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Re: (meteorobs) Video Observing



Hello Mark,

> Sirko, other than the funding problem I guess we are all concerned about, I
> am now concerned about what you stated above. I envisioned that if I got
> into video, I would *not* need to quit visual observing. I guess I assumed
> it is possible to set up the equipment and then settle down for some visual
> observing, only checking it say every hour or so. Excuse this elementary
> question, but is this not possible?

my statement was ment in a little different direction.
Of course, once your video system is working, it runs independently the 
whole night. You only have to change the video tape sometimes and to 
control, whether everything works proper (lens heating, etc.).
What I meant is, that you have to spend a lot of extra time to built your 
equipment and analyse the video tapes afterwards.
You know, there is this species of 'amateur astronomer', who always creates 
better telescopes. Once he has finished a nice one, he immediately starts do 
built an even better one, but never has the time to really use it. I do 
not want that everybody spends much time to get his video system running 
and forgets visual observation at that time.
By the way, in expedition environment it always takes me a while to start 
the camera. I made the experience, that I need on average at least one 
hour to setup everything and start the camera in the field. This is the 
time, when I'm always getting nervous, because I also want to start my 
visual watch. Of course, things become much better if you have one 
fixed observing site and can leave the camera there. Still, there is 
always a little extra work to be done.
Sirko

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*           Sirko Molau             *                    __              *  
*          Str.246 Nr.16            *             " 2B v 2B "            * 
*          D-13086 Berlin           *                                    * 
*   smo@informatik.tu-chemnitzdot de   *                       Shakespeare  *
*   http://www.tu-chemnitzdot de/~smo  *                                    *
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