Top 100 Tribute to (Stargezzer)

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Ronald C. Spencer
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:25 am
Location: Massachusetts

Top 100 Tribute to (Stargezzer)

Post by Ronald C. Spencer »

I just have to commend the person who goes by the name (Stargezzer)
I sure wish I could wiz through a frame like he does. You see I picked up 785 points today Wednesday the 21st. But this only after working from 7:30AM and I finished tonight at 9:00PM (15 1/2 hrs.) Hmmmmm You see folks being gravely ill I have a lot of time on my hands for this research which I love because I am a retired professional astronomer who like the vast majority of people in here whether in the Top 100 or not want to help in the fine folks at Stardust accomplish their goal. Stargezzer, you picked up 153 points in a half hours time and was only 7 points behind me when I retired tonight. How do you move through the frames so fast that you pick up all those points in a half hour when it took me 15 1/2 hours to get 785. Give this poor astronomer some training will you? I would be most appreciative. Now to all you fine folk who let the frames load properly, your to be highly commended for your honest research. I salute you. Maybe Stardust needs to go back to a Top 200 list to be fair to the honest folks like I read in another thread tonight. Time to take my meds and go to bed and hope I wake up in the morning to give Stardust at least 8 hours tomorrow. :D
Star Gezzer
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:24 pm
Location: Newport Oregon

Top 100 Tribute to (Stargezzer)

Post by Star Gezzer »

Thank you. I have a very fast computer and 5 Mg internet. I also used to edit graphic design at the pixel level so I am used to looking for faults at high magnification. The trick is to start at Max magnification. You then see the tracks before the garbage confuses you. I also like the competition plus I have picked the perfect name for a dust particle. The more I look at the more chance I have to find the elusive piece of the beggining.

Jim
Ronald C. Spencer
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:25 am
Location: Massachusetts

Tribute to Stargezzer

Post by Ronald C. Spencer »

:) Sounds like a great computer, wish I had one like that. My hat is off to you. Keep up the good work.

Ron
Leominster, Massacusetts
ERSTRS
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Aug 26, 2006 5:39 am
Location: home

Top 100 tribute

Post by ERSTRS »

Thanks for giving us all the details about you and your work effort, Ronald C. Spencer. I poke along at two to three hours a day and rack up less than 100 score points daily, so I am a novice compared to you! You didn't give us your rank. Where are you in the rankings?

I'm at rank #127 right now (3-23-07), and am zonked out of my head with surprise at that. I'm an old gal living in a retirement community who used to be a lab tech, so I took right to counting stardust.

I too wish they would go back to publishing the TOP 200! I would love to know who my team mates are. It is a joy to know something about fellow dusters.

ERSTRS
Evelyn
Ronald C. Spencer
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:25 am
Location: Massachusetts

For ERSTRS

Post by Ronald C. Spencer »

Nice to hear from you Evelyn :D I'm number 13 in the top 100 All you do is click on Community then click on Rankings and you will see the list. It's nice that so many nice folk contribute to this fine research. Your contribution is another link in an important chain. my email address is: astronomer24357@hotmail.com if you ever want to say hello or have any questions pertaining to the Cosmos up there :)
Nikita
DustMod
Posts: 994
Joined: Wed May 17, 2006 8:33 pm
Location: Indiana, USA

Post by Nikita »

Evelyn,

You are proof that you do not need to devote your entire life to this project to get in the ranks! It is only when you get to the very top do you get into the heavy searchers. Even 1/2 hr a day can make a difference. The team's ideal goal for volunteer participation was far less time than most are contributing, so even if rank isn't a goal, the time put in is making the difference!

It's nice to know that this project has helped out so many people as much as it is getting help. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to give to the community, even if it isn't in our direct communities! Not to mention some of the friendships that have formed around the world!

Good luck to all!
Nikita
From dust we come
fjgiie
DustMod
Posts: 1253
Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 8:47 am
Location: Hampton, SC, US

Re: Top 100 Tribute to (Stargezzer)

Post by fjgiie »

Star Gezzer wrote:Thank you. I have a very fast computer and 5 Mg internet. I also used to edit graphic design at the pixel level so I am used to looking for faults at high magnification. The trick is to start at Max magnification. You then see the tracks before the garbage confuses you. I also like the competition plus I have picked the perfect name for a dust particle. The more I look at the more chance I have to find the elusive piece of the beggining.
Hi Star Gezzer,
Could you clarify one sentence for me? When you wrote "The trick is to start at Max magnification."does that mean that you like to drag your mouse pointer to the bottom of the focus bar when you start to view each movie? I got confused and thought that you may use your computer's magnifier on each and every movie...

You know IE 7 has a excellent magnifier right at the bottom of the screen that goes from 100% up to 400%.

