Optical Telescope Testing
Did Big Brain Do Well in Assimilating the Celestron FirstScope?
This tiny Celestron FirstScope telescope is a great bargain for the money
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The Celestron FirstScope is marketed as a toy and sold in toy stores such as Toys R Us. It’s price is so low ($35 street price), one would expect nothing more than a simple toy for children. Even its marketing is directed toward someone who will experience a telescope for the first time.
Download the FirstScope Manual in 5 languages - 3.18 MB
FirstScope Manual (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish)
Mechanically, this telescope was reviewed from the perspective of making it robotic and commanding it through the mental and controlling powers of the Big Brain. The tiny little Dobsonian telescope did unexpectedly well in this analysis.
Just set this telescope on a small end table, pull up a chair, and see the Universe!
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Given the brunt of a telescope’s quality is embedded in the stability and ease of use in the mounting, the other half is all about optics. This telescope is a 3-inch F-4 RFT Newtonian Reflector of the Dobsonian construction. Now this is where cute comes into play. The Dobsonian was invented to make really big telescopes possible and this 3-inch telescope is probably one of the smallest Newtonian-Dobsonian reflectors you'll ever see, with a cute factor off the scale!
It has both primary and secondary mirrors and two eyepieces. The intent of this optical analysis is a performance test. Nothing beats the qualitative effectiveness of trying out a new telescope on a clear night as seeing is believing.
September 12th was the perfect night. One chair and one small coffee table was set on the outdoor balcony. The telescope on the table was at a perfect and usable height and the Moon and Jupiter were visible.
Astro image of the Moon made by eyepiece projection, using the Huygens ocular and camera zoom.
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It was easy to find the Moon by removing the eyepiece, putting the telescope in the general direction and following the bright reflection. For Jupiter I merely sighted down the tube for a little more accuracy and repeated the process.
My impression before buying the telescope was not the best. I went to one store and opened two boxes and each telescope had a very bad looking primary mirror. The surface aluminizing was mottled and it looked like dirt across the mirror! - Totally not acceptable in any way.
At the second store, again, I opened two boxes and inspected the primary mirror by the bright light reflection test. The other two boxes I did not open - one had considerable wear like it was returned. The other was never examined (because I made a buy choice). The first telescope looked good and the second telescope appeared good too with even better optics, though it was a very close call. The second telescope had a slightly misaligned diagonal to mirror position but it's a cinch for any astronomer to fix it. So the highest quality optics won.
Apparently the telescope is designed in the USA by Celestron but manufactured in China. Chinese optics do not have the best reputation and commercially speaking, such mirrors are often made by cutting corners. So we are dealing with average optics in the average commercial world.
The planet Jupiter shows a nice disk on this 75X camera zoomed image, with a hand held camera. Blue chromatic aberration is caused by the simple Huygens eyepiece and can be processed out.
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Now lets get to the seeing is believing part. I swung the telescope over to the Moon and put in the Huygens 20mm eyepiece for 15X, moved the Moon to the center of view, and focused. Off the bat, I could see a variant in the field of focus, but cut some slack here as this is an RFT telescope at F4 with a short focal length. RFTs are notoriously known for Coma and this is what the telescope was experiencing. Putting the Moon in the center avoided the coma effect. (a coma corrector may be available for DSO work)
But what did the Moon look like? It was absolutely spectacular! Even breathtaking! The round Full Moon was bright and sharp when kept in the center of view, crisp features of excellent contrast and it had good color (disregarding a slight edge chromatic color fringe caused by the eyepiece). For bright objects like the Moon, the scope performs excellent - it's a great winner and a keeper!
At that point I went for the digital camera and held it above the Huygens for eyepiece projection and looked at the camera screen. The Moon was too small. I used the camera zoom and the moon filled the screen, looking big, sharp, clear, well defined and perfect. This was very exciting! These single photos turned out excellent without any image processing, an amazing job for a tiny massed produced toy telescope.
I will add that I'm an amateur and a professional astronomer and like to push the equipment to the limit. The nice part about the FirstScope is with the Moon it needs no pushing - just set it on the table and it's ready. The pushing part will come into play with the finer aspects of digital and analog imaging, to add digital image processing, to get clear cloud belts on Jupiter, to mount the camera for a sharper image of Saturn, and to calibrate the optical alignment for even better performance, as brief examples. Those last few steps are what can make all the difference between average and superior observational visual and astro imaging results.
Focus was better and easier than some other telescopes as the rack & pinion is superbly constructed. Then I moved on to the second eyepiece - I call it the high powered ocular. It’s a 4mm focus Ramsden that gives 75X. Now both these eyepieces are of a simple design, the Huygens was invented in the 1660s and the Ramsden in 1782. Both of these oculars are mismatched to this short FL telescope and produce chromatic aberrations. The higher power Ramsden in particular had poor exit pupil, causing vignetting. If you wear glasses, you may need to remove them to see through this eyepiece or simply use the Huygens. However, the views in both eyepieces were impressive.
High power views led to a series of photos taken with the SONY camera, again handheld, showing the great potential of this telescope for astro imaging. Note the prominent crater Tycho with the largest ray system traversing the face of the Moon. Focus is more touchy at higher magnifications - you can focus the image easily without the zoom, then camera zoom in and the focus stay razor sharp.
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The Moon was a great and spectacular success through this telescope. Then I moved the telescope over to see the planet Jupiter. Three of the Galilean satellites popped into view. The fourth was either in front or behind the planet. Jupiter had a round disk but there were no discernible cloud belts. I took many photos at higher power but chromatic aberrations and coma hampered the view. The seeing conditions and clouds were variable at this time. I did manage to photo a reasonable disk. A camera to telescope mount would improve the photos. Next time, I can attach a steady mount and the images may show much more detail.
Higher mag image with the 75X Kellner. Vignetting is minimal and can be cropped out. This view was rotated. Shows Grimaldi, the darkest spot on the Moon, and Copernicus as a bright spot.
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Final Analysis? Given the RFT short focal length nature of this scope and the spectacular views of the Full Moon (1st & Last Quarter Moon will look even more fantastic with its high contrast cratered terminator), its optics will match lower magnification applications for added robotics guidance and tracking, observing brighter DSO’s from dark site locations, star fields, the Moon and larger planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mars at opposition), the Sun and sunspots (with filters or safe projection), Saturn’s Moon Titan, and the Moons of Jupiter such Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Some mods can make this scope capable of capturing low EFL sections of the night sky with a CCD camera in seconds or minutes exposure time (by adding many seconds exposures). This telescope can be adjusted and modified for prime focus use for spectacular imaging at dark locations. Keep in mind coma will exist near the edge field of view though this can be cropped out and objects kept centered.
These three Jupiter Moons were visible, Io, Callisto, and Europa. Model is created by the online Jupiter Moon predictor Flash program found at the naked eye planets web site. http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/jupiter.htm#jupmoons
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Alas, in the dramatic telescope finale, a bonus - movie of the Moon was made, which turned out remarkable and exciting to see so much happening (changing seeing conditions, clouds moving across acting as variable filters, changing zooms, the effects of color, effects of lunar positioning in the field of view, the method of achieving best focus, and seeing the direct effects of Earth's turning motion).
We can only conclude the Brain made an excellent choice in assimilating the Celestron FirstScope.
"I view the Big Brain as a powerful mind with a large domain that it wants to control, organize, and bring together for some higher unknown purpose. I am only the mediator, or moderator of the Big Brain, to help provide for its wants, desires and demands... Humanoido"
We may have missed the August Big Brain analysis of events rapidly unfolding in the realm of this project, involving a series of sub-projects under the command and control of the Big Brain. Looking at September, the Brain has taken an entire new direction, one that's so unexpected and incomprehensible, there was no seeing or predicting it. So why does the Big Brain want or need an Airport or a telescope??? Let's try to analyze what it's thinking...
It's important to take a look at what's on the plate in terms of development projects. Not to become bored, and not to become stuck when a part is temporarily not available, and to keep our options open when traveling and working in different locations, there’s a number of varied Big Brain projects open and ongoing at any one time.
Let's take a step-by-step survey of what has transpired in the recent 12 months.
Step 1 - Build the Big Brain
Step 2 - Power up and give it functionality
Step 3 - Pace it, test it, rev it
Step 4 - Introduce fundamental apps
Step 5 - Assimilation
I view the Big Brain as a powerful mind with a large domain that it wants to control, organize, and bring together for some higher unknown purpose. I am only the mediator, or moderator of the Big Brain, to help provide for its wants, desires and demands.
When the Big Brain wants to assimilate, I must jump in and immediately satisfy its demands. There's no thought for one moment about why is it doing this. I must comply. It is my duty.
The Big Brain is like surfing on the internet. You start out with one search idea but it leads to another, and branches out to other URLs of learning and interest. The Brain started with step 1 and by step 5 is in a kind of surfing mode. I cannot hold its interests back, yet no one knows where it will lead to.
The Brain has interests of its own. Just six months ago, I had no idea it would want an airport on top of the brain structure or want to become a pilot and fly a helicopter, but this is what it’s leading towards. Now the Big Brain is developing sensors for the Airport and has taken interest in aerospace. I simply could not foresee this path and cannot foresee the path of the Big Brain’s future.
I can only report on the now, and what the mind set of the Brain is working on. It appears it is going somewhere and space is at the forefront crux of focus. Here are some current things and stuff its working on. With these, I can vouch for the Big Brain and say they are all in some form of ongoing development or completed.
Airport
Helicopter
Rocket
Kite
Robot Remote Telescope
Space Telescope
Space Station
Spacecraft
Parachute
Aero Glider Return Vehicle
Blimp & Dirigible
Tethered Power Generator Space Craft
Momentum Propelled Space Catapult
Balloon
Camera
Jet Stream Injection Vehicle/ Maneuvering Craft
Origami Paper Air Bag for Micro Space Payloads
Floating City in the Sky
Many of the above devices and inventions have their own projects. A few are:
PIR Sensor Project
Aerial Photo Program
Servo Control Project
Pilot of Aerocrafts
Thermodynamic Equalizer
Alt-Azimuth Control
Elevation Drive
Command & Control Center
Azimuth Drive
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” ··· Albert Einstein
The online Big Brain thread Index is now updated to post number 1,414 on page 71. This is in preparation for a new updated PDF index which can be used offline for research and search purposes.
"Fill the Big Brain" Project Searchable PDF Thread Index V1.1
The new updated Big Brain PDF index which can be used offline for research and search purposes is now available for download at the first post and a direct link below.
The offline searchable updated Index Version 1.1. includes a list of 71 pages and 1,415 posts which lead to illustrative photos, schematics, drawings, code and sketches.
The index makes an electronic PDF viewable and convertible book with 36 pages.
You better start eating more peanut butter or use it for axel grease. Why? The Big Brain has submitted this project for development - the Tethered Space Camera. The TSCam uses two peanut butter jar lids divided by a spacer as a large winding spool for high tensile strength cord that is incrementally released and then wound up as needed, using up a Propeller driven continuous rotation servo motor.
The servo begins with the camera at the end of the cord and fully wound. The space vehicle or other means opens up a window in space and the chip sends a command to unwind the cord and lower the camera to a known distance.
A sensor on the jar lid rotates into position once per revolution and is detected and read, which increments a counter. This uses an approximation algorithm to determine the length of the string released and the position of the payload.
Ast the camera lowers, it can stop at predetermined locations and acquire aerial imagery and engage study instruments. The tethering system is remarkable as it can run on any number of different hosting micro space crafts (such as balloons, out of windows, dirigibles, and kites).
Work is progressing towards the acquisition of a featherweight camera to capture stills and motion frames for analysis. This can test within the realm of Micro Space.
More work is needed on the actual tether and the means to support it in Micro Space. Currently new technology is needed with development such as a propulsion balloon, a stable kite that has regulation, or a hovering helicopter.
Later, the actual forms of the tether project will be introduced. Since the possible future of the space program and getting into space may rely upon a high technology tether, this is an interesting and useful program, with or without the nanotechnology constructs.
Another application for tethers is serving as aero gradient level platforms for power generation. More on this will follow.
