Peter Reader

Canon 1000D, no light pollution filter, skywatcher 200P. Bortle 5 if I'm not mistaken

Thanks for the replies, chaps. Raw files here (when they finish uploading): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13mJ3zgJo75LnBnkSNvxpc_QNNnOVPEMX?usp=sharing

Hi all, Tried to image the Pinwheel galaxy last night without light pollution filter and collected 48 x 3 min subs plus 30 flats, 31 dark flats and 25 bias/offset. Stacked these in DSS with the settings shown but the output has a very bright background and I'm really struggling to process this. Would any experienced imagers be kind enough to give this a quick process and tell me if the image is useable or not? I think the street lamp by my house is really bad without my light pollution filter... Example single sub and the stack / master frames attached for inspection if necessary... Thanks in advance for any help, Pete Pinwheel DSS output.tif MasterFlat_Gain3.tif MasterDarkFlat_Gain3_0s.tif MasterOffset_Gain3.tif Pinwheel Galaxy_LIGHT_180.00_0039_HFR 2.62_guide RMS 0.60 arc s.fits

Thanks vlaiv, I'm going to stick with the ACOM DSLR driver and accept the weird scaling of the FITS files.

Tried again last night, every worked fine so.... maybe it was a loose cable? WHat do you mean by "options"?

Thanks, how do I test this? My CR2 preview is very green and looks completely different to the FITS, but it's still ok to stack?

Hi all, Recently installed the new version of NINA that permits advanced sequencing. When setting up I chose to run my Canon 1000D through the Canon driver (which saves images as CR2 format) rather than ASCOM DSLR driver (which saves images as TIFF format). Both appear to show the same preview (histogram stretched) in NINA but when viewed the saved files appear drastically different. Raw concverter is DCRAW. Can anyone help me understand this? Are the images actually different? Pinwheel Galaxy_LIGHT_240.00_0000_HFR 2.37_guide RMS 0.57 arc s.fits Pinwheel Galaxy_LIGHT_240.00_0004_HFR 2.46_guide RMS 0.66 arc s.cr2

Hi all, Tried to leave my mini PC rig out overnight running NINA and PHD2. When I woke up to check the system I saw that after some time the guider stopped reporting RMS (because I append this to my file names) because it stopped guiding. From checking the error log I see that PHD2 lost connection to camera: 00:46:49.264 00.000 6272 Moving (-0.07, 0.08) raw xDistance=-0.05 yDistance=0.09 00:46:49.264 00.000 6272 GuideAlgorithmHysteresis::Result() returns 0.00 from input -0.05 00:46:49.264 00.000 6272 Throw from C:\cygwin\home\agalasso\projects\phd2\guide_algorithm_resistswitch.cpp:107->input < m_minMove 00:46:49.264 00.000 6272 GuideAlgorithmResistSwitch::result() returns 0.00 from input 0.09 00:46:49.264 00.000 6272 MoveAxis(E, 0, ABG) 00:46:49.264 00.000 6272 Move returns status 0, amount 0 00:46:49.265 00.001 6272 MoveAxis(N, 0, ABG) 00:46:49.265 00.000 6272 Move returns status 0, amount 0 00:46:49.265 00.000 6272 move complete, result=0 00:46:49.265 00.000 6272 worker thread done servicing request 00:46:49.265 00.000 6272 Worker thread wakes up 00:46:49.265 00.000 6272 worker thread servicing REQUEST_EXPOSE 1000 00:46:49.265 00.000 6272 Handling exposure in thread, d=1000 o=3 r=(377,573,31,31) 00:46:49.265 00.000 6304 GuideStep: -0.0 px 0 ms EAST, 0.1 px 0 ms NORTH 00:46:50.503 01.238 6272 ZWO: getexpstatus EXP_FAILED, retry exposure 00:46:51.743 01.240 6272 ZWO: getexpstatus EXP_FAILED, retry exposure 00:46:52.984 01.241 6272 ZWO: getexpstatus EXP_FAILED, giving up 00:46:52.990 00.006 6272 worker thread setting skip send exposure complete 00:46:52.991 00.001 6272 worker thread queueing reconnect event to GUI thread 00:46:52.991 00.000 6272 Error thrown from C:\cygwin\home\agalasso\projects\phd2\worker_thread.cpp:190->Capture failed 00:46:52.991 00.000 6272 worker thread skipping SendWorkerThreadExposeComplete 00:46:52.992 00.001 6304 Alert: Lost connection to camera PHD will make several attempts to re-connect the camera. 00:46:52.992 00.000 6272 worker thread done servicing request 00:46:53.254 00.262 6304 Try camera reconnect, now = 1647218813 00:46:53.254 00.000 6304 gear_dialog: ReconnectCamera 00:46:53.254 00.000 6304 gear_dialog: DoConnectCamera [ZWO ASI Camera] 00:46:53.254 00.000 6304 Status Line: Connecting to Camera ... 00:46:53.256 00.002 6304 GetString("/profile/2/cam_hash/8d44cd37/whichCamera", "") returns "" 00:46:53.257 00.001 6304 Connecting to camera [ZWO ASI Camera] id = [] 00:46:58.860 05.603 6304 ZWO: find camera id: [], ncams = 0 00:46:58.860 00.000 6304 Alert: No ZWO cameras detected. 00:46:58.871 00.011 6304 Throw from C:\cygwin\home\agalasso\projects\phd2\gear_dialog.cpp:1093->DoConnectCamera: connect failed 00:46:58.871 00.000 6304 Status Line: Camera Connect Failed 00:46:58.877 00.006 6304 Camera Re-connect failed 00:46:58.878 00.001 6304 OnExposeComplete: enter 00:46:58.878 00.000 6304 OnExposeComplete: Capture Error reported 00:46:58.878 00.000 6304 StopCapturing CaptureActive=1 continueCapturing=1 exposurePending=0 00:46:58.878 00.000 6304 Status Line: Waiting for devices... 00:46:58.880 00.002 6304 Mount: notify guiding stopped 00:46:58.881 00.001 6304 Changing from state GUIDING to STOP 00:46:58.881 00.000 6304 guider state => SELECTED 00:46:58.881 00.000 6304 UpdateImageDisplay: Size=(1304,976) min=0, max=224, med=2, FiltMin=0, FiltMax=136, Gamma=1.000 00:46:58.881 00.000 6304 setting force full frames = true 00:46:58.884 00.003 6304 Status Line: Stopped. 00:46:58.886 00.002 6304 Changing from state SELECTED to UNINITIALIZED 00:46:58.886 00.000 6304 guider state => SELECTING 00:46:58.891 00.005 6304 Status Line: Stopped. 00:46:58.893 00.002 6304 Error thrown from C:\cygwin\home\agalasso\projects\phd2\myframe_events.cpp:488->Error reported capturing image 00:49:19.297 140.404 6304 evsrv: cli 0DCAE130 connect 00:49:19.299 00.002 6304 evsrv: cli 0DCAE130 request: {"id":"99","method":"get_app_state"} 00:49:19.299 00.000 6304 evsrv: cli 0DCAE130 response: {"jsonrpc":"2.0","result":"Stopped","id":"99"} 00:49:19.300 00.001 6304 evsrv: cli 0DCAE130 disconnect 00:49:19.304 00.004 6304 evsrv: cli 0DCAE270 connect 00:49:19.306 00.002 6304 evsrv: cli 0DCAE270 request: {"id":"105","method":"get_calibrated"} 00:49:19.306 00.000 6304 evsrv: cli 0DCAE270 response: {"jsonrpc":"2.0","result":true,"id":"105"} 00:49:19.306 00.000 6304 evsrv: cli 0DCAE270 disconnect 00:49:19.309 00.003 6304 evsrv: cli 0DCADFF0 connect Checked cable and seemed to be fine. Connects ok this morning. Has anyone else had this issue? Thanks, Pete

