Reductions
Originally uploaded by edhiker

Edhiker Bookmarks and Links ( a test of Blog site)

http://edhiker.50webs.com/hike19/ Grizzly Flats and some othrers - Brint (these from F:\sites_070423\edhiker3)
http://edhiker.50webs.com/hike14/ Pinos and Hike around Mt Wilson
http://edhiker.50webs.com/Hike18_RockyPeak/ Rocky Peak area Hike
http://edhiker.50webs.com/fair/ L A County Fair 2004
http://edhiker.50webs.com/hike16/ O'Melveny Park and misc
http://edhiker.50webs.com/venice/ Venice and beach 2004
http://edhiker.50webs.com/perseid/ Mt Pinos Hike with Rob, Alan Scope platforms - Steve Kennedy
http://edhiker.50webs.com/paint/ Ed's house gets painted, Aug 2004
http://edhiker.50webs.com/scopes/ Telescope making pictures, a few local shots with small scopes
http://edhiker.50webs.com/2005_Las_Vegas/ Mike - Harris - Ed 2005 -a few iamges not uploaded

http://edhiker.50webs.com/bestwebsites.html

http://edhiker.50webs.com/BookmarksStared.html

http://edhiker.50webs.com/edhiker_links.html

http://edhiker.50webs.com/edphoton_index.htm

http://edhiker.50webs.com/Photography_Web.html

http://edhiker.50webs.com/edhikes.htm

http://edhiker.50webs.com/ProstateCancer.html

NEW - http://edhiker.50webs.com/eds_computer_blog.html

NEW - http://edhiker.50webs.com/test_portfolios.html

--------- At Google --------------
http://edhiker.googlepages.com/index.html http://edhiker.googlepages.com/ redirect
http://edhiker1.googlepages.com/index.html http://edhiker1.googlepages.com/
http://edhiker2.googlepages.com/index.html http://edhiker2.googlepages.com/
http://edhiker3.googlepages.com/index.html http://edhiker3.googlepages.com/
http://edhiker4.googlepages.com/index.html http://edhiker4.googlepages.com/

http://edhiker.googlepages.com = My Time Warner page with redirect to the below

http://edhiker.googlepages.com/index.html

http://edhiker.googlepages.com/ProstateCancer.html pcapage pcapages

A bad virus is going around, spread by CAMERA MEMORY CARDS, a first symptom is:

Show hidden files and folders Doesn’t Work, and seems to be NO SOLUTION !
See pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/2426426388/

Edhiker's backups had also become infected by this rapidly self replicating virus. Just inserting an infected flash drive in a computer system may infect all attached drives(format C: no work here), and then hides its tracks. Put one of those cards in another computer... you get the message. Took a day of hard work to solve it.
It's called Trojan-PSW.Win32.OnlineGames .... see www.viruslist.com/en/analysis?pubid=204791985 and http://www.rising-global.com/Published/InformationCenter/DailyVirusReport/2007-09-04/20070904103244.htm

This virus makes copies of itself on all drives, including Flash / Removable Drives in order to propagate itself. - Checks if an update is available after install and upon reboot of the computer www.bluetack.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=18228 . If a newer version is available, downloads and installs it from 1A123.com, in Beijing. If you are using flash drives or CDs which you don't know are safe, hold the shift key down while inserting them, this disables autorun.

More - "High risks are typically installed without user interaction through security exploits, and can severely compromise system security. Such risks may open illicit network connections, use polymorphic tactics to self-mutate, disable security software, modify system files, and install additional malware. These risks may also collect and transmit personally identifiable information (PII) without your consent and severely degrade the performance and stability of your computer."

