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04 Disember 2008

Celestron CPC 925 Review

There are simply tons upon tons of telescopes on the market. If you're new to the game, you may be asking yourself which one should you pick that is best not only for general viewing but astrophotography as well? Here's a quick review of what we think of the Celestron CPC 925 GPS (XLT) Telescope, and why it might be the one you're looking for, whether you're just getting into astronomy, or are looking for one of the highest quality optical telescopes available.

What sets the Celestron CPC GPS (XLT) Telescopes apart from the original NexStar GPS Telescopes?

First off, their Revolutionary SkyAlign Alignment Technology changes the mold of thinking of what amateur astronomers look for, with fast and easy alignment, GPS, unmatched quality lenses, upgraded computerization, ergonomics, and affordability. Once the CPC's internal GPS has established the telescope's position, aligning the telescope is as easy as one-two-three! Simply locate and by hand control manually point (slew) the telescope to three bright celestial objects. You do not need to know the names of the stars, you may even pick the moon or bright planets! Celestron's NexStar software technology will model the night sky to determine the position of every star, planet and celestial object above the horizon. Once aligned, the remote hand control allows direct access to each of the celestial catalogs in its user-friendly database.

While CPC inherits NexStar computer control, there is an upgrade to over 40,000 object database with 400 user-definable objects and expanded information on over 200.

Why is CPC better for astrophotography?

Like all Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes, the CPC optics are individually matched and hand figured to produce the highest quality in every telescope. There's a longer focal length primary and lower magnification secondary contributing to flatter focal plane, which means less coma and off-axis astigmatism, along with StarBright coatings to maximize light transmission.

Baffle design, optimized for astrophotography, minimizes vignetting at the edge of the field of view. This reduces light drop off at the corners of your film plane.

Why do we recommend you consider purchasing a Celestron CPC GPS (XLT) Telescope?

Once again, Celestron has proven itself as a leader in astronomical optics. Many satisfied customers have been absolutely blown away by this new convergence of technology at an amazingly low price.

Purchase either the Celestron CPC 800 GPS (XLT), Celestron CPC 925 GPS (XLT), or Celestron CPC 1100 GPS (XLT) Telescopes and we're confident you'll find yourself singing along with the many other satisfied astronomers who made the same decision to invest in their passion as you have!

Beyond Sight brings you the information to get you started on your new hobby, or help renew your passion for astronomy or astrophotography. We only wish to bring you the best, which is why we are very selective when deciding what to review and what we recommend on our site.

If you wish to learn more about the most talked about leading brands and models of telescopes and binoculars, please feel welcome to visit Beyond Sight

09 November 2008

What Are Telescopes?

Telescopes act as windows to the universe. It is with the help of telescopes that we can study the solar system and view the conjunctions of stars. Not just that, the various planets, galaxies, satellites and asteroids that we get to see only in the books and magazines are made more familiar to us via the telescopes. They act as barrier- breaking instruments between the human beings and the outer space. The universe is no more a mystery to us that exists beyond our reach and we owe it all to the telescopes.

The modern day telescopes bring with them a wide array of accessories and it is with the aid of these accessories that it becomes much more easier to successfully put the telescopes into proper use. Let us see what are the important accessories that go well and are a “must-have” for most telescope users: -

Filters- These are very essential for telescope users because they reduce the glare on the eyepiece and scatter the light thereby making it less strenuous for us to view distant objects.

Eyepiece- this is a very important piece of equipment and its absence can render a telescope useless. Eyepieces come in a variety of sizes and if you add more than one eyepiece to your telescopes then you can have the pleasure of viewing even the tiniest and distant objects with clarity.

Mounts- Mounts are the stands for telescopes. It is a mount on which the telescope rests. Since a telescope wont function favorably in vibrations therefore you should ensure that it is placed on a stable mount.

Barlow lens- A Barlow lens helps in the magnification of telescopes. These lenses are available in different sizes and we must be careful in choosing the size that best fits the eyepiece.

There are two main types of telescopes, the refractor (Galileo) telescopes and the reflector (Newton) telescopes. The refractor telescope uses an objective lens that bends the light towards the eyepiece. While the reflector telescope uses a mirror, which collects the light and then directs it towards the eyepiece.

Though both the refractors as well as the reflector telescopes are easily available in the market we should take the following points into consideration before buying a telescope.

