michael8554

OAG Michael

Hi Tom It would be worth posting this in the Planetary Imaging section, along with a shot of your camera and eyepiece setup. Planetary imaging is not usually carried out by taking single frames. It's usually carried out by taking long duration high-speed video sequences with a Planetary Imaging camera. Or with a DSLR, 5x LiveView video recording. Then software such as AutoStakkert! throws out blurred frames in the video, and Stacks the rest that aren't blurred by atmospheric movement. However, your single image is a typical result, due to the high magnification and atmospherics. Michael

Hi irtuk From your 6th October GuideLog: "Last Cal Issue = None, Timestamp = 24/09/2021 21:09:04" So that's why there's no Calibration data in the Log, because you haven't done a Cal since 24th September ! A Cal from 24th September is probably not going to work very well on 6th October, unless you have a permanent setup. Although I don't think your "Review Calibration" screenshot is from the 24th September Cal, I should point out: "Expected RA Rate: NA" points to a cable or Driver problem, there should be a RA figure reported from the mount similar to "Expected Dec Rate: 13.5" The RA Guide Rate Calculated by that Cal was 3.046 as/s, which is very low compared to Dec. Dec was 12.819, close enough to the "Expected : 13.5" figure. That Cal was carried out at Dec = 74.2, Cals are best carried out near Dec = 0 and pointing near south. Until you re-Calibrate I don't think any of your guiding since 24th September is representative. Except to say that the way the directions of guide graph movements are mirrored in both RA and Dec suggests that the guidcam has been rotated since 24th September. Here are some Guidelines to read: https://openphdguiding.org/phd2-best-practices/ Michael

From the many ASIAir GuideLogs I've seen posted on SGL and Cloudy Nights, it can work very well. But when it doesn't, fault-finding is difficult because of the PHD2 settings that ZWO have stripped out. Michael Your second image - I would remove the Anglepoise from your setup....... 😆

Screengrabs only say so much. A PHD2 GuideLog that includes a Cal would be much more helpful. Michael

Hi Brad 650mm FL and 3.75um pixels gives a image scale of 1.19arcsecs/pixel. Binning would up that to 2.38, IMO a more sensible value. But depends on the guidestar shape. Many setups have less than ideal star shapes. PHD2 seems to cope, but worth testing both Bins on the same night in case Binning makes guiding worse :-< Michael

The GuideLog, if there is one, should show what went wrong. Michael

If you have the imaging and guidecam distances the same, all I can think of is you don't have the prism far enough into the light path. Try with the prism as low as possible, then work out until the prism shadow no longer shows in Flats. Michael

With any brand of OAG: Roughly measure the distance from the centre of the prism to the main imaging sensor. Attach the guidecam that same distance from the centre of the prism. Focus the imaging camera on a distant landmark. Without altering that focus, now fine-focus the guidecam. Don't ever change the guidecam focus - if the main camera focus is now set on stars, the guidecam will always be in focus too. Michael

The media need a "wow" figure to impress the masses. It images much further into the IR, maybe that's the comparison. Michael

My 600D banded too, but only on hot summer nights. Michael

Hi Simon There's a comprehensive User's Guide in DSS that you ought to read before any further stacking. Michael

Just to be clear: Deleted files go to the Recycle Bin, from where they can be Restored. So did you "Empty Recycle Bin" ? Then you will need the File Recovery Tool. Michael

You can see from the spectrum in your link that the CLS rejects 600nm, the Sodium streetlamp frequency, and passes Ha and other ionised gas frequencies in two separate bands. The DSLR Ha mod will further improve the Ha response. However, the main LED street lighting spectrum peak is at 450nm, which is just inside the lower Passband of the CLS. Michael

Note the subtle wording. I suggested you align the finder after centring Jupiter in the eyepiece. If you had already aligned the Finder and Eyepiece views, then the scope instructions are correct. Michael

If I've understood that correctly, that's in the wrong order: GoTo Jupiter. Centre in the eyepiece. Enter. THEN align the Finder. Check Jupiter is still centred in the eyepiece and Finder. Michael

The 6D Mk1 and 5D MkII seem to be similar price used ? Michael

Light leak from the eye-level viewfinder ? Michael

You need confirmation from VC200L users that a Full Frame DSLR won't be vignetted, your APC-C size might be as large a format as is practical. I'm pretty sure you can't Bin a DSLR. And yes 0.65arcsec/pixel is oversampling, but many use small-pixel cameras and get good results - one for vlaiv to expand on. Personally I'd rate the Canon 6D MK1 over the 5D. Michael

I agree with the previous posts. A bargain if you have previous experience of Meade Classics. Too much for a beginner. And some general tips for buying a Classic (not applicable to LX200GPS and other newer Meade mounts): Due to aging, many of the capacitors in the base and in the handset need replacing before they go "pop" - there are many posts and videos on how to replace them. Also only run the mount with a 12/13.8V source, the later Meade suggestion to use 18V only worsened the capacitor load. Michael

"Hot mirror" and "clear protector" are unfamiliar descriptions, so whether it's a Ha or Full Spectrum mod is unclear to me. For a Refractor, and a Full Spectrum mod without any Clip-In filters, a UV-IR filter will be required. If you are going to use Clip-In LP filters all the time, then a Full Spectrum mod would work, otherwise just the #LPF-2 Filter removal is required. Michael

I'm used to seeing Flats that have an even overall colour caste, not Flats that are red in the middle and green at the edges ? Michael

If only the #LPF-2 filter has been removed to increase Ha response, the remaining #LPF-1 will filter IR. Only the white balance will have altered, easily corrected in PS etc. Michael

I've had the red LED fail, and the track on the potentiometer (the brightness control) go open-circuit. Buy a cheap digital voltmeter and check the volts are getting to the LED. Michael

I can remember when clouds used to be freely available for months on end. Now only the rich can get them. So unfair ! Michael