Forum: Weekly Photo Challenges
02-28-2024, 12:19 PM
|
|
After trying with a tiny 50mm tasco scope in my youth, I originally started getting back into astronomy then into Astrophotography(AP) after buying a too large spotting scope on sale(celestron c6-xlt-a 1500mm/f10), deciding that things moved through the screen way too fast, I gradually built what is now a remote observatory. Somewhere during my research I incorrectly chose a Pentax K50 and then tried to get it to do remote capture, spent most of a year testing for libGPhoto to try to make it work with Pentax so I could use it with other remote software, eventually deciding it was locked out/broken on purpose(glaring at Ricoh). We had made other K series cameras work but not mine... I happily reported the new functionality in forums, and eventually bought an old used K5 to use with my cobbled up DIY system. I finally retired the diy/cg4 mount and bought an eq6r-pro, but still use many of my DIY opensource projects. There is a phrase in cycling "cheap light strong, pick any two.", and this also applies to AP except it's "cheap, easy, accurate, pick any two". I did it cheap, but it wasn't easy. :P
My current living room bigscreen setup is EQ6R-pro,TPO 150mm/f4 imaging newtonian(w/ 1.1x coma corrector),pentax k5d - DIY full spectrum , asi120fit to a modified 50mm finder scope for autoguiding, DIY filter wheel, focus and dark/flat cover(in progress). I use all opensource Kstars/ekos for control and process mostly in Siril/rawtherapee in Linux. I'm currently trying to decide if taking the leap to a larger mirror is warranted, or just let it pass like so many other hobbies I've hit the glass funding ceiling on. https://smithriverphoto.burritochat.net/upload/2024/02/10/20240210113536-ae34815a.jpg |
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-21-2024, 06:54 AM
|
|
Warning.... grumpy post ahead.
An eclipse can be art, especially if you photograph stages or timelapse, but it won't be for me, despite a lifetime of astronomy/AP. I started looking for a place to stay about July of last year and every single booking was jacked 20x the normal rate. Even if I could afford it, I could go to Peru cheaper than a stay in shadow for the eclipse in the heart of trashland. I even looked at a camper in hopes of poaching a parking lot stay, but it would cost the same, I have no good way to haul it, and they're all cracking down on sleepovers anyway. This would have been my last chance to see one this lifetime, but greed must abide - They can keep their 5000$ dirty little shacks.
It's not worth the effort for 2 minutes of corona I can get online any time at SOHO/SDO, and unsurprisingly has zero family support.
I missed the last one by about 4 hours drive(this would be 14), after traffic warnings and the threat of clouds put me off and I opted at the last minute to stay home and capture a local partial instead(also cloudy), and I'm even more determined this time. For those planning a trip, check the almanac for weather. Best I saw was 58% chance in Ohio, but I suspect southern regions may be a better option.
If you are going, I suggest using an inexpensive refractor and projecting onto a white sheet sans eyepiece for a big view. A friend has been doing this with a 50+yr old 60mm f12 on a wooden tripod for several partials. He even photographed the paint canvas he used with really nice results for the time.
I took this with a handheld while my astro gear made a timelapse of the partial in 2017. A thunderstorm passed just north of me while I was watching. |
Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
02-13-2024, 07:34 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|
Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
02-13-2024, 07:28 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|
Forum: Winners' Showcase
02-13-2024, 07:28 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|
Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
02-13-2024, 07:27 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|
Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
02-13-2024, 07:26 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|
Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
02-13-2024, 07:18 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|
Forum: Site Suggestions and Help
02-02-2024, 07:53 AM
|
|
Thanks! it should be good for the forseable future now. I wasn't able to edit older posts so this will be very helpful.
|
Forum: Post Your Photos!