Do not get impressed by the magnification of the telescopes. This is because magnification alone is of no use if it just produces large but hazy images.

Aperture- This is the most important factor while deciding on a telescope. Aperture is the opening that collects light so its important to choose a telescope with a larger aperture that will ensure a clearer and a more detailed image quality.

Resolution- This enables the telescopes to produce a more detailed image. So always opt for a telescope, which has a higher resolution. Moreover since resolution is also determined by the aperture, therefore the larger the aperture the better the resolution.

Focal length- The distance between the optical center of the lens or the mirror and the optical center of the eyepiece is known as the focal length. The focal length is what determines the magnification in telescopes. Larger focal lengths imply more magnification.

If we are careful about remembering the above points then it wont take us long to choose a telescope the next time we want to buy one for ourselves.

08 November 2008

Finding Telescopes For Sale in Your Area

If you want a TV, it is easily found in your local area. In fact many stores will have TV's. However, finding telescopes for sale in your area can be a tricky subject. Not everyone has a telescope, and not that many people are interested in astronomy like us. So, how do you find telescopes for sale in your area?

Though it may seem impossible to find a telescope store in your area, there are still possibilities. The first point to consider is whether you want new telescopes for sale or used telescopes for sale. There are benefits and negatives to both.

Buying a new telescope has many benefits. You get a warranty in almost all cases, and can also take a look at several telescopes. This is great as if something goes wrong, you can always take it back within the allotted period of the warranty. The choice of being able to look at several telescopes also gives you the benefit of finding a telescope that meets your needs. The helpful staff can also give you information you need about telescopes, whether a beginner or more advanced.

Buying a used telescope offers the benefit that you can get the telescope cheaper than if you were buying the telescope as new. This could mean that you get a great deal on the telescope, and likely get a much better telescope for the same money as if you were buying a new telescope.

An important note about buying a used telescope for sale is that the telescope may have problems. If you do go with this route, then consider the state of the telescope. Telescopes are scientific precision instruments used to view objects billions of miles away! This means that any damage to optics can result in poor viewing.

As a note, please strongly consider where you buy your telescope from. The telescopes for sale in a toy store generally are no good if you are serious about seeing some great views of the objects in space. The low quality optics make these telescopes good for looking at the Moon, and close planets, however, further a field they become impractical.

* Finding Telescopes For Sale

You maybe the lucky one to have a telescope store in your area. Some of these stores also sell second hand telescopes; however, the price can be more expensive than if you found a second hand telescope for sale in the classifieds in a local paper.

The internet is truly a blessing for those interested in getting into astronomy and buying a telescope. There are many astronomy stores online that sell telescopes. The only disadvantage is that you can't view the telescope before buying. However, you do get the added bonus of having some of the best prices around. Most of these prices are cheaper than if you were to find telescopes for sale in a telescope store locally.

Finding a first time telescope is not always easy. You may have many questions that need answering. Visit this site to discover more about telescopes and find and buy a telescope that meets your needs, wherever you are in the world! Visit meade telescope salesfirst telescope information or search articles.

06 November 2008

Things You Should Know Before Buying A Digital Camera

In a traditional camera, the lens was king. If the lens delivered a decent image, exactly that image would be recorded on the film. As the original image size was limited by the film size (35mm having become the standard), you would then have to enlarge it to get any size of print. If the original was at all blurred this would be exaggerated by the enlarging process.

The more light the lens let in, the ‘quicker’ it could take an image - hence expensive traditional cameras had wide lenses.

What electronic cameras have done is to downgrade the importance of the lens. Computer software can supply the missing light, and sharpen the image. What you need instead is memory. A 1 megapixel image enlarged to 6x4, is barely acceptable. Above that size, it is a waste of print, but, funnily enough, can be viewed at larger sizes on a computer screen with little loss of quality. A 4 megapixel image can be enlarged to A4.

So, here are the rules. You will see that, as with most electronic purchases, it is very important to analyse what you want to do with the camera. For example I saw a neighbour's new system with which she was so pleased, but I was not impressed. There were so many things 'wrong' with it, in fact, her 'camera' was the primary motivation for writing this article. The quick answer is: If you do exactly the opposite to everything in this article, the result would be you buying the camera she did - designed to be as small as possible, so, although expensive, it had too little power, too little memory, an inadequate lens, and fiddly to use.

