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Post by GeneW on Sept 1, 2006 18:32:14 GMT -5
I haven't been around as much in the past couple of days because I've been building up a new computer system -- a Dell Dimension 5150.
This time around I got a 19" LCD monitor and I find it easier on the eyes than my CRT one.
Part of the reason I got a new computer is that I have a new writing gig starting this fall -- a monthly column on Linux for a Canadian computer paper. I used to do a monthly column a few years back but then the focus was more techie. This time round it'll be more on desktop applications and using a Linux desktop system in the home as an extension of 'digital living'.
I've always run Linux on old, slower hardware. My new setup is a dual-boot Windows XP / Ubuntu Linux box with a big shared area where both systems read/write files.
I'll be giving a lot of focus to The GIMP, the free photo/image editor that comes with Linux (and is available for Windows too).
When I got tired of installing stuff today, I grabbed my Nikon FM2n and went for a walk, exposing two rolls of C-41 colour film in the process. Nothing like a good film SLR for good viewing!
Wish me well with the new gig. I have lots to learn!
Gene
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Post by nikonbob on Sept 1, 2006 22:56:01 GMT -5
When it comes to PCs all you have said is greek to me but I still wish you the best in your new endevour. Using a digital with an EVF sure makes you appreciate a VF like the FM2n has or even a good film RF.
Bob
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Post by doubs43 on Sept 1, 2006 23:56:38 GMT -5
Gene, good luck. I tried Linux RedHat and Corel a couple of years ago but was never able to get either version to work to my satisfaction. My Windows XP has proven to be stable on three HP computers including my newest one, a model a1540n with dual-core AMD processor. Maybe when I retire for good I can devote some time to learning more about Linux.
Walker
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jmi
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Post by jmi on Sept 2, 2006 5:51:53 GMT -5
Hey Gene, Glad to find more Linux users around here, and it's interesting to hear you are writing about it too, good luck with the column (and the computer)! I don't really use anything else, I only have Windows now for scanning, and that's just until I can get that sorted on Linux (not had time to have a proper hack at it yet). ("Professional") Astronomy is pretty much 100% run on UNIX derivatives so that's even more true during the week. GIMP raises an irritation for me - it's fine for most things but the lack of support for editing in 16bits/channel is quite frustrating when trying to do scanning. Mind you I spend all week writing image processing software, so may I should just sit down and write something to do the required adjustments to levels/curves before downsampling to 8 Come to think of it I'm also an FM2n user, it's a very nice finder, although I've clearly been using the 'blad too much recently because it seems rather small right now!
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Post by GeneW on Sept 2, 2006 6:10:23 GMT -5
Bob, Walker, jmi, thanks for the encouragement! Bob, I was thinking the same thing. While the EVF is useable and useful, it's not the same as a good SLR viewfinder. Walker, next time around give a try to Ubuntu Linux -- it's been designed to make installing and using Linux much easier: www.ubuntu.com/jmi, yes the 16-bit thing. I understand it's being worked on, but it may be awhile before it gets into the GIMP. My little digicam only does 8-bit jpg so the GIMP works fine for its images. I'll boot into XP and use Photoshop for any necessary 16-bit work. The Hassy, now that's a view! Gene
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Post by GeneW on Sept 2, 2006 6:19:13 GMT -5
Forgot to mention, the computer build has come along well. I've set up the dual boot so XP and Linux share the same very large data partition (FAT32). I have Thunderbird mail set up on both sides and both use the same directory. I have Firefox on both sides and I've managed to coordinate the bookmarks. Most importantly, the two OS's share common image and mp3 directories.
The only thing Ubuntu didn't pick up was my sound card -- probably because it's a very new model from Creative. I'll have to dig around for the solution.
I'm posting this from the Linux side -- it feels good to be back inside a Unix environment! Before I retired I worked in IT and admin'd a lot of Unix servers. I got my first Unix account in 1978 on a BSD-based PDP-11. Been hooked on it ever since!
Gene
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jmi
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Post by jmi on Sept 2, 2006 7:00:53 GMT -5
Wow, you really have been using it a long time! I wasn't even born then I'm still using BSD derivatives too - FreeBSD on a few PCs and NetBSD is running the 20 inch telescope that has been the subject of my weekend project for the last 6 months (running on an old Sparcstation 4 that used to be my workstation). Since it's been keeping me away from photography I really must actually get round to taking some pictures of it. Sound cards, argh! Linux hardware support has improved a lot in recent years but it's still not perfect... You have a pretty neat setup with shared bookmarks, etc. I'm typing this from firefox on Windows (scanning), but had to remember the URL for the board. d'oh.
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Post by GeneW on Sept 2, 2006 7:43:19 GMT -5
Ah, love the BSD's! FreeBSD was my fave server OS and I built a couple of OpenBSD firewalls. I prefer Linux as a desktop OS because of the great application development and support. It's not Windows yet, but it's getting to be very nice. It'll always be behind the latest hardware devices a bit, but it catches up.
I was just blown away by the ease of setting up my shared HP Laserjet 1300 printer. It's on my older XP box and shared throughout the house. Went into the Ubuntu admin panel, selected New Printer, selected SMB, typed in the host, printer name, username and password, and selected from a big list of printers which gave me both the Laserjet 1300 and Laserjet 1300 Postscript (the 1300 has Postscript built in). Fired off a test page and Bob's your uncle! I've never experienced anything that easy in Linux when it came to printers...
