My new telescope is quite good, except for the fact that it is a bit too heavy. Apart from that I like it a lot. One other problem is that it is not very good for taking contrail shots where the sun is not shining on the plane. The telescope is not very good at taking dusk photos as the light levels are too low and the outcome is usually blurry. About the upside down images, I just take the photo and then rotate it on my computer.Skystef wrote:What are your experiences with the new telescope? is an f/8 ratio light strong enough (also at dusk) in combination with the viewfinder of your DSLR? And what about the upside down images, typical for reflectors: do you use a erecting prism?
Contrail Spotting
Moderator: Plane spotting team
- contrailwatcherUK
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 31 Aug 2005, 00:00
- Location: dorset, england
What do you mean by heavy, the weight of yourself ?contrailwatcherUK wrote: My new telescope is quite good, except for the fact that it is a bit too heavy.
I've heard that a mirror scope has to collimated each time again, otherwise you get unsharp images or colorshifts. Also the mirror has to cool down or warm up when transported to an environment (outside) with different temperatures, can take up an hour or so. Seems a lot of (heavy) pre work for perhaps five minutes spotting. Your ideas? If you can, add more pics taken with your new toy + any relevant commentary about it. Thanks.
Dot spotting in these dark days is just a matter of having a lot of luck with the weather. Last couple of weeks not much joy and when some rare breaks occur, you need to have some spare moments to get outside.
Today 08/01/07 was a combination of both: in half an hour of sunny spells between 1345-1415LT only the LTU A330-200 D-ALPB enroute DUS-JFK came out of the pipe. Anyhow it turned out to be a nice shot as the plane was still climbing (was <30.000ft) but had a contrail and that's the sport.
Today 08/01/07 was a combination of both: in half an hour of sunny spells between 1345-1415LT only the LTU A330-200 D-ALPB enroute DUS-JFK came out of the pipe. Anyhow it turned out to be a nice shot as the plane was still climbing (was <30.000ft) but had a contrail and that's the sport.
Time to add some dots, all traffic taken near BRU & seen on UL608, except the Asiana which was captured on UL607.
January 14 2007
Surrounded by Cirrus clouds, Royal Air Force Tristar ZE706 enroute to Brize Norton as RR3247.
THY A332 TC-JNE enroute IST-LHR as TK1991.
Air India B744 VT-ESP enroute BOM-LHR as AI125.
Amiri Flight B738 A6-AUH enroute to Farnborough as 199.
MK Airlines B742 9G-MKR enroute CAI-OST as MKA228.
January 15 2007
Air India B744 VT-ESM enroute DEL-JFK via LHR as AI111.
Asiana B744F HL7604 enroute STN-SEL via FRA as AAR593H.
THY A343 TC-JDK enroute IST-JFK as TK0001.
Cyprus Airways A332 5B-DBT enroute PFO-LHR as CYP504.
January 14 2007
Surrounded by Cirrus clouds, Royal Air Force Tristar ZE706 enroute to Brize Norton as RR3247.
THY A332 TC-JNE enroute IST-LHR as TK1991.
Air India B744 VT-ESP enroute BOM-LHR as AI125.
Amiri Flight B738 A6-AUH enroute to Farnborough as 199.
MK Airlines B742 9G-MKR enroute CAI-OST as MKA228.
January 15 2007
Air India B744 VT-ESM enroute DEL-JFK via LHR as AI111.
Asiana B744F HL7604 enroute STN-SEL via FRA as AAR593H.
THY A343 TC-JDK enroute IST-JFK as TK0001.
Cyprus Airways A332 5B-DBT enroute PFO-LHR as CYP504.
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- Location: Belgium, Gent
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- contrailwatcherUK
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 31 Aug 2005, 00:00
- Location: dorset, england
Some nice pics ContrailUK, perhaps you could add the number of UL were saw them.
Some shots near BRU on UL608, except the Korean.
February 3 2007.
RAF Tristar ZE704 enroute to Brize Norton as RRR3245
Lauda Air B763 OE-LAT enroute VIE-YYZ as AUA71.
SriLankan A343 4R-ADE enroute CMB-LHR as ALK505
Turkish A343 TC-JDM enroute IST-JFK as THY1
Korean Air B744 HL7402 enroute SEL-CDG as KAL0901
February 4 2007.
Royal Jordanian A342 JY-AIB enroute AMM-JFK as RJA261
No pics of other (Belgian) dot fans?
Some shots near BRU on UL608, except the Korean.
February 3 2007.
RAF Tristar ZE704 enroute to Brize Norton as RRR3245
Lauda Air B763 OE-LAT enroute VIE-YYZ as AUA71.
SriLankan A343 4R-ADE enroute CMB-LHR as ALK505
Turkish A343 TC-JDM enroute IST-JFK as THY1
Korean Air B744 HL7402 enroute SEL-CDG as KAL0901
February 4 2007.
Royal Jordanian A342 JY-AIB enroute AMM-JFK as RJA261
No pics of other (Belgian) dot fans?
Last edited by Skystef on 05 Feb 2007, 22:49, edited 1 time in total.
