Ha Sun, 30th June 2014 with QHY5-II cam

[lukebl]

Hi all,

Here's a quick capture from this morning showing the emerging active sunspost group on the eastern limb. I captured it with my new QHY5-II cam, which seems a definite improvement on then old QHY 5 - no banding or dropped frames and better at faster exposures. I miight even try a mosiac. Needs more work, but I think I'm finally getting some decent results from the PST mod.

1000 frames @ 15ms, QH5-II, PST/TAL 100RS mod, 2x TAL Barlow.

False color

[Montana]

Very nice images, a very active region too :)

Alexandra

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

That looks very nice. The curved filament above and to the right of the AR seems to have decreased in contrast compared to yesterday

[lukebl]

Thanks, folks.

Finally managed my first semi-mosaic! Same setup as above without the Barlow. 5 frames mosaic. A full disc should be easy from now on! I really like the effect of the inverted colour version.

False colour:

False colour inverted:

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Nice work. Full disk mosaic should take just 8 or 9 panes, by the look of it.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

BTW, did you use a Barlow?

[DrRobin]

Super pics from your PST mod and a QHY5-II.  I have just taken my first Ha image with an ASI120MM and as long as the focal length isn't pushed too far there is no Newton Rings or other distortion, even at 60 frames per second.  The QHY5-II and ASI120MM are the same chip, so I expected them to work the same.

Robin

[David Smith]

QHy5 is pretty good for this sort of thing it seems. It's certainly been a revelation for me. Must figure out how to do mosaics properly though.

Great images Luke, very promising.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

QHy5 is pretty good for this sort of thing it seems. It's certainly been a revelation for me. Must figure out how to do mosaics properly though.

Great images Luke, very promising.

Note it is a QHY5-II not QHY5. Big difference between the chips used, just like the difference between ASI120 (QHY5-II chip) and ASI130 (QHY5 chip). The latter can be made to work well enough, but can show all sorts of problems

[lukebl]

Thanks all.

Michael, they were captured without the Barlow.

Actually, I had a full disc, but in just couldn't get the other frames to stitch in without showing the joins. So I just processed the best-looking sections. I've seen mixed reviews for the Qhy5-II, but it seems a very capable affordable camera and much better than its predecessor.

One little gripe I haven't managed to solve is that the files are saved in an avi format which Registax can't read, so I have to reprocess each file in VirtualDub. This happens whether I capture it using either Firecapture or EzyPlanetary. Very time-consuming. Anyone else had the problem, and how can I avoid it? I can't find anything in the settings to specify the file format.

[DrRobin]

I use Firecapture with my ASI120mm, it produces an AVI in 8 bit or SER in 16 bit.  Both are read by Registax or Autostakkert.  Not sure which capture software you used?

Robin

[lukebl]

....... The QHY5-II and ASI120MM are the same chip, so I expected them to work the same.

Robin

Hi Robin. That's not so. The ASI120MM has the same 1/3inch sensor as the QHY5L-II, but the QHY5-II has a half-inch MT9M001.

As I understand it, it is the same sensor as the old QHY5 but in a new casing and different firmware, which makes it more flexible. The file format is odd, as it seems like a 'normal' avi and will play as a movie, but is rejected by both Registax and Autostakkert. It is the same whether I capture it in Firecapture or EzyPlanetary. It's only when I open the resultant file in VirtualDub and 'Save as avi' does it save it in a format which Registax can read. Like I say, a frustrating bit of my valuable time wasted..

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Hi Robin. That's not so. The ASI120MM has the same 1/3inch sensor as the QHY5L-II, but the QHY5-II has a half-inch MT9M001.

As I understand it, it is the same sensor as the old QHY5 but in a new casing and different firmware, which makes it more flexible. The file format is odd, as it seems like a 'normal' avi and will play as a movie, but is rejected by both Registax and Autostakkert. It is the same whether I capture it in Firecapture or EzyPlanetary. It's only when I open the resultant file in VirtualDub and 'Save as avi' does it save it in a format which Registax can read. Like I say, a frustrating bit of my valuable time wasted..

My confusion regarding the sensors.

[DrRobin]

Sorry, I get confused over the different QHY5 cameras.  I have one of the old ones QHY5, which serves as a guide camera and remember when the QHY5L-II and QHY5-II came out, just after buying the old one and thinking at the time it was a bit confusing. 

The main difference as I can remember is pixel size and bit depth?  This was the primary reason for going for the ASI120, it outputs at 12 bit where as the QHY5L-II is still only 8 bit?

Robin

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Sorry, I get confused over the different QHY5 cameras.  I have one of the old ones QHY5, which serves as a guide camera and remember when the QHY5L-II and QHY5-II came out, just after buying the old one and thinking at the time it was a bit confusing. 

The main difference as I can remember is pixel size and bit depth?  This was the primary reason for going for the ASI120, it outputs at 12 bit where as the QHY5L-II is still only 8 bit?

Robin

Given the noise in that MT9M001 chip more than 8 bits would be pointless (if my ASI130MM is anything to go by)

[Adrena1in]

Awesome images, and I love the inverted false colour one as well...somehow looks more "real" than the false colour one, if that makes sense.  I like the "smiley face" area on the sun, and I managed to capture it last night, (though nowhere near the sort of detail you managed.)

This is certainly making want to get a shift on with my Stage 1 mod.    Have come to a bit of a standstill though, as I don't see an easy way of attaching my 90mm Evostar to the PST.  :/