scotty38

Did you check the focus was ok though? I am not using asiair and I am very new to this but pretty sure I got those same sort of messages via NINA/PHD2 when I was not focused properly....

Clear here so for my second image ever I’m having a go at Bode’s galaxy..... About an hours worth done and still very clear. The moon is bright but hey ho we’ll see what happens..

Yep sure it was: William Optics GT81 with Flat 6AIII ZWO ASI 294MC-Pro WO 50mm guide scope ZWO ASI120mm guide camera AZ-EQ6 mount 10 x 300 seconds lights 10 x 300 seconds darks 10 x bias The exposure was just a guess and I didn't even carry out a test as I'd spent so much time getting set up I just wanted to get on with it. With hindsight I could have gone a fair bit shorter. Software used was: Sharpcap Pro Astap PHD2 Cartes du Ciel NINA Affinity Photo

Yeah that may well be the case but if so I don't know how it happened 🤣

Yep it must have some bearing although I'm not that experienced yet. I realise that much can be done in processing but I did very little to mine really especially in terms of the basic colour that came out of the images. I am going to have another play later and see what I can come up with 🙂

I'd compare your images with others for the same camera etc on Astrobin before you start buying more hardware that might not be needed. I mean spend money by all means but at least spend it on stuff you do want need 🤣

Looks pretty good to me that does but I appreciate it's the RGB you're speaking about....

Probably completely different setups and experience but I captured some Orion data last night (image posted in a couple of other threads so won't do so again) but how do yours compare? I only ask as I did nothing fancy whatsoever mainly because I have no idea how to do anything fancy....

Have a look here, easier to read than copy and paste.... https://openphdguiding.org/manual/?section=Visualization.htm

I will try and find it but if you google the PHD2 documentation there is a section in there that specifically talks about the numbers and their relevance - if it helps.....

My first and apologies I created a separate thread before spotting this one.. I totally guessed at exposure and I am still learning the hardware and all the software as I've only had it a couple of weeks. 20 x 5 minute light 20 x 5 minute dark 10 x bias

Great image and amazing how we can end up with such differing colours of the same object too....

Thanks, could have done with a bit less exposure as a starter I think but I'd spent so much time setting up I just guessed at it and set it going...

Here you go my, this is my first image from the second time of using my setup. Other than creating an image with the competition data this is only my second attempt at processing some data, albeit this time my own. Obviously I have a long way to go but given I'd never even looked through a telescope until a few weeks ago I'm happy for now 😀 I spent the first hour or so trying to get things focused and a sequence set up. I tried my free trial of SGP first but wasn't happy so moved to APT but couldn't sort the guiding for some reason but then managed to get it all together with NINA and this is what I ended up with stacked and processed a bit in Affinity Photo.

Agreed, I would have probably committed to an Esprit120 if I could have done this but couldn't splash it all out and then wait months with nothing so had to divert funds to stuff I could get now.... Obviously if every order is turning into a factory specific order then I get the money up front, that would make sense.

Yep that's some image....

Perhaps ignore me then, bets are off on that front..... However I would still experiment but from a different starting point so yep start as you suggest and fine the point where the tracker starts to trail. You then know that limit and can adjust other things to suit.... I am assuming at least a reasonable polar alignment too.

Regarding lens heaters look on amazon at the coowoo straps. Fairly inexpensive although you will need some sort of USB doohickey 🙂

Trial and error is the name of the game, at least it always is for me. I would take my first stab around 6-8 seconds and iso 1600 to avoid trails. I have a different camera, different skies and different lenses (f4 so you're a lot quicker at 1.8) but I'd stab around there first and increase the shutter speed (so you know the limit) until you see trails then I'd work on ISO. I'd use it at 1.8 too first

As mentioned above, first time ever so nobody needs to fear me but thought I'd post it anyway. It also didn't have that magenta glow on my screen at home either.... 🙂

I was going to ask where you'd seen them at £100 as I've been hanging my nose over a few lately.... I just have USB (2 unfortunately) over an ethernet cable which works just fine for me at the moment. I saw this but it's pretty much double at £219..... I have been looking at different ones by the way, I just saw this searching for the Beelink.... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beelink-Gemini-Mini-PC-Processor/dp/B08K2MHWQ7/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=Beelink+Gemini+M&qid=1612801461&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVDZGREVGUlBaRjgyJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzU1NDY0M1ExWTFDUEdFUjhLSyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjczMjY0RE5SNUpCSU1MVTZVJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I have never done anything like this before but I had a play in my trial of PixInsight but yep, no surprises, I can't get anywhere near even a colour image. I will keep trying but hats off to the entries so far as I'm beginning to understand (or not) just what's involved.......

and again, thank you!

Updating my live version as we speak 🙂

Indeed, when it failed first time I figured there must be another way 🙂