Jupiter 14 Dec. 2012 - DFK21 first use

[GlassWalker]

DFK 21AU618 + 8" SCT. 1.5x drizzle.

My first attempt using the new DFK21 AU618 which arrived on Wednesday, but as I was ill I didn't pick it up until today. The forecasts all said it would be cloudy, so I was surprised to see Orion waving at me. Had to give it a try even if I didn't cool the scope before. Once outside... ok, it wasn't that clear. I could see a faint haze, and there were fast moving low clouds passing. Cloud dodging fun!

I really need to align my finderscope again some time as it is too easy to knock off alignment. I wasn't even close using it. So I had to use a wide angle eyepiece to get it in the right ball park, then used my old DMK41 to centre and rough focus. In goes the DFK21 and tune again. There it was, in colour!

Ok, why is it on 30fps mode? I know it can do 60fps... fiddle randomly with the codec settings, there it is. Capture! Let's try the other codecs too. Getting frames is so fast at 60fps compared to the 15fps of the DMK41.

Slipped in a 2x barlow. Capture. 3x barlow. Capture. Dodge cloud. Capture some more! I had enough data so I packed up and went inside.

Transferred to desktop, opened the last file and... mono? Tried earlier ones. All but one mono! Ok, 1, I should have checked this before I packed up. 2, I should RTFM about what the codec settings do. I suspect one sets the transfer from camera to PC (for display), and the other is from PC to file. I think I got the 2nd part wrong... will have to sort that out before next time.

So I only had one file in colour I could use, an early one without barlow so could be challenging for detail. Stacked ok, although AS!2 kept picking the bayer pattern with R-B swapped so I had to manually do that after. WB was pretty bad too, so again I need to look at that for next time.

So all in, far from my most successful imaging attempt, but I know what I need to do next time.

Edit:

Have this one at 3x too, but I lost the colour information... just a quick process while I figure out what's what.

[Ewan]

The " " 618's are great Glasswalker well compared to my Toucam they are, i havn't used mine again since the 10th i think as weather has been unforgiving.

I see you have the same scope as me, i had the same problem with my finder , it being slightly off i mean, this is why i was going to buy an illuminated 9 x 50 one because when the sky is really dark if the target (even Jupiter) is behind the crosshair i cannot see it, if i'm using my 3X Barlow i can be miles off & end up searching the area for Jupiter, even worse with a star.

Glad you found your 60 fps though, how long was the avi ?

i am new to my 618 as well but the colour issue may be the Codec your using but im not sure if it's the same for the OSC as it is for my Mono, i have to use the Y800, i may be wrong here but i think you use the Y800 as well so your image appears as mono on your laptop but it will be recorded in colour (hope i got that right).

Great start though Glasswalker & like me i bet your itching to do some more :-)

[GlassWalker]

We don't have exactly the same scope, as mine is a Meade. I can't even say what model it is as I got it used and there's few markings on it.

The file sizes we have to be cautious about, since the codec settings were wrong. The file for the small colour pic was about 610MB for just over 2000 frames. The file for the big mono pic was about 770MB for over 2500 frames.

I think one of the codecs was set to Y800, and I think that was wrong for colour output. Actually, I probably should have a play with it today in case there's a break in the clouds tonight.

[Ewan]

Yes you are right silly me i didn't see the Meade, i think you have to use Y800 uncomprssed codec, debayer off, then enable debayer in Registax to get your colour images, should work i think :-)

I practice with mine in doors especially timing the turning of my filters which is improving.

Good luck if you do get some clear skies & enjoy that beast :-)

[Freddie]

I would suggest Y800/Y800 and then debayer in your stacking software. No compression and smallest file size.

[sologuitarist61]

Great first image

[stev74]

That's a great start with your DFK, I found the tutorial in post #4 on this thread posted by Space Cowboy really helpful when I first go my DFK a few months ago -

You'll soon be pulling out more detail in your images as the DFK21 is a great camera once you get used to it. I usually capture in Y800/Y800 and debayer after as freddie has already suggested but if you have a newer laptop with a larger hard drive you can capture in colour with BY8/RGB24 although you will end up with files that are 3 times as big.

[GlassWalker]

That was kinda my mistake. I fiddled with the settings until I got a colour image on screen, then expected that to be saved but I had picked Y800. Doh!

After going back and playing some more, I note that I can toggle bayer on/off on the toolbar so can use that for colour preview. I think I'll save in Y800/Y800 bayer then, as file size is my biggest limiting factor as my laptop has a SSD inside with not much free space left. Now I just need a clear night to try it all again...

[cgarry]

All us DFK owners have done that one I am sure, it is all too easy with IC capture. One mistake I still make regularly is turn the gamma down to help with focusing and forget to reset it for the capture.

If file size is your biggest limiting factor then you are going to love 60 fps...

[GlassWalker]

I was worried about 60fps vs 15 of the '41, but I forgot that the '21 has naff all pixel count compared to the '41 so they offset each other.

[Zakalwe]

Here's a good tutorial on using the DFK/DBK

How to use the IS DBK planet imager.pdf