Hows the performance of this? I'm looking to get an auto focuser for my 200P but was concerned I needed the DS focuser to make it work...

Thanks for the advice!

Hi all, I wanted to build an automated setup that I could leave out all night and remotely control from the house that 1) wouldn't require my personal laptop to be left outside unattended and 2) could also be used away from home without internet access. Obviously there are off-the-shelf commercial solutions, but in the case of the ASIair I didn't want to be limited to using ZWO devices and I like using my Windows software like PHD2 and NINA. I used a Mele Quieter 2 mini PC with 8Gb RAM and 128 GB storage (~£200 from Amazon) and a TP-link tl-wr802n portable router (~£20 from Amazon). Both are fanless (so no vibrations and weather resistant) and mounted on the tube rings of the telescope. I set up the router to run in "access point mode". The mini PC has Wi-Fi turned off and is permanently connected to the router via ethernet cable. The router creates a WiFi network that can be connected to wirelessly from anywhere nearby (with the password of course). The mini PC (running Windows 10 Pro) needs to be powered on by physically pressing the power button but after this I can use my laptop (running Windows 10 Home) to connect, log in, and control the mini PC via remote desktop. The great thing about this setup is that if the mini PC needs updates I can remotely turn on its WiFi and connect to my home WiFi network with internet access. Otherwise, no internet connection is needed for operation. If this helps anyone, I'd love to see your builds!

27 x 4 min (session cut short due to clouds) Result is a bit noisy I suppose due to low number of frames stacked but tried Astroflat plugin for the first time and seems to do a good job.

How can you tell collimation is off? Thanks

40 x 4 min lights, 30 flats, 30 dark flats and 30 bias I think my flats are working quite well to remove vignetting and now I probably need to learn how to process images in a more sophisticated way than simply stetching the histogram and increasing contrast / adjusting colour balance. Any recommendations very welcome. I have attached the raw stack if anyone fancies having a go at processing for themselves. Whirlpool DSS output.TIF

Flaming Star: 40 x 3 min Double Cluster: 33 x 3 min Now that stacking includes flats, dark flats and bias frames I think the vignetting I used to see has been tamed quite well. I'm wondering how to remove the last bit of gradient that seems to appear to the top left of my images (what could this be?) Cheers

Hi Robin, how did you measure the transit? This is amazing!

