TakMan

Thought I’d update this thread, you never know... it might help someone else in the future! Having received a load of help with regards to ‘wing’ testing the Quark, the advise I got from a solar imaging perspective was the Sony 174 based camera and specifically the Basler aca1920-155um as one of the ‘best integrations of this architecture’, although I baulked at the price and probably would have ended up with the ZWO variant. Fortunately I found one less than a year and a half old second hand and a third of the RRP, so snapped it up! The thing feels beautifully made and is so diddy (the picture with my DMK41 and a friend’s ZWO174MC)! I have to say Basler have been helpful in speaking with them. Currently, James/OACapture crappie has kindly (been roped in!) offered to see if he can get the camera to work on his software which I use. Basler’s own Pylon software does work on Mac and I can get 150+ FPS 8bit, 78 FPS 12bit and 150 FPS 12bit ‘P’, but the software isn’t as intuitive nor set up for our niche hobby. I can’t get it to work in either Firecapture, nor SharpCap on the DELL Vostro Windows laptop (it’s old and doesn’t have an SSD anyway), I think due to some sort of USB bus problem. I’m not really up with Windows (only use it for PHD2 and CduC), so although the camera is showing up in ‘Devices’ I keep getting it needs a USB3 port (they are ‘blue’ coloured, have SS next to them as well...?) Doesn’t matter as I intend/Hope to use the Mac anyhow... Damian

Amazing result! 😃

Thanks Wouter, Merlin, Craig and Freddie and Vlaiv who've also helped via PM. I'm going to add this reply to see if it sheds some extra light on what I wish to achieve (ie what Wouter does with 20" but with only 5.5" aperture that I have!!!) I'm interested in close up shots. Both lunar and solar. I have a wide field deep sky set up, so it makes quite a nice change to go in for details. I could in the future try the Borg 90FL for some full disc images. (I don't mind doing 4-6 Frame mosaics to get a full disc image, just not 20+!) I also have the 2x, 4x and 5x Powermates if needed. But the focus and camera decision should be based around hi-res detail shots. Re: solar and UV/IR filter. I understand this is required for my 102mm scope. I'm not tracking either for hours on end due to my mount not being able to. I've also touched around the scope, diagonal, Quark and all appear to stay cool. But, I've read that some (MalVeauX) suggest swapping the simple Baader UV/IR out for a Baader RED CCD-IR Block filter (ERF), although he's not using a Quark. I'm sure I also saw someone say they used a Baader 35nm (imaging) Ha filter instead of the UV/IR to protect the Quark even more. Just thinking whatever best protects the lifespan of the Quark and aids imaging. BUT, that doesn't cut the light down so much that whatever camera I change to ends up being no more sensitive, or as noisy as the DMK41 I use now. For lunar - Specifically using the TEC140ED, I've been pointed towards a 'simple red' filter that should suffice (I presume that's a red Baader imaging filter used for RBG?), or the Solar Continuum Filter would be worth a try... or an orange filter as Wouter suggested (sorry, is that a visual orange filter or is there a specific imaging orange filter)... it just gets a bit confusing! Can someone explain the last bit of Wouter's comment... about the IR pass... do I or don't I require this... Price???, my max (in my head), really is around the ZWO 174mm, so £599, although I'm in no rush... will wait an FLO 10% sale probably.... it's been out nearly 5 years (?), I wonder if and when it's replacement will now come out... is it getting a bit long in the tooth...? With regards to the need for a tilt adapter for ZWO cameras and especially the 174, it still sounds like a bit of a faff. If it is to be the 174mm (as long as camera works for both lunar and solar and on Mac with OACapture or FireCapture the brand doesn't matter), then a tilt adapter sounds (sort of), OK. Can I ask for a link if that's the way forward please. I'm sure I've seen a DayStar one and an FLO / Astro Essentials version... which one is 'the best' or should I say easiest to use..? What about connection to Quark..? Currently the camera is straight into the eyepiece holder... What should I use for the super new camera ... plus a link please... Hope that gives you some insight into where I am. As you can probably tell, I prefer to do my research and buy once, even if that means waiting/saving and spending a tad more to get it right. I'd rather enjoy being out imaging and observing than fighting the gear. Thanks for your all your help previously and in advance... Damian

