Laurin Dave

I believe that it works on newer Macs, there's certainly a Mac file to download which I tried without success on my 2013 IMac . and seem to remember reading somewhere that there are PS and standalone versions

Hi Olly If I remember correctly I downloaded it from Sourceforge.. unzipped it then copied all to the Program files/pixinsight/bin folder.. then opened Pixinsight.. opened the Process menu.. at the bottom of which is "Modules" click on that to open "Install Modules" search the "bin" folder for Starnet and install.. I did find out how to do this from a video somewhere but it was months ago now and no longer in my (or my pcs) memory .. HTH Dave

Just watched that video, very informative.. so thanks Wim

I can vouch for that.. looks like you've just popped off to the kitchen though!

I'd have thought that so long as the piggybacked stuff doesn't cause any distortion (cant think why it would ) of your RC and mess its images up then it'll be ok. Not sure they'd work at the same time though (flex) so you'd want a separate guidescope for the refractor, plenty of images of folks with setups like this out there.

That's what it says it does on the tin... Wim.. Dave

More like Detention! Barry Wilson has a useful tutorial on "Boosting Star Colour" on his SmugMug site which is worth a look

Family and friends encouraged me to take a look at the penumbral eclipse last night, and I'm glad they did. RGB through Esprit100 and ASI1600mm and high cloud.. Had to wait for it to rise above the trees and rooftops. I've also included a diagram showing the positions of the penumbra and umbra at that time.. AS!3, Registax and Photoshop. Dave

Vlaiv, Olly I don't know for sure but isn't part of what Vlaiv is describing similar (or has the same effect as) ArcsinhStretch in Pixinsight., ie preserves colour ratio as you stretch Dave

Piggy backed will be much easier to balance than side by side with such different scopes.. The Esprit100 is pretty good too, 550mm fl, with the flattener it covers APS-H which is a bit smaller then full frame.... what camera are you thinking of using ? Olly.. do you have a source for used FSQ106Ns.. other than your linen cupboard! Dave

No, it’s just a flattener Dave

Can I suggest leaving the Moravian on the guided scope.. it'll be much easier to align... you'll be able to go deep with long subs... your stars will be lovely with those little spikes on bright stars from the KAF sensor.....you'll get a much wider field mono image as well.. and at 1" pp you'll be at or below the seeing limit anyway, binning the ASI178 2x2 will give the same resolution.. Plate solve and frame on the 178 equipped scope through a second instance of SGPro Dave

So I understand.. although the latest I read (admittedly a few months back) was that it wasn't high on their priority. As I run very different exposure lengths on the two scopes I'm not sure that for my setup it would make much difference in terms of improving capture efficiency, with more equal length exposures it clearly will.

Another excellent image to add to your amazing catalogue of planetary nebula Peter.. Dave

Yes that’s one of the dual scope problems with an OAG.. another is drift whilst the primary does autofocus.. (if of course you do it 😉) .. although this isn’t much of an issue with the Mesu.. and another I have as I’m using SGPro is the inability to sync the exposures for dither, in total I lose about 1 in 6 of the secondary scope subs.. (it runs 2 min or 5 min subs the ccd runs 10 or 20 min subs.. I dither every second exposure on the ccd.. ).. I’m also pretty sure that the relatively short exposures on the CMOS camera help mask any flex .. so maybe Tomato that’s something else to examine ie whether for Galaxy season 10 or 20 minute lum on the primary and 1 or 2 minute RGB on the slave through a cmos camera (I seem to think you have one) would work .. Dave

I agree Olly.. guide scope alignment would presumably minimise any field rotation (which would be the same if the scopes were aligned). I believe from the photos that Tomato is using an OAG so any focuser flex would only show on the slave. This is what I figured out was happening when I initially went to dual scope (Esprit150 with piggybacked GTF81 then Esprit100) .. the rather expensive remedy was a Feathertouch to take the 3 plus kg weight of the SX camera/filterwheel/OAG/Guidecamera/flattener on the 150.. the Esprit 100 focuser is fine with the much lighter ASI1600/EFW (the GTF81 focuser was a bit saggy). Dave

Based on my Esprit150 I’d suggest that you also check your focusers for sag/flex, either or both could also cause eggy stars Dave

Nice image.. that’s Messier 31 the Andromeda Galaxy Dave

Hi Nigella.. just finishing one off myself.. it looks remarkably like yours! I use the AllSkyeEye software, works really well and has loads of features. I’m using the ZWO lens that came with the camera at the moment, seems ok for now but will be interested to see what lens recommendations are made. I’ve put a heater in mine, dewed up quite quickly without, I had an unused ZWO Dew heater and it works a treat. Dave

Hi Andy I don't know but that ADU looks right.. As do the images you've posted the questions I'd ask are does the master flat you create from them work? ie does it flatten a flat? and how are you calibrating the flats? I'd use a matched master flatdark for cmos. Also if you're not doing it already I'd use dithering as this will help to remove any remaining fixed pattern noise. … Dave

Excellent Craig, pleased that you have it sorted out Dave

Hi Adam My 2.7m Pulsar dome is on a 3m square slab 20cm thick and with a 1m x 1m x1m block under the pier, all poured in one go. I've never noticed any effect on the guiding of me being in there and moving about, nor since I moved to a Mesu (from an AZEQ6) of wind ,opening shutting or slamming doors affecting guiding. The only thing in there that does seem to affect it is forgetting to switch the dehumidifier off! Also are you sure you want the offset pier, which looks like to me as if it will take a lot of space, as automated meridian flips with SGPro (or alternatives) take very little time, a few minutes or so... seems even less when I'm asleep! Dave

Sounds like a good plan to mount them without the adjuster and to see how close they are, running them like that will also highlight other potential issues with flex that will need sorting. Dave

Indeed it is.. What cameras are you using ? It'll make life somewhat easier if one camera has a larger sensor than the other as alignment will not need to be so precise. I was also wondering whether you could get a bespoke thicker Losmandy bar made up that would extend the full length of both saddles and also move the scopes closer together. The intention being that this would benefit both stiffness and scope alignment with the shutter aperture. Dave

Very nice.. the reason for the long bolts is now clear.. space for your cuppa! Dave