ApophisAstros

13 hours ago, Rusted said:

I use SharpCap too.

Right at the top of the screen in SharpCap there is a Capture heading.

Cover your objective with your poly bag and then choose Capture Flat.
You get a choice of number of frames. Keep that number small as it takes some time to capture a Flat.

 

Now just increase the gain until you get an OK.  Now you can Start your Flat capture.

Once it has captured your flat you can remove the poly bag.
 

Don't move the telescope between the two captures.

Now start your normal video capture from the same drop down box.

The Flat will automatically be loaded on top of the captured video.

So when you open your video in AS!3 it will already be evenly lit.

At this point you will have become an expert imager and can start offering advice on Flats.
I finally managed my own very first flat today.  Once I twigged the simple routine it was easy!

Top Banana🍌 mate , cheers for that,

Roger

7 hours ago, richard ashbee said:

Hi Roger are you using a DS60? or DS50

Not Double stacked , only single.

Roger

1 hour ago, Davey-T said:

Hi Roger, similar setup to you, I use the veg bags from supermarket over the end of the scope for flats.

What capture software are you using ? I use Firecapture and take a flat with it then use AS3 to save it.

Dave

I use SharpCap, seems quite good,

Roger

5 hours ago, Rusted said:

Your top right or ours?

Making great progress Roger!

Now you need to capture a flat to "flatten" the brightness across the image.

Any tips on Flats , re wrong side it was late last night and i was tired when i posted , it was left.LoL

thanks Sub.

Roger

Astrobin link for caphttps://astrob.in/5yuub7/0/ture details

The earth top left for size comparison

Roger

I have the rings and micro focuser from france and a Atik460ex mono but just could not find focus if i start with the focus (using the Bhatinov cap from france) at the L with the screws equally set ,  as advised, help would be welcome as i really want to get into widefield imaging,

Roger

1 hour ago, carastro said:

I think advertising a gathering on a certain date and getting people to book their own pitches direct with the campsite ought to relieve you of the responsibility, though if I am wrong I am sure some-one will jump in and say.

Most clubs have insurance including public liability insurance, so might be worth asking around as to the cost.

Carole  

i added £10,000 of cover , which i may have to increase, on the house and contents insurance(only added £18 a year to premium) which includes in the car and when your away from home..

Roger

9 minutes ago, Erling G-P said:

Just an idea, but how about a motion sensor controlled floodlight on the veranda - one you could activate when you go inside, and angled so that it only triggers if someone actually enters the area around the veranda. If the thief suddenly feels very exposed, it might scare him off.

Or a fishing rod alarm.

Fishing Alarms online

watch the end for a nice theft alarm

https://youtu.be/dEEQcNp-apw

HTH

Roger

Obviously doesnt help with the loss but i would suggest getting long cables and feed them through a small window, i have an Eagle3 power unit on the mount and only have to feed the power cable to it , and a 25 foot HDMI cable given to me free from an accomadating neighbour who turns his light of when i text him to say i am imaging , i cant say how great is that we are friendly with the neighbours. One side is a plummer known them for 30 plus years and he installed our stand alone shower 20 years ago and wouldnt take anything for doing it just costs ,eventually forced a bottle of wine on him , the other side is an electrician so couldnt have worked out better!.

Roger

7 hours ago, carastro said:

All good advice above.

Maybe take time out and also perhaps use the time to improve your processing skills.   Get some of your old data out and try re-processing.  Also when the IKI Observatory starts feeding us data have a go at that.  

I have a number of image processing tutorials on You tube, take a look at them and see if you can glean any useful info, (see a page on my website listed below for the relevant link).  Look at some other tutorials on the web, though some I find are too techie.

Carole 

Totally agree as i have been reprocessing 2 year old data and am very pleased with results, mainly because i lost images on the astrobin meltdown, suffice to say i backup now before posting anything.

Roger

Just  cleaned my Skywatcher Ed120 and wow what a difference just like new , used the Baader optical wonder cleaner and their cloth.

Roger

3 hours ago, carastro said:

I can't imagine setting up and down again the same night, I did do it right at the beginning but soon started to think about a permanent set up.  I do set up when I go to astro camps, but the rig stays up for several nights in a row, and I have to re-set up in the obsy when I get back home during the day time.  Having a permanent set up is the only practical way to go.  

Just find something that works for you and practice at the location you plan to use to make sure you are happy with it.

Carole  

I have a 3 night rule , only setting up if confirmed at least 3 nights imaging , so if first night is a washout then you have 2 othe niights to get something.

Roger

Spectacular

Roger

4 hours ago, Freddie said:

When you say “1 x 3.17ms” is that literally one frame at 3.17ms exposure? If so, you will get better results by stacking a % of frames from an AVI captured over a number of seconds.

Yes i know but this was the first time i used the scope so just wanted to see how i could process a frame , i also did a few 1000 -+ frame avis,taking longer to process as first time in Autostakkert3,

Thanks,

Roger

4 hours ago, Merlin66 said:

I assume you're using the ASI 178MM for solar imaging.....an AVI of 800 - 1000 frames should get you good results.

 

Yes , thanks for heads up,

Roger

Thanks all  ,

Roger

2 hours ago, Davey-T said:

Good start Roger, I use Firecapture with the LS60 and AS3 to process, did you take any long vids ? 3000 frames or so.

I was tempted by the Sun but it was really too windy here.

Dave

yes did about 3 hours..

Roger

2 hours ago, Altocumulus said:

Nice capture, and you've got that little spot showing...... I was tempted to get out today, but we've got a lot of high cloud and it's been a breezy day.

Yes i had it was windy here , in SharpCap liveview it was moving around quite a bit.

Roger

1 x 3.17ms capture and processed in PS.

Roger

both my Atik460 and Zwo ASI184mm screw directly into the EFW , althought the Atik needs a screwthread reverser.

Roger

Have you done your backfocus?

Roger

1 hour ago, carastro said:

Thanks for that I have copied it into my useful information file.  Some of the rest of the info was a bit over my head, though I do understand the Inverse square law thingy as it's the same for telescope imaging.

Thanks for the offer and would be nice to meet you, but what is the PAS?  Sounds like an Astronomy show. 

Carole 

https://practicalastroshow.com/

DSC weekend and its near Leicester?

Roger

First time setup with
Lunt LS60THa/B1200CPT 60mm H-Alpha Telescope, Crayford Focuser, Pressure Tuner
SkyWatcher SolarQuest Solar GOTO tracking Mount and Tripod with HelioFind Solar Alignment Technology

Managed to grab an image on my iphone 7plus at the eyepiece , only had about half an hour in the end.

Roger

2 hours ago, simmo39 said:

V nice, I must try and get one of these lenses, getting past the wife is a problem though!

Hope she doesnt come on here , otherwise you`ll be buying flowers and chocolates for ages...😙

Roger

1. Dropping your Bhatinov mask on the patio and it shattering into many pieces.

2. Imaging a whole nights subs with an Eagle3 , so i go out after moving all the subs to the USB stick when i should have copied them and i pull the USB stick out and its one of those adapter ones that holds a mini usb , hence the mini usb fell out on the patio and bounced "somewhere"in the garden, its still there so moral of the story only copy subs from Eagle 3 to USB sticks in future as moving deletes them off the Eagle3.

Roger