oymd

Did you go by r*0.6*+g*0.4 in PixelMath, or did you change the values?

I think its VERY nice! Well done!

Interesting read...

@vlaiv @Martin Meredith Thank you for your replies. After reading your replies, I’m left smiling. Honestly, thank you for the explanation, but I did not understand a word of it. Sorry, but this seems so so complicated.

@vlaiv with regards to your question about why would I want to drizzle, it’s just to know the process of how to do it. I’m currently imaging with my WO Star 71 only, which is 350mm FL, and have not yet got the right bracket for the ZWO EAF for my Esprit 100ED, but that is also 550mm FL. I realise that I will not need to bin or drizzle with my 294MC Pro camera on those 2 scopes, but I also have an Edge HD 11, and plan to give it a go at imaging in the near future, and according to that formula on over or under sampling, I will need to Bin and drizzle on that scope with my camera. So I just wanted to be prepared and have the knowledge to do it when I’m ready to cross that bridge.

Very informative replies, thanks... Ok, let's say that theoretically I want to Drizzle. @vlaiv You mentioned that I can choose to BIN AFTER stacking? How can I do that? Never saw that option? Either in DSS or in PI's WBPP? I never saw an option to change the images from the way I took the subs at 1x1 BIN to say 2x2 BIN? In PI, in WBPP under IMAGE REGISTRATION, I always click on the box that says GENERATE DRIZZLE DATA, but I never see actual Drizzle files generated? I always DITHER after EVERY 300s sub anyways, but never saw the drizzle files? Do they get automatically added to the registered files during image INTEGRATION in WBPP in PI? In my REGISTERED folder, I can see all the registered frames, and under each one is a 1MB file that looks like this: 2021-09-21_02-10-04__-4.90_600.00s_0020_c_cc_d_r.xdrz

Took this over the past 2 nights. 20x600s 60x300s. L-eNhance 294MC Pro WO Star 71 5 element Apo. I was experimenting with the 600s subs. I was expecting SIGNIFANCT better SNR compared to the 300s. Just for the sake of exploring, I initially processed both sets of lights separately, but could see no real difference in noise and signal.

Please explain to me how binning would affect the end result image? Say I want to image IC 63, the Ghost Nebula, with my WO Star 71 and 294MC Pro. I had a look on Telescopius, and the target would be very small on my image. I've only imaged at binning 1x1 in the past. If I image at 2x2 or 3x3, would that help when processing the final image, as each pixel would be 4 or 9 aggregated pixels, and I can zoom in on the target when processing and crop accordingly? here's what my FOV would look like if I imaged IC 63. Lastly, I suppose the above is HARDWARE binning? What would SOFTWARE binning mean? Many thanks

Thank you for your suggestion. I wrapped the camera and filter drawer with one of my extra dew heater bands over the past 2 nights, and the circular gradient is gone. I was imaging IC 1848 over the past 2 nights. No circular gradient! On Cloudy Nights, the responses I got were very much suggestive its the Moon reflecting on my WO Star 71's objective, but I was imaging the last 2 nights with the full moon out in the same conditions, and using the dew heater bands eliminated the gradient. So it must be condensation then! Thanks again.. masterFlat_BIN-1_FILTER-NoFilter_CFA.xisf

Yes, same temp as the lights. All were at -5C

Oh...never thought of that... How can I avoid it happening in the future? Should I use a dew heater band on the camera and attached filter drawer?

Hi Everyone Yesterday I imaged NGC 6960, and during processing I noticed a very obvious CIRCULAR gradient on my image? I have attached a picture. I intentionally OVERDID the RGBK in Curves to highlight it more? Is this from bad flats? Is it from the filter? Imaging setup yesterday: WO Star71 294MC Pro L-eNhance filter 65x300s FULL MOON These flats were taken 2 days ago, and did not produce any similar gradient on any of my Soul or Heart nebula images? Mount & OTA have not been moved or touched for the past 2 days, so did not take flats yesterday night? The image on screen is after: DBE, background neutralisation, PCC, EZ DENOISE, HISTOGRAM STRETCH AND FINALLY STARNET. I went back to the raw stacked calibrated Master Light unprocessed image, and just did a Background Neutralisation to remove the green cast, followed by a Histogram Stretch and RGBK curves. Did not do ANY postprocessing. The circular halo/gradient is there, I think, but much less obvious? Is it my processing? Many thanks

Amazing information wimvb!!! Ive learnt a lot from your answers!! The south side of my garden had considerably higher bushes than the north side, so I always pointed and calibrated NORTH. Our neighbours are south of us, and they like to grow their trees really HIGH for privacy. The trees are about 3 meters high, so I always tried calibrating while pointing NORTH where I can see more of the horizon. Ok, I get your point. Tonight I will move my setup all the way to the NORTH of our garden, so that I can have a better and lower view of the SOUTH sky and try the calibration again. Ive also read on a thread in Cloudy Nights from 2018 that the possible cause of the error I get: Calobration failed. RA star did nit move enough, might be due to some setting in PHD2 where I should change the setting to move the mount MORE with every calibration step? Thanks again!!