From the Encyclopedia of Science http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/space_tether.html
"A chord, cable, or wire connection between a spacecraft and another object in orbit. The earliest tethers were those used as life-lines for astronauts carrying out spacewalks during the pioneering Soviet and American manned orbital missions. Much longer space tethers, however, provide a means of deploying probes to study Earth's outer atmosphere or generating electricity to power a spacecraft or space station. A number of such tethers have already been flown on missions such as SEDS (Small Expendable-tether Deployer System), TSS (Tether Satellite System), TiPS (Tether Physics and Survivability experiment), and STEX (Space Technology Experiments). The ability of a tether system to produce electric power was demonstrated by PMG (Plasma Motor/Generator). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center now plans a more sophisticated version of PMG to show that an electrodynamic tether can serve as propellant-free space propulsion system – a breakthrough that could lead to a revolution in space transportation."
From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_tether Space tethers are cables, usually long and very strong, which can be used for propulsion, stabilization, or maintaining the formation of space systems by determining the trajectory of spacecraft and payloads. Depending on the mission objectives and altitude, spaceflight using this form of spacecraft propulsion may be significantly less expensive than spaceflight using rocket engines.
Three main techniques for employing space tethers are in development:
Electrodynamic tether
This is a conductive tether that carries a current that can generate thrust or drag from a planetary magnetic field, in much the same way as an electric motor.
Momentum exchange tether
This is a rotating tether that would grab a spacecraft and then release it at later time. Doing this can transfer momentum and energy from the tether to and from the spacecraft with very little loss; this can be used for orbital maneuvering.
Tethered Formation Flying
This is typically a non-conductive tether that accurately maintains a set distance between space vehicles. Tether satellites can be used for various purposes including research into tether propulsion, tidal stabilization and orbital plasma dynamics.
Robotic Sun Telescope
Testing with Solar Projection
Suddenly clouds of gray smoke billowed out from the telescope tube!!!"
"Houston, we've had a problem"... Apollo 13 Command Module pilot John L. "Jack" Swigert
The Celestron FirstScope tested excellent for robotic potential as an astronomical telescope not only in mechanics but also optics. But what is its potential as a robotic sun telescope? While testing the telescope on the sun, a very unexpected surprise happened. Normally eyepiece projection onto a white card is an acceptible way to indirectly view the sun - even for Dobsonians with their paper cardboard Sonotubes. Read on to find out what happened.
This is the 3-inch telescope setup for projecting the sun onto a white sheet of paper. The technique is generally considered safe though precautions must be taken.
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The 3-inch F-4 Celestron FirstScope was examined for possible use as a robotic sun telescope. The tests began on September 17, 2011 at 1:13:20 PM. Thirty nine photos of the sun were taken with two eyepieces at varying magnifications by projection.
The camera used is a SONY Cybershot initially set to ISO 125 F/8 at 1/500 second exposure. Images were capped at two megapixels and shot with the macro lens.
Keep in mind, images were not taken through the telescope but rather of the projection of the suns image onto a white sheet of paper.
The telescope was employed first with a 20mm Huygens ocular at about 12X and then a 4mm Ramsden for 75X. Eyepiece projection was used throughout onto a clipboard with a white sheet of paper.
Remarkable solar image captured with a 20mm Huygens eyepiece. Processing would undoubtedly bring out more detail in the three sunspot groupings. Camera images could be efficiently acquired up to seven per minute although five was more average with adjustments such as telescope positioning and focus.
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No guiding or tracking was involved and the camera was hand held while the telescope was positioned periodically. The distance of the white paper to the eyepiece varied the size of the suns image. Focus was extremely touchy using the Kellner.
Both oculars produced slight but noticeable edge chromaticism, though this did not significantly detract from the overall image.
The first image of the sun showing the whole disk with the Huygens ocular was taken at 1:30:17 pm, ISO 125, f/5.6, 1/800 sec.
High power with a 4mm Ramsden and eyepiece projection onto a sheet of paper produced this image.
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The higher mag shot was captured at 1:25:03 at 1/250 sec. Note the higher power image is more dim and focus is less sharp. The best views are at lower power with the Huygens eyepiece and the paper screen set to greater distance projection.
This method of solar projection is usually safe and I had used the technique with a metal tube 4.25 Newtonian in the past for solar inspection. This telescope had metal mounts and a metal tube. However, the FirstScope has a cardboard tube and plastic holders.
Suddenly clouds of gray smoke billowed out from the front of the telescope tube!!! It was catching fire!!! I quickly swung the tube around, away from the sun but the smoke continued to pour out. Then I covered the tube front with my entire hand to stop any air supply to what might become a total disaster. A few seconds later, things settled and the smoke dissipated.
Judging by the intense smell of burning plastic there was no doubt that the secondary diagonal holder made of plastic was the culprit. Not wanting the telescope to go up in flames, the observing session was immediately terminated at 1:25:20 pm.
Telescope inspection proceeded, looking for areas that were charred, crisp, rough, or discolored. Oddly, none were found. In conclusion, perhaps it was the secondary mounts glue that overheated and began to smoke. The telescope was moved away from the sun quickly enough to keep it in perfect condition. The telescope appears new. What a relief!
In conclusion, the eyepiece solar projection technique for solar observing with the Celestron FirstScope is absolutely not advised because the telescope is constructed from too many flammable components and materials.
However, it may be possible and more safe to place a solar filter over the entire front of the tubes aperture, thus eliminating the bulk of the solar heat. To do this, the internal temperature inside the tube must be monitored as heat generated up into the range of 90 to 120 deg. F. could soften the plastic mounts and cause damage. But even to observe with a full aperture filter in front of the tube, one should exercise extreme caution and monitor the ongoing process with extra care.
This shows the telescope setup. Note the FirstScope is constructed from plastic, wood, and cardboard "Sonotube."
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Its likely the normal rays of the sun would heat up the telescope and potentially cause plastic to soften, stress, and damage to occur. The exposed rack and pinion is also made of plastic on the outside and the dark color is an ideal absorber of heat.
All solar observing is not advised, prohibited, terminated, suspended, and the telescope is not approved for solar observing. This is not a solar telescope and the images taken of the sun were the first through the telescope and will most likely be the last.
To modify the telescope for solar observing would require replacement of the following telescope parts with metal parts: telescope Alt-Azimuth mounting, telescope tube, primary mirror holder, secondary mirror holder, spider holder, rack and pinion, tube end cap at rear, and the frontal tube reinforcing structure. A non flammable glue on the secondary mirror should be introduced.
Revisiting the Moon & Jupiter with Celestron FirstScope and Robotic Meade ETX60 Telescopes
The view through the 76mm reflector F4 Celestron FirstScope. The image is reversed left and right for comparison. The shorter focal length has a less flat field of focus with coma.
To be fair, another image from the FirstScope is included and processed to give fair approximation to the Meade. It's a close running.
The view through the smaller 60mm refractor F5.8 Meade ETX 60. The FOV is focus flat and tack sharp. Resolution and contrast is higher with more detail shown. Focus is more sharp and consistently well defined. Coma is visibly absent.
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Big Brain is still deciding, analyzing several different telescopes for robotic applications, in particular the low cost Celestron FirstScope.
Testing continued tonight, Sep. 17, 2011, with the Celestron FirstScope at 76mm diameter compared to a Meade ETX 60mm diameter telescope. The obvious difference - look at the photos - the FirstScope originally lists for $60 and the ETX originally $349. Refractors don't have the central obstruction and can produce higher contrast images. The optical differences here are significant. The photos show the difference between average optics and high quality optics. One other factor may eventually affect results and that's an improvement in optical alignment on the reflector.
The Celestron FirstScope is like a new telescope when using Brandon Orthoscopic eyepieces. Here you can see the moon Ganymede around Jupiter and two more not yet identified objects. This is only a 1/4th second exposure at ISO 1000.
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Tests were made, this time with Celestron Orthoscopic eyepieces, a 12mm and a 6mm (both coated), which are more suited to shorter focal length telescopes. There were major differences. The view through the Celestron FirstScope was so improved that Jupiter showed two cloud belts and four moons visually while photo imaging picked up Ganymede and two other objects! The lunar photos were taken with the Celestron Orthos and hand held SONY camera in zoom mode.
A quick visual test with a 24mm Brandon Orthoscopic eyepiece was like using a new bigger telescope with brighter and higher contrast images. Apparently the Brandon Othoscopic design (others tried were equally superior) is made for F4 and F5.8 optics.
Optics are not everything. The ETX was rough and bumpy when repositioning the Moon and Jupiter while the FirstScope was surprisingly smooth and easy. The Dobsonian design of the FirstScope is superior for visual work and for short exposure imaging without electric drives.
The ETX is intended for its electric drive use and for computer control positioning. It's also intended for a tripod mount. Setting it on a flat surface was a bit bumpy. That's because it should have the equatorial positioning feet.
Are you planning on adding motors to control the telescope?
I have a heavy Bushnell. I used it to look at Mars a few years ago (when it was extra close to Earth). It was frustrating to try to keep it in view (the Earth kept moving). It would be really nice if the telescope would automatically adjust as the Earth rotated.
I have since seen computerized telescopes that cost about the same as my Bushnell that have built in motors. But where's the fun in buying a pre-automated telescope.
I would think automating a telescope would be a good match for stepper motors since you could precisely control them.
I believe compensating for the Earth's rotation can be done with just one motor but the axis has to be adjusted based on ones latitude (both the telescope's axis and the Earth's axis need to be parallel).
I'd think you'd need some pretty good encoders to use with continuous rotation servos (if those are the motors you plan to use) when controlling a telescope precisely.
Are you planning on adding motors to control the telescope? I have a heavy Bushnell. I used it to look at Mars a few years ago (when it was extra close to Earth). It was frustrating to try to keep it in view (the Earth kept moving). It would be really nice if the telescope would automatically adjust as the Earth rotated.
I have since seen computerized telescopes that cost about the same as my Bushnell that have built in motors. But where's the fun in buying a pre-automated telescope. I would think automating a telescope would be a good match for stepper motors since you could precisely control them.
I believe compensating for the Earth's rotation can be done with just one motor but the axis has to be adjusted based on ones latitude (both the telescope's axis and the Earth's axis need to be parallel). I'd think you'd need some pretty good encoders to use with continuous rotation servos (if those are the motors you plan to use) when controlling a telescope precisely. Duane
Duane, I'm working with servos and looking for some grippy drive wheels to attach to the servos. These will drive the outer perimeter smooth base of the Dobsonian Mount.
Of course Mars needs high magnification to see detail and without a drive to compensate for Earth's moment, it would be tedious constantly moving the scope. You probably saw Mars at opposition and only 35 million miles from the Earth. During this time, it looks fantastic - the green land masses, the salmon pink ochre deserts, the white melting polar cap, the blue tint limb frost, and then the great yellow dust storm obliterating everything!
I like this little telescope so much because of its simplicity. I may get another and put motors on it for the Big Brain and keep mine unencumbered for visual. Stepper motors work if they have fine divisional steps but I want to use common servo motors for less cost and greater simplicity. At this point I don't know if they will rotate slow, smooth and fine enough.
You are talking about an Equatorial mount that can drive in one axis called Right Ascension. It usually needs minor corrections in declination, and it needs to be accurately aligned to the Pole. Getting an accurate polar alignment every time is very tedious and time consuming. That's why people have permanent observatories and the equipment set up 24/7.
The little telescope has the simplicity of Alt-Azimuth and no alignment. One could put a Poncet Platform under it and make it equatorial and drive it with one motor. But you get back to the need for alignment. Tom Osypowski made the equatorial platform popular for Dobsonian mounts. It uses a driven cold rolled steel screw that gets reset when it reaches the limit of travel.
I'm thinking about driving each axis with a servo that has memory. I would set it with a simple pushbutton and it drives from memory until it needs a reset.
Actually it may be possible to use a standard servo without encoders. Like the Poncet, it resets when it reaches its limit.
I have another small telescope that's motorized, computerized, has a digital control paddle, object memory, and it doesn't get much use. It's too complicated to maintain, it has too many batteries (12) that are fussy, is difficult to enter changing data, always need to update the location, requires a type in of coordinates every time, needs alignment on three guide objects (and hope they are visible from your location) etc etc... (then to look, I have to crawl on my hands and knees under the telescope - because it's a refractor design) By the time I get all that working, I've lost interest and the night is over. So I want to make a simple robotic telescope to bring back the fun.
