Here is M42 using a 0.5x Antares focal reducer on the end of a nosepiece (0.5x FR reduction = 0.49).  You begin to see some slight elongation of stars (coma) at the edges of the field of view. Note that even though this is called a 0.5x focal reducer, its reduction as used here is 0.49.  The actual reduction can vary depending on the distance between the sensor chip and the reducer.

To compute the effective reduction, I measured the x and y pixel position of the same two stars a and b on each of the images. 

Then I computed the pixel distance d between them for each configuration and its effective reduction to produce the following table, where d = sqrt(dx*dx + dy*dy), dx = ax-bx and dy=ay-by.  Reduction is computed by dividing d for each focal reducer by the d of No FR.

With this scope I use either MFR-3 or 0.5x FR, but in general I prefer to use the MFR-3 with the 5mm spacer for good reduction with least side effects.  This essentially converts the F5 Newtonian to a faster F3.3 setup (F5 * 0.67 =F3.3).


The above images of M42 were all captured with the camera sharpness set to 20.  Setting sharpness to a lower value will make the stars appear more round like you see in photographs.  Here is M42 again using the PD2 and MFR-3 with sharpness set to 3.

There is a new version of the MallinCam Micro Extended Control software available on the Downloads tab (be sure to also download the new MicroExtended.pdf manual as well). If you are updating from a prior version, be sure to first uninstall the prior version by going to the Windows Control Panel and use add/remove programs to select and uninstall the "Micro Extended Control" program, and then install the new version.

Version 1.0.1.7 includes the following enhancements:

My broadcast name on Night Skies Network is NightLights.  Last night I broadcast a live session demo using my Mallincam Micro Extended Control software to show others how it works and what it can do (you can download the software for free on my Downloads tab).   I used my portable Remote Video Astronomy setup - Micro and my C5 scope on my SkyProdigy mount with two focal reducers to convert my scope from F10 to about F3.2 for a wider field of view and shorter exposure times. 

  You can view a copy of the broadcast on YouTube at:             http://youtu.be/UdRGWensG94

For my advanced setup, I use my MallinCam Micro on a 50mm guide scope as a remote video finder.  I use Focal Reducer(s) and my MallinCam X2 for my main camera on my 8” Celestron.

By using the Micro as a finder camera with AGC=high and Lens at x32, it makes it easier to center your target due to the fast screen update rate.  I am not as concerned about the quality of the finder image when used this way – it just needs to update quickly.  When the target is centered in the finder image, I then switch to my main X2 camera for viewing the target through my 8” scope.

The other night I thought I would play with the Micro some while it was on the 50mm scope since it provides a really nice wide field of view. My MallinCam Extended Control application (see my Download tab) can be used to adjust the Micro’s camera settings in parallel with other programs that can enhance the camera’s image in real time.   I like using the MiloSlick MallinCam software live image filters like the Histogram Level Adjustment that can really improve the appearance of DSOs.  The MiloSlick application does not have controls for the Micro settings, so I just run my application next to the MiloSlick app and use my program to initially set the camera settings for the best picture, and then use the MiloSlick real time processing functions to improve it even more.  Here is where I am using my program on the left of the screen to adjust the camera's Gamma for the best image, and further improving the image using the MiloSlick histogram feature.

While I was doing this, I observed what I believe to be a geostationary satellite "move" through my field of view right next to the Orion Nebula.  It showed up as a short streak that moved down the screen.  The length of the streak was based on the camera's exposure time.

Even though it appears the satellite is moving through the image, a geostationary satellite is in a fixed position above the earth.  So if it is not moving, why does it appear as a streak?  This is because my telescope mount is tracking an area in the sky to keep the Orion Nebula fixed in the field of view while the earth is rotating.  So as the Orion Nebula rises in the sky, my mount is moving upward as it tracks it.  As it tracks past the area of the sky where the geostationary satellite is positioned in its fixed location, it makes it appear that the satellite is moving in the camera’s field of view.

I saw this once before a couple years back as I was just getting into Video Astronomy using my Samsung 2000 camera modified for Video Astronomy.  I actually saw five satellites “moving in formation” past the Orion Nebula.  I first noticed two coming into view on the left, and then saw five as they moved across the display. They are pretty faint in a single image, but your eye picks up the movement as you see them change their position against the background image of the stars over a short period of time.

