Can someone please help with this Maxim issue

[swag72]

I hope someone can help. I am trying to get to grips with Maxim, and when I get the screens up for guiding and imaging I get these. Fine for guiding, but when it comes to focusing - Terrible. Nothing like the nice clear simulation image at all.

Where am I going wrong?

[johnrt]

You can open another window - which lets you adjust the histogram, it's on the tool bar at the top and the icon looks like a little histogram.

Then reduce the stretch somewhat to taste & apply the smoothen button.

[swag72]

Cheers John. Will save that for another life time!!

Have gone back to PHD and EOS - Just cannot get Maxim to work for me - Guides fine, but the image acquisition is impossible. Can't get it to open the shutter of the camera, can't see what port my camera is in, even in device manager, and each time I try to change it in Maxim the damn thing crashes.

[johnrt]

I don't use Maxim for imaging either - just guiding where it works like a treat.

When your Atik come use the Artemis capture software - easy to use and does exactly what you need it to do.

Cheers John. Will save that for another life time!!

Have gone back to PHD and EOS - Just cannot get Maxim to work for me - Guides fine, but the image acquisition is impossible. Can't get it to open the shutter of the camera, can't see what port my camera is in, even in device manager, and each time I try to change it in Maxim the damn thing crashes.

[swag72]

I just wanted to try to get everything in one package!! Silly me!! I've also read somewhere that DSS is poor on RGB images from CCD cameras's for stacking and takes a lot of colour out. Is this the case? What do you use to stack?

[johnrt]

I always use Pixinsight to calibrate & stack.

[swag72]

Gulp!! Oh my goodness!! I am waiting for something simple with PI to stack and then I'll use it. Last time I tried .............. Well, it's not easy is it?!!

[martin_h]

I've never had a problem with colour images in DSS

[Helen]

...and SteveL uses it too, and his OSC shots are amazing!

Helen

[MartinB]

I'm a little confused, how are you managing to get the guiding working? I see that the image posted had a 0.5 sec exposure. This is exactly what you will see if the scope is well out of focus or the lens cap is on (something I've battled with many times!). Also you have produced this image under the guide tab. For focusing you are better to use the exposure tab and use continuous exposures. Once you can see a star you can select a sub frame for more rapid downloads. Try starting with 3 second exposures.

To check whether the camera is actually working under Maxim try shining a torch down the scope. If the image whites out you know you are in business. If there isn't any change then you are just picking up a bias image and the electronic shutter isn't activating. This is then down to either the driver or the camera settings used.

It would be a shame to give up on Maxim. You can always work on this during day time so you aren't loosing precious imaging time.

[AndyUK]

Hi Sara

I've also read somewhere that DSS is poor on RGB images from CCD cameras's for stacking and takes a lot of colour out. Is this the case? What do you use to stack?

I have to say, I haven't found this (yet) with DSS and RGB. Okay, this is a little noisy (it could do with some more subs ), but I didn't have to work too hard on the colour to get this...

[Beyond_Vision]

No problems here using DSS to stack the colour data is there just boost the saturation to around 17% in DSS or other programs and bingo.

[swag72]

I'm a little confused, how are you managing to get the guiding working? I see that the image posted had a 0.5 sec exposure. This is exactly what you will see if the scope is well out of focus or the lens cap is on (something I've battled with many times!). Also you have produced this image under the guide tab. For focusing you are better to use the exposure tab and use continuous exposures. Once you can see a star you can select a sub frame for more rapid downloads. Try starting with 3 second exposures.

To check whether the camera is actually working under Maxim try shining a torch down the scope. If the image whites out you know you are in business. If there isn't any change then you are just picking up a bias image and the electronic shutter isn't activating. This is then down to either the driver or the camera settings used.

It would be a shame to give up on Maxim. You can always work on this during day time so you aren't loosing precious imaging time.

Guiding is definately working Martin, get a nice flat graph too. I think that my guide stuff has probably always been a little (!!) out of focus, but that's not seemed to make any difference. This page was an example of the guiding page and the DSLR page is the same even when that is absolutely in focus (Checked with a B mask and live view prevously to switching on Maxim). I will try adjusting the histogram.

The problem last night - apart from the vile screen - was trying to get the camera recognised. I can not determine which port to use (device manager has let me down) and each time I tried another port on Maxim the thing crashed. So all in all - It was back to PHD and Eos!!

Thanks for the stacking info guys - Looks like it's just easier to stick with what I know.

[Merlin66]

I ended up with AstroArt V5.

Does everything I need and recognises all my cameras.

Life's to short at times......

[swag72]

I don't disagree with you there Ken!!

Update - Have got Maxim to recognise my Canon and open and close the shutter. The screen (as bad as it is) is definitely not noise and bias as when I shine a light in, you can see the light!

So, maybe I'll give it ANOTHER go!! I really want this to work as I want to use dithering to try to combat my noise.

[dmahon]

PHD and Nebulosity (ok, not a single integrated program, but both are written by the same person, so work well together) can dither - and I think that APT dithers too, doesn't it?

[swag72]

Don't really want to fork out more ££'s on another programme. I have now got Maxim working, it guides like a dream (Better than PHD I think) and the dithering seems to work with the exposures. I am seeing less noise when stacked, considering I am imaging with a DSLR at 30C.

So, once I managed to get it going, there's a big thumbs up from me for Maxim.