callsign4223
Staff member
You mean took possession of my 550 back 
Gotta charge the batteries, rebind it to the DX8, and get it in the air now.
Gotta charge the batteries, rebind it to the DX8, and get it in the air now.
Off Topic Chit Chat
- Thread starter Tony
- Start date
leedude1
Member
Been away for awhile folks.. Hey Tony that Brisket looked friggin AWESOME... man, I have to give that a whirl one day love that stuff..
Been flying at the club for a few hours every Saturday morning ( only time I can really get away) and the comfort level and confidence in the bigger birds is making a difference. I have fallen in love with the Gaui X5 mind you I still fly it like a dove but hey that is just the way I like it for now anyway
. I know what they mean when they say it flies like a bigger machine.. ( and they all lie because they are really different) 
Anyway my MAAC association here has asked for expositions for a Canada day celebration and Ill be displaying all of my birds and fielding Heli hobby questions. There will be 22 stations with jets, planks, drones etc.. Figured Id give back the hobby that has done so much for me over the years (keep RC helis alive) and we even get to fly everything up to 450 size as well.. Pizza and coffee supplied... hell what more could I ask for? except some of that Brisket.
Tony have one of the early Gaui flights on video but the day was overcast and its a little dark I can put t up if you like and the replace with something a little prettier later. Your call my man.
Those lighting shots are awesome BTW RDSOCK
Been flying at the club for a few hours every Saturday morning ( only time I can really get away) and the comfort level and confidence in the bigger birds is making a difference. I have fallen in love with the Gaui X5 mind you I still fly it like a dove but hey that is just the way I like it for now anyway
. I know what they mean when they say it flies like a bigger machine.. ( and they all lie because they are really different) Anyway my MAAC association here has asked for expositions for a Canada day celebration and Ill be displaying all of my birds and fielding Heli hobby questions. There will be 22 stations with jets, planks, drones etc.. Figured Id give back the hobby that has done so much for me over the years (keep RC helis alive) and we even get to fly everything up to 450 size as well.. Pizza and coffee supplied... hell what more could I ask for? except some of that Brisket.
Tony have one of the early Gaui flights on video but the day was overcast and its a little dark I can put t up if you like and the replace with something a little prettier later. Your call my man.
Those lighting shots are awesome BTW RDSOCK
RandyDSok
Well-Known Member
Thanks....
... still not sure why everyone seems to see a "C" in my nickname.... still cracks me up. No baseball reference meant or implied.... lololol
Just to keep from completely wasting space laughing about that.... here's a sunset from earlier in the month...
RandyDSok
Well-Known Member
I blame it on sports addictions.... lmao
No foul ( whoops, another baseball pun ) taken.... it's funny how our minds work sometimes
RandyDSok
Well-Known Member
Solar Eclipse heads up / reminder....
Just in case everyone has forgotten or didn't already know.... There is a total solar eclipse happening in the USA on August 21, 2017 ....
Here is a map of it's path across the States ... a google search will get you the times that it will pass along it's path.
Just in case everyone has forgotten or didn't already know.... There is a total solar eclipse happening in the USA on August 21, 2017 ....
Here is a map of it's path across the States ... a google search will get you the times that it will pass along it's path.
RandyDSok
Well-Known Member
Personally... I'm hoping to catch the solar eclipse in Missouri but I've also picked Nebraska as an alternate location depending on the weather forecast. Both will be about a 7 hour drive from my location. I'll make the final decision on Sunday just before the eclipse and will start watching the forecasts on Friday.
The cost of a solar filter for my camera more than doubled since I started looking at them... so I'll be making my own using some mylar solar filter film and a standard clear UV filter that is slightly oversized so any imperfections in the cut of the film will be outside the frame of the picture. I also ordered 10 cheap solar glasses make out of cardboard ( like the old 3D glasses you see ) for about $9 off of Amazon... Getting a 10pk was almost as cheap as a single one and this way I'll have extras in case others need some ( like kids etc... hopefully )
Here is some forecast data that may help others select their possible locations if they are looking to catch the event.
Canadian meteorologist Jay Anderson and colleague Jennifer West made the map based on data from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites. It shows that people in western states, where fractional cloud cover dips as low as 15%, are most likely to witness the precious two and a half minutes of totality. Overcast is more of a problem east of Missouri. As the Moon's shadow approaches the Atlantic Coast of the USA, there is a better than 50% chance that it will be hitting the tops of clouds instead of the landscape below.
The cost of a solar filter for my camera more than doubled since I started looking at them... so I'll be making my own using some mylar solar filter film and a standard clear UV filter that is slightly oversized so any imperfections in the cut of the film will be outside the frame of the picture. I also ordered 10 cheap solar glasses make out of cardboard ( like the old 3D glasses you see ) for about $9 off of Amazon... Getting a 10pk was almost as cheap as a single one and this way I'll have extras in case others need some ( like kids etc... hopefully )
Here is some forecast data that may help others select their possible locations if they are looking to catch the event.
Canadian meteorologist Jay Anderson and colleague Jennifer West made the map based on data from NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites. It shows that people in western states, where fractional cloud cover dips as low as 15%, are most likely to witness the precious two and a half minutes of totality. Overcast is more of a problem east of Missouri. As the Moon's shadow approaches the Atlantic Coast of the USA, there is a better than 50% chance that it will be hitting the tops of clouds instead of the landscape below.