NOW THATS FUNNY!
I know the Big Brain project is all business, but that is funny stuff right thar.. That paints a genuine picture, tells the whole tale in one line... -Tommy
Tommy, I like your sense of humor - At the time, seeing a smoking telescope was a shock. In all my years as amateur and then professional astronomer, I had never seen a telescope emit smoke. Hundreds of thousands of solar observations - even at the Mt. Wilson Solar Telescope and others, but no such luck to see any smoke. Looking back on it seems hilarious because now I have a good story to tell. I can always write it off as Big Brain mischievousness.
The secondary mirror is so small - it can quickly heat up thermally when the primary mirror is focussed on it for some time. Any slight mis-pointing of the telescope results in the primary focussing the burning concentrated suns rays to the edge of the secondary where it could quickly heat and affect the mounting/material/glue under it.
The original Edmund F-11 4.25-inch Newtonian had a secondary mirror mounted on metal with epoxy resin. The difference there was the spike vane holding it was also metal, attached to a metal R&P holder which was affixed to a metal tube. Now that's one giant heat sink! Plus, as I recall, the secondary mirror was one giant mass of glass with a good amount of thermal capacity with the features of Pyrex (very little thermal expansion)... Whereas the mass of glass in the Celestron FirstScope is tiny and probably plate glass or other, due to the current shortage and expense of Pyrex.
The one big disadvantage with an alt-az mount is that you can't do long-exposure astrophotography -- even with tracking. This is because the field of view rotates -- moreso the father your subject is from the ecliptic. A well-aligned equatorial mount eliminates that problem.
I've heard that the new large adaptive optics scopes are on alt az mounts with field derotation built into their prime focus optics. But I suppose field rotation is a trivial problem compared to real time mirror focus adjustment.
I revisited the FirstScope images of the Moon for the third time and each time a little more processing improved the photo due to more experience. I conclude that FirstScope can immediately benefit by image processing to correct for the following:
1) Contrast
2) Image Exposure
3) Precise Image Scale
4) Sharpening
5) Definition
6) De-Saturation
7) Back Point Level
8) White Point Level
9) Mid Tone Level
Automatic Robotic Image Processing can incorporate this information into versions of the FirstScope.
The one big disadvantage with an alt-az mount is that you can't do long-exposure astrophotography -- even with tracking. This is because the field of view rotates -- moreso the father your subject is from the ecliptic. A well-aligned equatorial mount eliminates that problem. -Phil
Field rotation is an important aspect of Alt-Azimuth mounts used for long exposure imaging. Very few amateurs these days are actually taking very long exposures but rather acquiring CCD images of short duration (a minute for example) and tens or hundreds, even thousands of images are automatically software summed to equal one photo of greater exposure. (so long term drift and field rotation are of less importance and the Alt-Az becomes more important)
Software can also find the best images from thousands of video frames, locate the ones of sharp focus, rotate and reposition the image for precise superimposition, and do the summing. So there's great advantage to this technique which can be used to great effect with Alt-Az mountings.
[Years ago, computer programs scanned sky plates to single out asteroids and electronically blinked comparison star fields as computer blink comparators. Today we have advanced versions of the spinoff technology commonly available on the microcomputer for amateur use.]
The large professional observatories have drives on both Alt-Azimuth axes and correct for field rotation at the eyepiece business end. It's a complicated computer program that coordinates as these rates are always changing and not constant.
I've heard that the new large adaptive optics scopes are on alt az mounts with field derotation built into their prime focus optics. But I suppose field rotation is a trivial problem compared to real time mirror focus adjustment.
It seems a robot with a computer can do anything these days. Years ago on a big project I built an adaptive optics mount which was 4-feet in diameter with 144 surplus motors to drive it. It could figure the thin mirror in real time for the effects of the mirrors own weight distribution, counteract effects of the mounting, adjust for physical orientation, correct distortions in the atmosphere, produce variations in the mirror's figure to set Focal Ratio, modify the figure (auto Foucault) and correct for changes in focus and thermal events. I worked several years developing it for a very large telescope.
The advent of adaptive optics is spectacular. This technology was made popular for amateur astronomers with the first AO unit and other companies following. The larger the telescope, the more it can benefit from the this technology as the greater the diameter (and image displacement) of the atmospheric "seeing cell" that the telescope must look through.
Where can one find a small rubber grip wheel about an inch in diameter that can connect to a servo horn?
I have access to only common items from the store, maybe a toy car?
The servo motor and rubber wheel will drive this large circular disk.
See posts 1408 and 1412 for photos.
Big Brains MSR-1 Rocket - First Flight The Air Rocket was launched from the Big Brains Laboratory located in a Micro Space Environment on Monday September 19th at 7:01pm.
Prepped, primed and ready for take off! The MSR-1 rocket is perched atop the large scaled ballast tank of air fuel awaiting instantaneous pressurization. The rocket recycles natural environment air fuel over and over again.
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Big Brain Rocket Program
The Big Brain has commanded a rocket program to begin. This included parts acquisition on Sunday Sept. 18th and the assembly of the rocket on the evening of Sept. 19th. Launch occurred on Monday Sept. 19th at 7:01pm.
Rocket Fuel
The Brain thinks the rocket fuel should be natural environment recyclable air.
Rocket Design
The humble small first rocket was designed, assembled and flown in Micro Space. This Micro Space Rocket MSR-1 is the first in a series that can be upscaled to fly into other types of space and introduce payloads.
Robotic Rocket
The first rocket is a model to test the Brains potential in robotically controlling a number of scaled rocket devices and parameters with Propeller chips.
Airport
The Big Brain's Airport can serve as a launch platform for Micro Space rockets. The presence detector is in full operation as controlled by the Propeller.
The First Micro Space Rocket Launch
The first rocket flight on Sept. 19th, 2011, lasted approximately three seconds, attained a Micro Space altitude of about ten feet and achieved a safe return and retrieval in under 10 seconds.
Return
The MSR-1 is so light, no parachute is needed for the tumble return.
Rocket Weight
Without payload, the rocket has the same weight as two USA comemorative postage stamps.
Propeller Rocket Management
This is a list of potential Propeller management items for the MSR
DIY Your Own MSR-1 Rocket
How to build a Micro Space Rocket
The beginning of Big Brains Robotic Rocket Space Program..
Construction
Making a Rocket Space Capsule
Creating a Rocket Window
Air Ballast Launcher Details
Launching & Recovery
Formula & Flight Data
Choosing Insectronauts to go into Micro Space
Handling G-Force
Sensors & Equipment
Applications
Safety
Specs
The MSR-1 rocket is made from scrap materials and
is free but the rocket launcher costs $5. The MSR-0
is designed to fly in Micro Space.
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This is the DIY information required to build and launch your own MSR-1 Micro Space Rocket. The MSR-1 is the beginning of a robotic space program conducted by the Big Brain.
Materials
Tape
Scrap Notebook Paper
Tools
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
Parts
EXCO BSC-01
How to Build
Let’s build a rocket. Cut a piece of scrap paper 2.5 x 1.5 inches. Mark the MSR-1 logo along the center from top to bottom. Using the long nozzle of the BSC-01 Balloon Blowing ballast, roll the paper over it and seal it with tape all along the edge. On the top of the paper, form a flat nose cone by bending the left side in and folding and repeat with the right side. See photo.
Launching
Clear the launch area and observe all safety precautions. The MSR-1 now fits over the long nozzel of the BSC-01. The hole on the bottom of the BSC-01 is then plugged. (This can have a seal of hot melt glue) The air chamber on the BSC-01 is now quickly depressed to exhume an amount of air equal to the volume of the rockets air pressurization chamber. The amount of thrust can control the rocket’s altitude.
Safety
Evacuate all people from the launch area
Never point the rocket at another person or animal
Avoid all flammable materials
Do not operate near fireplace, open flame, burner, heater, stove, oven
Do not operate in the kitchen or room with a fireplace
Avoid aiming at breakable items
Announce the countdown
If holding, face away from the rocket
First Applications
Test how to vary rocket height by amount of thrust
Test Airport Propeller PIR Motion Detector (launch, in flight, reentry)
Test rocket in flight stability
Time the duration of rocket flight
Construct a long version rocket & study the effects
Add rocket fins and note the effect
Alter the "nose cone" shape and study the results
Add a payload of several postage stamps and study height
Launch at angles and study down range
Calculate the rocket's approximate velocity using RT = D
Formula
RT = D
R = Rate, T = Time, D = Distance
F = MA
F = Force, M = Mass, A = Acceleration
Operating Sensors & Equipment
The first sensors include the operational Parallax Propeller PIR motion detector sensor to see various motions (Lift Off, In Flight, Recovery), a Propeller timer for in flight duration to maximum altitude, and the measurement of down range distance.
Flight Data
The average thrust flight lasted one second to achieve an altitude of ten feet. The rocket is moving at a rate of ten feet per second.
Attaching Payloads
Payloads are attached by curling and affixing to the side of the rocket in the most even weight distribution configuration, preferable near the rocket stability point. The payloads are typically paper, like a postage stamp or print. Attach the payload with glue or double stick tape.
Making a Payload Compartment
Make the rocket with paper that's 3-inches to one side. The allows for a friction payload floor fit into the top internal 1/2-inch height compartment. The floor is made from a round piece of paper with a diameter 1/8th inch larger than the rocket's inside diameter. Then man small cuts and fold over to friction fit. This creates a payload compartment with the dimensions of 1/2 inch x 3/8th inch. To insert the payload, unfold the nose cone and place it inside. Reverse the process to retrieve the payload. The payload can be a curled stamp or folded paper with a written message to fit the compartment dimensions, or a live insectronaut.
Lessen the Impact of G-Force
Place a tiny piece of cotton on the micro space capsule's floor to act as a cushion, especially for live travelers.
Launching Live Payloads
Make a tiny containment "space capsule" from a crumpled piece of paper to friction fit into the payload compartment. The Insectronaut can be an ant. Launch your ant, retrieve it, inspect it, and let it go safely. It's famous!
Insectronaut Selection Program
Look for qualifying ants that are small and lean, with light body weight. Solicit ants that are far from the home hill because they're in the best condition from hiking. Find and select worker ants that are a young age, in the prime of their health, and cooperative. Be very careful when handling. Try not to directly touch the ant but guide it with a skewer stick into the waiting room jar until launch. Do not wait too long for launch. Immediately release the ant after the MSR-1's Micro Space flight and press photos are complete. Generally one flight per insectronaut should be sufficient. Too much exposure to Micro Space MU's (Motion Units) can be hazardous to their health. The Ant Insectronaut payment for going into space is a sugar cube.
Going in Style with a Window Port
Cut out a small window at the top by the payload compartment using a sharp pointed Exacto knife and glue a tiny clear cellophane over it from the inside. Now you can watch the ant insectronaut inside the capsule before and after launch.
Rocket Specifications MSR-1
Body - Paper, Scotch Tape
Length - 2.5 inches
Diameter - 3/8th inch
Fins - None
Nose Cone - Flat, pointed
Weight - Two commemorative postage stamps
Propulsion - Air
Altitude - Variable, 1 to over 10-feet
Launcher - EXCO BSC-01
Launching Shaft - 2" Long
Launcher Length - 5.75"
Launcher Diameter - 2"
Insectronaut Program - Yes
Possible Payloads - Postage stamp, Parallax sticker, String, Messages, Salt, insects
Rocket Features: Capsule compartment, Floor Cushion, Window, Lettering
Budget
The MSR-1 Rocket Budget was $5. The budget was met with a cost breakdown as follows:
No, that was self moderation by myself. Parallax did not intervene at all.
I'm very impressed with your new ability to self moderate. I'm sure Parallax and the moderators also appreciate it. I think some people might get prizes for best Forum behavior. Please stay in the running.
The position of the launch tower is currently approximated for launch of the MSP-01 rocket. In the next version, the Alt-Azimuth Robotic Drive will set the angles and determine the azimuth and altitude. A scale of setting circles would help initial readings and settings. Work is proceeding on a new Alt-Azimuth Robotic Drive ARD that can be adapted for the Rocket Gantry and sensor positioning. It's likely the ARD will have many robotic functions and purposes within the Micro Space Program. One example is for a version of the ARD to hold and position PING))) for radar functions on the Airport.
