Telescopes...
C14 Remote Internet Telescope:
Celeston C14 on a Astro-Physics GTO-1200 remote internet controlled mount, in the newly completed robotic sliding roof Middle
Observatory. SBIG ST-9 CCD camera, CFW-10 filter wheel, Optec .5 focal reducer, Optec Temperature Controlled focuser, Kendrick dew heater.
10" Meade GPS Remote Internet Telescope:
Meade 25cm (10") LX-200 GPS Model. Dedicated SBIG STL-1001E CCD. Optec Temperature Controlled focuser, Kendrick dew heater.
AP=250mm FL= 2,760mm FR=f/11.04 FOV=30.6^min square.
Array= 1024x1024 @ 24microns/pixel. Image Scale=1.79^sec/pixel
C6 Remote Internet Telescope:
15cm (6") f/10 Celestron C6 Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope mounted on a GOTO EQ5 remote internet controlled mount. Used for planetary and lunar imaging. G-Star EX or Imaging Source DBK21AU04.AS camera's, this telescope runs an F6.3 focal reducer to give a focal length of 1,500mm
Small Radio Telescope (SRT):
The Small Radio Telescope (SRT) uses a 2.3m diameter dish driven by an altitude/azimuth computer control drive system with an FFT based radio spectrometer receiver operating between 1370 - 1800 MHz to make various radio astronomy observations including the 21 cm (1420 MHz) spin flip line of atomic hydrogen. The receiver uses digital technology with a 8-bit analogue to digital down converter, digital signal processor (DSP) and is controlled remotely using a STAMP microprocessor and RS-232 communications. Projects are submitted by users in the astronomical community, where the resulting data is passed on over the internet for further study. The telescope is owned and operated by Andrew Mattingly and Greg Ford and is hosted by Grove Creek Observatory.
Meteor Camera
Custom built meteor detection camera consisting of a G-Star EX2 ultra low light camera on a motorised rotating platform. The camera rotates towards incoming meteors during darkness, and at dawn, rotates to a 'park' position facing south
away from the sun. Software used is a combination of in-house developed automation programs and commercial meteor capture software (UFO Capture)
Captured meteor images are automatically saved to a control computer and transferred to our Sydney server for uploading to our meteor web page.
This system also incorporates a lightning detector that triggers a digital SLR camera for capturing spectacular lightning displays. Designed and owned by Greg Ford.