RandyDSok
Well-Known Member
First attempt of a pic of the Sun.... 
I had some issues for some reason getting this the way I wanted it. Normally with shots of the Moon, I shoot everything in manual mode including the focusing since I can get a sharper pic typically than the autofocus can on these types of objects. For some reason, it wouldn't focus manually... so I had to let it autofocus on this shot and because of that, it's a bit of a soft focus...
I've got a month to work on getting these to "take" in a manner I can control better but for now...
At least we can still see the sunspot
I had some issues for some reason getting this the way I wanted it. Normally with shots of the Moon, I shoot everything in manual mode including the focusing since I can get a sharper pic typically than the autofocus can on these types of objects. For some reason, it wouldn't focus manually... so I had to let it autofocus on this shot and because of that, it's a bit of a soft focus...
I've got a month to work on getting these to "take" in a manner I can control better but for now...
At least we can still see the sunspot
RandyDSok
Well-Known Member
Round 2 - Sun ( with sunspot ) photo shoot...
I'm going to need to make a curtain... or some sort of darkroom thingy to help me while taking Sun pics. For this round, I used my raincoat to drape over me and the camera ( with the lens sticking out of course ) so it shields me from the glare showing around the camera making it tough to use the rear screen to focus with. The importance of using the rear screen is it has the ability to magnify 10x more than the lens is at so I can focus closer and get a sharper pic.
I tweaked the exposure time and the f-stop so the Sun shows a little more orange than the previous pic and has better contrast..
I'm going to need to make a curtain... or some sort of darkroom thingy to help me while taking Sun pics. For this round, I used my raincoat to drape over me and the camera ( with the lens sticking out of course ) so it shields me from the glare showing around the camera making it tough to use the rear screen to focus with. The importance of using the rear screen is it has the ability to magnify 10x more than the lens is at so I can focus closer and get a sharper pic.
I tweaked the exposure time and the f-stop so the Sun shows a little more orange than the previous pic and has better contrast..
RandyDSok
Well-Known Member
Some fool on FB is trying to tell me the sunspot is Venus... because they've seen shots that actually did have Venus in front of the Sun they are assuming every spot must be... 
Just in case they come by here.... and there is no such confusion here... here is that spot cropped out so we get a closer view of it...
Just in case they come by here.... and there is no such confusion here... here is that spot cropped out so we get a closer view of it...
D.O.G.
Goblin 380 Supporter
The wife and I, especially the wife, is very fascinated with your photography. Some awesome pictures that you share with all of us Randy. Keep up the good work!
Question... when the eclipse show up in Aug. Can I view the eclipse with my quad and my FPV goggles without hurting my eyes or would you not recommend this? We have glasses coming from this place Science Supplies & Curriculum - STEM - Chemistry but I would like to record the eclipse from my quad, just for s_ _ t and giggles. Thanks again for sharing your pics.
Question... when the eclipse show up in Aug. Can I view the eclipse with my quad and my FPV goggles without hurting my eyes or would you not recommend this? We have glasses coming from this place Science Supplies & Curriculum - STEM - Chemistry but I would like to record the eclipse from my quad, just for s_ _ t and giggles. Thanks again for sharing your pics.
RandyDSok
Well-Known Member
The wife and I, especially the wife, is very fascinated with your photography. Some awesome pictures that you share with all of us Randy. Keep up the good work!
Question... when the eclipse show up in Aug. Can I view the eclipse with my quad and my FPV goggles without hurting my eyes or would you not recommend this? We have glasses coming from this place Science Supplies & Curriculum - STEM - Chemistry but I would like to record the eclipse from my quad, just for s_ _ t and giggles. Thanks again for sharing your pics.
As long as you place a solar filter in front of the camera lens.... you probably can but how good it'd work would depend on the camera, it's len's diameter and the sensor it has.
I made my own filter for my camera... I simply took a basic clear glass UV filter ( 62mm, actually a little larger than the diameter of my lens which is has a 58mm lens and a 300mm focal length ) and then a sheet of mylar solar filter film... I cut out the mylar to the diameter I wanted ( slightly larger than the 58mm ) and used a little water with a little bit of liquid soap in it ( just like you'd use to put film on your car windows ) and put the mylar on the front of the UV filter. I then attached the filter to my lens using an adapter to take it from 62mm down to the lens diameter of 58mm. I used an oversized filter so when I cut out the mylar.. any gaps I made wouldn't be in frame of the lens.
I could have probably just made a cardboard frame and then somehow fix it to the front of the lens but I didn't want it to get in the way of the focus.
Using autofocus was a little soft... to get the latter shot, I had to manually focus it instead.
The 8"x8" sheet of mylar solar filter cost me about $20 on Amazon... plus the other items I got.
The only way to know if it will work well for you using the camera on your quad... is to try it. Just remember that if you can't zoom in... the Sun will be pretty small in the picture. If you want to see how small.... do a test run using the Moon which is the same apparent size in the sky.
Another possible way to do this... is to use a sheet of paper that you've poked a hole in ( cardboard or construction paper would be best since they are stiff ) ... and project it onto another white sheet of paper. You can actually do that now even before the eclipse just to get an idea of how it'll work. I suspect you'd even see the sunspot with it. That's what I used as a kid to get to see a partial eclipse with long ago.