I'd love to see some pics of your telescope setup and learn more about your project. It sounds fascinating. Do you record telescope images in digital form? (I understand it's common to do this these days)
Gene
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jmi
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Post by jmi on Sept 2, 2006 9:25:22 GMT -5
Hmm, come to think of it my router runs OpenBSD. Great setup - I forget it's even there, virtually no fiddling required. I really must write up some more of the telescope project. The telescope itself is owned by the Institute of Astronomy, but it's funny you mention image capture -- it's really a camera in a way, since it was designed for exposing film. The aperture is 20 inches as I said, f/1.6 (ie. focal length 32 inches) which as I'm sure you know is exceptionally fast for a telescope of any kind. For the non-astronomers, imagine what an 800mm f/1.6 mirror lens might look like It's a weird three mirror design and is one of only two in the world, the other is a 4 inch prototype that lives in the same building. Both were designed and built by Roderick Willstrop and the workshop at the Institute. He's still there but retired. It records a field of view of 5 degrees diameter (!) onto 3 inch circular film (cut out of normal 4x5 using a punch). We used to run it with hypersensitised Kodak tech pan film. However currently we have a cooled ccd installed, it's only a tiny 1536x1024 Kodak chip, which throws away the field of view advantage - the ccd only covers 0.5 degrees on the short side. I have been restoring it to operation, and rebuilt the drive system so the mount is now controlled through the sparc. Only one axis is automated so far, but I intend to do the other one next. I seem to be making an attempt to hijack this thread, sorry! Once I obtain some pictures (not today, the weather is foul and the building is too small to do it with the roof shut) I'll post something elsewhere. Images taken with it are easy since I have loads.
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jmi
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Post by jmi on Sept 2, 2006 9:40:57 GMT -5
Here is one example. Well actually it's 8 stitched together, and I've not done a particularly good job so you can see the joins Messier 31. 8x 300s exposures with the Three Mirror Telescope at the Institute of Astronomy.
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Post by John Parry on Sept 2, 2006 11:05:30 GMT -5
Jonathan,
Excuse my ignorance - do you mean Andromeda is composed of 8 integrated CCD images stitched together, or this is eight 300s film exposures stitched in PS or similar?
I've been amazed at the difference the CCD has made to amateur astronomer's capabilities - even with small (and cheap) dobsonian rigs. Sounds like you've got your hands on a really special piece of kit there though.
Post pictures of it (and more shots taken using it)!
Regards - John
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Post by John Parry on Sept 2, 2006 11:16:21 GMT -5
Hi Gene,
Finally got to use my laptop after 5 years. It's a Tecra 8000 (fairly new gear when I got it). My daughter appropriated it as soon as she saw it. Eventually, she took out a loan to buy herself a Mac laptop. The reason? Her student accommodation was broken into by burglars, who stole all kinds of stuff. Her laptop was in open view, and they didn't consider it worth pinching.....
So now I can have it back!! After 5 years use by a student it's probably riddled with viruses - and her "My Documents" is over 5Gb. Think I'll drop it in to our local computer shop to see if he can do anything with it.
Regards - John
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Post by nikonbob on Sept 2, 2006 12:07:29 GMT -5
Jonathan
I second you posting photos of your rig and shots taken with it.
Bob
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jmi
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Posts: 60
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Post by jmi on Sept 2, 2006 12:25:24 GMT -5
Apologies for the confusion - Andromeda is 8 CCD images, that lot cover about 1.5 degrees out of the total 5, but I did it by moving the telescope around. I have some older film images of the same object taken years ago by Roderick but I'd have to borrow the prints. It hasn't had any film through for years, sadly. CCDs are great for getting around the horrendous light pollution we now have to contend with. The site up at Madingley Rise used to be outside Cambridge in the middle of a bunch of fields, but the town has grown out past us. If getting the CCD out wasn't such a rigmerole I would have some film images of my own by now. I would really like to try colour at some point, but that would be much easier and cheaper if I could somehow adapt it for roll film - the cost and inconvenience of 4x5 has been putting me off a bit (3 inch circles have to be tray developed AFAIK), and getting it in focus at f/1.6 will require a few hours and sheets of film too... Will take a camera down next time we get any decent weather here (could be a while). Here's another image: Messier 81 12x 300s exposure = 1 hour total (stacked CCD images) This has serious reduction problems as you can see... another problem I need to solve (long term project, this). The reason why it looks like a light leak is because it is
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jmi
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Post by jmi on Sept 2, 2006 13:01:34 GMT -5
I think (correct me if I'm wrong) this one is a KAF1400, that's the same but with 6.8 micron rather than 9 micron pixels.
The CCD system dates back to 1992, as in the entire CCD system dates back to 1992 - it's run by a 486!
I never knew they were used in DSLRs but I guess that would be why Kodak made the chips. This one sits in a sealed head of about 4x4x2 inches filled with dry air, and is thermally coupled to a Peltier effect device which takes the temperature down to about -30C. Since this is all mounted in the middle of the tube the heat is removed by a heat exchanger arrangement running a water/glycol mixture to a pump unit situated near floor level.
The water cooling and cold CCD are the bane of my life when dealing with this thing - water cooling = air locks and leaks, cold = ice (on the window at the front of the head) on the usual damp Cambridge nights.
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