teoria_del_big_bang

Just spent quite a while looking through your other images on Flickr.

Glad I did, some all are amazing images, you must be so proud of them, they certainly enthuse me to keep trying and to improve my own images.

Steve

Very nice image and the full resolution is amazing.

Steve

I can highly recommend the Baader Ultra NB filters. Whilst I would love the Astrodons there was no way I could afford the set and originally was going for the normal Baader NB filters but was warned that the OIII had problematic halos so went for the Ultras for Ha and OIII, I only have the normal SII but that was just because I couldn't get a Ultra SII in 36mm for love nor money. So far I have not seen any halos with any of them.

If you are also after the Ha Ultra there was one for sale on SGL for £130

baader-35nm-ha-125-filter

There was also a OIII but was 31mm unmounted, some filter wheel can use either 1.25" or 31mm on same wheel I think so not sure if yours can.

baader-ultra-narrowband-45nm-oiii-filter-31mm-unmounted

Steve

Too Early !  🙂 

Steve

13 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

How did you combine the channels? Which filter to which channel? Its false colour anyhow so process it to how you like it.

Hi,

I actually tried all combinations. I am pretty sure this is my original using the Hubble Palette (SII to R, Ha to G and OIII to B).

I read that to get the hues that we are used to seeing in the Hubble Palette then some tweaking with PS is required which I am now using. 

And as the colour is false then I guess it is really down to the individual and often I think the Ha in mono often looks just as good.

Thanks for the link to that tool I will give it a go.

Steve

21 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

The detail in your image is breathtaking. Definitely one of the best pics of M27 I've ever seen. Brilliant!

I couldn't agree more 🙂 

Steve

17 hours ago, JamesF said:

Quite.  Using them during the hours of darkness will be completely out.

James

You got there before me -that was just what I thought when I read this.

Sorry @tomato when I first read this I reacted with a sad face but I have had to change it to Ha Ha now as the more I read through the replies the more I laughed.
 

Steve

This is from Monday night. Nice clear night (which doesn't normally coincide with no moon but it did for once).

Esprit 100ED,  ASI1600MM Pro, Ha 400S x 13, OIII 400S x 11, SII 400S x 11.

I think I managed some reasonable quality data this time but my processing is still very much work in progress. I am getting to grips with PI but still a way to go. I think I may have done the initial stretches too much before combining. I will try again later. One thing I really am struggling with is the actual colours. I have done a couple of NB images and comparing to other images I look at the Reds always very purple and the blues very green.  The processing is only using PI as so far I cannot use Photoshop as yet, something else I need to get on with. 

Any advice, or ,  will be welcomed 🙂 

Steve

Very nice video.

We had a really clear moonless night Monday which I made the best of despite a real bad cold and annoying cough (just some backyard stuff) and thought last night would be the same, which it was to a certain extent and I did think of another session but noticed some clouds about at 10 ish and that milky horizion so with having a cold and all decided to stay indoors but glad you had a good night, despite the noise (fireworks and Geese 🙂 )

Steve 

1 hour ago, Stu said:

Could you not still use it and head somewhere else Steve?

Cheers Stu, Yes, I did think about it and may do but not sure. Weather not very promising all over UK and so may just minimises my losses and treat myself to something (astro related obviously 🙂 ) with the money I would have spent on fuel and so on.  I pick the campervan up fairly close to Hereford so it's a long drive to pick it up. We will see but not to worry 🙂  

More the disappointment of not meeting people  really than the money and it is just one of those things that we have no control over , that we can't do anything about, so no point getting too down about it, hopefully we have better luck next time.

Steve

24 minutes ago, upahill said:

Sorry to hear this, it might be worth checking to see if you have an travel insurance policies that would cover you, sometimes you get policies included with things like bank accounts and it might help.

Hopefully due to the flooding/weather the hire company will show some leniency.

 

I am just about to ring them now and see and I did mean to take some insurance out but forgot.

If I do not get anything back then I will be gutted but I am more upset that I didn't get to meet everyone for the first time.

Nothing we can do about the weather and a lot of people will not be happy but as I always say not big deal in the bigger picture of things, nobody got hurt and nothing can be done.

Steve

Just now, Jonk said:

Also gutted - hopefully I can get a refund on the caravan hire.

Thanks for the update at the earliest possibility.

I hope you can but unfortunately I am £450 down as I can't get the motorhome hire back. Gutted but I guess we can't control the weather (well not in the UK anyway)

Steve

What sequencing software are you using?

I am using APT and as you I was worried about the automated flip and the first two times it was enabled I set my alarm so I got up to watch and really it is very simple and just works. It does everything it needs to, It does platesolve the last image, flip, then image and platesolve again and sync to be pretty much in the same position. The image is then inverted 180 degrees but the stacking software then takes care of that.  APT even telly you what time it will occur from the start of imaging in case you do want to watch it the first time (probably a good idea just to make sure you got it right)

Try it - honest it is easy (must be if I can do it first time 🙂 ). 

The thought of only imaging things that will not need a flip will frustrate you in time I think.

I am sure the other sequencing packages such as Sequence Generator and NINA also do the same.

Steve

Frustrating to say the least.

Due to me not have enough experience I can sympathise but not help much at all but to add the banding on the RGB flats due to the scan is exactly what I had using the light panel without something else in front to diffuse or dim the light further.

