RayD

2 hours ago, astro mick said:

Thanks again all.

I am trying the stand alone,but I think my anti-virus/windows defender is not allowing the programme to run,as it just flashes and closes down.

May have to look at disabling it.

Mick.

It doesn't run as a "programme" in the sense that you would associate one to run in Windows, Mick.  You basically just have a system folder once the programme is installed, and you carry out the starless functions by copying your .TIFF image to the folder.

It is a little bit different to get your head around, but the read me text file in the system folder does explain it.

43 minutes ago, wornish said:

I use it on my 2017 iMac running macOS Mojave 10.14.6.

If you follow the install instructions contained in the download it runs in a terminal window and it works fine.   I find it easiest to simply copy the image file I want to process into the same directory that Starnet is installed in and run it from there.   Note: it will only work on 16 bit tif files no other format.

It won't work on some older Macs due to the Intel chips they have not being able to run certain instructions.

Yes it works fine on Mojave, but unfortunately not Catalina.  They know of the issue but there isn't a fix yet.

3 minutes ago, astro mick said:

Thanks guys.

Unfortunately I don't use Pixinsight.

Strange software indeed.

Mick.

You can use the stand-alone version of it, Mick, you don't need to have PI to use it.

The Mac/Pixinsight version doesn't work on Catalina.  I believe they have been working on it but nothing released by way of update for a year or so.

48 minutes ago, SteveNickolls said:

Fillipo at PLL has today issued this short video about forthcoming v2.8 Eagle Core firmware which will contain support for more DSLR models and some mirrorless cameras plus the ability to set a delay time between exposures permitting the cool down of the camera sensor. 

Thanks, Steve.  He noted to me this was upcoming when I had the firmware issue you helped me with.  It should also fix a couple of bugs I noted.

Do you have issues with yours whereby if you turn off via the GUI, it more often than not reboots rather than shuts down?

Ouch, now that looks painful!!

Done far too many idiotic things to even start mentioning, practically my middle name.  My Mother used to say that if all the stitches I've had in my head opened, it would fall off 🤒

Hope it's not as sore as it looks.

20 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

If you PM me your email I can send you a link for a video of it going up and down

Dave

Oooerrrr Mrs!! 🤣

2 hours ago, Ishan Mair said:

Thank you for the comments, Ray.
Yes I agree corrector spacing is not right. I use a Baader MPCC and I used the image train arrangement as shown on ZWO website but couldn't get it right (55mm). Filter's thickness and refractive index play a role, don't they?
Does the spacing need to be more or less?  I have no idea.

It's just a case of trial and error really.  I would say that if you have set it at exactly 55mm then it is likely you will be adding rather than taking away, so just some delrin spacers and add, say, 0.5mm at a time and try it.

It's a good image and you've processed it well.

17 minutes ago, Sreesha74 said:

Suggest me best mono camera for DSO astro-imaging in range of

 

a) less than 1000$

b) between 1000-2000$

 

It should be filter-wheel compatible.

 

Thanks

This is too subjective to be possible.

You will get lots of recommendations of both CCD and CMOS cameras within your ranges, including the option of buying used, but it simply isn't possible for anyone here to say "this is the best mono camera."

Very good rendition. 

Lots of detail and good background balance.  It looks like some coma on the brighter stars (are you using a corrector with correct spacing etc?) so I think you'll have a tough time completely fixing the issues you are seeing, but the galaxy looks really good.

Very, very nice indeed.  Love the fact that the stars are perfectly controlled, but still an awful lot of them.

Great spot with the face; very clear.  Looks a little like a sleeping baby with a blanket/shawl wrapped around it.

4 minutes ago, Robindonne said:

Yes 3 weeks after buying a 120mc-s, i already know i have to find a place in my cabinet where it can stay very long without being touched.   Its basically very useless 

They make pretty good all sky cameras, so not totally useless 👍

On 30/05/2020 at 14:43, wavydavy said:

Anyone knowledgeable on ioptrons cem 120 mount? Recently brought one.... Doing well but I can't seem to find a setting on the handcontroller or software where I can slow the slewing rates down (as its v noisy don't want complaints), so that's not the guiding rates... Or manual moving, just the go-to..... Parking..... And pointing to zero. I can slow the speeds on all other settings though....

If using the hand controller just push the number pad for the speed you want and the motor will slew at that speed i.e 1 is slowest, 9 is fastest.

Edit.  Just understood what you meant there, not manual just the rest i.e. goto etc.  No, you can't slow these down, they will run at full slew speed.

Cheers, Stu.  That looks like a really useful app.  Sound effects are not at all annoying are they?  Fortunately you can turn them off 😂

I suspect we will have the conspiracy theorists piping up soon about the video going off just when the F9 landed. 

I thoroughly enjoyed every single second of that.

I'm well excited!

