oymd

My take on this is from a completely different angle. Usually the USED market is a good indicator of where the current state of astrophotography is at. You rarely, if ever, see a quality MONO camera come on the used market. On the other hand, you will definitely see, every once in a while, a quality OSC come on the market. It is usually sold by an imager who wants to take the leap and up their imaging quality by a notch or two. Please do not take my analysis in a negative way regarding OSC. I myself have just ONE camera, the 294MC Pro, which is obviously OSC. I have been pondering upgrading to the 2600MC Pro, but what is actually holding me back is the theory that if I want to go up a level in imaging, I should save a bit more and go all out for the much more expensive setup of the mono 2600MM with filters and wheel.

Well, today I went to RC Astrophotography website to have a look and download the plugin. $59 for a plugin within PixInsight??!!! Whilst I recognise that a lot of work went into this plugin, and I appreciate the effort, I think that $59 is a LOT to ask for a plugin??!!

Yes, I’ve just watched Visible Dark’s YouTube video where he compares StarXterminator with Starnet in PixInsight. It seems Xterm does a much better job of removing stars with minimal halos, but he noted that the star quality might be a touch better with Starnet. Also, I was amazed at how FAST Xterm was compared to Starnet. My PC has a Ryzen 3950x with 16 cores, 64GB ram and an RTX 2070 super Nvidia GPU, and Starnet takes a long time. He did mention there is a hack to speed up Starnet for Nvidia cards, but not sure what it was.

Acquired over 2 nights with NINA. Processed in PI. WO Star71, 294MC Pro 94x300s L-eNhance Struggled to control Sadr in this image. I came up with a whacky idea! I used GAME script to create a gradient mask for just Sadr BEFORE applying Starnet. If I use Starnet on the unprotected image, it causes all sorts of artefacts around Sadr, as its too bright, and Satrnet seems to consider its bright halo as background. After protecting Sadr with GAME script, then went about with the normal workflow of Curves and Range mask. Hope you like it!!

Vlaiv, in PixInsight, Starnet has no options or settings to change, train or do anything with it. It’s just an icon process that you apply to your starry image.

Is there a way to avoid these sorts of artefacts in Starnet in PI? I've noticed its always happening with the brighter bigger stars, like here in IC1318, SADR, and also in IC6960 in the Western Veil? In PI, Starnet has no settings to change or fine tune? What could possibly be done to avoid these sorts of artefacts?

Ok, So I just repeated the whole process, and I think this is the correct way to do it? Not sure? Ran WBPP on EACH set of 47 images separately. In the lights tab, I DID NOT CLICK THIS TIME ON EITHER IMAGE REGISTRATION or IMAGE INTEGRATION. I think Image Registration option in WBPP is actually Star Alignment?? So, I'm left with TWO sets of debayered, cosmetically corrected sets of images, ending in c_cc_d I ran those 2 sets in Star Alignment, and then finally the resulting images in Image integration? Is that right?

Thanks for your reply. I ran the images through star alignment, then ran them all in Image integration. I do not understand what you meant by running at least 3 images? My data consists of 2 sets, each 47 images. After running WBPP on each set separately, I have 2 sets of REGISTERED images. they look like this: 2021-10-07_19-49-19__-4.90_300.00s_0005_c_cc_d_r I then ran them ALL together in Star Alignment, and for the reference frame, I picked the frame that was already chosen by WBPP as the REFERENCE IMAGE. That added an ADDITIONAL _r at the end, the the files looked like this: 2021-10-07_19-49-19__-4.90_300.00s_0005_c_cc_d_r_r I then added ALL the files into IMAGE INTEGRATION, and now I have a working image. But I think I'm not doing this right. Since I have TWO _r symbols at the end of my images' file names, I think I'm doing registration TWICE? Or is it normal for Registration to add a _r and then Star Alignment to add another _r? Maybe in WBPP I should NOT click Registration at all, so I am left with CALIBRATED FILES only, and the do Star Alignment on those, and then Image integration finally?

Hi everyone I've been imaging IC1318 over the past 2 nights. After my first night of imaging, I removed the camera and cleaned the optics. So, for the second night I took a new set of Flats and dark flats. I've used NINA throughout, with a Manual rotator, so both sets of LIGHTS are pretty much the same with exactly the same orientation. I did the WBPP for EACH set of Lights with its corresponding calibration frames. In WBPP I did NOT click image integration. As such, I'm left with TWO sets of REGISTERED files, each from a separate night, and each calibrated with its own flats, DFs. Darks are COMMON to both. For some reason, in IMAGE INTEGRATION, when I add ALL the registered files together, the final image is not right? The two sets are MISALIGNED? What am I missing? Image Integration on EACH set of Registered lights works fine if done separately, but once I COMBINE ALL the lights into Image Integration, its all misaligned? Everything is on DEFAULT settings. I tried WITH and WITHOUT pixel rejection? Here is Image integration of the first night set of registered files: Here is Image integration of the second night set of registered files: And this happens if I add BOTH sets to Image integration? Thanks

Amazing Wim. Thanks so much. Ok, since you think my guiding overall is OKish, I’ll leave the Dec housing for now, but will save your instructions just In case I need to go back to it. Can you please provide instructions for the RA backlash fix? Tonight, I’ll point the scope SOUTH, and run guiding assistant and report back here. My problem with south is that the trees on the south side are really HIGH, about 6 meters high, so there isn’t a clear patch of sky to point too. I will also need to move the scope and mount ALL THE WAY to the North side of the garden to expose more of the south sky. Which will make my initial setup a problem, as I will not be able to PA using the IOptron iPolar, as the mount and scope will be all the way on the north side of the garden tucked underneath the bushes, and I will have no line of sight to Polaris? Is there a way to PA WITHOUT direct sight of Polaris and north sky? thanks again.