- Bruspotter
- Posts: 2068
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- contrailwatcherUK
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 31 Aug 2005, 00:00
- Location: dorset, england
well here is a photo of that plane, but it really does look like the nuber 2 engine is different!!!
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0954925/L/
Skystef, nice pics!! You live under a very busy airway UL607/8, i suppose a plane passes overhead every minute or so...? lol
Some shots from the weekend:
Saturday
LTU908 (UN20):
MPH607 (UM140):
RYR1972 (UM140):
CRL??? (UM140):
LCO1500 (UN20):
TFL??? (UN20):
CSA8083? (UN20):
CLX775A (UN20):
NAX??? (UN20):
Sunday:
SQC7883 (UM140):
BTW I dont know if any of you know about www.OpenATC.com it is a great website which allows you to monitor your live airspace in google earth or google maps. It sometimes provides data for Belgium
Here is a screenshot I took of the SQ 345 as it passes overhead:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0954925/L/
Skystef, nice pics!! You live under a very busy airway UL607/8, i suppose a plane passes overhead every minute or so...? lol
Some shots from the weekend:
Saturday
LTU908 (UN20):
MPH607 (UM140):
RYR1972 (UM140):
CRL??? (UM140):
LCO1500 (UN20):
TFL??? (UN20):
CSA8083? (UN20):
CLX775A (UN20):
NAX??? (UN20):
Sunday:
SQC7883 (UM140):
BTW I dont know if any of you know about www.OpenATC.com it is a great website which allows you to monitor your live airspace in google earth or google maps. It sometimes provides data for Belgium
Here is a screenshot I took of the SQ 345 as it passes overhead:
Hi contrailUK,
yes, I live under quite a busy upper cross road. I rarely see no aircraft on these routes, sometimes up to 15.
The atc.com is well known, but of course all depends on the willingness of putting a SBS on the net, so last couple of weeks quite empty over Belgian territory. Luckely there is a guy in Holland who puts his SBS radar screen, which includes a part of Belgium, sometimes on the internet.
Some pics of February 9 2007 taken near BRU with a scope, all UL608, except SAS & KAL on UN852.
Thomsonfly B733 G-THOH heading W.
Lufthansa B733 D-ABIC heading W.
In thin Cirrus, Kuwait Airways AB6 9K-AME enroute Kuwait-LHR as KAC103.
SAS MD80 heading S
Bulgaria Air 733 LZ-BOT heading W.
Korean Air B744 HL7402 heading for Paris.
yes, I live under quite a busy upper cross road. I rarely see no aircraft on these routes, sometimes up to 15.
The atc.com is well known, but of course all depends on the willingness of putting a SBS on the net, so last couple of weeks quite empty over Belgian territory. Luckely there is a guy in Holland who puts his SBS radar screen, which includes a part of Belgium, sometimes on the internet.
Some pics of February 9 2007 taken near BRU with a scope, all UL608, except SAS & KAL on UN852.
Thomsonfly B733 G-THOH heading W.
Lufthansa B733 D-ABIC heading W.
In thin Cirrus, Kuwait Airways AB6 9K-AME enroute Kuwait-LHR as KAC103.
SAS MD80 heading S
Bulgaria Air 733 LZ-BOT heading W.
Korean Air B744 HL7402 heading for Paris.
Last edited by Skystef on 09 Mar 2007, 16:43, edited 2 times in total.
- contrailwatcherUK
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 31 Aug 2005, 00:00
- Location: dorset, england
Some shots of February 15 2007, near BRU, all on UL608, except both KAL's & KLM on UN852.
Turkish A332 TC-JNC enroute IST-LHR as THY1979
MEA A332 F-OMEB enroute BEY-LHR as MEA201
Korean Air Cargo B744(F) HL7605 enroute ICN-CDG as KAL501
Condor B763 D-ABUH enroute MUC-HOG as CFG196
Air India B744 VT-AIE enroute BOM-JFK (via LHR) as AI101
United B772 N769UA enroute MUC-IAD as UAL903
KLM MD11 PH-KCD enroute AMS-ACC as KLM589
Turkish A332 TC-JNC enroute IST-LHR as THY1979
MEA A332 F-OMEB enroute BEY-LHR as MEA201
Korean Air Cargo B744(F) HL7605 enroute ICN-CDG as KAL501
Condor B763 D-ABUH enroute MUC-HOG as CFG196
Air India B744 VT-AIE enroute BOM-JFK (via LHR) as AI101
United B772 N769UA enroute MUC-IAD as UAL903
KLM MD11 PH-KCD enroute AMS-ACC as KLM589
Last edited by Skystef on 09 Mar 2007, 16:38, edited 1 time in total.
- contrailwatcherUK
- Posts: 501
- Joined: 31 Aug 2005, 00:00
- Location: dorset, england
Checked the upper maps, seems you are right. UL607 (my eastbound traffic passing to my south) is connected at DVR with your UM140. Btw nice shot of the DC10, don't see this type often at that altitude. Weather remains sadly quite horrible for contrail pictures, so nothing new for the time being.contrailwatcherUK wrote:I see that our aiways are connected (at DVR VOR), so on some occasions we may even see the same planes!