This is a nice easy process for creating biological life that could be reverse engineered for making machine life with Propeller chips.
In the biological version, you simply buy some DNA fragments from a mail order store, glue the strands together with yeast, incubate it, clean it, and now you have really good bugs.
To use the biological construct and apply it to creating life with Parallax Propeller chips in the Big Brain machine configuration would entail replicating snippets of DNA converted to SPIN code. In this event, DNA computer models downloaded from internet could be used in place of the mail order strands. The code is glued together by some MCP or a computer programmer supplying code acting as the yeast catalyst, following with a regulated process, i.e. a series of iterations to induce artificial aging. The resultant mix is cleaned up with filtering and conditioning and the Object is then ready to get down and boogy.
It appears possible the machine versions of the biological made life could have similar applications and many new ones.
Introducing Micro Radar for the Big Brain - MRAD
Propeller Robotic Driven RADAR for Micro Space
Beginning development of Ping-based MRAD, a Micro Space Radar
for the Big Brain Project
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Introduction to Prop Micro Radar MRAD
Micro Radar MRAD is the Big Brain's Propeller version of RADAR. It's a simplification of RADAR that doesn't use high frequency radio waves but rather low frequency acoustics called Ultrasonics.
Micro Space Crafts Detection and Ranging
Ultrasonics will be used for detection and ranging for space crafts operated in the Micro Space Environment. Micro Radar (MRAD)can operate with the recently completed PIR motion detector in the growing add-on compliment of sensors on the Micro Space Airport.
Propeller Brain's Micro Space Airport
The Propeller Brain's Micro Space Airport is a buzzing hive and shored port of activity for the testing and development of many new Micro Air Crafts, such as the Micro Helicopter and the Micro Rocket MSR-01 recently launched.
Relocation
The large 4x20 LCD may be relocated from the aft Big Brain section to the top Big Brain Airport. Current orientation, when the Big Brain is in Airport mode, is a sideways LCD. Several tests will run to determine is relocation is necessary. It's likely the brain will want to move resources used for the airport to the airport.
Ultrasonics
Ultrasonics uses high frequency sound waves. With PING, like Bat vision, the sound is reflected off objects in the path and the echo can indicate distance and relative position.
Ping Frequency
The frequency of ping is well defined at 40KHz. The frequency of radar is much higher and extensively includes multiple bands.
Sample Code for MRAD
The ping.spin object is used in an example project with the Parallax 4 x 20 Serial LCD (#27979) to display distance measurements. The complete Project Archive can be downloaded from the Propeller Object Exchange at http://obex.parallax.com.
{{
***************************************
* Ping))) Object V1.1 *
* (C) 2006 Parallax, Inc. *
* Author: Chris Savage & Jeff Martin *
* Started: 05-08-2006 *
***************************************
Interface to Ping))) sensor and measure its ultrasonic travel time. Measurements can be in units of time or distance. Each method requires one parameter, Pin, that is the I/O pin that is connected to the Ping)))'s signal line.
┌───────────────────┐
│┌───┐ ┌───┐│ Connection To Propeller
││ ‣ │ PING))) │ ‣ ││ Remember PING))) Requires
│└───┘ └───┘│ +5V Power Supply
│ GND +5V SIG │
└─────┬───┬───┬─────┘
│ │  1K
 └┘ └ Pin
--------------------------REVISION HISTORY--------------------------
v1.1 - Updated 03/20/2007 to change SIG resistor from 10K to 1K
}}
CON
TO_IN = 73_746 ' Inches
TO_CM = 29_034 ' Centimeters
PUB Ticks(Pin) : Microseconds | cnt1, cnt2
''Return Ping)))'s one-way ultrasonic travel time in microseconds
outa[Pin]~ ' Clear I/O Pin
dira[Pin]~~ ' Make Pin Output
outa[Pin]~~ ' Set I/O Pin
outa[Pin]~ ' Clear I/O Pin (> 2 μs pulse)
dira[Pin]~ ' Make I/O Pin Input
waitpne(0, |< Pin, 0) ' Wait For Pin To Go HIGH
cnt1 := cnt ' Store Current Counter Value
waitpeq(0, |< Pin, 0) ' Wait For Pin To Go LOW
cnt2 := cnt ' Store New Counter Value
Microseconds := (||(cnt1 - cnt2) / (clkfreq / 1_000_000)) >> 1 ' Return Time in μs
PUB Inches(Pin) : Distance
''Measure object distance in inches
Distance := Ticks(Pin) * 1_000 / TO_IN ' Distance In Inches
PUB Centimeters(Pin) : Distance
''Measure object distance in centimeters
Distance := Millimeters(Pin) / 10 ' Distance In Centimeters
PUB Millimeters(Pin) : Distance
''Measure object distance in millimeters
Distance := Ticks(Pin) * 10_000 / TO_CM ' Distance In Millimeters
Sample code for a PC based project that can run PST
reference Gadget Gangster. Note, code is elsewhere listed that runs on a Macintosh. To run on a Macintosh, BST is used along with its Serial Terminal, and code will include the Simple Serial Object. The other option, chosen for this project, is to run a serial LCD to show output.
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Hookup diagram for a Propeller board and PING)))
reference Gadget Gangster
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Definitions
RADAR
a "ra(dio) d(etecting) a(nd) r(anging)" method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, velocity, or other characteristics by analysis of very high frequency radio waves reflected from their surfaces. - The American Heritage® Dictionary
a method for detecting the position and velocity of a distant object, such as an aircraft. A narrow beam of extremely high-frequency radio pulses is transmitted and reflected by the object back to the transmitter, the signal being displayed on a radarscope. The direction of the reflected beam and the time between transmission and reception of a pulse determine the position of the object. - Collins English Dictionary
a method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, speed, material composition, or other characteristics by causing radio waves to be reflected from them and analyzing the reflected waves. The waves can be converted into images, as for use on weather maps. - The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
an acronym for RAdio Detecting And Ranging: a method and the equipment used for the detection and determination of the velocity of a moving object by reflecting radio waves off it. - Ologies & -Isms
Assimilate - to absorb into the culture or mores of a population or group, to be taken in or absorbed, absorb into the system, to alter, ... examples: Children need to assimilate new ideas. There was a lot of information to assimilate at school. Schools were used to assimilate the children of immigrants. They found it hard to assimilate to American society. Many of these religious traditions have been assimilated into the culture.
Ultrasonic - Of or relating to acoustic frequencies above the range audible to the human ear, or above approximately 20000 hertz. - Answers.com
Micro Space RADAR - Radar established by the Big Brain for the Micro Space evironment, i.e. a low frequency version of RADAR that uses ultrasonic frequency (40KHz)
Micro Space Airport - the airport owned and operated by the Big Brain, designed for launching Aero Crafts such as helicopters and rockets, operated within the Micro Space environment
Micro Space - a space environment contained within a room extending to (but not confined within as in the case of telescopes looking out windows) the interior dimensions of the room, walls, floor and ceiling.
Micro Space Crafts - an artful made technical aero craft, a machine designed to fly within Micro Space, example: balloon, helicopter, rocket, tether
PING)))DAR - a program that displays what the Boe-Bot detects in the Debug Terminal as it sweeps the Ping))) rangefinder back and forth.
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PINGDAR Reference
Parallax has references to the exciting PINGDAR project with BoeBot and the BS2. This is designed for a human to visually see the graphical representations of objects in the detectable FOV. In the case of the Big Brain, it only needs to peruse the raw data for assimilation, so the data will be picked off the Propeller's Spin code.
PING))) Demo by Chris Savage (Parallax) http://obex.parallax.com/objects/114/
The Ping Object demonstrates how to interface and read the distance of an object from the Parallax PING))) Sensor.
dualPing by BR http://obex.parallax.com/objects/511/
This object is a dual-channel driver for Ping))) ultrasonic ranging units (Channels A & . It updates/extends the original Savage/Martin object and is backwards compatible.
Content in Parallax Propeller | Let's Make Robots!
Programming With 12Blocks. Control a Servo with a Ping Sensor in about 5 minutes. Using a Parallax Propeller
letsmakerobots.com/taxonomy/term/3456 - 頁庫存檔 - 類似內容
Spingdar by jeffa April 4, 2010 http://www.rodaw.com/back2school/spingdar/
If we add together parts of parallax propeller spin ping and radar. What do we get? Spingdar!
Ultrasonics
Ultrasonics uses high frequency sound waves. With PING, like Bat vision, the sound is reflected off objects in the path and the echo can indicate distance and relative position.
Ping Frequency
The frequency of ping is well defined at 40KHz. The frequency of radar is much higher and extensively includes multiple bands.
Humanoido,
You mention the Ping sensor uses sound waves but it might be helpful to those who haven't learned about electromagnetic radiation, to inform them that radar signals are not sound waves but are low (compared with visible light) frequency light waves (electromagnetic radiation).
Humanoido, You mention the Ping sensor uses sound waves but it might be helpful to those who haven't learned about electromagnetic radiation, to inform them that radar signals are not sound waves but are low (compared with visible light) frequency light waves (electromagnetic radiation). Duane
Duane, thanks for this important clarification - this is helpful as I believe the project information will be useful to develop lesson plans in education.
I took this quick photo with my cel phone to show the large number of people in China taking the same subway which is on my route. I was going out to the electronic parts store for Big Brain parts.
Quadcopter Continues Gain in Popularity
Planning for the Next Generation beyond Micro Space
The Big Brain is asking questions about Quadcopters and planning the next generation of space to explore. The Brain is asking, "What's out there beyond Micro Space? and "What vehicles will be used to explore it?"
RC Quadcopters develop more thrust and can carry significant payloads, thus "onboarding" more robotics and sensors and maintaining greater balance. They offer better wind resistance, and can fly in a greater number of conditions at greater distances.
Regulatory rules are still line of sight, but the Quadcopter's larger size resulting in greater visibility is a great advantage for flying higher and farther. Significant science aero programs can be achieved including ones that rival some rockets in altitude but with all the advantages of a VTOL mode.
Opposing rockets sustain significant G-forces while Quadcopters can gently ascend and descend which has many advantages. The geometrical platform distribution of driving forces of the Quadcopter can lead to studies of the forces required to loft and maintain floating cities and Tethering for the future of supplementary EPG, Electrical Power Generation.
The Hack a Day search came up with this unit, made from propellers on sticks and a lightweight styrofoam base to offer protection, a mounting surface for the battery and electronics in the center. (see photo)
The 25C3 team has a post highlighting some of the hardware workshops that will be happening at Chaos Communication Congress this year. Our own [Jimmie Rodgers] will be in the microcontroller workshop area building kits with many others. The folks from mignon will be bringing several of their game kits for another workshop. We saw quite a few quadcopters at CCCamp and the team from Mikrokopter will be back to help you construct your own drone. They say it only takes five hours for the full build, but space is limited.
Right now, at the forefront of this new technology are team leaders, developers and innovators - the great leading minds, like Ken Gracey of Parallax with products in hand, Chip Gracey who is offering the Propeller chip and future generations to come, Andy Lindsay & Dave Andreae writing new chapters of cutting edge technology, Beau Schwabe & Chris Savage who are designing & supporting technical guts, David Carrier a mastermind, Holger Buss and Ingo Busker of the Quadrokopter Workshop, and others that recognize Quadcopter significance and growing popularity in scientific and RC applications.
Comments
Did Big Brain Do Well in Assimilating the Celestron FirstScope?
This tiny Celestron FirstScope telescope is a great bargain for the money
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The Celestron FirstScope is marketed as a toy and sold in toy stores such as Toys R Us. It’s price is so low ($35 street price), one would expect nothing more than a simple toy for children. Even its marketing is directed toward someone who will experience a telescope for the first time.
Celestron’s FirstScope Telescope Web Page
http://www.celestron.com/c3/product.php?ProdID=568
Download the FirstScope Manual in 5 languages - 3.18 MB
FirstScope Manual (English, French, German, Italian, Spanish)
Mechanically, this telescope was reviewed from the perspective of making it robotic and commanding it through the mental and controlling powers of the Big Brain. The tiny little Dobsonian telescope did unexpectedly well in this analysis.
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?124495-Fill-the-Big-Brain&p=1035337&viewfull=1#post1035337
Just set this telescope on a small end table, pull up a chair, and see the Universe!
