Planetary imaging with dob

[WakeyTiger]

Hi all,

I've been experimenting for a while now with planetary imaging with my 200mm dob, and a converted LifecamHD. All my images to date of Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus have resulted in white blobs, lacking any real detail. This is even after stacking in AVIStack 2, using 30fps with an MJPEG codec. I think my focussing is ok using a x2 Barlow. I've also got an IR Cut filter, along with a few colour filters...

Would a x3 barlow be worth investing in?

I've downloaded some new webcam software today, I was using AMCap, but will try something else tonight..

As always, all comments welcome, as I'm dying to capture Saturn clearly this month...

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[WakeyTiger]

Apols - this might be in the wrong category... feel free to move it moderators - sorry!

[Memory Bliss]

Like yourself, I use a 200 dob on the planets. I use Sharpcap to take the initial videos - I aim for about 10 videos of roughly 13sec long each. Then I edit all these in Virtualdub to make one long video, giving me roughly 700 frames. After that I then put this through another program called Castrator(no sniggering at the back there) this centres the planet. Then I stack it in Autostakkert before transferring it across to Registax to adjust the wavelets & RGB and finally finishing off in Photoshop CS3.

I use either a Revelation x2 or a Tal x3 barlow on a SPC880NC with a IR filter.

[peteftm]

Can you post an image of your results? I've got my hands on one of these webcams

[Memory Bliss]

Best of my Saturn's

[peteftm]

Very nice , i bet it takes great patience though , great rewards at the end

[WakeyTiger]

Many thanks for the info! Interested to find out where I need to improve... when you do your first captures, are you getting sight of any detail at this stage, or just whiteness like me?

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[neil phillips]

Many thanks for the info! Interested to find out where I need to improve... when you do your first captures, are you getting sight of any detail at this stage, or just whiteness like me?

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First you will need a barlow without that the image will be tiny, mars would be smaller than a pea. The white blob effect is caused by having over exposure. exposure and or gain too high. you need to have exposure around the 1/25th speed for a spc 900. you then put gain on full and slowly drop the gain untill the image no longer looks whited out ( white blob ) try to fine focus so that you can see these light levels properly as if the image is seriously out of focus it will be harder to tell light levels.

Detail should be seen on screen. Infact often considerable detail should be seen live on screen. if no detail is seen either your out of focus. or the light levels are blasting the detail away ( over exsposure ) For example when i focus on saturn, i tend to focus on the cassni division because it shows quite strongly live on the screen. when in or close to good focus the cassini takes on a very sharp and quite thin appearance. its this sharp thin appearance thats telling me ive nailed focus. So yes detail can be seen, should be seen. If no detail is seen at all, theres a problem, likely your settings, possibly your scope is not cooled down properly, ( it can take a couple of hours outside ) collimation is off, seeing is very poor. Focus is way out. All of the above will effect how much and how sharp any detail is. Hope this information helps the next time you try

[Memory Bliss]

Very nice , i bet it takes great patience though , great rewards at the end

That it does, most difficult part is capturing, then I can whizz through the processing programs in about 30mins. But like you said the reward at the end is definitely worth it.

[Memory Bliss]

Many thanks for the info! Interested to find out where I need to improve... when you do your first captures, are you getting sight of any detail at this stage, or just whiteness like me?

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Yes it does seem like a setting problem you are having as Neil has said, also I do check the collimation before an imaging session, also I let the scope cool for about an hour too.

For example when capturing Saturn I use these settings on Sharpcap, using a Tal x3 barlow and SPC880NC webcam.

Compression YUY2

Frame rate 10fps

Resolution 640 x 480

Exposure 5

Gain 50

Backlight 0

ColourEnable 255

Gamma 0

Saturation -30

Contrast 30

Brightness 65

Hope this helps

hope this helps

[WakeyTiger]

Again, really appreciated folks. As I say, I'm using a modded MS LifeCam HD, but I'll try these setting changes next time I can dodge the raindrops up here in Wakefield!

Interestingly, as an aside - when I use my handheld digicam, a Canon Ixus 70 against the eyepiece - if I use the flash, I get planetary detail. If I dont use flash, I also just get a white blob. That could be unrelated though, and is probably due to the Canon using internal settings to compensate for the flash (which actually flashes outside of the eyepiece, so does not affect the picture at all)...

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