Lee_P

Thanks Alan. I tried every combination in Registax, but no joy. So I tried Autostakkert as you suggested, and it worked first time

Thanks Alan, I did, but possibly incorrectly. Thinking about it, Registax did say that it thought the TIFs were monochrome, which perhaps is a red flag that I messed up the debayering. Here's a screenshot of my settings:

Hi SGL folks, I'm a deep sky imager (Askar FRA400 and ASI2600MC), and the other night decided to do some lunar imaging while waiting for the Orion Nebula to come out from behind my chimney. Using my ASIAIR PRO, I took an .avi video (1920x1080). I ran this through PIPP to get TIFs, which I then loaded into Registax. The images look very pixelated, as does my final edit. Below are examples. My question is, are the images pixelated because of my telescope and camera combination (i.e. it's to be expected because I'm using a wide-field rig for lunar); or have I done something wrong in my pre-processing? Thanks in advance!

I'd say you're making really good progress! The sub length will depend on your camera. I use five-minute subs as standard. Maybe start with that and see? In a single sub you should be able to make out the nebula in ASIAIR's autostretched preview, but it won't look stunning. That's what stacking and processing is for!

Also, the L-eXtreme works well even with a bright Moon. You get some gradients but they're manageable. I reckon you've got things working well enough now that you can put the filter back into the imaging train. Just remember that you'll need much longer exposures, including for focussing. The L-Extreme let me get this image of the Soul Nebula a few nights ago (6 hours integration time), even with a bright Moon nearby:

Congrats, that's working perfectly. Having very green images after stacking is normal, and to be expected. The clue is in the Bayer Pattern -- RGGB. That's a lot of G! You balance it out in post-processing. Here's an autostretch of your stack using PixInsight, it gives a rough indication of what you'll get once you balance the green:

Congrats on getting the hardware working! I suspect (but am not sure) that your new issue is caused by your DSS settings. If you could somehow get your individual subs to me (via Google Drive or Dropbox maybe) then I could have a go at stacking them myself and see if I can get a colour result.

That's right, no need for the ST4 cable. It sounds like your cable arrangement is correct. When connected to the ASIAIR PRO, your Mount should be "EQMod Mount". At least, that's what it is on mine

It's a tough choice as the gap between mono and OSC has narrowed recently. Maybe that means that both are good options! All things being equal, mono would offer higher quality, but I went OSC and L-eXtreme for the convenience of a simpler imaging workflow and making the most of gaps in the UK's cloudy skies. I'd recommend thinking about how long you plan on using your new camera for before you'll likely want an upgrade -- for me, maybe five years or so. Then think about what option will best suit you over that specific timeframe. I may well go back to mono in the future, but for now OSC suits me best. Good luck with whatever you choose, and try not to get analysis paralysis!

Oh that's a good idea, could avoid the OP needing to buy new dew heaters

Bingo, I bet your issue is the front of the guidescope. You can unscrew the lens shield, and then adjust the black ring to tighten it up. This will need to be unscrewed by a particular amount in order for your view to be in focus. You can actually get your guidescope focus fairly accurate by testing it during the daytime. Just aim for something far away, like a chimney or TV aerial on a neighbour's roof. (Hopefully they won't think you're a peeping tom!) Focus loop through your ASIAIR, and make adjustments using trial and error until your view is in focus. This is easier than starting from scratch using stars at night. Let us know how you get on!

Oh, and you can set the gain in ASIAIR too. I think mine is 70. Edit: I've recently read that ZWO recommend a medium level gain for guidecams. Mine is now set to 30.

Ok, you should be seeing stars with those settings. (When everything's working consider 2s a minimum, otherwise you're just chasing atmospheric conditions). Other things to check that are obvious but easy to forget: the lens hasn't fogged up; you're not accidentally blocking the view with your arm! Here are photos of my set-up so you can see where I've positioned the camera, and how far screwed out the front of the guidescope is. Note that I need to do more tweaks to make sure it's spot on, but this should at least ensure you're able to see stars in the first place:

Taking out the filter for now is a good shout. Regarding the guidescope and camera, what exposure time are you using?

