Stuart1971

I just need to figure out how to do in Affinity Photo now….👍🏼

I get how you removed the stars in starnet, to leave you with the nebula only, but where did you get the star only image from, I assume not startnet as I did not think you could save the star image too…? sorry for all the questions, this is new to me…👍🏼

thanks for the help So your original version from the camera would have looked more like mine (star wise at least) and then you can reduce the amount and the size of them in Starnet ++…correct…??

Stunning images, and see my poor result below, how do you managed to keep the stars at bay, mine is overrun with them…yours looks stunning, mine is just 3.5 hours with Idas P2 LP filter on the QHY268c…so same sensor as you…

And what length are your flats mine were 5.6 seconds and dark flats to match, is this ok…?

One question I would like to know the answer too, Dark Flats or Bias frames, or both, I have only been calibrating with Darks, flats and dark flats with this camera, should I be using bias instead of dark flats or as well as…? Also what exposure to use with bias, I know it’s supposed to be the fasted the camera will do….but that is what…??

Thanks, again much appreciated, I guess it was not a good first target really, but hey you live and learn….

Thanks, yes I was not sure what impact the moon would have, but thanks for the comments much appreciated, I might try the those gain settings too with the same 5 min subs.. What sort of length exposure would you use with your settings…?

All defaults in APP…?

So managed 40 x 5 min subs in high gain mode and gain 0, and this is what I managed, still very noisy, so not sure where to go next, also,it was almost full moon while shooting this…would dithering help…?? Or a different gain setting….? Or just more data.. I still can’t shake the feeling that my old CCD would have done better and cleaner image with the same amount of subs, and yet everyone raves about these IMX571 sensors….🤔🤔

Thanks, Yes maybe a tad…👍🏼

So this is my second or third image with this camera, but first I wanted to show, Pac-Man Nebula, I want some constructive C&C, still trying to nail down the best gain setting, this was HGM and gain 0 offset 30, 3.5 hours of 5 min subs, under a very dewy moonlit sky, with Idas P2 LP filter, with Tak FSQ85 on EQ8 mount. Stacked and calibrated in APP with darks, flats and dark flats, then moved to affinity photo for some tweaking Still very noisy, but is it ok for just 3.5 hours….🤔🤔 comments please…but be nice…😂😂 this one was before a bit of star reduction in APP, as it’s a busy part of the sky…

Good, glad to hear it….best thing you will have ever bought…👍🏼

Yes my mistake, I was thinking the drift was the same in all the images, but was forgetting it will have moved hence the longer drift lines….👍🏼Sorry

That is a lot of drift for 60 second exposures even at that FL, so yes you PA is not good at all and needs to be much better….on my EQ8 with an 8” SCT with 2.5x power mate so 5000mm FL I get a small bit of drift in a 2 min sub, but only small, PA done with pole master on a permanent steel pier…👍🏼

Yes, I got the same response, so I guess we are all wrong, and all is good with the driver….🤔🤔

See my post above, just had this exact same issue…so it’s still around, and no one at SX bothered as I have asked….just have to use the native driver and all good….👍🏼

Hi, I just posted a thread about this exact issue, with the X2 lodestar, I know this is an old thread but I solved it today by using the native SX driver in PHD instead of the ASCOM one, and now it’s perfect. I had exact same star shapes as you the last three times I went out imaging, and was driving me mad, but mine was through a straight guidescope and not an OAG…swapping to native driver solved the lot, see here for before with ASCOM and after with native drivers…and both with same settings too…😮 ‘I assume you solved your issue the same way, or was yours something else…

The problem was solved by not using the ASCOM driver and using the native one….who new….🤔🤔 This is the image now with native driver….what a difference….

None of what you have mentioned here, needs anything more than the i5 PC that you have, I do all that and more on a mini i5 intel NUC that cost £135 second hand, and with a bigger 500gb SSD and 16gb RAM I bought extra it was still under £200 and it’s more than good enough to run a full imaging set up two scopes, the latest QHY268c camera guiding and plate solving all runs flawlessly with all the latest software, I even to the stacking on it with Astro Pixel Processor, no need for i7 or anything like that at all, it’s just pointless…..👍🏼

Ok, all sorted, it’s the SX ASCOM driver that’s the issue, just realised that the camera is natively supported in Sharpcap so tried that and it’s perfect, then switched to the ASCOM driver in Sharpcap, and it was the same as before in PHD2 with awful stars, so went back to native driver and all good…. I have been telling them for a while as SX that the driver needs updating…as it’s not been for over 10 years…anyway cheers for all the help….👍🏼

Looks bad on the dimmer stars too, almost like the scope has moved a fraction during the image, but it has not as it’s rock solid and on a side by side mount with my imaging Tak FSQ85 and that’s perfect…. Yet the brighter star just look split, as opposed to having a twin….🤔🤔🤔

Straight through guide scope with lodestar X2, no OAG, I have tried 2 cameras and rotated both camera and the scope and it makes no difference….🤔🤔

Here is a bigger image and if you zoom in on stars you will see the doubles and splits….

Would it be anything to do with needed and IR / UV filter on, but I am using a mono SX lodestar X2 with no filters..??