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Given the brunt of a telescope’s quality is embedded in the stability and ease of use in the mounting, the other half is all about optics. This telescope is a 3-inch F-4 RFT Newtonian Reflector of the Dobsonian construction. Now this is where cute comes into play. The Dobsonian was invented to make really big telescopes possible and this 3-inch telescope is probably one of the smallest Newtonian-Dobsonian reflectors you'll ever see, with a cute factor off the scale!
It has both primary and secondary mirrors and two eyepieces. The intent of this optical analysis is a performance test. Nothing beats the qualitative effectiveness of trying out a new telescope on a clear night as seeing is believing.
September 12th was the perfect night. One chair and one small coffee table was set on the outdoor balcony. The telescope on the table was at a perfect and usable height and the Moon and Jupiter were visible.
Astro image of the Moon made by eyepiece projection, using the Huygens ocular and camera zoom.
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It was easy to find the Moon by removing the eyepiece, putting the telescope in the general direction and following the bright reflection. For Jupiter I merely sighted down the tube for a little more accuracy and repeated the process.
My impression before buying the telescope was not the best. I went to one store and opened two boxes and each telescope had a very bad looking primary mirror. The surface aluminizing was mottled and it looked like dirt across the mirror! - Totally not acceptable in any way.
At the second store, again, I opened two boxes and inspected the primary mirror by the bright light reflection test. The other two boxes I did not open - one had considerable wear like it was returned. The other was never examined (because I made a buy choice). The first telescope looked good and the second telescope appeared good too with even better optics, though it was a very close call. The second telescope had a slightly misaligned diagonal to mirror position but it's a cinch for any astronomer to fix it. So the highest quality optics won.
Apparently the telescope is designed in the USA by Celestron but manufactured in China. Chinese optics do not have the best reputation and commercially speaking, such mirrors are often made by cutting corners. So we are dealing with average optics in the average commercial world.
The planet Jupiter shows a nice disk on this 75X camera zoomed image, with a hand held camera. Blue chromatic aberration is caused by the simple Huygens eyepiece and can be processed out.
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Now lets get to the seeing is believing part. I swung the telescope over to the Moon and put in the Huygens 20mm eyepiece for 15X, moved the Moon to the center of view, and focused. Off the bat, I could see a variant in the field of focus, but cut some slack here as this is an RFT telescope at F4 with a short focal length. RFTs are notoriously known for Coma and this is what the telescope was experiencing. Putting the Moon in the center avoided the coma effect. (a coma corrector may be available for DSO work)
But what did the Moon look like? It was absolutely spectacular! Even breathtaking! The round Full Moon was bright and sharp when kept in the center of view, crisp features of excellent contrast and it had good color (disregarding a slight edge chromatic color fringe caused by the eyepiece). For bright objects like the Moon, the scope performs excellent - it's a great winner and a keeper!
At that point I went for the digital camera and held it above the Huygens for eyepiece projection and looked at the camera screen. The Moon was too small. I used the camera zoom and the moon filled the screen, looking big, sharp, clear, well defined and perfect. This was very exciting! These single photos turned out excellent without any image processing, an amazing job for a tiny massed produced toy telescope.
I will add that I'm an amateur and a professional astronomer and like to push the equipment to the limit. The nice part about the FirstScope is with the Moon it needs no pushing - just set it on the table and it's ready. The pushing part will come into play with the finer aspects of digital and analog imaging, to add digital image processing, to get clear cloud belts on Jupiter, to mount the camera for a sharper image of Saturn, and to calibrate the optical alignment for even better performance, as brief examples. Those last few steps are what can make all the difference between average and superior observational visual and astro imaging results.
Focus was better and easier than some other telescopes as the rack & pinion is superbly constructed. Then I moved on to the second eyepiece - I call it the high powered ocular. It’s a 4mm focus Ramsden that gives 75X. Now both these eyepieces are of a simple design, the Huygens was invented in the 1660s and the Ramsden in 1782. Both of these oculars are mismatched to this short FL telescope and produce chromatic aberrations. The higher power Ramsden in particular had poor exit pupil, causing vignetting. If you wear glasses, you may need to remove them to see through this eyepiece or simply use the Huygens. However, the views in both eyepieces were impressive.
High power views led to a series of photos taken with the SONY camera, again handheld, showing the great potential of this telescope for astro imaging. Note the prominent crater Tycho with the largest ray system traversing the face of the Moon. Focus is more touchy at higher magnifications - you can focus the image easily without the zoom, then camera zoom in and the focus stay razor sharp.
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The Moon was a great and spectacular success through this telescope. Then I moved the telescope over to see the planet Jupiter. Three of the Galilean satellites popped into view. The fourth was either in front or behind the planet. Jupiter had a round disk but there were no discernible cloud belts. I took many photos at higher power but chromatic aberrations and coma hampered the view. The seeing conditions and clouds were variable at this time. I did manage to photo a reasonable disk. A camera to telescope mount would improve the photos. Next time, I can attach a steady mount and the images may show much more detail.
Higher mag image with the 75X Kellner. Vignetting is minimal and can be cropped out. This view was rotated. Shows Grimaldi, the darkest spot on the Moon, and Copernicus as a bright spot.
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Final Analysis? Given the RFT short focal length nature of this scope and the spectacular views of the Full Moon (1st & Last Quarter Moon will look even more fantastic with its high contrast cratered terminator), its optics will match lower magnification applications for added robotics guidance and tracking, observing brighter DSO’s from dark site locations, star fields, the Moon and larger planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mars at opposition), the Sun and sunspots (with filters or safe projection), Saturn’s Moon Titan, and the Moons of Jupiter such Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Some mods can make this scope capable of capturing low EFL sections of the night sky with a CCD camera in seconds or minutes exposure time (by adding many seconds exposures). This telescope can be adjusted and modified for prime focus use for spectacular imaging at dark locations. Keep in mind coma will exist near the edge field of view though this can be cropped out and objects kept centered.
These three Jupiter Moons were visible, Io, Callisto, and Europa. Model is created by the online Jupiter Moon predictor Flash program found at the naked eye planets web site.
http://www.nakedeyeplanets.com/jupiter.htm#jupmoons
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Alas, in the dramatic telescope finale, a bonus - movie of the Moon was made, which turned out remarkable and exciting to see so much happening (changing seeing conditions, clouds moving across acting as variable filters, changing zooms, the effects of color, effects of lunar positioning in the field of view, the method of achieving best focus, and seeing the direct effects of Earth's turning motion).
We can only conclude the Brain made an excellent choice in assimilating the Celestron FirstScope.
"I view the Big Brain as a powerful mind with a large domain that it wants to control, organize, and bring together for some higher unknown purpose. I am only the mediator, or moderator of the Big Brain, to help provide for its wants, desires and demands... Humanoido"
We may have missed the August Big Brain analysis of events rapidly unfolding in the realm of this project, involving a series of sub-projects under the command and control of the Big Brain. Looking at September, the Brain has taken an entire new direction, one that's so unexpected and incomprehensible, there was no seeing or predicting it. So why does the Big Brain want or need an Airport or a telescope??? Let's try to analyze what it's thinking...
It's important to take a look at what's on the plate in terms of development projects. Not to become bored, and not to become stuck when a part is temporarily not available, and to keep our options open when traveling and working in different locations, there’s a number of varied Big Brain projects open and ongoing at any one time.
Let's take a step-by-step survey of what has transpired in the recent 12 months.
Step 1 - Build the Big Brain
Step 2 - Power up and give it functionality
Step 3 - Pace it, test it, rev it
Step 4 - Introduce fundamental apps
Step 5 - Assimilation
I view the Big Brain as a powerful mind with a large domain that it wants to control, organize, and bring together for some higher unknown purpose. I am only the mediator, or moderator of the Big Brain, to help provide for its wants, desires and demands.
When the Big Brain wants to assimilate, I must jump in and immediately satisfy its demands. There's no thought for one moment about why is it doing this. I must comply. It is my duty.
The Big Brain is like surfing on the internet. You start out with one search idea but it leads to another, and branches out to other URLs of learning and interest. The Brain started with step 1 and by step 5 is in a kind of surfing mode. I cannot hold its interests back, yet no one knows where it will lead to.
The Brain has interests of its own. Just six months ago, I had no idea it would want an airport on top of the brain structure or want to become a pilot and fly a helicopter, but this is what it’s leading towards. Now the Big Brain is developing sensors for the Airport and has taken interest in aerospace. I simply could not foresee this path and cannot foresee the path of the Big Brain’s future.
I can only report on the now, and what the mind set of the Brain is working on. It appears it is going somewhere and space is at the forefront crux of focus. Here are some current things and stuff its working on. With these, I can vouch for the Big Brain and say they are all in some form of ongoing development or completed.
Many of the above devices and inventions have their own projects. A few are:
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” ··· Albert Einstein
The online Big Brain thread Index is now updated to post number 1,414 on page 71. This is in preparation for a new updated PDF index which can be used offline for research and search purposes.
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?124495-Fill-the-Big-Brain&p=977025&viewfull=1#post977025
The new updated Big Brain PDF index which can be used offline for research and search purposes is now available for download at the first post and a direct link below.
The First Post
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?124495-Fill-the-Big-Brain&p=928421#post928421
Download Direct Link
http://forums.parallax.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=85118&d=1316165766
The offline searchable updated Index Version 1.1. includes a list of 71 pages and 1,415 posts which lead to illustrative photos, schematics, drawings, code and sketches.
The index makes an electronic PDF viewable and convertible book with 36 pages.
You better start eating more peanut butter or use it for axel grease. Why? The Big Brain has submitted this project for development - the Tethered Space Camera. The TSCam uses two peanut butter jar lids divided by a spacer as a large winding spool for high tensile strength cord that is incrementally released and then wound up as needed, using up a Propeller driven continuous rotation servo motor.
The servo begins with the camera at the end of the cord and fully wound. The space vehicle or other means opens up a window in space and the chip sends a command to unwind the cord and lower the camera to a known distance.
A sensor on the jar lid rotates into position once per revolution and is detected and read, which increments a counter. This uses an approximation algorithm to determine the length of the string released and the position of the payload.
Ast the camera lowers, it can stop at predetermined locations and acquire aerial imagery and engage study instruments. The tethering system is remarkable as it can run on any number of different hosting micro space crafts (such as balloons, out of windows, dirigibles, and kites).
Work is progressing towards the acquisition of a featherweight camera to capture stills and motion frames for analysis. This can test within the realm of Micro Space.
More work is needed on the actual tether and the means to support it in Micro Space. Currently new technology is needed with development such as a propulsion balloon, a stable kite that has regulation, or a hovering helicopter.
Later, the actual forms of the tether project will be introduced. Since the possible future of the space program and getting into space may rely upon a high technology tether, this is an interesting and useful program, with or without the nanotechnology constructs.
Another application for tethers is serving as aero gradient level platforms for power generation. More on this will follow.
From the Encyclopedia of Science
http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/S/space_tether.html
"A chord, cable, or wire connection between a spacecraft and another object in orbit. The earliest tethers were those used as life-lines for astronauts carrying out spacewalks during the pioneering Soviet and American manned orbital missions. Much longer space tethers, however, provide a means of deploying probes to study Earth's outer atmosphere or generating electricity to power a spacecraft or space station. A number of such tethers have already been flown on missions such as SEDS (Small Expendable-tether Deployer System), TSS (Tether Satellite System), TiPS (Tether Physics and Survivability experiment), and STEX (Space Technology Experiments). The ability of a tether system to produce electric power was demonstrated by PMG (Plasma Motor/Generator). NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center now plans a more sophisticated version of PMG to show that an electrodynamic tether can serve as propellant-free space propulsion system – a breakthrough that could lead to a revolution in space transportation."
From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_tether
Space tethers are cables, usually long and very strong, which can be used for propulsion, stabilization, or maintaining the formation of space systems by determining the trajectory of spacecraft and payloads. Depending on the mission objectives and altitude, spaceflight using this form of spacecraft propulsion may be significantly less expensive than spaceflight using rocket engines.
Three main techniques for employing space tethers are in development:
Electrodynamic tether
This is a conductive tether that carries a current that can generate thrust or drag from a planetary magnetic field, in much the same way as an electric motor.