Hi Simon, I've got similar kit to you and have it all working a-ok. I reckon tenpinmark has gotten you onto the right track! I believe this is the cable you need: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-mount-accessories/lynx-astro-ftdi-eqdir-usb-adapter-for-sky-watcher-eq5-pro-heq5-syntrek-pro-az-eq5-gt-az-eq6-gt-and-eq8-mounts.html. As suggested it's always good to check with FLO. Once you get the mount properly connected to the ASIAIR, you won't need the ST4 cable -- the guidescope can do all its communicating via its USB connection to the ASIAIR. Polar Alignment can then all be done through the ASIAIR too, with you making minor adjustments to the mount. Much easier than what you're doing at the moment! Those Lynx Astro dew straps are good. You may need an adapter (single: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/astronomy-cables-leads-accessories/lynx-astro-21mm-dc-male-to-rca-socket-for-dew-heaters.html double: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/zwo-accessories/zwo-dc-to-rca-y-splitter-cable.html) to power them from your ASIAIR. Regarding focus, it is difficult with a filter like the L-eXtreme because you need longer exposures to get an image. An electronic autofocusser would make your life a lot easier. I'd ask someone with a Redcat for advice on that; I've seen some mods that use a ZWO EAF, which would communicate nicely with your ASIAIR. Try not to feel too down about initial teething issues. It always seems to be the way that the first few clear nights are spent troubleshooting, but you'll get over that initial bump soon. Rest assured you've got some great kit! What camera are you using? You can see some photos of my set-up here:

I love Columbo! The cone spacer is the M68 to M48 adapter. It's made of metal and is very sturdy. No need to replace it.

In case it's of use to anyone, I've written a review of my Askar FRA400 f/5.6 Quintuplet APO Astrograph:

Here's my review:

I recently bought an Askar FRA400 f/5.6 Quintuplet APO Astrograph. I couldn’t find much info about it in advance – the best was a thread on Cloudy Nights – so thought it might be useful to other folks to jot down some of my feedback. I’m happy to answer any specific questions or clarify any points written in this review. One-line review This is a great telescope that’s fun and easy to use, but with a few issues potential buyers should be aware of. Background I got into astroimaging a few years ago, using a Sky-Watcher Evostar 80ED DS-Pro and ASI1600 mono camera plus filters. I enjoyed it, but the arrival of a new baby took a lot of my time (and energy!) so I sold everything with the intention of coming back to the hobby a little later. Barely a year on and I was missing astroimaging a lot, so decided to get back into it, but this time trying to create a simpler set up that would get me imaging on a clear night with the minimum of hassle. I bought a William Optics Zenithstar 73 II APO 2019 with reducer / flattener, but had terrible issues with streaky corner stars due to backfocus problems. I tried a few things with the help of FLO (great customer support, of course) but in the end returned the telescope as it looked like I’d gotten a duff one. Luckily, at this time FLO started stocking Askar FRA400 f/5.6 Quintuplet APO Astrographs. Its Petzval design promised to be free of backfocus issues (assuming no reducer), which given recent experiences was music to my ears. I decided to go for it, and pushed the button. I’d be coupling it with a ZWO ASI 2600MC-PRO USB 3.0 Cooled Colour Camera. I went OSC to keep things simple. However, I live in Bristol city centre – Bortle 8 light pollution – so added an Optolong L-eXtreme to my basket so I could still do narrowband imaging. I decided to forego the optional Askar f/3.9 Full Frame Reducer for FRA400/5.6. This was for four reasons. 1) The L-eXtreme isn’t as effective with very fast systems; 2) 400mm is good to frame the targets I’m most interested in; 3); with the reducer I’d need to get the backfocus spot-on, and I’d had enough of that with the WO ZS73; 4) I’d save £269! My kit Askar FRA400 f/5.6 Quintuplet APO Astrograph ZWO ASI 2600MC-PRO USB 3.0 Cooled Colour Camera William Optics 32mm Slide-base Uniguide Scope ZWO ASI 120MM Mini USB 2.0 Mono Camera ZWO EAF - Electronic Automatic Focusmotor ZWO ASiair Pro Wireless Astrophotography Controller Optolong Dual-Band L-eXtreme Filter (2”) ZWO 2″ Filter Drawer with M48 / M42 Connections Primaluce Lab 30mm PLUS Spacers William Optics DSD 245 Plate Dew heater straps Orion Sirius EQ-G mount Image quality Not being a pixel peeper, I’m not qualified to write a detailed analysis of image quality here, but I will post a single sub so people can make up their own minds. I can say though that I’m very happy with the views – both through the eyepiece and via the camera. There are some aberrations (fringing maybe?) around stars at the edges of the frame -- zoomed examples included below. Issues and solutions Build quality on the whole is good, a different league to the 80ED, but not quite up there with the WO ZS73. The dew shield is a little loose, and on the cusp of sliding down under its own weight when the telescope is pointing straight up. I solved this by putting a white elastic band on the main tube, just behind the dew shield – a DIY fix but works just fine. The lens cap also feels a bit loose, but hasn’t fallen off. The default focusser is ok, but doesn’t quite have the premium feel of the WO ZS73. I upgraded with a ZWO EAF, which was very easy to install, and works perfectly. I'd consider this a must if you're astroimaging. The supplied dovetail is quite short, and makes it difficult to achieve balance if using a heavy camera. I solved this with Primaluce Lab 30mm PLUS Spacers and a William Optics DSD 245 Plate. This allows for good balance, plus there’s room for an ASIAIR PRO to be attached at the back. All my accessories are attached to the left-side of the telescope, making it slightly off-balance. However, there are enough holes in the spacers and tube rings to allow for the dovetail to actually be attached slightly off-centre to the telescope, allowing for it to all be well balanced. You can buy a Finder Plate to open up more options. The telescope comes with a conical M68 to M48 adapter. Askar say this is threaded for 48mm filters – ideal for my L-eXtreme, or so I thought. I couldn’t really see where there was a thread in the adapter. I e-mailed Askar customer support, and got a reply two days later saying that the thread is inside the adapter. Fair enough, there is a thread in there, but no way of actually getting a filter inside and screwing it tight. It’s really odd. I e-mailed Askar again to ask for clarification, but this time didn’t get a reply. So, I don’t rate their customer service. From more research online, it looks as if some of the adapters come in two parts that screw together, presumably to give access to the thread. In the end I bought a ZWO 2″ Filter Drawer with M48 / M42 Connections. This fixed the issue, and is very convenient, but is an extra cost that should be considered. The ASKAR FRA400 doesn’t come with a carry case, which is a bit of a shame. Summary I’m really happy with my ASKAR FRA400, and think it’ll serve me well for years to come. Once the initial issues were overcome, I’ve been finding it a lot of fun. It’s compact and light -- I can carry the OTA with all attached accessories in one hand. It pairs well with the ASI2600 and L-eXtreme. The ASIAIR PRO controls everything very neatly as well. If I see a gap in the clouds, I can set everything up (tripod and mount in the garden, attach telescope, polar align, autofocus, start imaging) in 20 – 25 minutes. I’m looking into a DIY pier in the garden, which should reduce this to 5 – 10 minutes. Images Single FITS sub, straight from the camera (with L-eXtreme): Light_IC1805_300s_Bin1_gain100_20201224-224655_-9.7C_0039.fit Single 300s sub with L-eXtreme, debayered, stretched, and resized to 50%: Random star from the centre of the frame: And the edge of the frame: 8.5 hours of integration time. One of my very first attempts at processing with PixInsight, so definitely not the limit of what the telescope can do, but more an indication of what a beginner can achieve in Bortle 8 skies: Views of the Askar FRA400 in my garden:

