(meteorobs) All sky cameras -Addendum

[stange]

If a way is ever found to standarize all Sentinel cameras with their 
individual (inherent) light sensitivities, I would reverse this situation 
and use the second system to do the enhanced sensitivity only.

Also as Wayme mentioned, I do my Sentinel & 2nd system detail work in B/W. 
False coloring designed for analysis looks better for public viewing but 
does hide detail in the event & star field.

Larry

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "stange" <stange34 at sbcglobal.net>
To: "Global Meteor Observing Forum" <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
Sent: 2009/05/12 13:10
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) All sky cameras


> Yes Ed, Good question.
>
> My sole purpose for higher sensitivity is to bring out pre and post 
> trailing
> which causes Sentinel to capture MORE of the fireball characterization. It
> does however have a down side as mentioned by Chris. The ablation &
> detonation is wider and brighter. I accept this in my effort to detect
> persistant trains, detonation products, and more accurate start & ending
> positioning of the meteor/fireball flight path, or a cooling meteorite on
> its way down.
>
> I don't recommend this for everyone. That is another reason (1 of 3) why I
> run a second software system which has no enhancement that is connected
> directly to the Sentinel camera with an active coupler with no gain.
>
> The 3 reasons are:
> 1. Capture of any fireballs during Sentinel reset time of ~30 seconds.
> 2. Full capture of flight time not limited to Sentinels 7 seconds.
> 3. Normal(visually close) light intensity levels.
>
> YCSentinel
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Ed Majden" <epmajden at shaw.ca>
> To: "Global Meteor Observing Forum" <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
> Sent: 2009/05/12 12:48
> Subject: Re: (meteorobs) All sky cameras
>
>
>> Larry et all:
>> What is your purpose for recording meteors in this magnitude range?
>> If your doing meteor flux studies or a program that Sirko Molau heads
>> you need to reach fainter magnitudes than these all-sky cameras are
>> capable of.  In this case you either have to use a sensitive ccd
>> camera with a small field of view or use an image intensifier
>> system.  The purpose of the Sandia System as I understand it is to
>> detect meteor dropping fireballs.  If there is another purpose, what
>> is it?
>> Ed Majden
>>
>>
>> On 12-May-09, at 12:15 PM, stange wrote:
>>
>>> I have to agree with Chris and Thomas.
>>>
>>> In the main, the PC164C's are superior to the Sentinel camera in
>>> both focus
>>> crispness and sensitivity by about 1 to 2 magnitudes. I tested both
>>> cameras
>>> with Sentinel software here under my poor Mag 2.5 City light
>>> conditions.
>>>
>>> Using my Sentinel at a higher software brightness level of 150,
>>> (where 128
>>> is the normal range), I can routinely detect fireballs of mag 0 and
>>> sometimes mag 1. Basically it will detect fireballs almost as dim
>>> as the
>>> dimmest star that is visible in your starfield if your sensitivity
>>> setting
>>> is close to your threshold setting. Unfortunately getting too close to
>>> threshold settings cause false triggers from other sources.
>>>
>>> So for this station in Yuba City..... mag 0 and is the limiting
>>> magnitude.
>>>
>>>
>>> YCSentinel
>>> (Just got on a temp. dial up line. DSL "maybe" Thurs. night.)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "drobnock" <drobnock at penn.com>
>>> To: <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
>>> Sent: 2009/05/12 06:10
>>> Subject: (meteorobs) All sky cameras
>>>
>>>
>>>> A question to those using all sky cameras to observe fireballs,
>>>> what is
>>>> the visual  limiting magnitude of the camera? And what is the
>>>> limit of
>>>> the meteor or fireball that can be recorded?
>>>>
>>>> Also for Thomas Ashcraft, for the VLF/VHF/Visual recording you have
>>>> presented, what is the limiting visual magnitude of your system?
>>>>
>>>> Thank you,
>>>>
>>>> George John Drobnock
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
>>>> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
>>>> http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
>>> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
>>> http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
>> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
>> http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs
>
> _______________________________________________
> Mailing list meteorobs: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, email: owner-meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> http://lists.meteorobs.org/mailman/listinfo/meteorobs