Just pushed the buy button on a new Atik 414ex mono.....

[Astroboffin]

I may be wrong in saying this but you can use binning of say 2x2 for initial focus just to get some stars showing but I don't think it's a good idea to use binning on the final focussing.

Once you have your star selected (Artemis I use), set Binning to 1x1, exposure to 3 seconds, select Subframe from the top bar & click on your displayed image on screen, hold the mouse button down & drag diagonally across the screen (to make a square(ish) shape around the star you selected) , maybe some others as well. 

Double click an appropriate star to get the FWHM info box up & adjust focus from there.

If & when you buy an Ha filter, use a much brighter star to focus on then slew to your target.

Let us know how you get on & what you think of Artemis (if you use it), it's a fantastic program, very very easy to use & get into.

Good luck imaging.

Hi,.thanks for that

I actually have bought a Ha filter too, but it's only the Asrronomik 12nm one, but ok to bet me started ....I hope

Regards

AB

[Astroboffin]

It is cheaper than MaxIm and other packages. $99. I am certainly buying it assuming the motorfocuser plays nicely with it all. If you can get the plate solving working as well, you are on a winner.

AstroPhotography is undeniably an expensive hobby, but there is some quality software out there for very little when you consider what it does. I have no problem in paying for something if it is worth it and for me SGP is falling into that category. Cheaper than my 6mm Vixen SLV eyepiece and much less than my Ha filter puts it in perspective. PixInsight and things like Noel Carboni's Photoshop actions are other such examples in my opinion. I also pay a voluntary monthly fee to AstroBin as that is a great resource too.

Hi Matt,

i received my camera today, and I have a question for you

When running the camera inside on my desk, with the cooler set to around -10 then the image looks superb

But when I run it without the cooler, and the chip is showing anything from around 5 to 22 degrees, the image show a severe gradient, dark at the top and lighter at the bottom...

I know I will always use with cooler on, but I just wanted to know if this means they there is a problem with the chip.

Have you tried this at all?

Regards

AB

[NickK]

Yes - with a CCD you would always run it with the cooler running

Either -15 or -10 is the set point I normally use.

Often if you see a gradient this could be the auto-stretch of the application where it stretches a small gradient heavily.

[MattJenko]

I have always have it at -10 like Nick. I haven't explicitly run a high temperature test, but have noticed a gradient when binned and had just started my capture app and forgotten to turn the cooler on, but think it was the application's autostretch making it look much worse, as Nick says. I would not worry if the cold subs come out looking clean.

[MattJenko]

...and excellent news on the new arrival! Weather looks bit grim where I am for next few days, hope your forecast is more friendly so you can give it a proper first light.

[Astroboffin]

Yes - with a CCD you would always run it with the cooler running

Either -15 or -10 is the set point I normally use.

Often if you see a gradient this could be the auto-stretch of the application where it stretches a small gradient heavily.

Hi,

Thanks for the advice, it is perfect as long as the cooler is on

I don't think it is the software, as wouldn't the gradient be there all the time?

Or do you mean that if the cooler is off there will a small gradient and the software makes it look a lot worse?

One thing is quite funny though if I have the cooler off and the gradient appears, the CCD temp,was about 19 degrees, as soon as I turn the cooler on within a 3 degree drop the gradient has gone, so it seems as you say that the camera prefers the cooler on all the time regardless, so even in the depths or winter I will have the cooler on.

Either way when the cooler is set to around -10 the image is beautiful and clean

AB

[Astroboffin]

Well here it is... :)

AB

[Astroboffin]

One more thing, my lodestar hates the USB cable that came with the Atik, the image is awful in PHD, just testing on my desk, as I bought a secondhand lodestar so just used the same USB cable, and thought the lodestar was a dud, different cable and all is good......very strange as the Atik is perfect with that cable......

Oh well

AB

[MattJenko]

Nice. I have mine all raring to go, but you have unleashed the clouds...

[Sp@ce_d]

Nice one, congrats on the new arrival. You are going to wonder why you waited so long to progress to CCD. I certainly did & the smaller FOV didn't really bother me. Although I bet you'll start looking at plate solving if you don't already use it

Reading through the thread brings back some memories of my road travelled so far. So I'll add my experience to the mix.

Filterwheel:

I have an Atik EFW2 (9 slot), SX mini (5 slot) with OAG and the SX 7 slot with OAG add on.

Good points:

The Atik is very nicely made and has more than enough slots.

The SX Mini (5 slot) & full size (I use 7 slot) are nicely made & powered via the USB cable. Also easy to get into fit/change filters

They have all been reliable (so far)

Less than Good points:

The Atik is expensive in comparison, has a separate power cable, Fiddly tiny screws to get into change filters (but you should only need to do it once), Not sure I like the motor being exposed. If you want to add the Atik OAG, backfocus spacing might be an issue.

The SX Mini's 5 slots are limiting if you want to do LRGB & NB (why I bought the 7 slot)

The SX full size (7 slot) is thicker with the OAG add on than the SX Mini with built in OAG

My preference is for the SX full size with OAG due to the cost, the OAG, I can fit a full set of LRGB & NB filters & only one cable to worry about.

Artemis Capture:

I used it for a while, no problems, simple to use but only works with Atik CCD's & Filter wheels. It comes "Free" with the kit.

