teoria_del_big_bang

I am not sure I would be flying there with the current situation, the return flight might get cancelled 🤣

Steve

There are a few people good at processing that may well give it a go, or at least tell you why your data is not processing well.
I would still persevere and at least put some image in the thread even if you do not think it is any good at all, even a calibrated, stacked and auto stretched image.

You need to find a way of letting people get to all your dataset as really need to post all lights and all calibration frames so they have the whole story. Probably too big to attach here so maybe something like Google Drive.

I am happy to have a go but I still am very much learning the art of processing 🙂 

Steve

1 minute ago, Simon Pepper said:

Thanks Steve make it happen:) 1600mm pro 

 

A good reason to keep my 1600mm and HEQ5 then, all I need is the scope 🙂 

Steve

20 minutes ago, Simon Pepper said:

Let me persuade you… 

I don't need persuading 🙂 I know I want one, just the money.
But I am sure if I just have a clean out I can get a good portion of the funds so definitely something that will happen (I hope).
Fantastic image , which camera was that with ?

Steve

1 minute ago, Adam1234 said:

Redcat51 v2 arrived yesterday. What a beauty!

Great for imaging the sparrows in the garden with the Canon R6, incredible quality!  Can't wait to aim it at the cosmos

Wheres the sparrow images then ? 🙂 
I keep wanting one of these for a widefield setup but would need to sell something I think to justify another major purchase at this stage.

Steve

I agree, it's a fantastic image 🙂 

Steve

18 minutes ago, Rodd said:

Now for the million dollar question....."How?"

As @The Lazy Astronomer says Starnet2 does this and also StarXTerminator.

What turning it into a 16 bit image does I am not sure, @vlaiv can you enlighten us ? 

Steve

10 minutes ago, Budgie1 said:

Something else, which I haven't tried yet but could prove useful, is to do the star extraction when the image is still linear, then stretch the stars & background separately. Just a theory that came to mind while at work but I'll give it a try tonight and see how it turns out.  

That's pretty what I have been doing, getting a starless image and a star image, whilst linear. I tried doing it to the SII, Ha and OII separate then combining the 3 starless images and also on the already combined, but still linear, colour image. I tend to think doing it in the monos stage was better (obviously if not OSC) but not sure that was true I need to do some more processing.
But I think in future if at all possible as I take mostly NB images I will always try to take some RGB data for the stars. It shouldn't take long to get good enough data for the stars as they can be pretty quick exposures and can wait until a near moonless night (although I see very few clear moonless nights last year or two 😞 ) .

I think you have to be a tad careful though if any brightest stars in the fov not to end up with halos around them if glow from the brighter stars is stretched far when doing the nebula processing and masks are probably needed for the brighter stars anyway or needs some way of removing the glow on the nebula image, or a halo removing process after the recombination which is not always adequate.

As I say still learning so maybe all this is 2nd nature to some 🙂 

Steve

1 hour ago, Budgie1 said:

Using both StarXT & StarNet2, I've found that if one tool is leaving artefacts or removing more than you want it too, then try the other. One always seem to give a better removal than the other on different images.  

Yes I also tend to use both and choose the best, often they are pretty indistinguishable but often one does a better job than the other.

1 hour ago, Budgie1 said:

I still use masks or colour masks on the starless background, especially for the main target, as it allows more control

I have not had much experience as yet in this bit yes I still do use masks just trying to eliminate having to use the star masks when stretching to stop them getting blown and overtaking the image.

Steve

Thats a great image.
Yes removing the stars and processing the nebula and then adding the stars back in works a treat on many images.
It is something I have just started using as well and if it works then for me I think it can create some wonderful images that allow you to bring out all the detail in the nebula leaving the nebula as the main focal point instead of overblown stars attrating your attention.
For me it seems to work far better than using masks.
Still a bit of a learning curve for me too and part of the issue can be getting a starless image I am happy with and not one with unwanted artefacts. I also like the idea of being able to add RGB stars to NB data.

Steve

3 hours ago, Carbon Brush said:

Sorry Steve. No offence intended.

What I'm saying is that just because any retailer puts their badge on a product it is not necessarily better or worse than others.

 

No worries, perhaps I did originally feel a bit taken aback , and points taken and your right so no problem, we don't fall out on this forum 🙂 

And also yes you are also right in this is only my experience and from what I have seen, there are always other views and experiences.

Steve

1 hour ago, Carbon Brush said:

Sorry. I don't think association with a name helps.
Are Celestron scopes any good? Would that be a £50 firstscope or a £14K astrograph?

RVO have presumably done some deal with one or more optical manufacturers who make equipment for others.
Look at the scope hardware for hints of who else might use the same manufacturer.
Whether they badge the rejects, or specify better glass than the 'name' we cannot say.

HTH, David.

All I was saying is that I have had a lot of dealings with RVO and been to their establishment and am very inpressed with them and the setup there, so personally I would trust them.
All I know about Celestron is it is based in Amarica and owned by Taiwanese so have no idea what their morals are.
As I said I could not comment on the scopes but was giving my comments on the company that is selling them under theoir name and was saying I would recomend the company.

I don't really see how  you can compare RVO to Celestron anyway.

Steve

I have no experience of these scopes but having visited RVO they have a very professional setup so would expect good things of quipment they put their names to.