1 hour ago, Big Bang! said:

Thank you all so much for your help - I am not sufficiently expert to be able to address such problems by myself.  

Having reinstalled and re-calibrated PHD2 the guidance stabilised at 0.3"RMS again - suggesting to me that it was a PHD issue and that guidance is not being impacted by the vibration off the 16200.

I am in discussions with Atik.

Gus  

That's great news.  I did think it would have to be pretty bad to affect the guiding.

Glad you seem to be getting it resolved.  Atik aftercare is excellent and if it is an issue, as it seems to be if it is a visible vibration, then they will sort it, no question.

1 hour ago, Ade Turner said:

Thanks for the advice Ray, I’ll check those out 👍  
Looking at the ota I see there are several screw heads. Is there a way to identify which are safe to use for attachments? Wouldn’t want to undo anything critical by mistake 😬

If you get this type of fitting you will see it's pretty clear which screws to remove as they line up with the slots with the rail in the middle.

7 hours ago, Big Bang! said:

It's a 10 Micron 1000HPS, routinely guides to 0.5" and regularly does less than 0.3".  The new camera is the only change that could have any impact on it. Separate guide scope.  Same set up as before, which didn't have any of these issues. 

The vibration can barely be felt on the Esprit 120 itself but easily felt on its EFW and 16200.    However, it is most clearly felt on the guide camera and surely this has to be guidance related because the unguided is essential good?  Well, the only problem I can find on guidance is the vibration on the camera, everything else is the same as before the Atik 16200 upgrade.  If it is clear again tomorrow I may put the Atik One back on the rig and see if the issue is still present.

Gus

Well it certainly seems to be pointing to that as being the issue.  It must be pretty bad to be affecting the guiding this much so I would say it is definitely one or two faulty fans.

Drop Vince a line at Atik, he usually replies pretty quickly and will know for sure, but I definitely don't see this on mine, so it certainly can't be right.

What mount is this?  I just can't see it being the camera vibrations causing this as it would have to be pretty bad and then I would expect it to be there in the non guided image.  Is this a separate guide scope or OAG?

11 minutes ago, Ade Turner said:

Hi All

Depending on the piggy bank I’m thinking of getting a Skywatcher Evostar 72ED primarily for photography.

However, it strikes me that I might also be able to press it into use as a guide scope on my 8” Celestron Edge HD.

I’d be grateful for any advice on how exactly I could  attach it to the ota please?

I already have a StarSense camera and a finder-scope attached.

Thanks 🙂

ADM and others do various dovetail kits for the top of the C8 in mini, vixen and losmandy profiles.  I have the losamndy on the top of mine, but for the 72ED I suspect a vixen would be more than sufficient.

All you would need to be careful of is the height if you are using a filter wheel as it could clash with the OTA.

I use a 16200 and wouldn't say there is anything on the vibration front that woudl concern me, so it definitely doesn't sound right if you can feel the vibration in the filter wheel.

If the graph above is anything to go by, it certainly isn't having an adverse effect on anything though.

1 hour ago, ollypenrice said:

Good to know. Maybe they should check all scopes before sending them on, though, since the problem is widespread. Taks are extremely expensive, after all.

Olly

Totally agree, Olly.  I bought mine with the view that it would be prefect, it's an expensive Takahashi after all!   You certainly get a sinking feeling when you realise it is actually an issue with the optics.  However, the 2 guys at Tak Europe really are excellent and can definitely rectify any issues.

Whether things get knocked about in transit I'm not sure but it is certainly possible, although they ar eextremely well packaged.  I would hope (expect) that every one is bench/quality tested before leaving the factory but, even if this is the case, boy can you see it when it isn't right!

I think one thing @Ken82 needs to be very mindful of when it comes back is the sensitity of some of them to temperature change.  I used to re-focus mine every 1 degree of change, but had to change that ealry on to every 0.5 degrees as, with the APS-H sensor, it became very noticeably out of focus at 1 degree. 

14 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Unfortunately there have been plenty of problem FSQs reported on the forums in the last few years and I've seen three here. 

Olly

There certainly has.  I went over to Steve Collingwood's house/workshop with mine and saw how bad it was first hand on his equipment, and it was bad.  The issues were very noticeable in the images, similar to Ken's, and I even changed my focuser to a Feathertouch thinking it was most likely to be that (turns out that was an excellent choice anyway).  In the end Ian King sent mine off to Tak Europe and the guys there did a cracking job, with it coming back producing absolutely perfect images across the whole FOV.  

They definitely know what they are doing, so it should come back spot on.

1 minute ago, Ken82 said:

It’s Asi 6200m and filter wheel 👍

Nice!

I'll have a look at your images with APP later to see if that does anything different.  PI is generally pretty good though, so I'll run it the way I do mine in that.  

Do you do a manual process or do you run the batch pre-process script, and are you using default settings?