Hi all... I have been using the Sierra Stars 24" in CA over the last couple of years... Over time, I have migrated from trying to capture unfiltered CV outbursts to trying to capture the minimum of legacy and under-observered LPV's in Johnson V... My LPV program includes the following stars and I try to do a 5 to 7 day cadence:
R AND, U AND, X AND, RS AQL, X AQL, Z BOO, U CAP, U CAS, R CET, S CET, W CRB, R GEM, RS LYR, W LYR, Z LYR, R OPH, S OPH, T OPH, R SER, R TAU, V TAU, RR VIR and I will be adding others in the near future...
The Sierra Stars 24" is cheap at $0.85 per 30 second V exposure... Such an exposure can get down to magnitude 15.5 easily (or slightly deeper) at +-0.1 error... And an automatic download to VPHOT also !!! Check out my CCD results for the above stars on the LCG...
I try to hit the minimums with CCD and hit the maximums either visually or with a DSLR... I hope to be using my Canon XSi (450D) for photometry brighter than magnitude 9 in the near future... I is amazing to see what my Canon and a 200mm. telephoto will do at ASA 800 with a 3 to 5 second exposure...
Hi again to all in the LPV Group... Kevin B. Paxson - PKV
Hi Kevin,
That's pretty cool stuff. I'm looking at the SSO web page in another tab... I was going to ask if you were doing reduction in VPHOT, but I read again, and sure enough you are. I was thinking about doing some of the "inner sanctum" LPVs with a remote scope, I might just follow your lead. First I have to learn how to use VPHOT!
Jim
Jim, Sierra Stars is pretty easy to use. You submit requests before 5 PM PDT and you specify the object, filter and exposure time. You have no control when the image is taken. You get back your images already calibrated (with darks, flats and an artifact map) via .ftp and/or your AAVSO VPHOT account. Credits are given for poor images. Many observers from the BAAVSS and the AAVSO use SSO. Check out their blogs also. I wrote a short blog for them last year. I have yet to use AAVSONet, but may in the future. I used to use GRAS, but SSO was cheaper. I have yet to check out iTelescopes.net. I also use the Bradford Remote Telescope (like Poyner, Muyllaert and others) for chasing CV outbursts, but again you have no control when the image is taken. Being stuck here with bright skies in north Houston, I find remote imaging a way to make decent contributions without the expense of elaborate imaging equipment. I hope this helps. Kevin - PKV