Of course they weren’t flying in formation past the Orion Nebula, but it sure looks like it!  Fortunately I had acted quickly and captured a video clip of it.  So yesterday I rummaged around and found my old video clip, edited it and posted it on YouTube.  You can view it by clicking on the link below.

http://youtu.be/dThrTt9uNTc

Sometimes you see something you are not expecting!

I have found I can use other light weight scopes on my SkyProdigy mount.  I can easily use my C5 on my SkyProdigy mount for a nice portable Remote Video Astronomy setup.  Since the C5 is a short scope, it can point straight up without worrying about slew limits (I would guess this would be true of the SkyProdigy 6 as well). When changing scopes, I find it is best to recalibrate the SkyProdigy’s camera to improve centering when slewing to an object.  This is an intermediate setup beyond what I describe in the Start Simple tab.  By using the MallinCam MFR-5 reducer on the Micro and a Celestron F/6.3 reducer on the Scope, the F10 C5 effectively is converted to a faster F3.2 setup for Video Astronomy. Stacking these two focal reducers is pushing the limits a little though (I sometimes remove the F/6.3). Here is a photo of the equipment setup.

This makes a lightweight “Grab & GoTo Scope” setup for RVA using the SkyProdigy mount. The Micro video output cable is connected to a small video capture device located inside the plastic bin.  The video capture device USB cable along with the Micro camera control USB cable and hand controller USB cable are plugged into a powered USB hub also in the plastic bin attached to the mount’s tray.

I keep my scope setup like this inside.  To use it, I pick it up and take it outside, power on and start the auto align.  While it is aligning, I unroll the hub’s 35 foot active USB cable, pass it through a window (and close the window down to the cable) and connect the USB cable to my laptop inside.  By the time the SkyProdigy finishes the alignment (about 3 min) I am ready to begin viewing inside. 

Anytime I slew to a new target (from inside), I click the Focus preset and center my target object using the telescope controls in Starry Night on my laptop.  Since the Focus preset enables the image to be updated every ½ second, it is a good setting to use when centering target objects like clusters or DSOs.  Once centered, I click on the appropriate Preset for the target object for better viewing.  Sometimes I also click on Adjustments to fine tune the Exposure and Enhance settings. 

So what’s the deal with using 3D-DNR?  This additional setting allows you to average up to five 17 second images in real time, in color. But to use 3D-DNR the AGC must be turned on, which can wash out an image and make it appear to be just a monochrome image.  Unless … you also adjust the color settings.  I was able to successfully produce an image of the dumbbell with color using 3D-DNR.  Below is the Dumbbell with 3D-DNR stacking set to 5, AGC set to high, Brightness set to 2 and Color/WB/ATW R-Y Gain = 250 & B-Y Gain = 250.  Here is the result.

And this was from my backyard near a city with a partial moon! Due to the sky conditions, these pictures are certainly not breath-taking, but they do illustrate the Micro can show color when stacking. Just to emphasize the sky conditions, here is the image of the Moon I also captured right after viewing the Dumbbell.

Not great conditions for viewing DSOs, but it is a nice view of the Moon!

Equipment, software and setup

These images were produced with a Celestron C5 (5" spotting scope) with a F/6.3 Focal Reducer and the Micro with a MFR-5 focal reducer on the latest SkyProdigy mount. This is my quick Remote Video Astronomy setup. I can pick it up and take it outside, start an AutoAlign, extend the cable inside to my laptop and be viewing from inside in 10-20 minutes. All these images were viewed and captured while inside.


I have actually written my own software for the Micro with Exposure and Enhancement presets so I can just click on a DSO icon or a Moon icon and it automatically sends the commands to the Micro to change the settings.  The software is available for free on my Download tab.

