Budgie1

Darkarchon has posted on the PI forum and said he doesn't have the time to continue support for the EZ scripts, but has made them available if someone else wants to make the updates and host a repository for them. StarNet2 is also not currently working following the update, but I understand this is being worked on by the author. GHS has now been fixed and some other third-party scripts just need to be reinstalled, either via Check for Updates or Install Modules.

As I understand it (happy to be corrected by those more knowledgeable ) with a OSC camera you have the bayer matrix which is normally RGGB, so for every four pixels in the sensor, you have 1x Red, 2x Green & 1x Blue. If you use a narrowband filter, such as an Ha filter, the wavelengths which get to your sensor will only register on the Red pixels, so only 1 in 4 pixels are used. It also means you have to have 4x more integration time to get the same amount of data as you do with a mono sensor of the same size. I'm sure it's much more complicated than that, but I think that's the basics.

Depending on which narrowband filters you've got, they are likely to be blocking the same wavelengths as your LP filter. If you leave the LP filter in the image train you're effectively blocking those wavelengths twice. I would put the LP filter into the filterwheel and use it for broadband targets, like galaxies, to keep your options open.

I'm not one for details analysis of an image but there is a definite decrease in noise and an increase in detail in 23911. If it wasn't for the Fits Header info I would say they were different cameras or exposure lengths. I hope 23911 is with the new filters and that you're really pleased with the results.

I know nothing about KStars or RPi's, but before I built the obsy I was setting up each night and running the kit like you do. My setup consisted of HEQ5, ZWO ASI294MC Pro, ZWO ASI120mm Mini guider on either Skywatcher Evostar 100ED DS Pro or the 80ED DS Pro. The mount & 2 cameras were connected via the Pegasus Power Box Advance (which also powered the main & guide scope dew heaters) to a 15m Active USB3 extension cable which connected into my Windows laptop inside the house. On the laptop, I ran APT for platesolving, focusing (after I got the auto focus motors) and image acquisition. APT will also now to Polar Alignment. For guiding, I used PHD2, as you do now. The only issues I ever had was down to the poor quality USB cables I initially used.

The amp glow on the ASI294MC isn't an issue, I just use a darks library and there's no calibration issues. The only thing I found was using Bias frames caused a residual of amp glow to be left behind, so I only use Darks, Flats & Flat-Darks. I assume the mono version of the 294 would be similar.

As the others have said, you take more of the Lum than RGB and with the Atik 428EX being a CCD camera you can also BIN x2 "on camera" with the RGB filters meaning even less time is required. I also use the Atik 428EX because it was a cheap way into mono and, although I haven't had that much time using it yet (mainly because it's Summer and way too light at my latitude) I am pleased with the results. As an example, here's M51 with 6 hours & 2 minutes integration consisting of: Lum = 2 hours 48m Red = 1 hour 8 minutes BIN x2 Green = 56 minutes BIN x2 Blue = 1 hour 10 minutes BIN x2

Something like a Hotshoe adaptor?

Here are a couple I still have in my bookmarks (that work): Solar Voyager Create a Planet If you Google "how to make a planet photoshop tutorial" there are YouTube tutorials on there as well. I found a couple more images I did.

Have you tried making your own space art? About 10 years ago I found some tutorials about how to create planets & starfields in Photoshop, so I had a go. I've not tried again since, but here's a few of what I came up with:

It's likely that the Altair requires more power to run the camera and the fan. The power drop over the 10m length of the cable may well mean that not enough is getting to the camera. I take it the ZWO ASI183MC & SVBony 205 don't have fans and or coolers fitted?

How do you have this connected? Is the active USB cable running direct from a laptop/PC to the camera or are you running it through a powered USB hub at the mount? I used to run a 15m USB3 cable which was connected to a laptop at one end and a powered USB3 hub at the mount. This used to run just fine, with no drop outs, because it was powered from both ends. The maximum recommended unpowered distance for USB3 is 5m, so if you're only connecting direct to the camera without any power injection at the mount then it's likely to suffer drop outs, even though you're using an active cable. This is the 10m version of the cable I bought. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01BLPSVFS/ref=twister_B079WCPST4?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

In APT I set the target ADU to 26,000, I can't remember what settings I used in NINA because I've only used it once, but it was similar settings to APT.

