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AstroMuni

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Posts posted by AstroMuni

    Down loading images and formatting

    in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice

    Posted

    On 29/10/2023 at 11:08, Tim Jennings said:

    Sorry  to ask all these questions, but can any one tell me how to download  the files to my mac computer and formatting as well   I got the asiair mini, and the instructions are not very good 

    Tim

    Have you read this? https://agenaastro.com/zwo-asiair-plus-wi-fi-astrophotography-camera-controller.html

    Copied the relevant text about downloading, here.....Perhaps the easiest way to export your data from the ASIAIR Plus to a computer is to use a USB-C to USB-A cable to connect it directly. Then, it will show up on your computer as an external drive, and you can drag the files to your computer. Other transfer methods include saving the data to a MicroSD card and then inserting that into your computer's card reader or using a USB flash drive. You can also enable Station Mode in the ASIAIR's WiFi settings and connect it to your home WiFi. You can then download files from the ASIAIR to your computer via the network, though this method takes considerably more time than hardware connections listed above.

    Move away from ASIAIR? Where next....

    in Discussions - Software

    Posted · Edited by AstroMuni

    4 hours ago, Stuart1971 said:

    Yes SM does rely on ekos, PhD2 plate solving etc, you are correct there…

    The app is much further down the line that that statement makes out, I think that has been there a long time, as I saw that 2 years ago….

    The website doesnt do justice to the Stellarmate app and I have mentioned this to Jasem. Having seen the ASIAir in action and as a user of Stellarmate I have to say that ASIAir UI is more user friendly but under the core I think Ekos is stronger.  And the similarities in the two apps makes you wonder what is the true relationship between the 2 organisations!

    The Stellarmate app is using the same labeling as Ekos for their parameters (which makes it easier for power users to switch between App & Ekos itself) but on the flip side some of those labels are not the most intuitive. Thats my 2 bits 🙂

    • Like 1

    Move away from ASIAIR? Where next....

    in Discussions - Software

    Posted

    4 hours ago, mistuk said:

    and use a Mac desktop at home - I'm pretty computer literate.

    As you are more of a Mac user I would suggest going down the Stellarmate OS route. You have a few choices open to you...

    - run Kstars & INDI on the Mac and connect devices directly to it

    - run Kstars & INDI on an RPi and connect from the Mac/ipad via VNC or browser

    - run INDI on RPi and connect from Mac running Kstars

    - run INDI on RPi and connect via ipad using Stellarmate app

    Take your pick 🙂

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1

    Problem with focusing

    in Getting Started With Imaging

    Posted · Edited by AstroMuni

    6 hours ago, Simone_DB said:

    Yesterday I stayed out for about an hour and...(see below)

    Thats a good start and the moons of Jupiter are showing quite clearly in one of the images. You will need to take a video and stack the images to bring out the bands etc. You have jumped the main hurdle of getting a good focus. 🙂 Make sure your mount is Polar aligned so that tracking will be smooth and you dont end up getting star trails. The HEQ5 is a very capable mount.

    Good luck.

    • Like 1

    Problem with focusing

    in Getting Started With Imaging

    Posted

    44 minutes ago, Simone_DB said:

    wherever I read things on the subject, it seems that the problem is that Newtons have the focus point too close to the tube. Now you are saying that you had to move your camera back. Frankly I'm perplexed*.

    What you have read is a generic problem. The SW Quattro, PDS series have been specially designed to get around this problem and have shorter distances between primary and the focuser tube.

    • Like 1

    Astrophotography starter

    in Getting Started Equipment Help and Advice

    Posted · Edited by AstroMuni

    On 16/10/2023 at 20:44, billy86 said:

    It's a manual rocker box unfortunately. Is it possible to nudge it while imaging?. I'd also like to keep my big dob for garden use ideally,it's becoming a pain to load up in the car. A more dedicated astro set up for imaging is the way I would like to go. I'm already looking at a laptop, ideally I'd like to start with a dedicated astro camera that videos the planets and moon while I control it and view from the laptop. 

    Anyone have any experience with this?

    Reading through your posts, I have built a mental picture of how you wish to work. Correct me if wrong...

    When you say view it from the laptop I have assumed that you wish to do what many of us do...capture the images and then post process at leisure to bring out the images. There is another way to do it called EEA where you stack the images whilst capturing thus its a bit of both worlds - visual & enhanced without the faff of post processing.

    - You wish to take the kit to some place other than your garden to do imaging: If so you will need something lighter and easy to carry in car. But you will need battery to power your equipment.