Thanks Adam I'll give that a go as well. I'm currently abroad, and cannot order the FLO desiccant pack here. I'll just have to go for the microwave option. I think it was 50% for 2 minutes? Also, whilst I have the camera open, is it OK to very gently clean the actual sensor with a cotton bud and 70% alcohol? I've always had an annoying dust moat on my images and flats? The flats do calibrate it out, but there's always a faint prescience in the final image?

On the other hand, I think the stars look OK in the actual image? Image zoomed in at 140%

Hi Wim So, I did the DEC backlash thing. Was terrified frankly to damage something. My main guide was to FEEL no more wobble or play in my losmandy dovetail. I loosened the allen screws, turned the north grub CCW slightly, then the south grub CW slightly. The dovetail immediately became FIXED, with NO play or wobble. Connected the handset, and did a full NSWE slew, and at the extreme there was binding in one of the axis. I turned the SOUTH grub ever so slightly back CCW, still no play in the dovetail, and NO binding. Then tightened the allen keys. There are NO instructions on the RA axis, as to which one to tighten and which one to loosen, CCW or CW, north or south grub first, so left that alone. Ran Guiding assistant tonight, but pointed at POLARIS, and I think it did not go well. I am not sure what to make of the result? Especially the measured DEC Backlash? I applied the TWO recommendations on MINMO to 0.1 each. I'm now imaging IC 1318, and I've attached my PHD2 view. For the first few minutes my RA guiding was at 4.0!!! But then it settled down? This is FAR FAR more complicated than I thought. Many thanks

Further details: PA routine is always the same: I PA with IOptron iPolar and double check with SharpCap. Always reach excellent. I’ve been abroad the past few months. Ambient temperatures at night were LOW 30s back in August and now MID 20s. Sensor temp is always at -5C Last month i imaged over several night NGC 6960, and I noticed a circular gradient bang in the middle of the master image which became very visible after applying Starnet. I posted the issue here, and was advised it’s FROST on the sensor. Humidity is obviously high here. Since this issue arose, I’ve now wrapped the camera and filter drawer in a dew heater, and the circular gradient has gone. I suspect this pattern is indeed frost, as the flats I’ve been using were taken at the END of an imaging session back in early September, BEFORE I started wrapping the camera with a dew heater. I’ve reviewed those sold flats, and indeed on closer inspection there is a circular bluish white blown out area in the Center of the flats. When really zoomed in they appear as tiny blue pixels

Sorry. It’s the 294MC Pro

I use DEFAULT settings of WBPP. Just add the lights, flats and dark flats, in addition to darks from my library. I’ve spent some time on this today and did some investigative work. It seems that the issue was with a NEW set of flats and dark flats I took last week. I redid all my WBPP with my second last eat batch of Fs and DFs that I took last month and the issue disappeared. Looking back now at all my Master Lights I took over the last week with this set of new flats and dark flats, there is indeed some kind of a bluish gradient in the center of the image corresponding to the to this same pattern? Having said all that, I had indeed a frost issue build up on my sensor 2 weeks ago, which I THINK is now sorted, after I’ve added a dew heater strap wrapped around the camera and filter drawer.

Yes. PHD2 was already guiding

High Wim I'm planning on doing this BACKLASH fix this weekend. Yesterday night I started following your steps, but was stuck at Step 3 When I open guiding assistant in PHD2, I cannot click any of the buttons. START & STOP are greyed out?

I've noticed recently that ALL of my Master Light HIGH rejection images, when stretched, show a new strange pattern. Does anyone know why this is happening, and does it have any relevance? Here's a stretched HIGH REJECTION master light to show the pattern. I always stretch the Master Light High rejection image as a habit, before looking at the actual Master Light image, and never saw this pattern before. This pattern started appearing only in the past couple of weeks on ALL my processed master lights? Previously, it would only show RGB pixels scattered quite homogenously across the image.

Thank you! Glad you like it!

I've been inspired by the absolutely amazing image by Astrobin member: equinoxx. I tried to frame the image just like his, as it's absolutely stunning! Processed this image in false Hubble palette. WO Star71 5 element apo 294MC Pro Optolong L-eNhance 131 x 300s Total Integration: 10h 55' Acquired in NINA, processed in PI

Stunning Neil!! Well done, and thanks for sharing your hard work..

@vlaiv thanks vlaiv, very informative as always. What is an “artificial star” by the way? Is it something you make or buy???

Anyone can shed some light please? @vlaiv Need your help here!!

Good evening everyone I had some tilt on my WO Star 71 a week ago, and I was advised to tighten the screws that grab the focus tube, and it seems to have fixed the issue, as I no longer have play in the imaging train. I was advised to use CCDWare's CCDInspector to analyse my images. Can you please advise what the results mean? I had never used the software before, and a search on the forums did not help? The way I used it was look up my best reference frame in the log file created by WBPP, and opened it in CCDInspector, and clicked: Measure ALL, then had a look at CURVATURE, and 3D plot? But what do the results mean? DO the results have anything to do with the actual scope and setup, or just the camera's sensor? I've also done the same with my image of IC1396 that I took with my Esprit100ED last month, and I chose the best reference sub from the stack according to WBPP. Many thanks William Optics Star 71. Image was IC 1848. Curvature 3D Plot Esprit 100ED. Image was IC 1396. Curvature: 3D Plot: Lastly, here's the analysis of the VEIL Nebula when the Star 71 had bad TILT, before I tightened up the imaging train: Curvature: 3D Plot: Obviously with the last 2 images, there is an obvious problem. Its been fixed now, but how do I interpret the results of the first 4 images? Is 11% curvature OK? What should I look out for? Thanks again