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What's my sticking point?


broony

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This is the best image I have had..I have Skywatcher 130M, modified Logitech Quickcam 4000 webcam, 10mm lens with 3X barlow,

best 60% pf 1800 frames,......castrator, then autostakker2, Registax 6, Photoshop......

From the pic is it possible to tell my problem? I know that's a bit of a "hoe long is a bit of string" question, but I may be doing something obviously wrong? Collimation (I am sure its OK). Focussing? Dirty CCD? CCD not good enough...need to upgrade camera (looks like orange peel in high power, when out of focus...not sure if its lens of CCD), using software wrong?

Here is final pic and below a still image to show what the webcam image looks like

Thanks in advance for any suggestions

550070_10151122422679077_1926951258_n.jpg

still.jpg

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There's only so far you'll be able to push the 130 but a big area to work on is focus. It's really worth spending 20mins working the focus after the scope is properly cooled down. With the camera be careful not to have the frame rate too high or there'll be some compression which will mess with the final resolution. If you can go for around 2500 frames and only take the best 20% for stacking. Your image is not too bad at all so hang in there it'll improve, you're certainly ahead of my Jupiter images. :)

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Hello broony Have you tried lowering your FPS to 5 or 10, it means less frames but they will be of higher quality as each exposure wil be slightly longer. I totally echo whats been said about focus, its everything I have found. I also have found that Registax is an art that may take many years to master, post your original AVI and aks some of the more experienced guys here to process it, the reason i say that is your image does not look too far away from the results I get in raw video but the processed result is much sharper.

PS best advice i was given was to buy a motor kit for my focuser, i found it almost impossible to focus without it the scope would always move slightly when i touch it. Even with that though I usually spend at least 30 mins focusing before I start to shoot video.

Below is an example of a capture from my SW150PL with a creative Webcam

http://www.ultrapenguin.co.uk/moon/example.avi

And this is the kind of processed final image

Jupiter1.jpg

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Thanks for the advice everyone. For some reason I thought more frames the better so always set at 30fps (although astrocapture always ends up defaulting to 14-16 fps)...I will try lower next time.

Also, yes focussing is a pain as when you touch it at such high magnification it takes a while to stop moving...I will look into a motorised focuser for sure

I guess I just need more experience....and by the sound of it...more patience. Usually I just focus until I can see the bands then capture as I am always half expecting clouds to appear at some point

Watch this space.....

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This is the best image I have had..I have Skywatcher 130M, modified Logitech Quickcam 4000 webcam, 10mm lens with 3X barlow,

Hi broony,

How are you attaching all of you kit? In your post you mention 10mm lens. You don't want an EP in the imaging train. Should follow - barlow inserted into focuser, webcam inserted into barlow.

What is the focal length of your scope, is it the 600mm or the 900mm Sw 130P? The sensor of the webcam normally acts in the same fashion as a 6mm EP. If you are using a x3 barlow you are pushing the magnification too far. So if it is the 600mm FL scope a 6 mm eye would give you x100 magnification, add in the x3 barlow and you are working at x300 magnification which is way too high. Some where around the x 200 when the seeing is reasonable would be better.If your scope is the 900mm FL then you are trying to work at x450 magnification - again way, way too much.

Ian

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Its the 900mm. Its the first time I have used an EP as I was unhappy at the size of the image just using the webcam. MY previous attempts were not any better when not using an EP. My 2X barlow was poor quality, so I just tried out the 3X I bought at the weekend.

I will try next with just the barlow and the webcam. Thanks again for your advice. Might buy a good quality 2X as well

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