Steve

That is a pretty good image in its own right, but considering it's taken from somewhere that you probably struggle to see the most familiar constellations by eye it is amazing.
I am always amazed how people get great images form Bortle 6 and above.

Steve

The thread I was thinking about is HERE

Steve

I bought one of THESE then added a ammeter and voltmeter and some extra output sockets.
I pretty much copied off another SGL member @SMF and I there is a thread about it somewhere I will put a link to it if I can find it.

Steve

 

11 hours ago, malc-c said:

I used 3dprintUK to print off some point motor mounts for model railways this time last year

The process used was SLS with Nylon as the product, and the resolution as you can see is very good.

They have a minimum order value, so depending how you reduce the footprint means the unit price drops as you get more pieces for that amount.  Eco production (about two to three weeks turn around ) came in at £55 including postage and VAT and gave me 21 units which is more than enough for my intended layout.  A faster service is available but the price increases.  

Hope that helps

 

Oh I like those.
I have done a bit of railway modeling but not had time for a year or two, however, still hpe to pick it up sometime soon.
I like using servos for point control as you can replicate a slow movement of the switch blades rather than the clunk clunk clunk of point motors.
But that setup looks a lot better than the way I used them with bell cranks.

Is it a design of your own or readily available ?

Steve

37 minutes ago, scotty38 said:

Only just saw this and still testing my new QHY mono camera as don't have my filters yet but I'm using the "standard" cable that came with my Pegasus powerbox as that was already cabled into my setup so yes a normal cable seems to work just fine.

I thought it would be fine and probably what I will also do 🙂 

Steve

26 minutes ago, Stu said:

Fortunately I don’t think much ‘went down’! 🤣

Oh good, 🙂 

Steve

Don't worry it will all work its way out in the end 🙂 

Steve

1 hour ago, wookie1965 said:

Steve had the epidural in September 2021 never touched me I was supposed to have a appointment 6 months later to see the pain doctor but as of today I'm still waiting now put me on oxycontin strong opiates. I am just barely moving with these, I have to get my sons set up my kit. 

Oh no, so sorry, I have suffered with back problems from time to time and sometimes where I could not walk at all due to the pain, but, thankfully, alway got over them eventualy, so obviously nowhere near like you problem,
So I really do sympathize, which is no use to you whatsoever though, I just hpe they can find something to help, must be terrible.

Steve

5 minutes ago, Swoop1 said:

I can't see the image Carole?

Must be a problem my end.

Its a bit odd but if you click on the png icon you get this:-

But then if you click on the Right arrow as in ">" you see the image:-

But better still scroll down to the 16th post and Carole has reprosessed it and reposted the image.

Steve

On 29/07/2020 at 12:40, wookie1965 said:

I can give you the email address if someone would like to email them and enquire about October I unfortunately will not be able to attend I have had MRI on my back I have two ruptured discs with arthritis of the facet joints I am waiting for a epidural injection to see if that can help before going down the surgical route. 

I really hope the injections work, you have had some awful trouble with that back. I think they can work wonders for some lets hope you are in that group.

Steve

I need a 2nd power connector for my QHY268M camera.
Its a standard 2.1 inner, 5.5 outer plug but had the screw connector to make it secure.
Now it looks like a normal plug withut the screw bit fits and does seem to work fine but obvioisly the screw gives a bit more security.
Only place I can find these is on Modernastronomy.com at £20 which does seem quite expensive for one of these cables.

qhy-power-interface-cable

I just wondered if others used a standard 2.1 / 5.5 without the screw bt without issues or they know of another scource of these ?

Steve

19 minutes ago, VectorQuantity said:

I've had a Sesto senso (V1) with flexible couplings fitted to three different WO scopes. The connection method to the outside of the focuser collar is a nice idea but assumes the focuser collar is concentric with the focuser shaft. On two of my WO's it was not concentrice and despite all attempts at alignment you could actually see the Sesto senso 'wobble' as it's stepper rotated. Luckily these scopes had relatively long focal lengths and a non-critical focus zone.

To just compare the EAF/Senso/WhateverFocuser by itself is difficult maybe impossible, leaving out the attachment method and step size other significant variables are the focus software and scope focal length (focus criticality) both of which have large effects on the focus outcome.

Okay as I have only had the Sesto Sensos (well also I had a belt driven DSD very early on) then I have to accept what you say.
To be honest I never thought of the collar of the focusser not being concentric, I only thought the issue would be is if the fine focusser spindle was bent, which is easily done, I think I just assumed that within a few tens of microns they must be concentric, but yes if not then I guess it could be an issue with that type of attachment.
I guess I have been lucky then as mine must have been pretty much concentric (stock focusser on Esprit 100ED, Baader steeltrack on my RC6 and a stock focusser on my WO72) as I certainly have not had any wobble.

Also same really regarding the number of pulses you can afford to loose without seeing any visual determinable difference in focus of the image. Now hands up I have not yet used the RC6 in anger as this is still very new to me, but the 100ED you can achieve good focus in NINA , or EKOS, and then go 10 or 20 steps either side of that before you could see any real change to the actual focus, but as you say the focal length of the scope would affect this.

So I accept there could be issues with this mounting method.

Steve