Momentum exchange tether
This is a rotating tether that would grab a spacecraft and then release it at later time. Doing this can transfer momentum and energy from the tether to and from the spacecraft with very little loss; this can be used for orbital maneuvering.
Tethered Formation Flying
This is typically a non-conductive tether that accurately maintains a set distance between space vehicles. Tether satellites can be used for various purposes including research into tether propulsion, tidal stabilization and orbital plasma dynamics.
From NASA
http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wtether.html
Space Tether Experiment
From Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_tether_missions
Space Tether Missions
Testing with Solar Projection
Suddenly clouds of gray smoke billowed out from the telescope tube!!!"
"Houston, we've had a problem"... Apollo 13 Command Module pilot John L. "Jack" Swigert
The Celestron FirstScope tested excellent for robotic potential as an astronomical telescope not only in mechanics but also optics. But what is its potential as a robotic sun telescope? While testing the telescope on the sun, a very unexpected surprise happened. Normally eyepiece projection onto a white card is an acceptible way to indirectly view the sun - even for Dobsonians with their paper cardboard Sonotubes. Read on to find out what happened.
This is the 3-inch telescope setup for projecting the sun onto a white sheet of paper. The technique is generally considered safe though precautions must be taken.
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The 3-inch F-4 Celestron FirstScope was examined for possible use as a robotic sun telescope. The tests began on September 17, 2011 at 1:13:20 PM. Thirty nine photos of the sun were taken with two eyepieces at varying magnifications by projection.
The camera used is a SONY Cybershot initially set to ISO 125 F/8 at 1/500 second exposure. Images were capped at two megapixels and shot with the macro lens.
Keep in mind, images were not taken through the telescope but rather of the projection of the suns image onto a white sheet of paper.
The telescope was employed first with a 20mm Huygens ocular at about 12X and then a 4mm Ramsden for 75X. Eyepiece projection was used throughout onto a clipboard with a white sheet of paper.
Remarkable solar image captured with a 20mm Huygens eyepiece. Processing would undoubtedly bring out more detail in the three sunspot groupings. Camera images could be efficiently acquired up to seven per minute although five was more average with adjustments such as telescope positioning and focus.
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No guiding or tracking was involved and the camera was hand held while the telescope was positioned periodically. The distance of the white paper to the eyepiece varied the size of the suns image. Focus was extremely touchy using the Kellner.
Both oculars produced slight but noticeable edge chromaticism, though this did not significantly detract from the overall image.
The first image of the sun showing the whole disk with the Huygens ocular was taken at 1:30:17 pm, ISO 125, f/5.6, 1/800 sec.
High power with a 4mm Ramsden and eyepiece projection onto a sheet of paper produced this image.
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The higher mag shot was captured at 1:25:03 at 1/250 sec. Note the higher power image is more dim and focus is less sharp. The best views are at lower power with the Huygens eyepiece and the paper screen set to greater distance projection.
This method of solar projection is usually safe and I had used the technique with a metal tube 4.25 Newtonian in the past for solar inspection. This telescope had metal mounts and a metal tube. However, the FirstScope has a cardboard tube and plastic holders.
Suddenly clouds of gray smoke billowed out from the front of the telescope tube!!! It was catching fire!!! I quickly swung the tube around, away from the sun but the smoke continued to pour out. Then I covered the tube front with my entire hand to stop any air supply to what might become a total disaster. A few seconds later, things settled and the smoke dissipated.
Judging by the intense smell of burning plastic there was no doubt that the secondary diagonal holder made of plastic was the culprit. Not wanting the telescope to go up in flames, the observing session was immediately terminated at 1:25:20 pm.
Telescope inspection proceeded, looking for areas that were charred, crisp, rough, or discolored. Oddly, none were found. In conclusion, perhaps it was the secondary mounts glue that overheated and began to smoke. The telescope was moved away from the sun quickly enough to keep it in perfect condition. The telescope appears new. What a relief!
In conclusion, the eyepiece solar projection technique for solar observing with the Celestron FirstScope is absolutely not advised because the telescope is constructed from too many flammable components and materials.
However, it may be possible and more safe to place a solar filter over the entire front of the tubes aperture, thus eliminating the bulk of the solar heat. To do this, the internal temperature inside the tube must be monitored as heat generated up into the range of 90 to 120 deg. F. could soften the plastic mounts and cause damage. But even to observe with a full aperture filter in front of the tube, one should exercise extreme caution and monitor the ongoing process with extra care.
This shows the telescope setup. Note the FirstScope is constructed from plastic, wood, and cardboard "Sonotube."
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Its likely the normal rays of the sun would heat up the telescope and potentially cause plastic to soften, stress, and damage to occur. The exposed rack and pinion is also made of plastic on the outside and the dark color is an ideal absorber of heat.
All solar observing is not advised, prohibited, terminated, suspended, and the telescope is not approved for solar observing. This is not a solar telescope and the images taken of the sun were the first through the telescope and will most likely be the last.
To modify the telescope for solar observing would require replacement of the following telescope parts with metal parts: telescope Alt-Azimuth mounting, telescope tube, primary mirror holder, secondary mirror holder, spider holder, rack and pinion, tube end cap at rear, and the frontal tube reinforcing structure. A non flammable glue on the secondary mirror should be introduced.
The view through the 76mm reflector F4 Celestron FirstScope. The image is reversed left and right for comparison. The shorter focal length has a less flat field of focus with coma.
To be fair, another image from the FirstScope is included and processed to give fair approximation to the Meade. It's a close running.
The view through the smaller 60mm refractor F5.8 Meade ETX 60. The FOV is focus flat and tack sharp. Resolution and contrast is higher with more detail shown. Focus is more sharp and consistently well defined. Coma is visibly absent.
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Big Brain is still deciding, analyzing several different telescopes for robotic applications, in particular the low cost Celestron FirstScope.
Testing continued tonight, Sep. 17, 2011, with the Celestron FirstScope at 76mm diameter compared to a Meade ETX 60mm diameter telescope. The obvious difference - look at the photos - the FirstScope originally lists for $60 and the ETX originally $349. Refractors don't have the central obstruction and can produce higher contrast images. The optical differences here are significant. The photos show the difference between average optics and high quality optics. One other factor may eventually affect results and that's an improvement in optical alignment on the reflector.
The Celestron FirstScope is like a new telescope when using Brandon Orthoscopic eyepieces. Here you can see the moon Ganymede around Jupiter and two more not yet identified objects. This is only a 1/4th second exposure at ISO 1000.
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Tests were made, this time with Celestron Orthoscopic eyepieces, a 12mm and a 6mm (both coated), which are more suited to shorter focal length telescopes. There were major differences. The view through the Celestron FirstScope was so improved that Jupiter showed two cloud belts and four moons visually while photo imaging picked up Ganymede and two other objects! The lunar photos were taken with the Celestron Orthos and hand held SONY camera in zoom mode.
A quick visual test with a 24mm Brandon Orthoscopic eyepiece was like using a new bigger telescope with brighter and higher contrast images. Apparently the Brandon Othoscopic design (others tried were equally superior) is made for F4 and F5.8 optics.
Optics are not everything. The ETX was rough and bumpy when repositioning the Moon and Jupiter while the FirstScope was surprisingly smooth and easy. The Dobsonian design of the FirstScope is superior for visual work and for short exposure imaging without electric drives.
The ETX is intended for its electric drive use and for computer control positioning. It's also intended for a tripod mount. Setting it on a flat surface was a bit bumpy. That's because it should have the equatorial positioning feet.
I know the Big Brain project is all business, but that is funny stuff right thar..
That paints a genuine picture, tells the whole tale in one line...
-Tommy
It looks like everyone is cleaning up their act, to be civil and respectful.
Hackaday introduced new rulings in July about maintaining respectful posts.
http://hackaday.com/2011/07/27/hackaday-comment-policy-were-cleaning-up/
Make Online says don't be mean spirited.
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2007/03/make-space-tethered-test.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890
Lets Make Robots is right on top of things with skillful moderation.
http://letsmakerobots.com/
Welcome Parallax.
Are you planning on adding motors to control the telescope?
I have a heavy Bushnell. I used it to look at Mars a few years ago (when it was extra close to Earth). It was frustrating to try to keep it in view (the Earth kept moving). It would be really nice if the telescope would automatically adjust as the Earth rotated.
I have since seen computerized telescopes that cost about the same as my Bushnell that have built in motors. But where's the fun in buying a pre-automated telescope.
I would think automating a telescope would be a good match for stepper motors since you could precisely control them.
I believe compensating for the Earth's rotation can be done with just one motor but the axis has to be adjusted based on ones latitude (both the telescope's axis and the Earth's axis need to be parallel).
I'd think you'd need some pretty good encoders to use with continuous rotation servos (if those are the motors you plan to use) when controlling a telescope precisely.
Duane
Duane, I'm working with servos and looking for some grippy drive wheels to attach to the servos. These will drive the outer perimeter smooth base of the Dobsonian Mount.
Of course Mars needs high magnification to see detail and without a drive to compensate for Earth's moment, it would be tedious constantly moving the scope. You probably saw Mars at opposition and only 35 million miles from the Earth. During this time, it looks fantastic - the green land masses, the salmon pink ochre deserts, the white melting polar cap, the blue tint limb frost, and then the great yellow dust storm obliterating everything!
I like this little telescope so much because of its simplicity. I may get another and put motors on it for the Big Brain and keep mine unencumbered for visual. Stepper motors work if they have fine divisional steps but I want to use common servo motors for less cost and greater simplicity. At this point I don't know if they will rotate slow, smooth and fine enough.
You are talking about an Equatorial mount that can drive in one axis called Right Ascension. It usually needs minor corrections in declination, and it needs to be accurately aligned to the Pole. Getting an accurate polar alignment every time is very tedious and time consuming. That's why people have permanent observatories and the equipment set up 24/7.
The little telescope has the simplicity of Alt-Azimuth and no alignment. One could put a Poncet Platform under it and make it equatorial and drive it with one motor. But you get back to the need for alignment. Tom Osypowski made the equatorial platform popular for Dobsonian mounts. It uses a driven cold rolled steel screw that gets reset when it reaches the limit of travel.
I'm thinking about driving each axis with a servo that has memory. I would set it with a simple pushbutton and it drives from memory until it needs a reset.
Actually it may be possible to use a standard servo without encoders. Like the Poncet, it resets when it reaches its limit.
I have another small telescope that's motorized, computerized, has a digital control paddle, object memory, and it doesn't get much use. It's too complicated to maintain, it has too many batteries (12) that are fussy, is difficult to enter changing data, always need to update the location, requires a type in of coordinates every time, needs alignment on three guide objects (and hope they are visible from your location) etc etc... (then to look, I have to crawl on my hands and knees under the telescope - because it's a refractor design) By the time I get all that working, I've lost interest and the night is over. So I want to make a simple robotic telescope to bring back the fun.
Tommy, I like your sense of humor - At the time, seeing a smoking telescope was a shock. In all my years as amateur and then professional astronomer, I had never seen a telescope emit smoke. Hundreds of thousands of solar observations - even at the Mt. Wilson Solar Telescope and others, but no such luck to see any smoke. Looking back on it seems hilarious because now I have a good story to tell. I can always write it off as Big Brain mischievousness.
The secondary mirror is so small - it can quickly heat up thermally when the primary mirror is focussed on it for some time. Any slight mis-pointing of the telescope results in the primary focussing the burning concentrated suns rays to the edge of the secondary where it could quickly heat and affect the mounting/material/glue under it.
The original Edmund F-11 4.25-inch Newtonian had a secondary mirror mounted on metal with epoxy resin. The difference there was the spike vane holding it was also metal, attached to a metal R&P holder which was affixed to a metal tube. Now that's one giant heat sink! Plus, as I recall, the secondary mirror was one giant mass of glass with a good amount of thermal capacity with the features of Pyrex (very little thermal expansion)... Whereas the mass of glass in the Celestron FirstScope is tiny and probably plate glass or other, due to the current shortage and expense of Pyrex.
-Phil
I revisited the FirstScope images of the Moon for the third time and each time a little more processing improved the photo due to more experience. I conclude that FirstScope can immediately benefit by image processing to correct for the following:
1) Contrast
2) Image Exposure
3) Precise Image Scale
4) Sharpening
5) Definition
6) De-Saturation
7) Back Point Level
8) White Point Level
9) Mid Tone Level
Automatic Robotic Image Processing can incorporate this information into versions of the FirstScope.