If you want to buy the right system for you; Don't just go out thinking the sales assistants can help you, they may well have pleasant and helpful manners, but most won't know much about anything, do your research first noting the following pointers:

1 Pixels:

- If all you want to do is to post images on the internet, the pixel count becomes less important, 3 megapixels is perfect.

- If you want to print images to 6x4 or 8x10, however, go for 4 megapixels at least.

- If you have a computer and are prepared to use photo editing, pay extra for additional pixels, and don’t bother with the features that replicate the computers ability to manipulate your photos.

- If you will rely on printing your images direct from the camera, make sure it comes from a manufacturer who links to a good lens maker (eg Kodak, Canon, Olympus, etc.).

2 Export/Printing:

Next, how do you get your pictures out. There are 2 ways - taking the memory out of the camera, and slotting it into a print device, (either a home printer, card reader or a machine at a photo printers), or by way of a cable.

If you are comfortable with computers, either method is straight forward. If you want to be able to do this without thinking, make sure your camera comes with a removable memory card (and upgrade this to the largest size you can,) and buy one with a docking system.

It is worth noting that some people don’t even have computers, they simply take their storage media to Tesco or any up-to-date photo processing unit and get their photos printed as they always have!

3 Power:

- Electronic cameras use batteries. The more mechanical parts one has, the faster the battery is used. Optical zoom is a mechanical process, and the camera will flex its muscles each time you turn it on, so there is constant battery drain. Avoid it, unless you need the zoom (see below). If you do, consider a non motorised zoom (ie manual or digital).

- Zoom: Powered zoom adversely impacts battery time, due to the motors, this mostly happens because of the "power save" mode running the motors every time the system is turned off.

Now I realise that, technically speaking, I've already covered the issue of power drain, but I thought it was such an interesting point that it was worth mentioning twice.

- Like wise with flash. Be sure your camera only uses flash when you want it, not just automatically, without control.

- A docking station based camera will ensure it is constantly powered up, so, if you have to have zoom, go for this option as well.

4 Taking pictures:

- Optical zoom. The plus is that this can compensate for lesser pixels - by getting you closer to the target, you avoid the need for some enlargement. However, with a very good lens and high pixel count, you can do this by photo editing instead. The downside of optical zoom, apart from the power drain mentioned above, is that it exaggerates camera shake - see below. Only spend the extra on optical zoom, therefore, if you are relying on third party printing.

- Digital zoom. This is a useful back up, and not to be disrespected. All it does, however, is what you can do with photo editing software. Again, it is of more use to the user who doesn’t want to be bothered with that, and will rely on third party printing.

- Movie facility. This is very memory intensive, so should be avoided by anyone who doesn’t intend to use it, or has no access to electronic storage, or display.

- Good Photos: If you have no flash or you have turned it off, the system will increase the exposure time, and the risk of hand shake affecting the image. Optical zoom creates a similar problem, by extending the lens forward of the camera body hand shae is exaggerated.I t is possible to get extra technology to track and compensate for movement, but this is only worth the money if you plan on a lot of action and instant photos; for everyone else you can get the same effect by being aware of the problem and using your tripod!

- Ease of use. For most purposes the ability to point and shoot is crucial. Two things can get in your way.

Firstly; All digital cameras have to ‘think’ before they take a picture. That thinking time can be as much as a second. Taking pictures of live action is impossible with that kind of delay. Spending the extra on a camera with near instantaneous re-action, if you can find one, is essential if action photography is what you want to do.

Secondly; You don’t want to have to do more than press the button, if you can avoid it. Having a lot of options, and being required to select one before you can do this means many wasted photo opportunities.

5 Buying the camera:

If possible try not to buy sight unseen before parting with your money, you should be able to “play” with a demonstration model, failing that you should consider taking your business elsewhere! If that is not possible, consider asking friends or neighbours that have similar (or even the one you are thinking about) and ask to play with it.

This is especially important if your buying your first system, but always pick it up, take photos with it and try out as many of the features as is possible. Most retailers will happily let you do this, and most even provide a computer. I am sure my neighbour assumed the camera she bought was the size of the image on the box, and was surprised to find out how small it was when she got it home.

You may not know what to expect, undoubtedly you will be inundated with more jargon than you know what to do with. You may find what appears to be the perfect system but, after playing with the buttons, you may also find that the controls are confusing or that a seemingly innocuous aspect of the design may present problems, a good example of this would be the location of the trypod mount, sometimes this is added as an after thought, thus making the system unbalanced.

