StuartT

I wonder if maybe the USB connection (white cable) isn't providing enough power? I am not sure how to set the voltage in my Pegasus Ultimate Powerbox

Just had the first sunny day with my new Quark. I turned the tuning knob all the way anti-clockwise and then gradually moved one step at a time (waiting 10 mins for it to settle each time). Not sure where the correct tuning point should be. Here is a stacked set of 500 or so frames with a mono camera. Not very impressive so far! 🤣

Ok, just tried it out and it worked! Thanks 🙂

thank you. So far I am just following steps from other people, but it's giving me a sense of how things work, for sure. I've been going back over some old stacked images and re-processing them. For example, https://www.astrobin.com/wm7bzk/

EZ denoise Great! Thanks Steve. I have only been using PI a few days, so haven't got to grips with much of it yet. But I found this video super useful and I managed to get it to work perfectly!

Let me preface this by saying that I know SGL is not a Pixinsight support forum, but I have tried to register for the PI forum and cannot yet post to it, so I am turning to you guys instead. But if mods feel this thread is inappropriate, please just delete it. I'm creating a project for a specific set of actions in PI (composed of some processes and some scripts). I'd like to be able to store an icon for each step on the right hand side so I know what order to do everything in and to be able to preserve the settings for each step. It's easy to create an icon from processes (by dragging the triangle to the desktop). This can be done with some scripts too. But not all the scripts have a little triangle in the corner (for example, EZ Denoise). So how can I create an icon for those? Thanks

thanks. Yes indeed, the guidescope I have bought is a f/4 achromat. Useful to know focus isn't a big deal. (now I just have to learn PHD2!)

I have now purchased a guide scope with a helical focuser. It suddenly occurs to me - what do you do about focussing with guidescopes? My two imaging scopes have motor focusers, but I assume people don't generally attach those to their guidescopes? Do guidescopes drift out of focus over a session? Or is pin sharp focussing of less importance to guiding scopes?

Honestly, Pixinsight is a real revelation! Now I understand what all the fuss is about!

Ok, my life just changed! I installed Pixinsight today! Here is the above image, re-done

Thanks so much! I am like you in that I tend to dip in and out of things. This has worked fine in the past for things like learning Photoshop and NINA etc. But I get the sense that PI is an entire 'concept' and so would ideally benefit from a structured approach. I'll give the Light Vortex videos a try. My very first action in PI has not been promising. It seems to open Canon .CR2 raw files as completely black! The only way is up from here 🤣

apologies, I just found this thread which tells me what I need to know. So no need to respond to this one. Thanks

I finally took the plunge and downloaded the trial of Pixinsight. Having heard SO much about how powerful it is, I thought it was about time I gave it a spin. The interface is pretty intimidating and so I'd be really grateful for some recommendations as to the best video tutorials out there (which start from zero). Thanks!

Oh that's good. I use Siril for stacking and postprocessing too! Thanks

Ok, thanks for all the advice. I have ordered the Primaluce Lab 60mm guidescope. FL=240mm and nice and bright at f/4 https://www.widescreen-centre.co.uk/primaluce-lab-60mm-guide-scope-with-plus-80mm-guide-rings.html

Thanks Stu. I'm going to see if I can do this in Photoshop (as I don't have PI) Can I just double check that it is NEWBLUE that you assign to H (rather than what you have written)? Or have I misunderstood? How do I create the L, S, H and O channels in Photoshop? I think that only has R, G and B channels in a colour image (and you forgot to link to the tutorial).

Lovely image! How much integration time is this? (I think you have a bit of coma there. Do you have a field flattener?)

Thank you Stuart. I'm relatively new to all this, so never knew the CCD days. I use an offset of 50 and a gain of 105 (just after the sudden drop in read noise. Generally I cool to -15°C. Typically I do 35 sec exposures (as I've not gotten to grips with guiding yet and that is the longest my mount can manage and still get round stars). What exposure length do you use?

Yes, the camera I use for DSOs is a ZWO ASI2600MC CMOS colour camera. APS-C sensor with super low noise. It's an excellent camera. But at some point, I'll probably invest in its mono cousin (ASI2600MM). But as you say, the idea of a filter wheel and all those expensive filters (not to mention the massively longer imaging time required) is quite a step!

Thanks for this Anne. I’m gradually coming the conclusion that I need to take the next step in my astrophotography journey and embrace filter wheels and mono cameras and finally become a grown up 🤣

Thanks Anne. I can only see this topic covering how to do this in pixinsight. Did you mean there is a topic covering how to do it in Photoshop?

apologies. I mistyped. I used the speed of light in km/s which is 300,000, not 300 as I said.

300 (to keep the units in km/s)

Ok, I've contacted Sara Wager. She's an APP expert so maybe she can shed some light on this. I'll report back if she does. Or maybe it's simply not possible in APP and I'll have to take the plunge into Pixinsight! 😱

I use Astropixel Processor or Siril Pixinsight looks way too imtimidating