The ZWO EAF is great, I'd definitely recommend it if you're imaging!

Hi Simmo, your query inspired me to write a review, which I hope to post later today. To answer your direct questions now though: * My focusser is ok. Not A* quality, but does the job. I've installed a ZWO EAF and that works perfectly. * Yes, flat field as the 'scope comes (i.e. without the reducer). This is a benefit of its Petzval design; no backfocus to content with. More on that in my full review! * I'm not using it with the reducer, so can't really comment on that I'm afraid. * Yes, it's good quality for the money. I have encountered a few issues but have found solutions to all of them -- will give more details in my full review. I consider it a keeper for many years. Whether you would depends on what you want to use it for, exactly. I can advise more if you can give me any details. Hope that helps, -Lee

Yes, I have this telescope. Might write a members' review here on SGL, as there isn't that much info out there about it. Happy to answer any questions you might have!

My new Askar FRA400 f/5.6 Quintuplet APO Astrograph. Having a lot of fun with it!

I have a conclusion to this thread After many more nights tweaking backfocus settings, I contacted FLO sent them some sample images. They sent me a replacement flattener to try, but no joy. I returned the WO ZS73, and I believe FLO may be sending it to Es Reid for tests. I bought an Askar FRA400, and everything with it works with minimal hassle. Thanks for the help offered in this thread, and FLO's excellent customer service should be noted too

Thanks Alan, I'd be lost without you! To answer your question, I manually focussed before the first picture, then moved the flattener's in-built rotator to get to the other two angles. I didn't refocus between shots. I've got an autofocusser ordered, but it's taking a while because of the current stock issues. The next time the clouds part I reckon I'll try tweaking the distance a little more, and then just go for an imaging run and see what the final stacked result looks like. I dread to think what kind of precision is needed to get good corner stars on your 6200! Thanks again, -Lee