Sorry for the delay in posting, was just too knackered yesterday to do processing justice... Was out making the most of another clear night and grabbing colour data for M106. By 2am the sky was really clearing up, but Julie had decided that our "one walk a day" should be to hear the dawn chorus - so after less than three hours sleep, we were heading back outside just after 5am to be treated to a beautiful sight of moon and oncoming sunrise... Bird recording >Bird song.mp3 We continued our walk along the footpath, beside the 'hedgerows' to get a better vantage point for sunrise... Whilst awaiting sunrise I had time to check GONG to see what was happening... more specifically the 'hedgerow prom' from the previous day... A Blue Tit announcing 'sunrise!'.... Blue Tit.mp3 My intention had been to head home for porridge and bed, but decided that I really did need to have another go at some solar imaging beforehand... J was not overly amused 'burning the candle at both ends', etc! On the walk back home, the frost descended... All photos just with an old iPhone6 back home, set the gear up and whilst the Quark was warming, so was the porridge! Although I'm fairly new to solar imaging, I can see why solar imagers get up nice and early to grab the best seeing. I could see the difference coming into OACapture from my old DMK41 camera just how 'relatively still' the recording was (a QuickTime screen recording below). Untitled.MOV Refreshed today, here is my first go at processing. Captured at 7.59am 45 seconds @ 15FPS (max) best 100 frames taken from 676. TSA102s / Quark Chromo / 0.5x Reducer Processed with a 'bag' flat and dark frame in AS!2 and ImPPG via Wine on a MacBook Pro. Finished in PsCC2017 Updated Gong image from time of recording. Definitely want to get better and perhaps source a better camera - I have a thread in Equipment if any Solar folks would care to offer advice... Damian New Recording 5.m4a New Recording 7.m4a Blue Tit.mp3

Love that delicate looping prom Steve on the last image posted. Beautifully captured.

Thanks James for your input... and for OACapture, it’s been great this last week or so! D

Hi all... I could do with the collective advice of SGL members please... I'm been trying my hand at solar and lunar imaging with an old Firewire DMK41 mono camera while the 'main' SBIG camera is away being mended back in the States. Standard gear used for both: Mount: a manual alt/az Half Hitch Telescope Nova Hitch. It has simple drives on both axis that allow me 20-30 mins before they need to be re-set. Tracking is not perfect like say an EQ6 as I have to vary the two drives as the object moves across the sky. Computer: 2016 Touch Bar MacBook Pro (top spec job in it's day, thanks to my old company - they let me have it when they made me redundant 2 years ago!) SSD drive and Thunderbolt 3/USB 3 compatible (funny Apple connector) Solar set-up TSA102s f/8 816mm, Baader 2" UV/IR, Televue 2" Everbright Diagonal, Quark. Using a 0.5x FR screwed into the DMK41 because it helps with my less than perfect tracking and UK seeing. Lunar set-up TEC140ED f/7 980mm, Baader 2" BBHS diagonal, 2x and 4x TV Powermates, 1.25" UV/IR filter screwed into DMK41. I also have a Astronomik IR Pro 742 filter but it made things a bit too dim with current set-up using 4x Powermate. New Camera...? I know I probably should buy two different cameras, small pixels and use with the TEC140 and 2x PM, then a larger pixelled camera for use with solar. But I think I'd rather try to keep both scopes at a similar focal length and sort a single camera. Also a lot easier to get past the wife just one camera! I'd want for the outlay: 1) Greater sensitivity, less noise, more dynamic range than the 8bit DMK41 (I've read that bit depth isn't necessarily the biggest factor as that increases the more images you stack?). Perhaps then I could try different filters (see below), say a 35nm Ha for solar or a red IR pass for solar imaging or a green, solar continuum filter (I have a 2" one with my Baader Herschel Wedge), or the Astronomik IR Pro 742 filter for lunar..? I presume all the new sensors have vastly superior ones than the old one in my current camera...? 2) Larger pixels rather than small at these focal lengths..? In fact, slightly larger than I have now (4.65um) would perhaps make things even better..? 3) Similar if not bigger FOV (1280 x 960 / 1/2 inch format)) 4) A sensible jump over the current 'max' of 15 FPS! I don't think I require crazy FPS, but 60-80-100 would be sensible and allow me to capture 4-5x more over 30seconds so I have more images to cull the best ones from. 5) As I'm Mac based, a camera that works with either OACapture or FireCapture. I want plug and play please! 6) If I have to contend with Newton's Rings, then: a) not so serious they degrade the data b) easily sorted with a 'bag flat' that I've been using to get rid of dust motes on the DMK41. I can't see the point in having to buy a tilt adapter and then loose some of the data because it's been tilted off-band... no extra faffing. Currently I'm drawn to the ZWO ASI 174. I'm also happy to go with another brand, OACapture 'should work' with 'Grasshoppers'.... After my SBIG issues though, I'd prefer to source from FLO in case of any issues. Is there anything else (filters) that I should be looking at for both solar and lunar imaging that could help me improve or make life easier...? I've read for solar, I could swap out the UV/IR (my scope and diagonal all appear fine and cool though), for a red IR pass filter (?) or a 35nm Baader Ha filter... I've ready so many different filter uses for lunar. With my set up stated (I'm not looking to purchase any more scopes just get the most out of them), what do you all recommend.... Anything else I should be thinking about..? Thanks in advance, Clear skies and good health to you all... Damian