02-01-2024, 10:23 AM
|
|
I did some valve grinding and reassembled obviously not perfect head just to test the rest of the tractor. After some fiddling and a fair amount of ATF and elbow grease I got the 4spd pto working and tested it with a bushhog in the heaviest stuff I could find and it ran better than I thought it would. Then I hunted around for a valve job and ended up buying a rebuilt from a company in Mississippi that took half my budget and 3 months to get back. I also found this monster old scrape blade with all the pivots. I need to add some nose weight but it's really a nice little tractor for its age. I found a date code on the lift controls that puts it about 1970. oh..I also replaced that one gnarly looking front tire. Anyone wanting to follow the saga can see more at: https://www.tractorforum.com/threads/rescuing-a-kubota-l260.63008/page-5#post-426897 |
Forum: Site Suggestions and Help
02-01-2024, 08:16 AM
|
|
Second followup. I tried doing a few by hand and found things weren't working at first due to the www. not redirecting properly. I redid the redirects so every iteration of the url will work now.
It should all work now with just the above changes burritochat.net to burritochat.net.
|
Forum: Pentax News and Rumors
02-01-2024, 08:11 AM
|
|
I always take my k50/wr kit lenses in the kayak. I also dropped it in river sand once when the screw in mount came loose on my tether and I had to dive on it to keep it from going off a cliff into the river! I dusted it off carefully before removing the lens and it's still shooting! |
Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-31-2024, 12:29 PM
|
|
I missed this when you wrote it. I agree, dynamic range is always a pita with these things. I'll try to remember to come back to this. Currently chasing down as many bad links as I can find after my domain registrar crashed recently.
|
Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-31-2024, 12:20 PM
|
|
Gotta work!
Thanks! I'm going around fixing broken links and stopped to look at this one again when it loaded.
|
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-28-2024, 04:30 PM
|
|
Thanks for the intel. The pana 12-60 is my goto hiking lens these days. It's like a good bike saddle. You don't really notice it because everything works. My other lenses were getting lonely so I did an entire hike without it yesterday.
|
Forum: Site Suggestions and Help
01-28-2024, 04:10 PM
|
|
Woot! The tld "burritochat.net" changed to "burritochat.net". Nothing else changed server side so they should all work with that updated.
I decided keeping the burritochat name would make life easier in tracking down dead links when I bought one. so basically .tk becomes .net.
The .com domain just forwards everything currently. I decided to use the .net one because I have game servers and an xmpp chat system on there too and no actual company, so it seemed more appropriate. There was also a sale. :P
[followup: In case anyone is wondering it was the bad behavior by registrars that kept me at .tk for so long.]
|
Forum: Site Suggestions and Help
01-28-2024, 12:50 PM
|
|
I recently lost my free domain l after some stupid moves by establishment shut down an entire country code from the ICANN database that as usual only hurt the %80+ of legit users. This caught me unawares and my website and servers went offline one day this month without warning. Knowing I wanted to continue hosting my own stuff, I went and found another registrar(porkbun ftw!) and bought 5years of burritochat.net registration and the .com for it to protect my choice from spoofers. I wanted smithriverphoto.com but some gorm front-runner parked it on me and I refuse/can't really afford to pay them to get it back.
@Adam Do you have a way to search for those .tk links in the forum db and replace them with .net? It should be all that's needed to correct the dead links. Tracking down every linked photo might be difficult but I'll work on it if need be. An alternative would be to delete all the old threads and I'll just take life as it comes. Home | Smith River Photography |
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-28-2024, 12:05 PM
|
|
After my 14-42 EZ collapsible died and I replaced it with the bulky but great pana 12-60 I've been happy but it left without a pocket carry grab and go for my work bag. I usually carry an oly PM-2 with a pancake lens so I don't wear out my already dogeared em5ii dragging it back and forth to work.
I'm considering either getting another 14-42 EZ or maybe trying a 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Mega OIS ED instead. Anybody tried one of these?
|
Forum: Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands
01-28-2024, 11:56 AM
|
|
He's just holding up his end.
|
Forum: Post Your Photos!
01-16-2024, 11:40 AM
|
|
Great close up! This reminds me I need to go stalk that bald eagle I keep hearing down by the river. It's only the second or third one i've seen in the area. There's a huge probably eagles nest down there too.
|
Forum: Winners' Showcase
01-10-2024, 09:05 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|
Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
01-10-2024, 08:50 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|
Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
01-10-2024, 08:45 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|
Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
01-10-2024, 08:45 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|
Forum: Monthly Photo Contests
01-10-2024, 08:43 AM
|
|
I would like to nominate this photo
|