Rustang

I'm posting this image here for my learning and progression. I will start with my set up, most of you may know this already: HEQ5 Pro mount, SW80 ED DS PRO scope, Modified Canon 600D. 5min guided subs ISO 800, calibration frames. So I'm not happy with this image, its pretty pants and not my best processing but its enough for this post as I would like to clarify some reasons why I'm not happy with it! I would like to understand where I stand with my equipment and its limitations on certain targets. I feel this is a difficult target, is it? I fully understand integration time makes a difference, with this particular image its only an hours worth of 5min subs as I had to bin a load due to unnoticed star movement issues. But with my current gear is more integration time really going to make a significant difference? You can clearly see that the camera mostly is struggling, noise, hot pixels, banding etc etc, more noticeable since doing longer exposures. I really wouldn't go zooming in on the images as it looks terrible and really does show my issues. I did a test by stacking the binned subs from the same session to bring the integration time up to 3hours (the subs were good enough just to test this) and it didn't make any significant difference, as i say i know more integration time is important but what is that really going to do for me with this particular camera?. My nebula images seem to come out better with these problems but galaxies really show where the camera is struggling. Or is it just me, can I/ is it possible to get better images from this particular camera on targets such as M33? Is it my post processing? I've certainly got some improving to do but I do feel that with my current processing skills, they are enough to show that its possibly the camera that's letting things down along side some processing improvements. One thing I just cant get right is the strong blue colors that galaxies such as this and Andromeda seem to have in them, Ive tried many ways but just cant get that color, could it be the over powering red from the modified camera? the colors do seem balanced correctly though from the stacked image. The washed out light, orange/brown color is just really difficult to change, again is this because of the camera or the post processing!? It would just be nice going forward to know that I'm not flogging a dead horse/ trying to polish a turd!! Stick with this camera or move on? You know me, I like to get the most out of my gear but I honestly feel the camera is now letting me down, please help me confirm this! 🙂

I'm using APP 👍

So I think I may have found the cause of the star movement in my last imaging session, its not been a problem before but it appears to be how it goes sometimes in this hobby!! So I'm still new to dithering and have been using it for a handful of sessions (with out known issues), i have noticed that if the dithering takes a while then as soon as its completed the new exposure starts straight away, this is what I feel may be the problem as there will be no settle time!?. So how to do over come this? I have set a 50 sec wait time for the next exposure to start, the dither timeout is also set for 50 secs, so if it does take up to 50 secs for the dither to complete and the next exposure then starts straight away which could cause movement? But the other thing is, in the dither settings, its set to 15 secs settle time! when does that come into play? So do I need to up the wait time between exposures to make sure everything is settled? I'm using APP. The reason I'm putting the star movement issue down to this is because after I re sent the scope to target after it crossed the med line, i turned off dithering as it was playing up, the short period of images once the dithering was turned off are the only ones without star movement so I'm kinda putting two and two together! But with astrophotography there's probably having to put 3 and 3 together or 4 and 4 😆!!!! Single sub with star movement.

Awesome, much appreciated 👍

I have attached a new flat taken at 1.3 sec's, any chance you could stretch it out like how you did above to see if there are any issues!? 🙂 IMG_7375.CR2

I did just test it with the 1/50th flats and the strectched stack now appears with out the spot to the top left but will do as you say aswell 👍

Ive been having a play around with trying to do some new flats, it seems that with the lowest setting on the LED panel which already has one layer of paper across it, the slowest shutter speed I can go to is 1/50th, is that going to make any real difference? Shall I just do a few a see if it stacks any better? If i cant get it to work I guess I'm going to have to yet again have another look at a different way to do them.

Ok, I will look to improve the flats today. The optical train /focus point will be different between the two sets of flats as different field flatteners were used for the two different imaging sessions. Thanks for your help 👍

Ok thanks guys, il have another go at some flats today and look for any artifacts on different areas of the optical train but it is exactly where there's a dust spot is on the sensor which is strange. Cheers 👍

First is non working flat, secound is the from when it worked! IMG_7303.CR2 IMG_7056.CR2

I thought that one of the reasons for using flats was to remove the sensor dust marks!?, it has appeared to do this every other time!!?

Ok il post the raws later. I thought shutter speeds didn't matter as long as the histogram sits between 1 3rd and half way!? I never heard of the shutter needing to be around 1 second!? From what I've read previously, if you stick the camera in AV mode it will choose the correct exposure, to be fair I normally do it manually.

Also to add a photo of the camera screen of a single flat from the batch that didn't work. It sits dead on a 3rd of the histogram.

Below are 3 images, first is a single raw flat that didnt work, second shows the stack over stretched and b&w and slightly cropped, to see firstly the sensor dust wasn't removed and also the lines (could be my normal banding issue) and gradient that seems difficult to get rid of. There shouldnt really be much gradient as the target was practically at its highest point in the sky!. Lastly the flat taken that worked before.

Will post up some info/images tomorrow 👍

I will post tomorrow, a flat frame taken today and the stack stretched to show the artifact and one that has worked as well 👍

Scope is SW80ED DS Pro at 600mm FL with none reducing FF. Canon 600D with Optolong L-pro LP filter. Exposure was at a shutter speed of 200 to hit the histogram at approx one third 👍

Trying to narrow down some star issues from last nights session, tracking seemed ok, same as other nights but I had to chuck a lot of data due to star issues that I didn't realise was happening until today. The only thing that was different is that I was using the HoTech SCA field flattener for the first time and i had to rack out the focuer further than normal to achieve focus. If its that FF that turns out to be the problem then what is everyone else using? (not the reducers just the standard FF to keep the scopes normal FL) There's not alot of choice out there!!

What are the most common reason's for flats not to work?. I have been using the LED light pad method for a short while with good results. Today I took some Flats using the same method and with the camera, light pollution filter and scope in exactly the same position of focus from last nights session but they haven't worked to remove any artifacts as they are showing on the stack. I'm back to using DSS until I can afford APP.

What more do you want! 😊 Just under 3 weeks wait for another clear enough night, it's good to be out again.

I was interested in doing the star test to check collimation as the scopes new to me and I don't have a collimation tool at the moment (shouldn't have sold it!) It's an old Orion Optics scope, I'm not expecting the optics to be first class but I'm going to base my view on this point from last nights experience. For the first time ever I saw some faint details on Mars and the moon, well that just blew my mind and I've looked at the moon alot but not through this aperture or decently at x200 mag. I was very happy when I got to bed last night 😊

It definitely seems that was what was going on and seeing did get better which was when I started to notice the rings and as you say they were definitely more noticeable on the one side. I'm always learning! Thanks guys 👍

It was a bit mushy to start with so I'm guessing that's what's happened. I'm new to star testing. Conditions seem good at the moment though.

I could see some coloration details for the first time ever tonight 😊

Don't worry, I think I've got issues with my eyes lol 😂 I can now see rings on the outer edges and it looks spot on. Not sure what was going on before. I'm currently viewing the moon and I'm speechless!! It's good viewing tonight!!