Progress, am I going the right way?

[kalasinman]

This example from March (before the skies clouded until now) is attached to show my problems.

I'll list my approach to them and any comments appreciated.

This was 9 x300s at ISO 400 with bias and no darks or flats.

1. Noise-use dithering and more integration.

2. Framing and integration time- Astrotortilla.

3. Coma - GSO coma corrector

4. Focus - Rigel focus motor and controller.

5. Guiding - better balance by using "string trick" to reduce CW imbalance, thus reducing motor load and need to re-balance after a flip.

6. Ha - Although not required for this target, Baader mod on DSLR will open new options.

It will be interesting when the skies finally give me a night or two to get all this working well and together.

Other than all of the above, my biggest shortcoming is IMO my lack of processing skills, or would it be a QHY9 with wheel and a set of Baader filters...Hmmmm.

Still need the processing skills. I have Lightroom, CS4, and Pixinsight LE to learn better.

Just kidding about the QHY9 for now. Wife and I will be starting to build a house soon.

Comments, suggestions, criticism all welcome.-Thanks-Jack

[wxsatuser]

No doubt most of us have a list of problems that dog our imaging, we can overcome these.

I certainly have a few, the most obvious is lack of imaging time.

I can understand your temptation with a cooled ccd, in your location it's most likely a good way to go.

[kalasinman]

No doubt most of us have a list of problems that dog our imaging, we can overcome these.

I certainly have a few, the most obvious is lack of imaging time.

I can understand your temptation with a cooled ccd, in your location it's most likely a good way to go.

Unfortunately the cost of a changeover to even the bargain priced QHY9 with wheel and filter set exceeds the cost of my entire kit. Although it's attractive, I just can't afford it. I am committed to making the most of the approach I chose early on, which was the purpose of the OP. The remark about the CCD was for humor.

[Ruud]

It's an impressive image, kalasinman

Progress is the way to go! Enjoy the journey.

[swag72]

Hi Jack,

What kind of temps are you getting when you are imaging? I ask as I was using a DSLR for a while out here in Spain, and very soon it became unuseable in that the sensor temp was so warm (ambients were warmer than the UK) that the noise just killed any hope of progression.

So I bit the bullet and bought a cooled CCD and it made a massive difference. You would always start off with a smaller chip, my first CCD was an Atik 314L+ with the very good 285 Sony chip. It would be a cheaper way to get an instant improvement..... then over time I worked up to a larger CCD. But that 314L+ was a great starter and many have used it for that.

A quick win and free too would be more data .............. lots of it. 9x300s is hardly any data really and if you are finding the data difficult to process and a bit thin on the ground, then get more - I'd be looking at at least 35 subs. Get a mountain of data and you will find the processing easier.

Hope that helps.

[kalasinman]

Hi Jack,

What kind of temps are you getting when you are imaging? I ask as I was using a DSLR for a while out here in Spain, and very soon it became unuseable in that the sensor temp was so warm (ambients were warmer than the UK) that the noise just killed any hope of progression.

So I bit the bullet and bought a cooled CCD and it made a massive difference. You would always start off with a smaller chip, my first CCD was an Atik 314L+ with the very good 285 Sony chip. It would be a cheaper way to get an instant improvement..... then over time I worked up to a larger CCD. But that 314L+ was a great starter and many have used it for that.

A quick win and free too would be more data .............. lots of it. 9x300s is hardly any data really and if you are finding the data difficult to process and a bit thin on the ground, then get more - I'd be looking at at least 35 subs. Get a mountain of data and you will find the processing easier.

Hope that helps.

Ambient here runs around 25c most of the year, although we do see ambient PLUMMET to 13c or so in the icy blasts of January

So what you've shared, and thank you, is reflected in #1 & 2 above. Astrotortilla being key to this as it will allow repeat framing over many sessions.

I did give the conditions here a lot of thought, I realized that being a stubborn guy, it's got to be a QHY9 with wheel and Baader filters or nothing. I'm just not a gradualist. Being trapped in an upgrade cycle would drive me crazy (short drive). On the other hand we're going to spend the next year or 2 building our love nest, so the budget for astro is drying up as we speak. Just trying to see if I've approached my obvious shortcomings responsibly. -Thanks Sarah

[toxic]

 it's got to be a QHY9 with wheel and Baader filters or nothing. I'm just not a gradualist. Being trapped in an upgrade cycle would drive me crazy (short drive). On the other hand we're going to spend the next year or 2 building our love nest, so the budget for astro is drying up as we speak. Just trying to see if I've approached my obvious shortcomings responsibly. -Thanks Sarah

i know what you mean that is the reason i got the atik 383l with the efw2 and 7 position carousel with 36mm unmounted filters so then i could have L.R.G.B.HA.OIII.S2 all in the same carousel and with the 36mm filters there is no vignetting.

imo it was the best step i could have taken to get as near to dslr censor size that i could afford and after using it i can honestly say it is the best decision i have made in astro gear.

[kalasinman]

I reason the 2 stage cooling the QHY has would be handy here at 25c. I'd go for the same wheel and filters. Did the 7 instead of five cost much more?

Of course the earliest I could pull this off would be in 2 years when the house is done. By then, there may be new cameras out there.

[smudgeball]

I'm just not a gradualist. Being trapped in an upgrade cycle would drive me crazy (short drive).

Hi

I absolutely agree with you.

I struggled over my ccd purchase as I've done the "gradualist" route that you mention.

(9x50 guidescope and spc900nc LX Mod,...no 70mm guidescope, no 80mm guidescope + QHY5 yep,        72mm imaging scope, no,  102mm triplet yep.............the list goes on and on)

I'm not going to invoke an inevitable backlash with a one shot colour debate.

In my opinion if you are thinking of a cooled ccd, do it, buy the filter wheel and enjoy !!!

........and yet I ONLY have a five slot wheel not seven so have to change to do OIII 

perhaps I am a gradualist after all ??

Neil