Imd

On 24/03/2014 at 00:24, Uranium235 said:

And another:

 

Excellent images,  what camera have you used for your imaging with the 130pds please?

Thanks everyone, I'll have a little play and try to follow your advice. 

Happy new year

Ian

"stack old and new calibrated lights in the same session"

Is it possible to stack lights from 2 different sessions when each have different flat frames, wouldn't that cancel the corrections made by flats eg vignetting and dust bunnies?

Would all the green lights be added to the tab in DSS as the old and new flats and dark flats to create one stacked green image?

Sorry for all this clarification but I have been wondering this for ages and it really holds me back

Thanks Steve,

I don't currently redo flats every session. I have multiple filters and I thought dark flat frames were supposed to be captured at the same exposure as flat frames so when you add it all up it can still take time to do the flats and dark flats for each filter. May I'm in to much of a rush 😀

I take your point with master calibration frames.

I suppose then in deep sky stacker I would stack for instance stack the old green filter lights with the old green filter master calibration files and also stack the new green filter lights with the new green filter calibration frames, ( doing the same for all other filters used)  Then i suppose layer each filter stack in photoshop?

Hi,

I have more than one scope but only one mono cooled camera. I use deepskystacker to stack. I create dark, flats and dark flat calibration frames.

I usually keep my camera connected to my scope so that I don't need to keep creating calibration frames. This way I can keep collecting data over several clear nights. 

I wish to remove my camera from my current setup and then later reconnect my camera to my scope to add some additional data to an old target. This way I can mix some wide frame and narrow frame imaging within the same season.

Do I need to keep all my old calibration frames as well as create new ones?

Do you add data by restacking the old data and the new data with calibration frames for each or do you use layers on photoshop, or some other method?

I'll be grateful for tips, ideally I'm looking for a simple method that does mot mean I must keep all my calibration frames every time I reconnect my camera. File management would get very messy if I need to keep calibration data and my lights for every time I return to a DSO. Storage could start beciming a problem too. Perhaps I just need a tidy folder structure but stacki g would be very complicated eg

M57

Nov19>lights 

Nov19>Calibration 

Dec20>lights

Dec29>calibration 

..and so on

Thanks for looking

Ian

How did you get on with this problem Brendan, did you find a solution?

I don't disagree with advice already provided. Just wondering whether you already have a Barlow. If not and you are on a budget you might consider an x2 barlow. This would increase magnification of both eyepices and give you more options for a minimum price. An x2 barlow might even also have the optionof giving you x1.5 magnification.

If it was me I would buy a barlow and perhaps a 17mm or 15mm eyepiece. Try the second hand market. 

I also had the heritage 130. Its a nice scope and it got me hooked so be careful 😃 

It was a lovely clear night last night. A few people arrived last night and we look forward to meeting more today. 

Thanks everyone. I have used the single reference image for all filters and its nicely aligned. - phew!!

Ian

This sounds like the answer I need.:) I thought it might be something like that. I didn't use the same reference image for all filters. I just need a little more detail please.

Should I select a single reference image eg a LUM with best score even though Im stacking red, green or blue?

I have attached blue and green channels to illustrate my problem

I was pulling my hair out last night and while I have a few strands left I wonder if I could seek some advice from some of you more experienced Mono astrophotographers.

I have captured my first images in LRGB and I have all my calibration frames for each filter. I have taken the images over a couple of nights, I don't have many subs because the clouds rolled in, and there have been meridian flips whilst imaging.

I have registered and stacked in DSS. Each image comes out ok and aligned with each of the subs for each filter but the RGB images output from DSS are ever so slightly misaligned with eachother.

Is the misalignment of images for each filter after stacking expected and is it then a manual activity to correct in Photoshop or did I miss a really useful step in DSS?

Thanks for looking

Ian

Im a further timer to this party and was really looking forward to meeting g the SWAG gang

We were given credit for the pitches reserved. Has anyone considered another date to meet up in autumn this year at the same site?

If not we will rearrange independently but it would be a shame not to connect on this occasion with SWAG. 

We were representing knowle astro soc and we had i think 5 pitches booked. 

Regards 

Ian

Hi,

I'm in the Knowle Astronomical Soc (KAS), West Midlands. I have booked pitch 1 for the weekend and I'm looking forward to meeting members of SWAG to learn, share enthusiasm and swap ideas, etc. I have always fancied going to to the Brecon Beacons.

I'll get some jaffa cakes in case anyone wants to pop over and say hello

I hope the clouds finally part between now and then.

Thank you for organising this event

Regards

Ian

I had my Canon 1100D upgraded by Juan at Cheapastrophotography. http://cheapastrophotography.vpweb.co.uk/

I explained to Juan that I hoped to have the work completed before I went to Kelling for the star party in just 3 weeks’ time. Juan was able to accommodate me.

I had the IR/UV filter removed and replaced by a Baader filter. I also had the anti-aliasing filter removed.

The camera was returned with Magic Lantern installed on the SD card. Magic Lantern can be removed by replacing or reformatting the SD card, it can also be temporarily disabled by pressing “set” during power up. Magic Lantern is able to correct the white balance and the camera was configured to do so by Juan before being sent to me. The instructions for Magic Lantern were supplied by Juan. I can no longer use the auto function on the camera without having the pinkish colour balance. I now use "P" mode for daytime. I believe that this is quite common for modified cameras and I was informed of this before I sent the camera.

It was several days before I heard from Juan after making the initial request for information but once the I received the first response following emails were responded to quickly.

I have not been involved in astrophotography for long and I was a bit nervous about having my camera sent to someone I don’t know to do some modifications I didn't fully understand. However, Juan reassured my throughout the entire process by updating me as each event occurred:

·         Payment received

·         Camera arrived

·         Baader filter arrived

·         Parts removed and replacement parts fitted and tested. I was sent an email with attachments demonstrating the quality of the photos               taken after the modification.

·         Camera sent out for delivery

Juan also assisted me with a number of questions before, during and after the purchase.

Based upon my good experience, I would recommend Juan’s service.

Ian