Just a very quick process from today’s play. Will update this thread at some stage - been burning the candle at both ends... Was out imaging last night ‘til 2, then the wife decided that it would be a good idea to go out at 5.15 this morning to take in the dawn chorus! After an extra 2hrs back in bed, decided to get out in the sun and enjoy some solar imaging today. Now, as I type this, I’m outside imaging again! So sorting the best files and processing will have to wait until tomorrow! I also took the opportunity to take test shots through the dial settings of my Quark to see if I can work out where best to position it to. Here’s a quick one, not as good as I’d hoped, but there’s always a chance another will be better! The best 60 of 679 15405DAF-95CE-428D-BC96-D0A1870DB945.MOV

Hard won solar images from today. Seeing not great and very blustery. Tried to hide behind the three wheelie bins(!), but things were still moving around a bit too much. Found an SER movie file player for the Mac, so have moved from AVIs to that format. Increased the length of the movies from 30 to 45 seconds. All below the best 70 frames from 676. Captured in OACapture, Processed in AutoStakket!2 and ImPPG via Wine. Finished in PsCC2017 Looks like there might be a few more chances this week. First one I'll call 'The Stag', as that's what it sort of looks like now, although when I was viewing it 'live' it looked more like the Easter Bunny! Anyway, moving clockwise around the limb. Timing roughly 1pm - 1.20pm BST GONG image for ref. Damian

Thanks ‘Merlin’ ! 👍

And the prominence to go with it, taken at 10.45am

Latest process... Tycho 'and friends'...

This was taken 4 minutes after the above shot... slightly different processing, but shows subtle changes in the structure...

👍

Here's one I've just had chance to sit down and process. Taken at 10.25am Best 70 frames from 452. D

That's super, thanks Craig! D

With the SBIG deep sky camera in America being mended I've been learning how to image the sun and the moon. I'll be back soon asking for advice on the best filters to use and also the way forward for a camera upgrade... These were taken with my TEC140ED mounted on my manual alt/az Nova Hitch (with simple tracking unit). I had a TV 4x Powermate in the 2” Baader BBHS diagonal and a Baader 1.25" UV/IR filter screwed into the old DMK41 Firewire mono camera. All pics created from the best 70-90 images from 452 (30s movies). Camera running at it’s maximum of 15fps, exposures between 10-14ms, tweaking the gain and gamma depending on target brightness. Running on a 2016 Touch Bar MacBook Pro with loads on dongles to hook the thing up with! Captured in OACapture (thanks James). Processed with a master flat and dark in AstroStakkert!2 and ImPPG via WINE. Finished in PsCC2017. I'm overrun with 160 AVI movies to go through (many the same so I got a choice later).... trying to work out now which is better than the previous! Should also have a few small mosaics to try and make up.... as well as a similar number of solar movies. I'm quite pleased for my first webcam imaging attempts, especially for only 5 1/2" of aperture, but please feel free to offer advice. If anyone has a link to an ImPPG tutorial purely for lunar, please add! Presented here in the order of processing - I think I’m getting better each one I do! Schiller Plato and Vallie Alpes Crater Hippalus and Rimae Hippalus Clavius Thanks for looking... Damian