    - Mount (ideally Go-to, but tracking as a minimum). I have assumed Go-to for the items below. If you just use a hand controller for the mount then you wont need the USB/EQASCOM for mount.

    - You are more interested in Planetary & Lunar at the moment: you would need scopes with long focal length - eg. SCT/Mak + + planetary camera with high FPS rate (eg. ASI224) + UV/IR cut filter + ADC to improve vision due to atmosphere (optional)

    - Laptop with software to manage the mount (eg EQASCOM), software like Firecapture or SharpCap to capture the images, Post processing software like Siril, Gimp, Pipp, Autostakkert/ Registax. Note: SharpCap (paid version) allows you to do EAA

    - Cables: USB3 ideally (min 2 - one for mount & one for camera) + power supply unit etc. to connect to battery.

    Hope this helps.

    • Like 2

    Imagining RedCat 61 SW Eq6 pro

    in Getting Started With Imaging

    Posted

    4 hours ago, Stuart1971 said:

    Darks are not just for amp glow, they are there to sort other things too, like hot pixels, walking noise to some extent, and dark noise, again to some extent, these issues can also be mostly sorted by dithering, but I find it much much easier just to use darks than dither…

    I should have mentioned all those too 😞 Those are quite low on the ASI533 and as you say easier to deal with hence I havent found the need to take darks (yet).

    • Like 1

    Imagining RedCat 61 SW Eq6 pro

    in Getting Started With Imaging

    Posted

    15 hours ago, Bullmastiff said:

    So what your saying if my lights are 1 minute my darks should also be 1 minutes but only need between 20 to 40 darks correct?

    Correct. The 20-40 is just to average out the values. And as your camera is same as mine (the ASI533), I dont take any darks as there is no amp glow issues to deal with.

    Imagining RedCat 61 SW Eq6 pro

    in Getting Started With Imaging

    Posted · Edited by AstroMuni

    55 minutes ago, Bullmastiff said:

    So let me just see if I understand this if I take 2 minutes lights, I need to take 2 minutes darks but around 30 to 40 exposures?

    The exposure time for each dark frame needs to match exposure time for each light frame. You will need to stack around 20-40 such dark exposures to get a master dark. Does that make any more sense? 🙂

    So if you are taking 30s exposures for lights, you would take darks with same 30s exposure setting. Total number of lights exposures could be many hundreds.

    Any reflector “experts” in England?

    in Discussions - Scopes / Whole setups

    Posted · Edited by AstroMuni

    20 minutes ago, John said:

    I'd be looking for more precision than that which is why I suggested testing / adjusting the laser over a 20 feet+ range. For an F/4.5 newtonian the collimation "sweet spot" is just 2mm in diameter at the focal plane.

    At this rate, the OP will have to go to a 'professional' collimator 😉 Dont scare the OP too much chaps

    @a6400 I was in similar boat around a year ago and I joined the local astro club. Friendly members have helped me collimate my scope so my suggestion is join club 🙏

    • Like 2

    Monitoring EKOS imaging runs

    in Discussions - Software

    Posted · Edited by AstroMuni

    I have been using Kstars for over a year and your message prompted me to look around, so I have learnt something new as well 🙂

    I agree its going to be tricky sending an alert to laptop, hence posted that link to conversation about connecting to Telegram etc.

    14yr old with 6inch SE beats 60 year old with 8 inch SE!! 60 year old NOT happy! :-)

    in Getting Started With Imaging

    Posted · Edited by AstroMuni

    2 minutes ago, Nigella Bryant said:

    Don't have to repeat it, we get it, lol. I maybe nearly 65, but, lol.

    Apologies.. dont know what happened there 😞 Nothing happened when I pressed submit button, but looks like it did do something after all 🙏 Perhaps the fact that I am not too far from reaching that age too LOL

    • Haha 2

    14yr old with 6inch SE beats 60 year old with 8 inch SE!! 60 year old NOT happy! :-)

    in Getting Started With Imaging

    Posted

    19 hours ago, Mark2022 said:

    Frustrated! 😂 There are people on this forum saying "You won't achieve the detail of an 11 inch or 14 inch with an 8 inch" and then this little dude comes along and says "Check this out: 6 inch!".

    I know there are guys on here who know the secrets of achieving this sort of result but it always seems to be "seeing" and ADCs and this and that. This 14 year old just points and shoots!

     Perhaps its just time to admit that there are (more) things to learn from our younger generation and get on with it 😉 LOL

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