Heart: 38 x 4 min lights, 20 x flats, darks and bias Beehive: 32 x 1 min lights, 20 x flats, darks and bias I believe that the previous issue I had with "over-correction" (https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/389983-please-comment-on-my-flats/#comment-4204910) was due to very low brightness of flat frames OR flat frames exposed for so long that the histogram contained multiple colour peaks. 1/2 second flats produce the histogram shown below - I'd be grateful if anyone had any comments on the brightness etc. Vignetting appears to be fixed, right? I think the heart is perhaps stretched too far as the backdorp is not dark enough.

Still learning, and probably starting to realise more time on the same target is better than jumping around... but its so tempting! Owl and Surfboard: 13 x 4 min Monkey Head: 27 x 4 min Andromeda: 9 x 4 min Vignetting realling starting to be a problem now so next session will try flats and dark flats next time. Did try to take some flats in this session but they over-compensated: I also am not sure if I should remove the IDAS D2 filter for broadband targets like galaxies, despite bortle 5 skies here...

This morning I quickly stretched my stacked light frames of the Monkey Head Nebula from last night without any flats. I then applied the same processing layers to Deep Sky Stacker outputs that contained the 0.02 sec and 0.2 sec flat in my previous post. From what I can tell, the 0.02 sec flats are closest to being useful but if anythin over-compensate for the vignetting such that I now have "reverse vignetting" with the edges of my image brighter than the center. The 0.2 sec flats introduced some bizarre colours. I would deduce that I need even shorter exposure time for my flats or of course a dimmer light source. Any advice greatly appreciated. Deep Sky Stacker summary of the stacking procedure attached also.

Hi all, Tried to take some flats for the first time in order to correct vignetting I am seeing in my final images. I used an LED tablet on minimum brightness and NINA's flats wizard... which failed for me by saying the images were too dim regardless of exposure length and panel brightness so I arbitrarily took two exposure lengths manually which after stretching seemed to show uneven field illumination so I guessed these might be useable as flats...? Please would you mind critiquing on the attached flat frames? I couldn't figure out how to assess the histograms - I know I'm ideally after 50% brightness (?). In case it matters: my light pollution filter was in the imaging train when I took flats. Cheers 0.2 sec flat.fits 0.02 sec flat.fits

First time I've tried to focus without a Bahtinov mask, using HFR in NINA instead. M81: 23 x 4 min lights and 3 x 4 min darks Horsehead: 29 x 4 min lights and 3 x 4 min darks Still haven't figured out how to take flat frames, which I have been told would prevent the middle of the images being brighter than the edges.

Had approximately 1 hour window for clear skies this evening so got out again with the new gear. Triangulum was cut short by neighbour's house getting in the way and only got a few subs of Flaming star before clouds moved in. Triangulum: 14 x 3 min lights and 9 x 3 min darks Flaming star: just 4 x 3 min lights before had to stop and 9 x 3 min darks I've noticed people collecting data for images across multiple sessions - I don't think I could do this as my diffraction spike position will surely change based on camera rotation and I have no way to fix the position...? I am also noticing that the center of my frames are brighter than the edges - why does this happen and can this be processed out?

The FITS open in DSS and from memory the meta data for ISO and exposure time was available to the software. Also true that I cannot view the fits files in windows photo viewer so canon CR2 would be better for that...

Had a much better session yesterday evening after re-collimating and spending more time focusing with bahtinov mask: Yes I definitely had coma but I think it's pretty much sorted now with the corrector. Do you see any issues with my images linked above? Images came out pretty well, although some questions remain... Thanks for your detailed response. Is the Native Canon driver something I need to download from Canon's website? I don't see the option to connect to anything other than ASCOM DSLR in NINA. And is there any reason to switch from fits to the canon CR2? Thanks I will try this next time for sure.

Thanks very much! What's the best way to share the raw images online? Im really happy with the results of the session as I was quite perturbed by the previous evening: I also re-collimated the telescope and spent a while with Bahtinov mask to get focus correct but will check out NINA's star analysis next time for sure. This was my first evening with the coma corrector and that also seems to be doing a great job compared to before... The camera and filter have definitely improved the amount of signal / noise I am experiencing - when I tried the Rosette with the same settings the evening before I could barely make out any nebulosity with 3 min subs. I am imaging across Oxford so the light glow isn't ideal and the filter is doing wonders. Out of curiosity, did you play around with ISO and exposure length at all with the Canon 1000D? I tried 1, 2, 3 and 4 min exposures and guiding was fine but I'm aware that >20 images in the stack is important for noise and I can't stay up too late on work nights so ~20 x 3 min is a nice 1 hour time frame to get a target... I actually had to stop with Orion because EQMOD threw an error - something about not rotating the mount beyond the position it was at... anyone know about this?