As with all the ergonomic issues, this is all highly subjective, so you must just trust your better judgment as to the qualities of the unit, but be aware that size does matter, the box will be deceptively big and the photo won’t help much. This is important because the controls, screen and the working parts are subject to the systems size, so the smaller the unit is, the more difficult it will be to use and the battery will likely suffer too!

Like all small consumer electronics it is important to budget yourself when purchasing a digital camera, it is all too easy to think, 'well the one I wanted at first is £100, but for £150 I can get one with xyz'. This is how the retailer makes a lot of his profit, so don't give him the satisfaction of letting him win so easily through the impulse buy, this invalidates all your research, and you may end up paying for features you didn't want and will never use, because it's his job to make a sale, and you only had his version of why you 'need' the xyz.

6 Technical issues in more detail:

Logic alone will not help you buy a good system, the higher end systems and now some cheaper units come with apparently useful features, such as night scene mode, to help take photos in low-lit conditions "out of the box".

However this is often just a preset configuration of the exposure time and other sensitivity options (referred to as ISO settings) that help increase sensitivity to light, this all has a secondary effect, which if not accounted for, can cause problems such as making your photos grainy and if you don’t use a tripod, the longer exposure time will make them unfocused as well. The same goes for systems that do not include a flash.

With the plethora of digital camera choices available there are a wide range of resolutions; these is measured and advertised in megapixels, ie the number of pixels that the camera has to take an image with. It's very easy to get caught up in the megapixel race, 4 mega-pixels (4 million pixels) is good enough for you to print 8”x10” pictures; 3 mega-pixels is perfect for email and web sites; note the higher the resolution, the more space on your memory card will be taken up.

However, don't rely on pixel counting, as it is not always true that if a system contains more megapixels, it must take better and clearer images than other digital cameras! Sometimes advertised digital cameras pixel count can be deceiving.

This results from confusion over how photosensitive elements work, the standard arrangement is that each sensor either detects red, blue, or green per pixel, however, there are some systems, that use arrays of sensors, with three sensors for each pixel and some marketing people (mistakenly) advertise such a system as being say 6 megapixels ie 2 multiplied by 3 is approximately 6, though the resulting resolution of a photo will only be 2 megapixels). You'll need to read the small print on the box.

If appropriate to your proposed use and skills, consider other features besides just its megapixels. How fast or slow you can set the shutter speed can determine the type of sports and night photography you can take. Does it support a manual white-balance control to aid photography in homes, offices, and museums? Does it have pre-programmed modes to aid in difficult lighting situations?

Aperture Size determines exactly how much light is captured, having more light allows you take better pictures in a variety of lighting condition, and reduces your dependance on the flash, this in turn can increase the battery life, reduce effects like Red eye and the possibility of motion problems due to the need for longer exposure times.

An important consideration should be how you intend to get your photos onto your computer, some systems have very slow and badly designed data connections using your serial or printer port.

Some manufacturers have put more time and effort into this than others, so be careful to check how this is done; note that most good systems will use a USB interface and will be compatible with the device drivers and transport services provided by Windows and Mackintosh. However, some systems require the manufacturers proprietary software to be installed, which will not be available on any other computer.

Kodak have an exceptional system called Easy Share which includes a system dock that provides both power and data transfer in a single unit.

Many systems come with the manufacturers single use batteries but a lot also support various rechargeable “battery packs”, that happen to be configured as a set of 2 or 4 AA batteries, so if you currently use rechargeable batteries, look for a system that supports the same types of batteries.

Also consider getting extra rechargeable batteries for prolonged photo-shoots and never buy a system with a sealed battery, this will severally restrict its use, where if they run flat, you can not replace the battery, only charge it again, and when it dies, as rechargeable batteries in cheap system often do, you are evan more restricted!

Your camera will “come with” just enough media to make it work, while still being cost effective; don't expect the camera to come with enough media to handle your photography needs and never buy one that has no external capacity, ie it must allow you to upgrade the memory. Many “fun” but still expansive systems come with say 8 megabytes of internal memory and that’s it, no accessible media card per se; these are sealed systems, enough for 6 high quality photos or say 25 seconds of movie! The only way to take more photos is to delete them directly from the system or take it home a download to your computer. You need at least 24Mb of memory to take the equivalent of just 1 roll of film of equivalent quality (at 4 megapixels). If you are taking it on holiday, and can't download images, you need a multiple of that.

