Jump to content

Narrowband

PembrokeSteve

Members
  • Posts

    227
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by PembrokeSteve

  1. Hi Below image was taken from the UK on 22 October at 20.36pm. Equipment: Intes MK67 Maksutov and ZWOASI178MC camera. Meade x2 Barlow lens used. Camera settings via SharpCap: Raw8. Bin1. Gain: 203. Exposure: 0.009818. Image capture area: 800x600. Processed through PIP, Autostakkert, Registax and GIMP. As usual I was struggling against wind and clouds. However it was worth it in the end. One thing I am not sure about with my image, is the odd "oval like" feature on the far left of the Planet. Unsure is it an actual feature, or a stacking artefact, or from moisture on the sensor. Regards, Steve
  2. Hi, I totally sympathise. In my corner of West Wales UK, the clouds just keep rolling over. Have not managed any deep sky imaging since about early July I think. I was thinking the other day what a waste of money renting APP is, Reason: because I hardly get the chance to use it ! Thankfully I enjoy planetary and lunar imaging. Imaging Mars has been keeping me going lately. However the wind and clouds make planetary imaging difficult as well. Also the moon is very low in the sky at the moment, lower than Jupiter, which doesn’t make good for lunar imaging either. Anyway, No more moaning, keep calm and carry on imaging ! Lol Steve
  3. Hi, Noticed this evening that German Retailer TSOptics have a new APO with what appears to be something different, in that it has FPL55 glass. “TS Optics CF-APO 90mm f.6 FPL55 Triplet” Does anyone know is FPL55 equal, to or better than FPL53. Most interested to find out what is known about FPL55, and will it eventually replace FPL53. Regards Steve
  4. Hi, Another Mars image ! Lol Taken on the evening of 15th October 2020 at 21.52pm. Equipment: Intes MK67 Telescope and ZWOASI178MC camera, with x2 Meade Barlow lens. Camera Settings (via SharpCap): RAW8, BIN1, Gain: 202, Exposure: 0.008872 Processing: RAW8 AVI run through PIP. 20,023 frames stacked through Autostakkert at 10%. Wavelets in Registax. Tweaked in GIMP and Affinity Photo. Regards. Steve
  5. Hi I had a nice Mars imaging session on the evening of 9th October, using my Intes MK67 Maksutov scope / ZWOASI178MC camera and due to the recent advice from my SGL friends, I think I am already getting better results, after switching over from RGB24, to 8 Bit RAW8, to give me a faster FPS rate. Many thanks also for the advice on how best to utilise ROI, within SharpCap. Now looking forward to Opposition. Wishing all Mars imagers clear skies ! Three images below were processed through PIP, Autostakkert, Registax, and adjusted in GIMP and then Affinity Photo (for noise reduction). Image 1. Mars at resolution capture area 1920x1200 Image 2. Mars at resolution capture area 1024x768 Image 2. Mars at resolution capture area 800x600 Regards, Steve
  6. Superb Images and topic presentation. Regards, Steve
  7. Hi, Alex, Many thanks for taking the time to provide me with your excellent ROI advice. I will try out the 800x600 capture area this evening (hopefully!)... clouds appearing everywhere at the moment ! All the Best, Steve
  8. Hi, Martyn, Many thanks for your advice. I have now downloaded Firecapture, (it looks really good) and will now get familiar with it ready for my next Mars imaging session. Hope you get some good clear weather soon in Derby. Regards, Steve
  9. Hi, Superb Mars Images ! Regards, Steve
  10. Hi, Below are a few images that I took on the evening of 27 September, conditions were not perfect, with the usual annoying breeze and fast cloud coming in from the west. Images taken using my Intes MK67 Maksutov and ZWOASI178MC camera. All images were shot as RGB24 and AVI output format. Then processed through Autostakkert, and then tweaked using a combination of GIMP and Affinity Photo. I am little disappointed because I could not fully carry out some of the advice that I was given, in my last Mars image post. I am basically trying to get a faster FPS rate without sacrificing resolution (ie) which is what happens when you start binning at BIN2. With my ZWOASI178MC camera and SharpCap 3.2, there does not seem to be a way in which one can "reduce" ROI size, when working within a large resolution capture area of say 1920 x 1200. (or so far, I have not figured out how to do it) When imaging with the ZWO178MC and SharpCap, one is unable to use the mouse to draw a smaller ROI box and the adjustment numbers which are displayed alongside the ROI box, only seem to effect "Pan" and "Tilt", and have no reducing effect on the ROI box. I am now thinking of imaging at colour space RAW 8 (to give me "8 BIT" capture) and also switching my output format from AVI to "SER". Does anyone else do this? Will it result in me obtaining a faster FPS rate, to give me better images? Very grateful for any feedback on this. Probably a lot of us out there who are not using the best settings on our cameras to get the best images ! Regards, Steve
  11. Thanks Bryan and Tom, I am using Sharpcap when doing my imaging. I will stick with Bin1 on my next session and reduce my ROI as you advise. Thanks for advice, Steve
  12. Hi On the evening of Sunday 20th September, I finally managed to get Mars using my Intes MK67 Maksutov and ZWOASI178MC camera. As usual, the MK67 did not let me down and it seems to pair up well with a x2 barlow, which was used for every image. I am starting to use the ZWO178MC at BIN2 now to get a faster frame rate, and it seems to pay off. Camera gain set at 180. Images processed through Autostakkert , and then a combination of GIMP and Affinity Photo. Registax was not used as converted images were quite sharp already. Regards, Steve
