Astrobug

I played this afternoon a bit with the data. It seems I have use the saturation tool too much on the color data. With less saturation the colors stays closer to the star. The only way left to get more color is to collect more data if i'm not wrong.

Really nice processing and instructive post about the FSQ 106 reducer.

I agree with wimvb, dithering is the solution.

I'm using a layer with the stars before the deconvolution as toplayer in photoshop. Left is with the layer active and right it is off.

50 times Red with subs of 60 sec, 50 times Green with subs of 60 sec and 50 times Blue with subs of 60 sec. I try to keep it short in the description

You are talking about the rings around the big stars mostly in the border of the picture? These are coming from the color layer. The stars are much smaller on the Ha layer and the color expand over the border of the Ha stars. This is something I struggle with. Maybe more RGB integration could help by getting the same level of color with less stretching the curve?

This is one from last week. I was trying to keep the colors neutral to give a more "natural" look. ASI 1600MM pro H-alpha (6nm) 249 x 120 sec 3 x 50 x RGB 60 sec Esprit 100 Avalon Linear & autoguiding Software APT, EQ mod & PS CS6.

The last 2 weeks I was to lucky to get several clear nights. This is the result of 7 nights. Badly the clear nights are never in the weekends Config: ASI 1600MM pro H-alpha (6nm) 265 x 120 sec OIII 97 (6nm) x 120 sec SII 91(6nm) x 120 sec Esprit 100 Avalon Linear & autoguiding Software APT, EQ mod & PS CS6.

Is your camera bayonet tight? In the past mine was tilting the whole camera. Try to make a picture on the other side of the meridian and see how the star shape change. With a loose bayonet gravity is a real nightmare.

I have this problem when the spikes of my secondary are in the same axis as the bahtinov spikes. Maybe you can give it a try to rotate your mask a bit?

The filters increase the back focus so you need less spacers. 55mm - 0.3 mm. This document gives good information: http://www.qsimaging.com/downloads/QSI-500-600-Series-Back-Focus.pdf

The GPE & GPDEX are great mounts when they came out (and still are). The 1st try to get something better was a real fiasco. Bad electronics and motors on the 1st generation of SXW/SXD. I hope they fixed it now but for me vixen is out of the game. I'm more for "made in europe".

Did they fix the problems with the new line of mounts? I remember the huge problems with the SXW/SXD mounts. Vixen did nothing to fix it and no after sales service at all.

I have a similar problem on mine and also I suspect a tilt on the sensor. When rotating the cam the deformation of the stars stays in the same corner. This was done with threaded connections. A tilt adjuster should solve the problem but this can't be used on a les. Do you feel some play in the bayonet?

The Avalon mounts are made for auto guiding and they are the kings of it.