Chores beckon from the wife... perhaps get a chance to process later.... what, sorry, yes, coming now ‘dearest!’ What was the active region has started to look a bit like a paisley pattern, messed with the camera settings to show also the small faint prom to it’s right. Screen video via QuickTime of the SER movie files taken for our little WhatsApp group. D 2FE55DBB-4C10-4DCD-B286-3265F7134A26.MOV AFC5078B-CC90-4547-AA84-4A57DFFB6AFB.MOV

Great going... I use your images as my ‘U.K. based, weather/seeing permitting/sensible £ of kit’, reference point (always good for a beginner to have something to aim for)! So I’ll be coming back to these later after i’ve done my chores and been ‘excused’ to go off and ‘play’! If they come out somewhere comparable, I’ll be more than happy. Know what you mean about the wind, had to put a brick on the hood over the laptop... all very well Apple making them svelte, but I wouldn’t have been happy watching it fly over the fence! Thin but full cloud cover here. Accompanying symphony from the three wheelie bins and the fence panels rattling away! Damian

Lucky... got my flat frame - just! Shows what a difference this makes... (and that I need to improve my Ps synthetic flat routine), although a new image from another avi movie file. Blown the core out, but this was processed ‘under the hood’ on the laptop screen as I’m still outside waiting for a clear spell. There is a half decent prom that I’d like to capture...

Only 50 frames (from 452 - what I can get in 30s).... passing cloud... didn’t even get time to make a ‘bag’ flat! Will try again later, hopefully... TSA102 - Quark - 0.5x FR - DMK41 AS!2 and ImPPG via Wine on Mac. Taken about 10.30 and quickly processed with a synthetic flat.... still learning...

Last solar image for today (and from the 26th... probably). It’s my Birthday tomorrow, will be a bit of an odd one this year... but I hope to look at processing some of the prom shots from the 25th. Anyhow, this is a bit of an arty shot, also using the inverted tonal curve. It was imaged 5 mins after the previous image posted (you can see even in this short space of time some differences between the previous shot), with a higher gamma setting and longer exposure to try and capture more of the detail in the prominence at the expense of surface detail, which was mostly whited out (clipped). I actually colourised it in two of the ‘recognised’ ways (levels and colour balance) and then merged the two to make this blend.

Sorry to keep adding to this thread. Been following an ImPPG tutorial to try an 'inverted tone curve' for my latest go at processing. This prominence was really faint. I'm sure it's good practice though for when the sun bursts into life again and I get chance to try and process a really decent one! Somewhat over sharpened, but we're learning all the time. 90 frames from 452. Dark and flat calibrated in AS!2, then ImPPG, then Ps. I've added a GONG image taken 3 minutes before my own data was captured to show its position.

Taken 10 minutes before the above images, trying to capture more in the proms... 31ms capture. Brightness: 0 Contrast: 250 Gamma: 16 Gain: 322 Really quite enjoying this solar imaging!

Been reading up on how best to use AstroStakkert!2 (specifically the size of the alignment box to use and how to read the quality graph), also how to get the most out of ImPPG. Testing and re-testing different techniques. Instead of having to keep moving the files over to the PC (deep sky imaging machine / PHD2, etc) and then back again to the Mac (my main graphics workhorse), I've been able to get both AS!2 and ImPPG wrapped in Wine today, so now can do everything on Mac (and most importantly a calibrated 30" monitor). So, processing version 3, done 4-ways... 90 frames from 452. OACapture > AS!2 > ImPPG > PS CC2017 Time to move onto one of the other movie files... but here is V3 of the same data., done 4-ways... Also attached, a comparison from my first go to the third, showing steady improvement in processing skills. Much happier with the details, colour and noise, or lack of. Not bad for an old Firewire camera and an alt/az tracking mount! Thanks for looking... D