  13. Hi, I decided to get my Intes MK67 Maksutov out of it's case on Sunday 13th September 2020, and I am so glad that I did. I believe this is my best telescope for planetary imaging by far, due to it's superb sharpness. The below images were taken in not very good seeing, and with the usual annoying coastal breezes in the air, thanks to living close to the sea, on the tip of West Wales, Pembrokeshire, UK. Imaging is also made more difficult by these planets also being low in the sky, and as a lot of people are saying for imaging they are "past their best". I was shocked afterwards to find my MK67 objective was covered in dew (forgot to put my dew shield on), however the images were still good ! Images taken using my ZWOASI178MC camera and Meade x2 APO Barlow lens. Processed through Autostakkert and then some tweaking with a combination of Affinity Photo and Gimp ( I find GIMP noise reduction at level 4 is good ). I must admit I am "well chuffed" on how good the above combination works with the Intes MK67, and cannot wait to get Mars, in the next few days, and follow it through to opposition. Regards, Steve
  14. Hi, I managed to get some imaging done on the evening of Sunday 6th September. Not the best of conditions with lots of fast moving "wispy" high level cloud, spoiling the fun. However I managed to image Mars for the first time this year. Used Jupiter as a warm up while waiting for Mars to rise. Looking forward to more Mars imaging sessions in the next few weeks and will get out the Barlow Lens next time ! Telescope: Vixen VC200L Mount: Skywatcher NEQ 6 Pro Camera: ZWO178MC Mars Image: 2,439 AVI frames at 1920x1200 camera resolution, using 190 Gain, via Sharpcap. Processed with Autostakkert, then tweaked in Registax, Affinity and GIMP. Jupiter Image: 1,603 AVI frames at 1920x1080 camera resolution, using 190 Gain, via Sharpcap. Processed with Autostakkert, then tweaked in Registax, Affinity and GIMP. Regards, Steve
  15. Hi, Wow ! Superb work as always ! Regards, Steve
  16. Hi, I managed to image M27 The Dumbell Nebula (unguided) on 20th July 2020. Telescope: Vixen VC200L Mount: Skywatcher NEQ6 Pro Camera: Canon EOS 600D 103 x 60 second lights (unguided) 20 x Darks 36 x Bias 36 x Flats APT used for the actual imaging. Processed through APP, and Affinity Photo. Don't know if everyone else goes through the same experience, but I end up processing about 4 to 5 slightly different "final images", and then cannot decide which one is best !! Got a feeling that once I get my vixen's collimation spot on, it will become a fantastic imaging scope. It seems to absorb loads of light even with meagre 60 second exposures. Regards, Steve
  17. Hi, I managed to have a go at The Ring Nebula with my Vixen VC200L on the evening of 25th June. Image taken unguided with my unmodified Canon 600D. Many of my lights had to be deleted due to blurred stars - I think due to my failure to balance the scope properly. A meridian flip also occurred while I was making a cup of tea. I am so glad I missed my "first ever" meridian flip, as it may have given me heart failure ! In the end, about one hour of lights were salvaged, with Dark, Bias and Flat frames applied. Stacked through APP and then processed with Affinity Photo. See below image. A Cropped image is also included which nicely shows the two central stars. Regards. Steve
  18. Hi, Excellent images, I expect it was a bit windy for you as well ! Regards, Steve
  19. Hi, I am so glad I submitted my “Triplet query”. After all your advice, I am putting the triplet idea on the back burner for now, and instead will concentrate on beginning guiding and utilising the gear I already have - mainly my Orion ED80 and NEQ6PRO mount. It will pay off dividends for me when I can guide, because then I will also be able to get some use out of my Vixen VC200L, which up to now , I have only really used on the Moon and Planets. I will also start looking a ccd cameras ! Many thanks again, Steve
  20. Hi, Just to say many thanks for all your excellent advice. I am not yet guiding and am still in the DSLR stage. However I will now take on board your advice and look seriously into “getting into guiding” and the possibilities of upgrading from DSLR. My train of thought has been Triplet, Triplet, Triplet , when my Orion ED80 is more than capable of giving me great images, especially if I progress to guiding and go for a dedicated Astro OSC or Mono camera. To be honest, like many people relatively new to Astro imaging, just the thought of guiding can be scary, because there is the fear of failure and it doesn’t look easy ! Hence my desire to get a scope which can be reduced/flattened down to a fast f4.9. Again thanks for advice so far, much appreciated. Steve
  21. Hi, I am very keen to upgrade from an Orion ED80 Doublet to something better for DSO imaging. At present I am imaging with a Canon EOS 600D. I might go down the ZWO CMOS road some day in the future. I cannot decide which is best out of these two scopes, and hope SGL can help. My choices are as follows:- 1. TS Optics Photoline 90mm f6.6 FPL3 Triplet , approx £1,059.00, combined with APM Riccardi Reducer & 0.75 Flattener, which will bring the scope down to f4.9, approx £359.00. TOTAL = £1,418.00 2. Skywatcher Espirit 100 ED PRO Triplet, approx £1,565, combined with Skywatcher Esprit Field Flattener, approx £155. TOTAL = £1,720.00 I am well aware that option 2, the Espirit is a superb triplet. However option 1, the 90mm combined with what I believe is a superb Reducer from APM Riccardi, is very tempting to me, along with big savings financially for me. Any ideas how these two scopes compare with each other, when fitted to the above mentioned Flatteners? Grateful for any advice on this please, Regards, Steve
  22. Hi, Three Lunar mosaics from the evening of 27/05/2020, with the final image drawing one's eyes to Mare Fecunditatis, with the two rays, extending from the crater Messier A. Imaged with Intes-Micro MN56 Mak-Newt telescope and ZW0 ASI 178MC camera. Regards, Steve
  23. Hi, Excellent Image. You have achieved the image sharpness that we all strive for. Regards, Steve
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.