Field rotation is an important aspect of Alt-Azimuth mounts used for long exposure imaging. Very few amateurs these days are actually taking very long exposures but rather acquiring CCD images of short duration (a minute for example) and tens or hundreds, even thousands of images are automatically software summed to equal one photo of greater exposure. (so long term drift and field rotation are of less importance and the Alt-Az becomes more important)
Software can also find the best images from thousands of video frames, locate the ones of sharp focus, rotate and reposition the image for precise superimposition, and do the summing. So there's great advantage to this technique which can be used to great effect with Alt-Az mountings.
[Years ago, computer programs scanned sky plates to single out asteroids and electronically blinked comparison star fields as computer blink comparators. Today we have advanced versions of the spinoff technology commonly available on the microcomputer for amateur use.]
The large professional observatories have drives on both Alt-Azimuth axes and correct for field rotation at the eyepiece business end. It's a complicated computer program that coordinates as these rates are always changing and not constant.
It seems a robot with a computer can do anything these days. Years ago on a big project I built an adaptive optics mount which was 4-feet in diameter with 144 surplus motors to drive it. It could figure the thin mirror in real time for the effects of the mirrors own weight distribution, counteract effects of the mounting, adjust for physical orientation, correct distortions in the atmosphere, produce variations in the mirror's figure to set Focal Ratio, modify the figure (auto Foucault) and correct for changes in focus and thermal events. I worked several years developing it for a very large telescope.
The advent of adaptive optics is spectacular. This technology was made popular for amateur astronomers with the first AO unit and other companies following. The larger the telescope, the more it can benefit from the this technology as the greater the diameter (and image displacement) of the atmospheric "seeing cell" that the telescope must look through.
Where can one find a small rubber grip wheel about an inch in diameter that can connect to a servo horn?
I have access to only common items from the store, maybe a toy car?
The servo motor and rubber wheel will drive this large circular disk.
See posts 1408 and 1412 for photos.
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?124495-Fill-the-Big-Brain&p=1035337&viewfull=1#post1035337
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?124495-Fill-the-Big-Brain&p=1036023&viewfull=1#post1036023
The Air Rocket was launched from the Big Brains Laboratory located in a Micro Space Environment on Monday September 19th at 7:01pm.
Prepped, primed and ready for take off! The MSR-1 rocket is perched atop the large scaled ballast tank of air fuel awaiting instantaneous pressurization. The rocket recycles natural environment air fuel over and over again.
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Big Brain Rocket Program
The Big Brain has commanded a rocket program to begin. This included parts acquisition on Sunday Sept. 18th and the assembly of the rocket on the evening of Sept. 19th. Launch occurred on Monday Sept. 19th at 7:01pm.
Rocket Fuel
The Brain thinks the rocket fuel should be natural environment recyclable air.
Rocket Design
The humble small first rocket was designed, assembled and flown in Micro Space. This Micro Space Rocket MSR-1 is the first in a series that can be upscaled to fly into other types of space and introduce payloads.
Robotic Rocket
The first rocket is a model to test the Brains potential in robotically controlling a number of scaled rocket devices and parameters with Propeller chips.
Airport
The Big Brain's Airport can serve as a launch platform for Micro Space rockets. The presence detector is in full operation as controlled by the Propeller.
The First Micro Space Rocket Launch
The first rocket flight on Sept. 19th, 2011, lasted approximately three seconds, attained a Micro Space altitude of about ten feet and achieved a safe return and retrieval in under 10 seconds.
Return
The MSR-1 is so light, no parachute is needed for the tumble return.
Rocket Weight
Without payload, the rocket has the same weight as two USA comemorative postage stamps.
Propeller Rocket Management
This is a list of potential Propeller management items for the MSR
How to build a Micro Space Rocket
The beginning of Big Brains Robotic Rocket Space Program..
The MSR-1 rocket is made from scrap materials and
is free but the rocket launcher costs $5. The MSR-0
is designed to fly in Micro Space.
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This is the DIY information required to build and launch your own MSR-1 Micro Space Rocket. The MSR-1 is the beginning of a robotic space program conducted by the Big Brain.
Materials
Tape
Scrap Notebook Paper
Tools
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
Parts
EXCO BSC-01
How to Build
Let’s build a rocket. Cut a piece of scrap paper 2.5 x 1.5 inches. Mark the MSR-1 logo along the center from top to bottom. Using the long nozzle of the BSC-01 Balloon Blowing ballast, roll the paper over it and seal it with tape all along the edge. On the top of the paper, form a flat nose cone by bending the left side in and folding and repeat with the right side. See photo.
Launching
Clear the launch area and observe all safety precautions. The MSR-1 now fits over the long nozzel of the BSC-01. The hole on the bottom of the BSC-01 is then plugged. (This can have a seal of hot melt glue) The air chamber on the BSC-01 is now quickly depressed to exhume an amount of air equal to the volume of the rockets air pressurization chamber. The amount of thrust can control the rocket’s altitude.
Safety
- Evacuate all people from the launch area
- Never point the rocket at another person or animal
- Avoid all flammable materials
- Do not operate near fireplace, open flame, burner, heater, stove, oven
- Do not operate in the kitchen or room with a fireplace
- Avoid aiming at breakable items
- Announce the countdown
- If holding, face away from the rocket
First Applications- Test how to vary rocket height by amount of thrust
- Test Airport Propeller PIR Motion Detector (launch, in flight, reentry)
- Test rocket in flight stability
- Time the duration of rocket flight
- Construct a long version rocket & study the effects
- Add rocket fins and note the effect
- Alter the "nose cone" shape and study the results
- Add a payload of several postage stamps and study height
- Launch at angles and study down range
- Calculate the rocket's approximate velocity using RT = D
- Test Newton's Law F = MA
- Determine Maximum Height with Maximum Thrust
ResourcesEXCO BSC-01
www.exco.com.cn
Big Brain's PIR Airport Motion Detector
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?124495-Fill-the-Big-Brain&p=1032658&viewfull=1#post1032658
Formula
RT = D
R = Rate, T = Time, D = Distance
F = MA
F = Force, M = Mass, A = Acceleration
Operating Sensors & Equipment
The first sensors include the operational Parallax Propeller PIR motion detector sensor to see various motions (Lift Off, In Flight, Recovery), a Propeller timer for in flight duration to maximum altitude, and the measurement of down range distance.
Flight Data
The average thrust flight lasted one second to achieve an altitude of ten feet. The rocket is moving at a rate of ten feet per second.
Attaching Payloads
Payloads are attached by curling and affixing to the side of the rocket in the most even weight distribution configuration, preferable near the rocket stability point. The payloads are typically paper, like a postage stamp or print. Attach the payload with glue or double stick tape.
Making a Payload Compartment
Make the rocket with paper that's 3-inches to one side. The allows for a friction payload floor fit into the top internal 1/2-inch height compartment. The floor is made from a round piece of paper with a diameter 1/8th inch larger than the rocket's inside diameter. Then man small cuts and fold over to friction fit. This creates a payload compartment with the dimensions of 1/2 inch x 3/8th inch. To insert the payload, unfold the nose cone and place it inside. Reverse the process to retrieve the payload. The payload can be a curled stamp or folded paper with a written message to fit the compartment dimensions, or a live insectronaut.
Lessen the Impact of G-Force
Place a tiny piece of cotton on the micro space capsule's floor to act as a cushion, especially for live travelers.
Launching Live Payloads
Make a tiny containment "space capsule" from a crumpled piece of paper to friction fit into the payload compartment. The Insectronaut can be an ant. Launch your ant, retrieve it, inspect it, and let it go safely. It's famous!
Insectronaut Selection Program
Look for qualifying ants that are small and lean, with light body weight. Solicit ants that are far from the home hill because they're in the best condition from hiking. Find and select worker ants that are a young age, in the prime of their health, and cooperative. Be very careful when handling. Try not to directly touch the ant but guide it with a skewer stick into the waiting room jar until launch. Do not wait too long for launch. Immediately release the ant after the MSR-1's Micro Space flight and press photos are complete. Generally one flight per insectronaut should be sufficient. Too much exposure to Micro Space MU's (Motion Units) can be hazardous to their health. The Ant Insectronaut payment for going into space is a sugar cube.
Going in Style with a Window Port
Cut out a small window at the top by the payload compartment using a sharp pointed Exacto knife and glue a tiny clear cellophane over it from the inside. Now you can watch the ant insectronaut inside the capsule before and after launch.
Rocket Specifications MSR-1
Body - Paper, Scotch Tape
Length - 2.5 inches
Diameter - 3/8th inch
Fins - None
Nose Cone - Flat, pointed
Weight - Two commemorative postage stamps
Propulsion - Air
Altitude - Variable, 1 to over 10-feet
Launcher - EXCO BSC-01
Launching Shaft - 2" Long
Launcher Length - 5.75"
Launcher Diameter - 2"
Insectronaut Program - Yes
Possible Payloads - Postage stamp, Parallax sticker, String, Messages, Salt, insects
Rocket Features: Capsule compartment, Floor Cushion, Window, Lettering
Budget
The MSR-1 Rocket Budget was $5. The budget was met with a cost breakdown as follows:
Rocket - Free from scraps
EXCO BSC-01 Launcher $5
Total: $5
No, that was self moderation by myself. Parallax did not intervene at all.
The position of the launch tower is currently approximated for launch of the MSP-01 rocket. In the next version, the Alt-Azimuth Robotic Drive will set the angles and determine the azimuth and altitude. A scale of setting circles would help initial readings and settings. Work is proceeding on a new Alt-Azimuth Robotic Drive ARD that can be adapted for the Rocket Gantry and sensor positioning. It's likely the ARD will have many robotic functions and purposes within the Micro Space Program. One example is for a version of the ARD to hold and position PING))) for radar functions on the Airport.
This is a nice easy process for creating biological life that could be reverse engineered for making machine life with Propeller chips.
In the biological version, you simply buy some DNA fragments from a mail order store, glue the strands together with yeast, incubate it, clean it, and now you have really good bugs.
http://tzechienchu.typepad.com/tc_chus_point/2010/05/index.html
To use the biological construct and apply it to creating life with Parallax Propeller chips in the Big Brain machine configuration would entail replicating snippets of DNA converted to SPIN code. In this event, DNA computer models downloaded from internet could be used in place of the mail order strands. The code is glued together by some MCP or a computer programmer supplying code acting as the yeast catalyst, following with a regulated process, i.e. a series of iterations to induce artificial aging. The resultant mix is cleaned up with filtering and conditioning and the Object is then ready to get down and boogy.
It appears possible the machine versions of the biological made life could have similar applications and many new ones.
Propeller Robotic Driven RADAR for Micro Space
Beginning development of Ping-based MRAD, a Micro Space Radar
for the Big Brain Project
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Introduction to Prop Micro Radar MRAD
Micro Radar MRAD is the Big Brain's Propeller version of RADAR. It's a simplification of RADAR that doesn't use high frequency radio waves but rather low frequency acoustics called Ultrasonics.
Micro Space Crafts Detection and Ranging
Ultrasonics will be used for detection and ranging for space crafts operated in the Micro Space Environment. Micro Radar (MRAD)can operate with the recently completed PIR motion detector in the growing add-on compliment of sensors on the Micro Space Airport.
Propeller Brain's Micro Space Airport
The Propeller Brain's Micro Space Airport is a buzzing hive and shored port of activity for the testing and development of many new Micro Air Crafts, such as the Micro Helicopter and the Micro Rocket MSR-01 recently launched.
Relocation
The large 4x20 LCD may be relocated from the aft Big Brain section to the top Big Brain Airport. Current orientation, when the Big Brain is in Airport mode, is a sideways LCD. Several tests will run to determine is relocation is necessary. It's likely the brain will want to move resources used for the airport to the airport.
Ultrasonics
Ultrasonics uses high frequency sound waves. With PING, like Bat vision, the sound is reflected off objects in the path and the echo can indicate distance and relative position.
Ping Frequency
The frequency of ping is well defined at 40KHz. The frequency of radar is much higher and extensively includes multiple bands.