Nowadays, most digital cameras, come with a 16 or 32 MB internal capacity or will only be packaged with a 16 or 32 MB card if it has no internal capacity; you will tend not to find both. This used to be enough memory for a couple dozen pictures, high megapixel photos in fine, very fine, or raw detail can eat up that memory in just a couple of photos.

Prepare to spend money on at least one extra media card. The type of storage media is also a point of contention: Memory prices are steadily reducing, but cards are still not cheap. You don't want to 'throw away' your media investment when upgrading.

There are currently many media standards available for cameras, such as CompactFlash, SecureMedia, etc. If you are upgrading than this is an easy choice, you would purchase a camera that is comparable with your old system unless a different media offers other features that far outweigh those of your old camera's media type.

If you are buying for the first time but don’t have other devices such as PDAs then have a good look around for systems that accept several media types, such as CompactFlash and MicroDrives, this gives you more choice the next time you upgrade.

However all mobile devices from cameras to GPS systems accept Secure Digital (SD) cards, including digital cameras, MP3 players, PDAs, cellular phones, camcorders, and much more. SD is fast becoming the new standard due to its high quality, so there is no need to worry about lost or missing data. With the small size and solid-state design of the SD Cards, they are perfect for mobile applications and users.

7 Summary:

Having fixed your budget, make sure you are spending it on pixels and lens. Treat everything else as a bonus.

Make sure it has (these are matters of design not cost):

Good expandable storage 

Simple buttons

Is a comfortable size

Uses standard software

Pay extra for, if you really need it:

Zoom

Screen

Docking system

Reaction speed

Variable exposure control

Go Green, Go GPS - How Satellite Navigation Systems Are Lowering Carbon Emissions and Footprints

With today's rising fuel costs and environmental concerns, the news that GPS systems can lower carbon emissions offers businesses everywhere a cost-effective solution to increasing gas prices, as well as helping the environment. Business owners are realizing that GPS systems can lower carbon emissions as well as carbon footprints, saving them time and money.
Additionally, now that many states are beginning to levy fines or tax increases on companies that operate outside the acceptable carbon emission levels, fleets that use GPS systems enjoy lower insurance and trading costs. These savings can then be put back into the business, increasing profits and productivity.
What is a Carbon Footprint?
Any emission, such as carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, is known as a carbon footprint, mainly due to the fact that it's what someone or something leaves behind when they pass through an area.
In the case of businesses that use vehicles regularly, a carbon footprint is the combination of fuel, oil, diesel and other fumes released by their fleet. The result is that areas become polluted and the environment suffers accordingly. Thanks to GPS systems, however, these carbon footprints can be significantly lowered.
The GPS Effect
Because a GPS system uses satellite navigation to pinpoint exact locations, it can accurately calculate the shortest and therefore most beneficial route for a driver to take. Since a GPS-equipped vehicle drives a shorter distance, the amount of carbon emissions is cut as well, which in return lowers the carbon footprint of that vehicle.
If you're a business owner with a fleet of vehicles, you can imagine how much harmful emission you are reducing by installing a GPS system. Additionally, you are also increasing the productivity of your business - by using the most direct route you can use your drivers more effectively and save your fuel costs at the same time. Reducing your fuel costs has a direct effect on reducing your overall carbon emissions, so you can see how one simple change can make a big difference.
The Best GPS Solutions for Business Fleets
While there are many GPS navigation systems on the market, to truly benefit your fleet or business use you need to buy a GPS system that is specifically designed for this type of use. Some of the best GPS systems for fleets include the Garmin Street Pilot 2820, 7200 or 7500 series, or the Garmin Nuvi 5000 GPS.
Whichever you choose, you can be sure that once you install a system in your fleet, the change a GPS system makes to your carbon emissions and carbon footprints will make a world of difference - to your costs, to your fuel efficiency, and more importantly to your environment.
Anthony E. Howard is the owner of TheWayToGPS.com, a family owned and run business. Offering the latest GPS systems and accessories, as well as expert and unbiased advice, TheWayToGPS.com is the ideal resource for all your GPS system requirements.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anthony_E._Howard