Mixing CCD subs with OSC DSLR

Hmmm.. well I tried this for a while & had some success on certain targets but processing was/is quite a challenge. I'll admit I still have a long way to go to "discover" my processing skills. However, things like chromatic noise & as Olly has said, good star colour are challenging. Don't be put off by this though. It's a good learning experience, You already have the kit so try it. As long as you're aware of the pitfalls/shortcomings to overcome then you won't get disheartened & put off. This is probably one of my better examples of how far I got mixing DSLR OSC with Ha from a 314L+. This was done just before I stopped using the DSLR & got a couple more 314L+'s to attempt going down the triple shooter path... yet another long story!

http://www.astrobin.com/38423/

APT

For some reason I could never get it to run for long with any of my 314l's without hanging. I tried several versions during 2013 & gave up in the end. I suspect it was a peculiarity with my setup as others seem to be happy with it. It certainly seems to have developed into a powerful tool now. I went down the Maxim route as I knew I'd be wanting to fully automate the Obsy in the future.

SGPro

Bit of a no brainer for 99 bucks!. Install the local Astrometry for plate solving, Not sure you'd really need it until you've added a Filter-wheel & probably a motor focuser though. APT & Artemis Capture should serve you well

If you don't already Plate Solve there's Astrotortilla which works great once set up correctly.

The gradient you see on the 414 is probably just down to the fact that it's not at a regulated even temperature when the cooling is off. You could try it at different temp settings to see if it does appear when set to a warmer regulated temp if you are worried. It could possibly be power supply induced but if it looks good at -10 then I reckon there's nothing to worry about. I used to run my 314L's at -20 but these days I use -10 as I can normally hit that at any time of year. I use dither to pick up any hot pixels that might turn up. I don't even bother calibrating half the time.. the 414 should be a breeze.

[Astroboffin]

Nice one, congrats on the new arrival. You are going to wonder why you waited so long to progress to CCD. I certainly did & the smaller FOV didn't really bother me. Although I bet you'll start looking at plate solving if you don't already use it

Reading through the thread brings back some memories of my road travelled so far. So I'll add my experience to the mix.

Filterwheel:

I have an Atik EFW2 (9 slot), SX mini (5 slot) with OAG and the SX 7 slot with OAG add on.

Good points:

The Atik is very nicely made and has more than enough slots.

The SX Mini (5 slot) & full size (I use 7 slot) are nicely made & powered via the USB cable. Also easy to get into fit/change filters

They have all been reliable (so far)

Less than Good points:

The Atik is expensive in comparison, has a separate power cable, Fiddly tiny screws to get into change filters (but you should only need to do it once), Not sure I like the motor being exposed. If you want to add the Atik OAG, backfocus spacing might be an issue.

The SX Mini's 5 slots are limiting if you want to do LRGB & NB (why I bought the 7 slot)

The SX full size (7 slot) is thicker with the OAG add on than the SX Mini with built in OAG

My preference is for the SX full size with OAG due to the cost, the OAG, I can fit a full set of LRGB & NB filters & only one cable to worry about.

Artemis Capture:

I used it for a while, no problems, simple to use but only works with Atik CCD's & Filter wheels. It comes "Free" with the kit.

Mixing CCD subs with OSC DSLR

Hmmm.. well I tried this for a while & had some success on certain targets but processing was/is quite a challenge. I'll admit I still have a long way to go to "discover" my processing skills. However, things like chromatic noise & as Olly has said, good star colour are challenging. Don't be put off by this though. It's a good learning experience, You already have the kit so try it. As long as you're aware of the pitfalls/shortcomings to overcome then you won't get disheartened & put off. This is probably one of my better examples of how far I got mixing DSLR OSC with Ha from a 314L+. This was done just before I stopped using the DSLR & got a couple more 314L+'s to attempt going down the triple shooter path... yet another long story!

http://www.astrobin.com/38423/

APT

For some reason I could never get it to run for long with any of my 314l's without hanging. I tried several versions during 2013 & gave up in the end. I suspect it was a peculiarity with my setup as others seem to be happy with it. It certainly seems to have developed into a powerful tool now. I went down the Maxim route as I knew I'd be wanting to fully automate the Obsy in the future.

SGPro

Bit of a no brainer for 99 bucks!. Install the local Astrometry for plate solving, Not sure you'd really need it until you've added a Filter-wheel & probably a motor focuser though. APT & Artemis Capture should serve you well

If you don't already Plate Solve there's Astrotortilla which works great once set up correctly.

The gradient you see on the 414 is probably just down to the fact that it's not at a regulated even temperature when the cooling is off. You could try it at different temp settings to see if it does appear when set to a warmer regulated temp if you are worried. It could possibly be power supply induced but if it looks good at -10 then I reckon there's nothing to worry about. I used to run my 314L's at -20 but these days I use -10 as I can normally hit that at any time of year. I use dither to pick up any hot pixels that might turn up. I don't even bother calibrating half the time.. the 414 should be a breeze.

Wow,

Thanks for that, you have answered a lot of my upcoming questions.....appreciate it,

I had decided on the mini filter wheel, especially if they did it cheaper with out the OAG, ....lol, but I think you may be right about having 7 slots, but if you I thinking at all about offloading your mini version any time soon, let me know, as it will be a while before I have funds for the new large one.

Regards to the gradient, it only seems to be there when cooling is off, as soon as cooling is put on, even when the chip is at room temp 20 degrees, if I put the cooler on the gradient will be gone by the time the temp is down to 17degrees, so it seems that it is just a case of the camera wanting cooling on all the time.

But at pretty much any temp with cooler on the image is superb.

Strange that my Lodestar hates the Atik USB cable, just tried it as it was on my desk, and the lodestar image was awful......I wonder if these are purpose made in some way for the Atik cameras.

Regards

And thanks again for a comprehensive write up.

AB

:)

[Astroboffin]

BTW the elephants Trunk neb is superb, I would be more that happy with that

AB