All but the color R-Y gain and B-Y gain can be automatically set using my Micro Extended Control Preset.  To include 3D-DNR stacking in the DSO preset, modify the setDSO.txt file  as shown below (the setDSO.txt file is in C:\MicroSettings):

Exposure: Normal
Senseup: Off
AGC: High
Lens: x1024
Brightness: 2
Gamma: 0.45
3D-DNR: 5
Monitor: LCD
DPC: Off


The other setting you need to adjust is the Color White Balance which must be set using the control buttons in the Manual section of my application.  Click the center button to bring up the Micro's menu on the screen and then the right button to go to the Micro’s Color menu option.  Click the Manual buttons to select WB/ATW and set the R-Y gain and B-Y gain settings to 250. Once set, they will remain at that value until manually changed again (you may want to try 200, etc.)

Now clicking on the DSO preset will automatically use the values from your revised DSO Preset file to set the Exposure and Enhance values for stacking in color.

Then what is a live image worth? A lot more! It's not just the image though. It is seeing the live image, the experience of slewing your telescope to a point in the sky you just chose, seeing star trails on the screen until the telescope starts tracking that precise area of the sky, and seeing your target object appear on the screen. Then you fine tune your settings, maybe increase the exposure time a few more seconds, and you see your selected object better than you ever saw it through your eyepiece.

I admit you sometimes can't help but click the capture image button for a permanent memory of what you are seeing live.  Maybe you want something to show so you can tell somebody about it later. But a recorded picture is not the essence of video astronomy. It is the experience itself that is important. And others can experience it right there with you in real time. If you do capture some images, they will probably not be "as good" as astrophotography pictures, but they are still pretty amazing. All camera "pictures" on this site are real time captures of the image being viewed at the time.

Astrophotography is certainly its own worthy pursuit that produces a high resolution picture with even better detail and color. But it's a different process and experience. You will typically spend more time capturing images of just a few targets in one evening. Then you invest more of your time after you put up your telescope to work with your captured images using post processing techniques, and produce the best picture you can get.  For DSO astrophotography, you will typically need very good tracking and maybe even use autoguiding. The efforts you put into astrophotography can be very rewarding, but it’s different from Video Astronomy.  With Video Astronomy you capture the moment.

Extending Video Astronomy inside through RVA techniques provides yet another unique type of experience. Being an engineer and programmer I have always been intrigued with robotics and computer remote control.  Having planetarium software enabling you to slew to your target and then compare the expected image to what you see live on your screen is really great.


It's nice to be inside, pick out an object on your laptop's screen, and then click to initiate your telescope moving to that specific point in the sky from your current spot on Earth, watch the display showing the camera's image as stars stream by, and it slows and settles in on your target. Then after a few adjustments you tell someone nearby ... take a look at this!  And you both look at it together at the same time.

Later on you tell someone, I gotta show you an image of what we saw that night.

I have been very pleased using Celestron’s StarSense Accessory (SSA) on both my CG-5 and SE mounts. It really makes alignment quick and easy without having to sometimes put your body in weird positions trying to see that pesky star you want to add to your alignment.  It also completely eliminates the need to use an eyepiece to perform the alignment and then replace your eyepiece with your video camera, and refocus … while making sure you don’t disturb your good alignment.  Of course you can perform an alignment with your standard hand controller using a video camera, as long as your finder scope is positioned well itself so that when a star is centered in your finder scope, the star will also be in the field of view of your video camera ... and if your video camera is already fairly close to focus. If you use the StarSense Accessory, you do not even need a finder scope for an alignment.  In fact you do not even have to have your video camera in focus yet, or for that matter the video camera does not even have to be turned on. I turn on my mount and start the auto align process with my video camera already in place, but don’t bother with the focus until the alignment is complete.  Then I slew to a bright star, put a focus mask over the end of my scope, make sure my camera is in good focus, remove the mask and am ready to begin viewing.

With auto align, if I change out any of my optics before beginning my viewing session (focal reducers, barlow, video camera, etc), I can wait until the system is aligned and tracking before focusing the new setup.  This is especially helpful when using an Alt-Az mount since it does not begin tracking until the mount is aligned.

I have added a JMI remote focus control to my C8, which when used with the SSA allows me to get everything in place both outside and inside before I turn anything on.  I then power everything on at the telescope, start the auto align process, go inside and power on my laptop and start up my video monitoring and control software.  When the auto align is complete, I slew to a bright star and check my focus and am ready to begin.