Thanks wimvb for that...very informative. Can you then please clarify why I see such VERY high DEC readings in my Stellarium. Tonight I tried calibrating again, and I got the message: Failed, RA star did not move enough? I think I need to sort my RA and DEC backlash. I will do that over next weekend, as there was simply no time today. I just loaded my existing calibration data, and I am currently guiding at 0.5-0.7rms, which is not bad. Can you please clarify why those DEC values are so HIGH when my counter weight bar is HORIZONTAL, and the telescope is JUST FEW DEGREES pointing upwards from being also completely HORIZONTAL and parallel to the ground? I was practically pointing at just above the treeline (basically tall bushes, not even real trees) pointing NORTH in my garden to try to calibrate. Pointing really low, yet DEC values are so HIGH? P.S. I am currently away from London, at latitude 30.

oh, wow...really? So, with the east side heavy thing, when imaging EAST of the Meridian BEFORE the flip, the counter weights should be ever so slightly heavier? Then as the mount flips and starts to image WEST of the meridian the OTA should be ever so slightly heavier? Which implies that someone has to be physically present beside the mount AFTER the flip, stop the tracking, and change the balance? Is that what experienced imagers do? Or, if you just do not want to be near the scope so late at night, one would assume that we make the counter weight side ever so slightly heavier, and DO NOT image past the meridian? So what do imagers do with regards to REMOTE locations? Is this weight shift done remotely? Very interesting.

Yes, sorry. I get it now. By the way, I never really understood what EAST heavy meant? Does that mean that when balancing RA, with the counterweight shaft horizontal, the scope should be HEAVIER on the EAST (right) side of the mount? But wouldn’t that still make the scope heavier on the WEST side of the mount as well when I swing the OTA around? How can the OTA and all the imaging gear be heavier on just ONE side (EAST) of the mount? Sorry, pretty sure it’s another dumb question, but it’s one I don’t understand.

Oh, of course. Yes. Those are the DEC screws of course. The RA is on the back. Sorry. I’m an idiot!!

wow, what a super informative post. The way I check for DEC is by reading the numbers when I am pointing at an object in Stellarium. Even when I am pointing the scope really low, just above the hedge in my back garden, the DEC reading on Stellarium of whatever object I am pointing at is around 50 or so. I must admit I think I don’t get DEC reading right. Stellarium shows many DEC reading and I think I’m confused about it.

Thank you so much for that. RA is clear. Sorry to be an absolute pain, but can you point out the 4 DEC Allen screws as well? And should I start with DEC then RA, or it doesn’t matter? Lastly, when adjusting the grub screws and checking for binding, should I remove the scope etc from the mount, or do everything with the mount LOADED with the gear? Many many thanks 🙏

Thank you for your rep[lies. I will proceed with the above advice, but need to check a few points in my mount's anatomy, just to avoid messing up things: @wimvb 1- You mentioned: TWO different screws: Grub & Allen. By grub screws, are we talking about the tiny black holes on North & South sides of both DEC & RA axis? FOUR in total? If yes, then what are you referring to when you say: ALLEN screws? You did not reference the ALLEN screws in your steps 1-3? You only mentioned playing with the GRUB screws? 2- In step 2 you mentioned "apply guiding assistant and measured backlash"? What is that? Never did it? Is that in PHD2? 3- By calibrate in PHD2, I suppose you mean clicking SHIFT calibrate? I struggle always with calibration in PHD2 as it wants me to point somewhere at or below 20 degrees DEC, which is practically my horizon or even below! @david_taurus83 You mentioned that the EQ6 strip down guides apply to my AZ-EQ6 Pro, but I recall seeing that the AZ mount has the freedom encoders, which make a significant difference in the strip down? Not sure. I have attached a pic of my mount showing MY understanding of the GRUB screws and POSSIBLY the ALLEN screws you meant, but not sure?? There are 4 Allen screws on my RA body, but which Allen screws should I look at on my DEC? Many thanks

Can you please share the details on what you did to minimise backlash on your mount? I have a similar mount to the one above in the video. It’s fairly new, just a year old. I too have significant wobble on the Dec, and minimal wobble on the RA. I can’t see myself tearing the mount down as on good nights I average rms of 0.7-0.9. I read somewhere that the backlash on RA and DEC can be eliminated WITHOUT opening the mount, by just using a 2mm Allen key through the two tiny grub screw holes on either side of the DEC and RA axis on the mount? is that possible?

Extremely nice image.... chapeau...

I struggled a bit to process this in PI. Starnet leaves some artefacts over the BIG star just over the nebula, so played a bit with masks.. WO Star 71 294MC Pro + L-eNhance L: 110x300s D, DF & F: 50 each PHD 2 NINA WBPP BTW, in Photometric Color Calibration, since I am calibrating a NEBULA, what option do I choose? The options available are AVERAGE SPIRAL GALAXY, or STARS? No option to choose a Nebula? Hope you like it! I welcome any feedback... Western Veil3.tif

Thank you for that. Very helpful. So, I manually slew the scope to east and west, and when I am satisfied, I register a NEW LIMIT on either side of the mount? But which button do I use to click? The GREEN PLUS button? Press that to se the new limits?

thank you for your replies. Can you please walk me through what steps do i need to do exactly? I'm still unfamiliar with EQMOD and NINA, and still learning. I watched a youtube video about this, by Cuiv the lazy geek, and am still confused. How do I extend the mount's range in EQMOD? Or should I just UNTICK the box in EQMOD that says: ALLOW MERIDIAN FLIP?