California SkYs            

Curtis V. Macchioni                                                       YOUTUBE CHANNEL Astronomy Tips & Reviews
​curtismmail-astro@yahoo.com                           NIGHTSKIES NETWORK: "CALIFORNIA SKIES"

WELCOME TO MY Amateur Astronomy Web SITE where I share my adventures in EAA and Astrophotography

I created this web site to share my experiences in amateur astronomy and to provide helpful information to others with a similar interest.  I started in 2008 with a Celestron 9.25" SCT on a Celestron CGE mount and a few eyepieces but quickly gravitated to Electronically Assisted Astronomy (EAA) where a camera is used to enhance real time viewing of deep sky objects .  Over the past decade I have gained more experience in both equipment and techniques for EAA and have used this site to share what I have learned.  You will find lots of information on  the many different cameras available for EAA, examples of what you can expect to see in real time,  and an entire section to guide you on getting started with EAA.  As my interests have grown to include traditional astrophotography I am slowly adding examples of my own images along with information on my astrophotography rig, software used and techniques. 

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BLOGS
In the Blog section of this site you will find extended discussions, equipment reviews and tutorials on a wide range of topics which you may find helpful.  I am hoping to add at least 1 new blog per month.  Some recent topics you might wish to read include:

• Reviews of 3 LiFePO4 batteries:   100Ah Battleborn,  100Ah Ampere Time, 50Ah Bioenno Power
• A Comprehensive Summary on Power in the Field
• A Multi-Blog Series on Equipment and Techniques for EAA
• Reviews of the Jackery 1000Wh Solar Generator and the Jackery 100W Solar Panel
• Powering a Software Bisque mount in the field with a 12VDC to 48VDC Converter
• Collimating an SCT with the HoTech Advanced CT Collimator
• A Comprehensive History of Camera Assisted Viewing, aka, EAA
• Reviews of the Golden State and CalStar Star Parties
• A Tutorial on Live Stacking

and many, many more.  Please check back frequently for the latest blog.

I have also included a detailed section on equipment with recommendations and links to most of the equipment I use myself.  Finally, I have a "Helpful Links" section where you can find my own presentations which you can download and use for yourself so long as you provide proper attribution.  There you will also finda list of books I recommend, links to  other web sites that I have found helpful and forums where our hobby is discussed .  Also, if you have any of the early cameras used for video astronomy, like the Stellacams, MC-1, Mintron 12V1C-EX , Supercircuits please take a look at this page.

​I also encourage you to visit my YouTube Channel to view many of the same topics and others in video form.  Most recent videos:
    1. Ampere Time 100Ah LiFePO4 battery review
    2. Remote WiFi Setup Tutorial
    3. A demonstration of Electronically Assisted Astronomy with an SCT on an Alt-Az mount
    4. Reviews of Battleborn and Bioenno Power 50Ah LiFePO4 batteries
    5.  Revolution Imager 2 Video Camera Setup and Operation Tutorial
    6.  Solar Generators for Astronomy
    7.  How to Measure Power Needed for Astronomy Equipment
    8.  DC to DC Voltage converters
    9.  Reviews of the Jackery Explorer 1000 and 500 Model Solar Generators

If you are interested in the latest options for powering a setup in the field, you may find my video presentation to The Astro-Imaging Channel here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cCSPgtmd7U

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​I hope you find this web site helpful.  If you have any questions or comments, I can be reached at:  astrocurtis@yahoo.com. 

© 2022 Curtis V. Macchioni