Losmandy Podcast Ep. 16 - Alt Az Sneak Peak, Remote Planetary Imaging, and more!

SEE BELOW FOR CLICKABLE TABLE OF CONTENTS
Live from Burbank, California - the Losmandy Podcast Episode 16. This is our fall equinox edition with fall tips from Tanya, a preview of the upcoming Alt Az offering, remote planetary imaging, and more answers to common Losmandy questions
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 Start
1:49 Upcoming SOL:Solar Observing Lab Event
4:30 PayPal hack to get 6 months interest free on mount purchase
7:14 New driver location and Ascom-standards.org changing things
9:30 Preview of the new Losmandy Alt Az prototype for Modular Mount system
14:08 Tea Time with Tanya - It's Autumn, including Apple Cider Mimosas
27:40 Observatory Talk - wrapping up a long winter, new images
36:56 The new James Webb Neptune image
39:57 Brian on Remote Planetary Imaging
48:41 Planetary image contest - send em in!
49:46 Wrap Up
LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST
New home of Gemini Telescope.net ASCOM driver/soft controller app gemini-2.com/ASCOM.html
David Biggs' Deconvolution talk on TAIC • 2022-08-21 | David Big...
James Webb Telescope Neptune image www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/...
Send us your best planetary images for a chance to win a Losmandy T-shirt! send to [e-mail]
Brian's tips on remote planetary imaging • Remote Planetary Imagi...
#losmandy #astrophotography #astronomy

[@michael.a.covington]

A very simple way to explain an alt-az mount is that it is an equatorial mount with the polar axis pointed straight up, so that it moves up, down, left, and right, rather than along lines of right ascension and declination.

[@sneakerset]

Thank you, Brian and Tanya !! I mentioned the salsa to the lady of the house. My surf buddy from high school was a TJ manager..for years lol

[@MazzifLOL]

Just received my G11G this month. I appreciate the user community that has been built around these products. Hey Brian, thanks for the shirt!

[@donklase6195]

Thank you guys for the kind words on Dolio and Yes! On the alt-az kit!! It’s a must for star parties!

[@l.waynebrasure94]

Late to comment, but wanted to thank you Brian for spending some time on planetary imaging, which is my current adventure in learning/improving. And yes indeed, aperture is king and I'm thankful for my Losmandy Titan which easily accommodates my C14 SCT.

[@brianvalente]

oh man i'm so jealous!

[@georges.5612]

Alt-Az....YES!!!

[@justinsamaha1620]

The new alt-az conversion kit is AWESOME. So excited about this. Question: I have a GM8 with 492 digital drive. With this conversion kit, in alt-az configuration, would the mount still operate as push-to and track? I'm talking about a plain old GM8-S, no Gemini or tucked stepper motors.

[@brianvalente]

I"m not sure an alt-az configuration would work for your 492 controller, that is designed for an equatorial mount. You would need to upgrade to the Gemini 2 controller and servo motors as well

[@thomascoverdale2193]

What is the functional difference between the GM8 and a AZ8 (retrofit)? I'm curious what the advantage is of Alt/az over a GM? Thanks Tom

[@michael.a.covington]

Well, an alt-az is easier to point manually if you are not too familiar with the sky-- you are not having to deal with the equatorial mount wanting to move in strange directions.
A computerized alt-az (common with SCTs) requires no polar alignment, only star alignment. You just set it up and show it where about three stars are, and then it can find and track objects.
Not good for astrophotography, though, because as an object is tracked, the image slowly rotates -- the mount is oriented to the earth, not the sky, and celestial movements change direction relative to it. The tracking is also a tiny bit less smooth because it requires both motors to run at the same time.
Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with Losmandy's alt-az mounts, current or proposed; but I've used a Meade SCT on a computerized alt-az mount.

[@thomascoverdale2193]

@@michael.a.covington Thank you, I understand now the main differences and uses for the two mounts.

[@kitfoxbuilder]

As a Losmandy user and fan since the 90s, I cringe slightly when I hear that your remote observatory uses an AP mount...Mr. Losmandy, please bring back a 100#+ observatory-class mount to your namesake company. Personally, I think your customer will appreciate that more than a modular Alt Az mount. A dedicated dual saddle Alt Az is nice, but I'm not converting any of my EQ mounts to Alt Az. Obviously, one man's opinion. And my wife may chime in to tell you exactly how much that is worth ;-)

[@brianvalente]

Hi Michael - I would like to see the return of Titan as well :) but in this case there isn't a Losmandy option. The CDK20 and piggyback scope is over 200lb of equipment, and remote operations require the use of encoders and other tools that just aren't available right now with a Losmandy option. However, i do have good luck remote imaging 2 losmandy mounts from my driveway, i am just local in case something needs my attention

[@kitfoxbuilder]

@@brianvalente Do you see any hope for a mount with more capacity than the 11T? Or do you think that Losmandy will stay at the 11 modular capacities and smaller?

[@brianvalente]

@@kitfoxbuilder Hard to say - I think Scott loves the Titan and wants to see its return when it makes sense. Right now we are just buried with customer demand for G11-class mount capacity (GM8, GM811, etc.)

[@kitfoxbuilder]

@@brianvalente I will continue to watch your monthly show, hoping silently for news! The two of you put on a really good show, it feels like you are sitting across the table from me in my NC garage!

[@eldonvincent7917]

🌸 p̳r̳o̳m̳o̳s̳m̳