If you're using the ZWO supplied USB cables then I would advise changing them for some good quality cables. I use Lindy USB cables on all my kit and don't have disconnect issues any more.

You can't set the gain & offset with the Atik 4-series CCD cameras, they are factory set and you can't change them. Something less to worry about. It does take a bit of getting used too if you've been used to a CMOS camera, but it does make life easier and you may also find you won't need Darks with the 490EX either. I currently have the Atik 428EX mono and the 490EX is my next planned large purchase.

I used a cheaper 12v 5a PSU with a Pocket Powerbox Advanced and it worked fine. I did end up getting the Pegasus PSU because one came up second hand on here and they are rated at 10amps, plus the wires on the cheaper one I had were starting to break where they come out of the box. As for void warranty, it would be hard for Pegasus to void it on the PSU you used, as long as you use one with the recommended polarity, voltage & amps. If they supplied the PSU with the Pocket Power Box, and you chose not use it, then it may be a different story, but they don't, so they leave it up you to get the PSU.

When I did the bearing for my EQ5 a few years ago, I followed the video tutorial below, which has the bearing sizes and links in the description.

When I started out, I only had Photoshop CS3 and found some of the tutorials by AstroPix were helpful. Not videos but still useful.

Did it a couple of weeks ago and no extras are needed. Just make sure you use the correct flex connector and it replaces the wheel with the temperature gauge in it. The bracket screws in place with 3mm supplied bolts to replace the focuser locking screw and it's corresponding grub screw. If you're not sure then do a search and you'll find some tutorials on YouTube.

There's an ASI294MM in the Offers section in the FLO side for just over £1000, if that's of any use. An older sensor with amp-glow but a larger sensor than the 533. At nearly 57°N, I'm not going to see any Astro darkness until about then either. One other thought, have you looked at second hand CCD cameras?

My apologies, I saw the "MC", which I took to mean a colour camera, and didn't read the word "Mono" in the title. I hope you find something suitable.

FLO currently have ZWO ASI533MC Pro listed at £939, although it's showing as none in stock at the moment. Altair Astro are selling their version for £899. Both of these will come with full UK warranty support and no import duties. Interested in why you need the short backfocus?

So, the basic rule of thumb when using duo-band filters with OSC cameras is; Only use the duo-band filter (narrowband) on targets which mainly consist of Hydrogen Alpha & Oxygen III gases, so you're talking about Emission Nebula, such as the Heart (which you've imaged nicely ) California Nebula, North American Nebula .....etc. These filters are also good with Planetary Nebula like the Dumbbell and Super Nova remnants such as the Veil Nebula. Where you don't want to use these filters is the like of star clusters, galaxies and Reflection Nebula, like the Iris, Ghost & the nebulosity around Pleiades because most of the light from these targets will be blocked by the filter. So, for these targets the best filter is a good UV/IR block filter, unless you have bad light pollution, in which case a suitable LP filter may be of use. As for the different colours, as Anthony has said, this could be an image processed using the Hubble Pallet, as processing technique used initially for the Hubble Space Telescope images but now used for narrowband imaging. In narrowband imaging you use a mono camera with Ha, Oiii & Sii filters and when you process the image they are stacked using Sii for the Red channel, Ha for Green and Oii for Blue. This is called an SHO image. You can use a similar technique with colour images and there are a few tutorials around for this, depending on the software you use. Here's an SHO image I did of the centre of the Heart Nebula with my mono camera. I hope that helps a little.

I don't have anything on the filter itself but the case & out box both have it on there. I should add that I got my Duo-Band just after they first came out, back in 2021, so they may have changed the packaging since then.

Yes, mine says 7nm on the label on the box.