geordie85

It's just out of focus

Don't use the extension 

You need to remove the 1.25 inch adapter 

Are you using a handset or eqmod? 

There may not be any bright stars, but I'm sure some stars should show up in a test image. You can always autostretch the histogram of a short sub to help see them. 

It looks more like a stacking artifact due to field rotation during your imaging session. 

Have you tried cropping the edges before running normalisation? 

I have both the 183m and 183c and have never had any trouble focusing even with a 3nm astrodon HA filter. 

The trick is to choose a very bright star, usually close to my target for the evening, and use that with a bahtinov mask. 

Another reprocess

6 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

Love to see so many galaxies in an image. Excellent quality too.

Thanks. As with all the images I take, I've reprocessed this about 10 times already. 

Hi

During the clear spell we had at the beginning of this week i focused most of my attention on C24. In my haste to collect as much data as possible i feel like i started imaging this target too early in the evening. Each night I started just as it was above my garage, but it turned out this data was too low down. So i decided to only stack the best frames.

This is a combination of data taken through my FLT 98 and Star71 and QHY183M/C cameras.

Colour data taken with the star71 and QHY183C. Luminance data taken through my FLT98 and QHY183M.

I've just been outside and it's just cleared about 10 minutes ago. Had a quick scout around with a 9x50 finder as I can't get the imaging rig out tonight. Very early start tomorrow 

14 minutes ago, Danjc said:

Thanks, that’s a huge difference and I was wondering why my image was not resembling anything like images I have seen online. I guess my processing needs lots of work and practice. 

I tried the trial of Startools once and just couldn't even begin to work out how to use it. Have you tried watching any tutorial videos for using Startools? 

I was mainly curious about your image as I have the QHY version of your camera and my results were different. 

I always recalibrate phd2 if I ever do a meridian flip

17 minutes ago, Danjc said:

I used DSS and I take my flats with a light box app on an ipad.

This should be the file.

 

Autosave001.fit 19.25 MB · 1 download

Thanks

I had a very quick play in Photoshop with a couple curves and levels adjustments. You've got some nice data with very decent stars.

Complete cloud cover here

What stacking program did you use? The background seems very uneven. How did you take your flats? 

Can you post the stacked, unstretched file. 

59 minutes ago, kirkster501 said:

I did try to talk you out of it mate before I bought it off you. Look at what it’s capable of.

True, but needs must

9 hours ago, kirkster501 said:

Selling stuff is deadly Geof......  You always wish you hadn't when you suddenly find a great use for it four months later...... ! Why, why, why did I sell my Lodestar X2?..... 😢I have the perfect use for it now! Oh well..

This is very true. 

Wish I never sold my Samyang 135mm 

5 minutes ago, geoflewis said:

Wow...!! What’s the target?

Ngc1275 and the surrounding galaxies. 

Nice. 

I'm up to 108 x 300 luminance subs and about 400 x 120 colour subs. Hopefully I'll end up with a decent image when I get round to processing. 

Still no clouds for me. I'm sat in the garden watching the moon rise. 

Beautiful 

Just done a refocus. Hopefully I'll get another 2 hours

I left work at 23;37 and I'm now imaging too at 00;21

Funny how quicky I can do things when I want to

Ill be at work till about midnight tonight after only a few hours sleep last night, still hoping I can play out again. 

Clear skies don't happen too often so I'll catch up on sleep some other time. 

It seems like it should work

I'd say this had come out very well, especially considering your light pollution. 

I still haven't managed to play with my data yet from last night. Stuck at work for a good few hours yet.