Lessons: *** Treat all USB media and CAMERA MEMORY CARDS as if they could be infected - Don't loan them ***
Run anti-virus at all times - Treat all new software as if it's infected, one of my malware items was called "Comcast toolbar" http://www.topix.com/forum/city/everett-wa/TM7UV18VAQI2J2HN2

Some of the TROJAN-VIRUS-PSW-ONLINE-GAMES file names (aka PWS-LegMir.gen.k ) for me were: (added XXXX's)
C:\Autorun.XXXXinf
C:\WINDOWS\system32\kavo.XXXXexe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\kavo0.XXXXdll
C:\WINDOWS\system32\kavo1.XXXXdll
D:\Autorun.XXXXinf
E:\Autorun.XXXXinf
BQK.XXXXBAT may be on all drives - SHOWED UP on 4/21/08 after got "clean" system
ZZ.XXXXEXE see http://www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/2409559906/ (lost its target)
"mtlhieej.XXXXcmd"
"o.XXXXexe"
8eehyc0.XXXXsys
U.XXXX.cmd
tgtighg.XXXXcmd
mtlhieej.XXXXcnd
co.XXXXcom
vt6e.XXXXcom
1A123.XXXXcom (domain name)
Most files except autorun were about 115KB long.

In my case the virus went unnoticed until it was in all restore points, then got worse. The desktop shortcuts were missing one morning - my twelve hour fix it day. If I had not made a record of the error at http://www.flickr.com/photos/edhiker/2409559906/ the solution may have been lost forever.

Scans by AVG, ESET NOD32 Antivirus, Housecall, Kaspersky Online Scanner, and PCPitstop did not clear the virus. My feeling is that the good live AV programs will prevent infestation, but will not clear them if allowed to get established.
The final and more brutal solution is outlined at: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/TROJAN-VIRUS-PSW-ONLINE-GAMES-Infection-PC-Help-t188801.html
Even after the above solution, I had to delete about 10 Registry values "bqk.bat"

Bolow are, in my opinion, the best AV products.
Free 30-Day Trial of NOD32 Antivirus http://www.eset.com/download/index.php
AVG Free 30 day trial at http://www.grisoft.com/ww.home-and-office-security
AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 8.0 http://free.grisoft.com/ww.download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition seems to be a new item, see site for what is missing
Kaspersky trial at http://www.kaspersky.com/trials

Avoiding Spyware and Virus Infected Files via P2P Sites (The general usage is to download music files to be played on iPods) .... and about Keygen Virus

How to avoid infecting your storage device - and system (don't double click, but shift)... MORE , MORE

Related reading #1 #2 #3

Fighting viruses in Vista http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2159348,00.asp

Some reading - Changing threats, changing solutions: http://www.viruslist.com/en/analysis?pubid=204791996


Edhiker

Rebate Scam at Frys ~ "Two weeks" in small print, way down the form

Rebate Scam at Frys ~ "Two weeks" in small print, way down the form
Originally uploaded by edhiker

Rebate Scam at Frys ~ "Two weeks" in small print, way down the form
California rebate law
22735. A company that offers a consumer rebate shall allow a
minimum of 30 days from the date the consumer purchases the product,
or becomes eligible for the rebate pursuant to subdivision (b) of
Section 22736, for the consumer to submit the rebate request.
22736. A company shall mail the rebate check or transmit the
rebate funds to the consumer or fulfill the terms of the rebate offer
within the same number of days provided to the consumer to submit
the rebate request pursuant to Section 22735, but in no event later
than 60 days from either of the following events as applicable:
(a) Upon receipt of a consumer rebate request meeting the terms
and conditions of the rebate offer, to the extent permitted by this
chapter and as disclosed at the time of purchase.
----------------
This also nullifies Frys 30 day return policy, as the UPC code has to be removed in about two weeks. No phone number, even after asked for.My email to them:
Invoice Date: 11/23/07
> Invoice No.: 15266982
> Promotion Code:
> Tracking No.: NONE
> I sent this in a timely manner with several others (have received those).
> You say that it was postmarked late. What is the post mark date that you
> recorded? What is your phone number?
----------
Rebate was refused and no phone number was given.
Original (with the fine print ) was required to be sent.