Thanks,

fjgiie
Star Gezzer
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:24 pm
Location: Newport Oregon

Max Magnification

Post by Star Gezzer »

I have Vista and am running at high contrast with 170% magnification which means you have to scroll up about 7 lines, I have my mouse set for one click = 7 lines. If the site is running at fair speed, which it has not for a while, after you click and then scroll up, if you leave your mouse on the focus bar, when the movie pops up you see it with max magification you then see the tracks first. I then run the slider up to the surface and then back down. It gives you two chances at it. The only problem, like you said before, is that you cannot use your peripheral vision on the very small tracks in the corners. I have thought about reducing the magnification a bit to bring them into range but then they get smaller so I just slowed down a bit.

Jim
fjgiie
DustMod
Posts: 1253
Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 8:47 am
Location: Hampton, SC, US

Re: Max Magnification

Post by fjgiie »

Star Gezzer wrote:If the site is running at fair speed, which it has not for a while, after you click and then scroll up, if you leave your mouse on the focus bar, when the movie pops up you see it with max magification you then see the tracks first. I then run the slider up to the surface and then back down. It gives you two chances at it.
Hey thanks for straightening that out for me Star Gezzer. We do simular things when dusting. After a click on No Track, I can go ahead and scroll up two wheel clicks and leave the mouse pointer on the focus bar and let the loading of the movie move the focus bar up for me. In other words you can scroll before the movie loads.

Right now it is taking ten seconds for each movie to load for me, so I run two windows on a 19" screen, side by side and overlapping in the middle at 1024 x 768 resolution. Usually I look at the right screen and do not click anything, then click on the left screen and do not click anything, and then back to the right screen for a second look and a judgement. I look at the next movie on that right screen but click on the left screen for a second look at that movie and a judgement and a first look at the next movie. All this does is give me two looks at the same movie. And also it's fun if you have IE on the right screen and Firefox on the left screen. If you drift off to sleep a little your misses are guaranteed to wake you up. And three wheel clicks for Firefox to scroll up.

Good luck on finding a real track,

fjgiie
Star Gezzer
Posts: 86
Joined: Fri Jan 26, 2007 3:24 pm
Location: Newport Oregon

Post by Star Gezzer »

I have a 20" panel set to 1280 X 1024 with High Contrast turned on and screen set to 170%. The movie, focus bar and load bars just about fill the screen. With what I am doing the movie has to be fully loaded when it comes on screen so depending on the speed at the time I have two or three pages at the bottom loading as I work the one on screen then switch back and forth. It works pretty well but when they changed the light to the bottom I think they put a few too many lumens on the light and it has a tendency to wash out things so now I have to be a little more carefull. I started the end of November and have 312 first discovers with 212 possible IDP's. I have not cross checked the numbers yet but I hope a few of the 1sts are on the possible list. I have about five that are very promising. I have picked a name that everyone in the scientific community or not WILL love.
fjgiie
DustMod
Posts: 1253
Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 8:47 am
Location: Hampton, SC, US

To: Ron C. Spencer

Post by fjgiie »

Question for Ronald C. Spencer

What kind of new machine did you get? :)

__Thanks,

Image
Ronald C. Spencer
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:25 am
Location: Massachusetts

Greetings Fjgiie :-)

Post by Ronald C. Spencer »

Hi Fjgiie,
It's been some time since I have glanced at the forum I have an AMD version. I have found that Mozilla Firefox is much faster than Internet Explorer as far as speed goes. Internet Explorer takes forever and a day to load. Usually I put several hours a day and usually start early in the morning. Many times 10 or more hours. Being home bound most of the time I have a lot of time on my hands. Many days I start at 7:30AM and sometimes and go as long as 14 hours. Often I take breaks when I am not feeling well. Being terminally ill causes one to have a lot of time on their hands and to keep from going ster crazy and because I love the science and being retired due to grave illness it affords me a chance to make a contribution while I can. I am a retired educator and astronomer. I am an Emeritus Member of The American Astronomical Society, a Member of the Division for Planetary Sciences in the AAS. I also am a Member of The American Association of Variable Star Observer's out of Cambridge, MA. A Member of The Astronomical Society of the Pacific and The Planetary Society founded by the beloved astronomer Carl Sagan. My computer processes data for SETI@home, Einstein@home, LHC@home, Rosetta@ home and FightAids@home through the World Community Grid. I also have helped a woman get her certificate and diploma in astronomy. Her name is Rebecca Saflarski of Barry, IL. I helped her for 3 1/2 years. I taught science and history in a private school in Arizona in the 80's and taught Navajo & Hopi Indians. I loved working with the poor to give them a hand up. The doctors gave me 2 years to live in September of 92 and with the good Lord's help I have beat the odds. I use magnified glasses which helps me a lot in finding tracks better than without them. I love the science and it gives me a sense of be productive again as that really wears on someone dealing with all the medical problems and medications I take to win the fight for survival. I have been blessed with a good education. I have graduated from one college twice, another once and a seminary. My movement is credited long hours spent rather than having a super computer. What the duster's are doing here is a credit to them as astronomer's need the help and dedication of others and everyone's contribution is important when looking at the larger picture. I deal with 7 medical problems and the medicines help a lot even though they are toxic and probably the reason I feel badly at times, but I am Thankful in spite of it all and count my blessings. I hope to continue winning my battles and dusting right through to the end of the research. Take Care and thanks for saying hello. :-)

Ron
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