Problems with first attempt at CCD imagig

[Singlin]

Mist has halted imaging operations here so I am stocking up on my  darks and bias files.

I am thinking of marking with a white marker pen a dot on the 383 flange and corresponding point on the focuser.

Would this be accurate enough for aligning the camera to the focuser without having to take darks ,bias and flats again?

If this was possible it would save me some time as I use the scope for visual too.

[Singlin]

Attached is one of my bias files.

As you can see it is slightly lighter at the bottom left.

Is this ok or could it be light getting in from my pc?

The scope is in the observatory where I am taking bias and dark frames.

[Thalestris24]

Hi

You might get away with that but any dust bunnies that might appear or move could show up in your image. There is a way to create artificial flats though I've never tried it myself. If you do a search on here it should throw up something.  With a cooled camera you really only need darks and bias libraries at the set point temperature. Darks and bias frames are independent of the optical train so you don't have to keep taking them every time!

Hth

Louise

[Thalestris24]

Attached is one of my bias files.

As you can see it is slightly lighter at the bottom left.

Is this ok or could it be light getting in from my pc?

The scope is in the observatory where I am taking bias and dark frames.

bias.jpg

Hi

Hard to tell but light leaks will show up on your darks if you stretch them a bit. There does look like there might be a gradient there - top to bottom. Perhaps another Atik383 user here can comment?

Louise

Louise

[ollypenrice]

Mist has halted imaging operations here so I am stocking up on my  darks and bias files.

I am thinking of marking with a white marker pen a dot on the 383 flange and corresponding point on the focuser.

Would this be accurate enough for aligning the camera to the focuser without having to take darks ,bias and flats again?

If this was possible it would save me some time as I use the scope for visual too.

Yes.  However, you need to be sure not to introduce any new dust anywhere. I use the same flats for months and only use luminance for all filters. I find it works perfectly but I don't take anything off the scope or move it.

Olly

[Singlin]

That's good news Olly.

This will make life easier.

I dismantled my filter wheel 3 days ago and cleaned all of my filters and everything and removed all dust particles that I could see by eye.

Everything is sealed up with Filter wheel and Coma corrector permanently screwed on.

Out of curiosity, is their supposed to be an "O" ring under my dissident cap on my Atik 383L and if so can someone give me the outer diameter in millimeters.

I don't have one.