Without some sheets of white printer paper the exposure times were about 0.04 seconds for G & B and a little longer for R.

I tried dimming with a dew band controller but these can make it worse as essentially they switch the light on and off very fast anyway to reduce the power.

I found the best way was to use a 12V battery, so I knew I had a steady 12V not  switched mode supply with 2 sheets of white printer paper to extend the exposure times to a minimum of about 0.2 secs.

I did intend to try a 9V battery and see if I could remove the paper but not got round to it yet.

Steve

1 hour ago, mgirdwood said:

thanks for the comment  - hardly stretched at all so perhaps it was the pre processing that has caused a problem

I only thought that because some of the bigger stars were very bright, but for a relatively short amount of data there is some great detail in there.

Steve

I cannot advise much really as I am still learning myself. But I think that is not bad at all and with some more time spent in PI could be a very good image.

I do not think it is out of focus, maybe stretched a bit too much though which is causing it to look noisy.

Steve

Just now, Freff said:

Good weather hopefully. 😀

If only I could rely on you 🙂  Well I will hope you manage it

Steve

19 minutes ago, carastro said:

Now that's a very good question.  I am going to Davey -T on Tuesday morning to see if my kit will fit in his van along with his kit, only then will I know if I am coming at all!!!  Both of us trying to whittle our stuff down as much as possible.

Currently converting some Morrison's heavy duty bags into laptop covers so i don't have to bring my usual laptop boxes. 

Carole 

Well I hope you manage to get everything in.

Steve

3 minutes ago, Chriske said:

Last Christmas, during sale, I bought 17(yep) 2.2 kg PLA(mostly)/PETG reels at Colorfab. Price back then was 26(!)€. Now I'm left with just 2 reels.
During next Black Friday there's a sale(again) at Colorfab. Don't know how low they'll go, just wait and see.

During these last 6 years I bought from different companies. I can only say, Colorfab PLA-eco and PETG-eco filament is top-quality.

Certainly one I will check out for sales from now on.

Steve

24 minutes ago, upahill said:

Im a cheapskate so rarely spend more than £10-£12 a kg for my PLA delivered. Would love to find a supplier of PET around that price, if I could I would probably switch over to it completely too.

Wow where do you get this from? I must admit I have quite a collection of PLA and so not ordered any for sometime but I think the cheapest I found was around £15 on Amazon.

And Cheapskate, don't forget I am a Yorkshireman you don't get more cheapskate than that, we have a reputation to uphold you know 🙂 

Steve

This talk about PLA being used outdoors has really sent me on a mission to see what causes the degrade as it is now confusing me.

Why is it so unsuitable according to what information is out there?

I had always read on 3D printing forums and websites that if PLA is to be used outside then paint it to protect it. Now I had always thought this was to prevent it degrading due to sunlight (which eventually attacks all plastics to some degree - surely it is not just me that sits on old plastic garden chairs and they shatter throwing me to the ground and everybody else laughing 🙂 ). But the more I read I now think the paint is to prevent moisture ingress. 

I believe all plastics will absorb some moisture (hence why we should store in airtight plastic vacuum bags or similar) but PLA is possibly worse than others. And because PLA is made from natural bio products such as corn, potato and rice that will cause it to decay more rapidly.

So probably the varnish even though clear will work almost as effectively as paint?

Steve

I have not tried any tests myself but my understanding is essentially PLA is biodegradable and from what I read (I agree no experience)  it is humidity and heat that will hasten the degrading.

But I tend to agree with @upahill to a large degree in that yes in this country the tendency to degrade will be a slow one. I seem to recall it is really temperatures approaching 40 degrees centigrade, and over several days, that are needed to actually biodegrade PLA in months rather than years, which seems unlikely.

Having said that as PET is just as easy to print as PLA (so long as you have a heated bed) and is about the same cost then personally I would choose PET for anything intended for prolonged outdoor use but PLA in the UK will I have no doubt last for several years unless we have a terrific heat wave (and I always live in hope).

So if you already have PLA in abundance and do not want to go down the PET route then I would see no big issue at least for several years to come 🙂 

Steve

7 minutes ago, DaveS said:

I'm heading home on Tue morning, but would like some kind of breakfast so will have to bring something with me, even if it's only some muesli and Ultra Horrible Taste milk.

Oh, and a kettle and tea bags.

I too am away Tuesday but you are more than welcome to use my hired campervan cooking facilities if you want something warm, or I can rustle up a bacon buttie.

Also I should have a fridge if you want some proper milk.

Steve

2 minutes ago, Chriske said:

For every used reel of carbon filled filament, you need about one new brass nozzle...🤨

One thing that has stopped me trying carbon filled filaments. I have read some good reports of those who have used it and it is as strong as the proverbial ox but as you say a brass nozzle will not cut it and so on top of the expense of the filament you have to buy a Olsson Ruby Nozzle or at least a hardened steel nozzle.

A good guide to using it here:

Using Carbon Fibre Filled Filament

Steve

6 minutes ago, Thalestris24 said:

I was  just wondering about which filament material would be ok out in all weathers?

Louise

I don't think any plastic is 100% resistant to outdoor life, most will become brittle and faded in time (if colour was an issue) but I would choose PET for outdoor use personally. I think ABS is also fine but I just find PET easier to print than ABS.

PLA although nice and easy to print is not really suitable for prolonged outdoor use as it is not UV resistant, although could be painted I guess.

Steve