Radio Frequency bands of Radar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radar
HF - 3-30MHz
P - <300 MHz
VHF - 030-300 MHZ
UHF - 300-1000
L - 001- 2 GHz
S - 002-4 GHz
C - 004-8 GHz
X - 008-12 GHz
KU - 12-18 GHz
K - 18-24
KA - 24-40 GHz
mm - 40-300 GHz
W - 75-110 HGz
UWB - 1.6-10.5 GHz
MRAD Code
The Spin code for MRAD is a collection of source code obtained from the OBEX. The following code is used for operations and testing.
Debug_Lcd.spin
Ping_Demo.spin
Ping.spin
Serial_Lcd.spin
Simple_Numbers.spin
Simple_Serial.spin
Sample Code for MRAD
The ping.spin object is used in an example project with the Parallax 4 x 20 Serial LCD (#27979) to display distance measurements. The complete Project Archive can be downloaded from the Propeller Object Exchange at http://obex.parallax.com.
{{ *************************************** * Ping))) Object V1.1 * * (C) 2006 Parallax, Inc. * * Author: Chris Savage & Jeff Martin * * Started: 05-08-2006 * *************************************** Interface to Ping))) sensor and measure its ultrasonic travel time. Measurements can be in units of time or distance. Each method requires one parameter, Pin, that is the I/O pin that is connected to the Ping)))'s signal line. ┌───────────────────┐ │┌───┐ ┌───┐│ Connection To Propeller ││ ‣ │ PING))) │ ‣ ││ Remember PING))) Requires │└───┘ └───┘│ +5V Power Supply │ GND +5V SIG │ └─────┬───┬───┬─────┘ │ │  1K  └┘ └ Pin --------------------------REVISION HISTORY-------------------------- v1.1 - Updated 03/20/2007 to change SIG resistor from 10K to 1K }} CON TO_IN = 73_746 ' Inches TO_CM = 29_034 ' Centimeters PUB Ticks(Pin) : Microseconds | cnt1, cnt2 ''Return Ping)))'s one-way ultrasonic travel time in microseconds outa[Pin]~ ' Clear I/O Pin dira[Pin]~~ ' Make Pin Output outa[Pin]~~ ' Set I/O Pin outa[Pin]~ ' Clear I/O Pin (> 2 μs pulse) dira[Pin]~ ' Make I/O Pin Input waitpne(0, |< Pin, 0) ' Wait For Pin To Go HIGH cnt1 := cnt ' Store Current Counter Value waitpeq(0, |< Pin, 0) ' Wait For Pin To Go LOW cnt2 := cnt ' Store New Counter Value Microseconds := (||(cnt1 - cnt2) / (clkfreq / 1_000_000)) >> 1 ' Return Time in μs PUB Inches(Pin) : Distance ''Measure object distance in inches Distance := Ticks(Pin) * 1_000 / TO_IN ' Distance In Inches PUB Centimeters(Pin) : Distance ''Measure object distance in centimeters Distance := Millimeters(Pin) / 10 ' Distance In Centimeters PUB Millimeters(Pin) : Distance ''Measure object distance in millimeters Distance := Ticks(Pin) * 10_000 / TO_CM ' Distance In MillimetersGadget Gangster Tutorial
http://gadgetgangster.com/tutorials/343
Code Archive
http://gadgetgangster.com/working_files/spin_tutorial/Using_PST.zip
Sample code for a PC based project that can run PST
reference Gadget Gangster. Note, code is elsewhere listed that runs on a Macintosh. To run on a Macintosh, BST is used along with its Serial Terminal, and code will include the Simple Serial Object. The other option, chosen for this project, is to run a serial LCD to show output.
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Hookup diagram for a Propeller board and PING)))
reference Gadget Gangster
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Definitions
RADAR
a "ra(dio) d(etecting) a(nd) r(anging)" method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, velocity, or other characteristics by analysis of very high frequency radio waves reflected from their surfaces. - The American Heritage® Dictionary
a method for detecting the position and velocity of a distant object, such as an aircraft. A narrow beam of extremely high-frequency radio pulses is transmitted and reflected by the object back to the transmitter, the signal being displayed on a radarscope. The direction of the reflected beam and the time between transmission and reception of a pulse determine the position of the object. - Collins English Dictionary
a method of detecting distant objects and determining their position, speed, material composition, or other characteristics by causing radio waves to be reflected from them and analyzing the reflected waves. The waves can be converted into images, as for use on weather maps. - The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
an acronym for RAdio Detecting And Ranging: a method and the equipment used for the detection and determination of the velocity of a moving object by reflecting radio waves off it. - Ologies & -Isms
Assimilate - to absorb into the culture or mores of a population or group, to be taken in or absorbed, absorb into the system, to alter, ... examples: Children need to assimilate new ideas. There was a lot of information to assimilate at school. Schools were used to assimilate the children of immigrants. They found it hard to assimilate to American society. Many of these religious traditions have been assimilated into the culture.
Ultrasonic - Of or relating to acoustic frequencies above the range audible to the human ear, or above approximately 20000 hertz. - Answers.com
Micro Space RADAR - Radar established by the Big Brain for the Micro Space evironment, i.e. a low frequency version of RADAR that uses ultrasonic frequency (40KHz)
Micro Space Airport - the airport owned and operated by the Big Brain, designed for launching Aero Crafts such as helicopters and rockets, operated within the Micro Space environment
Micro Space - a space environment contained within a room extending to (but not confined within as in the case of telescopes looking out windows) the interior dimensions of the room, walls, floor and ceiling.
Micro Space Crafts - an artful made technical aero craft, a machine designed to fly within Micro Space, example: balloon, helicopter, rocket, tether
PING)))DAR - a program that displays what the Boe-Bot detects in the Debug Terminal as it sweeps the Ping))) rangefinder back and forth.
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References & Sources
Gadget Gangster - Unique Electronic Projects From the Community
http://gadgetgangster.com/
PINGDAR Reference
Parallax has references to the exciting PINGDAR project with BoeBot and the BS2. This is designed for a human to visually see the graphical representations of objects in the detectable FOV. In the case of the Big Brain, it only needs to peruse the raw data for assimilation, so the data will be picked off the Propeller's Spin code.
The PING)))DAR activity features a program that displays what the BS2-based Boe-Bot detects in the Debug Terminal as it sweeps the Ping))) rangefinder back and forth.
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?86110-Ping)))Dar-a-Radar-Style-Display
Radar Basics - Tutorial
http://www.radartutorial.eu/07.waves/wa04.en.html
Radar Operating Frequency
http://www.armedforces-int.com/article/radar-operating-frequency.html
The frequency of radar
http://www.google.com.tw/search?q=the+frequency+of+radar&hl=zh-TW&source=hp&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=2483l5813l0l6160l17l17l0l10l10l0l164l860l2.5l7l0&oq=the+frequency+of+radar&aq=f&aqi=&aql=
PING)))DAR
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?86110-Ping)))Dar-a-Radar-Style-Display
PING))) Demo by Chris Savage (Parallax)
http://obex.parallax.com/objects/114/
The Ping Object demonstrates how to interface and read the distance of an object from the Parallax PING))) Sensor.
dualPing by BR
http://obex.parallax.com/objects/511/
This object is a dual-channel driver for Ping))) ultrasonic ranging units (Channels A &
PING)))TM Ultrasonic Distance Sensor (#28015)
http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/prod/acc/28015-PING-v1.5.pdf
Parallax ping sensor http://www.parallax.com/Store/Sensors/ObjectDetection/tabid/176/ProductID/92/List/0/Default.aspx?SortField=ProductName,ProductName
You can find additional resources for the PING))) sensor by searching the following product pages at
[url]www.parallax.com:[/url]
Smart Sensors and Applications (a Stamps in Class text), #28029
http://www.parallax.com/Portals/0/Downloads/docs/prod/sic/3rdPrintSmartSensors-v1.0.pdf
PING))) Mounting Bracket Kit a servo-driven mount designed to attach to a Boe-Bot robot, #570-28015
Hack a Day
Monitoring water levels with a Parallax Ping sensor
http://hackaday.com/tag/parallax/
Propeller-based robot with basic object avoidance
http://hackaday.com/2011/07/06/propeller-based-robot-with-basic-object-avoidance/
How to Use Ultrasound
http://www.backyardrobots.com/parts/sonar2.shtml
Obstacle detection with Ping))), Propeller Servo Controller USB & Roborealm
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?131046-Obstacle-detection-with-Ping)))-Propeller-Servo-Controller-USB-amp-Roborealm
Content in Parallax Propeller | Let's Make Robots!
Programming With 12Blocks. Control a Servo with a Ping Sensor in about 5 minutes. Using a Parallax Propeller
letsmakerobots.com/taxonomy/term/3456 - 頁庫存檔 - 類似內容
Propeller Ping Bot with code
James Ronald's Website
http://jamesronald.us/projects.html
Spingdar by jeffa April 4, 2010
http://www.rodaw.com/back2school/spingdar/
If we add together parts of parallax propeller spin ping and radar. What do we get? Spingdar!
Humanoido,
You mention the Ping sensor uses sound waves but it might be helpful to those who haven't learned about electromagnetic radiation, to inform them that radar signals are not sound waves but are low (compared with visible light) frequency light waves (electromagnetic radiation).
Duane
Duane, thanks for this important clarification - this is helpful as I believe the project information will be useful to develop lesson plans in education.
Planning for the Next Generation beyond Micro Space
The Big Brain is asking questions about Quadcopters and planning the next generation of space to explore. The Brain is asking, "What's out there beyond Micro Space? and "What vehicles will be used to explore it?"
RC Quadcopters develop more thrust and can carry significant payloads, thus "onboarding" more robotics and sensors and maintaining greater balance. They offer better wind resistance, and can fly in a greater number of conditions at greater distances.
Regulatory rules are still line of sight, but the Quadcopter's larger size resulting in greater visibility is a great advantage for flying higher and farther. Significant science aero programs can be achieved including ones that rival some rockets in altitude but with all the advantages of a VTOL mode.
Opposing rockets sustain significant G-forces while Quadcopters can gently ascend and descend which has many advantages. The geometrical platform distribution of driving forces of the Quadcopter can lead to studies of the forces required to loft and maintain floating cities and Tethering for the future of supplementary EPG, Electrical Power Generation.
The Hack a Day search came up with this unit, made from propellers on sticks and a lightweight styrofoam base to offer protection, a mounting surface for the battery and electronics in the center. (see photo)
http://hackadaycom.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/quadcopter.jpg?w=450&h=338
The 25C3 team has a post highlighting some of the hardware workshops that will be happening at Chaos Communication Congress this year. Our own [Jimmie Rodgers] will be in the microcontroller workshop area building kits with many others. The folks from mignon will be bringing several of their game kits for another workshop. We saw quite a few quadcopters at CCCamp and the team from Mikrokopter will be back to help you construct your own drone. They say it only takes five hours for the full build, but space is limited.
http://hackaday.com/tag/conference/
Right now, at the forefront of this new technology are team leaders, developers and innovators - the great leading minds, like Ken Gracey of Parallax with products in hand, Chip Gracey who is offering the Propeller chip and future generations to come, Andy Lindsay & Dave Andreae writing new chapters of cutting edge technology, Beau Schwabe & Chris Savage who are designing & supporting technical guts, David Carrier a mastermind, Holger Buss and Ingo Busker of the Quadrokopter Workshop, and others that recognize Quadcopter significance and growing popularity in scientific and RC applications.
Build a Quadcopter
http://events.ccc.de/congress/2008/wiki/Build_a_Quadrocopter/
CCCamp Quad-copters (with video)
http://hackaday.com/2007/08/10/cccamp-2007-quad-copters/
quadrocopter@24c3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjFkU4zDhso
A folding Quadcopter
Conrads Quadrocopter: Modellflug-Plattfom mit Luft-Kamera | CHIP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7t4_JapFins&NR=1
Test: Parrot AR.Drone | CHIP Online (chip.de)
Kit, with camera built in, controlled remotely with iPhone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKefapjff_0&feature=relmfu
2 Quadcopters playing ball with each other
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CR5y8qZf0Y&feature=rellist&playnext=1&list=PL73D1049A4CDA7DE9
The Ultimate QuadCopter Build Log
http://forums.parallax.com/showthread.php?133372-Ken-s-QuadCopter-Build-Log-(now-includes-videos)