New Mono ccd bought. Help needed

[Dave Moulton]

Hi Guys,

Just received a new camera a Starlight Express SXV-H9 Mono camera. Complete with manual filter wheel and RGB + Narrow band filters. A bit daunting coming from a DSLR

So I am going to ask a whole bunch of questions to get me started, please feel free to answer any or all of them, the more info I have before I start the better. Any other points you may think may help also.

Q.. Would you advocate taking flats to combat dust probs. If so do you take flats using all the filters or just the luminance channel.

Q..Do you process and stretch the Luminance channel first before adding the colour or do you combine all the channels then start to post process.

Q.. What image acquisition software and stacking software for this setup would you recommend

Q..My LP is pretty yuk here and I intend to use my 2” CLS filter in the nose piece in front of the filter wheel. I can understand that when using the IR Block filter for Luminance This would work but is it detrimental or advantageous to keep the filter in place when using the RGB Filters.

Q.. Info on camera cooling seems to be not covered anywhere is it that there is just a constant current supplied to the camera and no temp / set point control. I don’t see a temp readout anywhere on the software.

Cheers,

Dave

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

You can do flats but I've never had the time to investigate how difficult it is, though it looks like a lot of bother to me. If you do, you'll need flats for each filter as the dust will be different on each.

Lum. channel is stretched separately, then added to the RGB stack.

Stacking in Maxim is dead easy, don't know about the SXV but Maxim should capture with it OK.

Keep the filter in place as it cuts down the LP.

Don't know about the cooling, my Atik doesn't bother telling me anything about this either.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[Dave Moulton]

You can do flats but I've never had the time to investigate how difficult it is, though it looks like a lot of bother to me. If you do, you'll need flats for each filter as the dust will be different on each.

Lum. channel is stretched separately, then added to the RGB stack.

Stacking in Maxim is dead easy, don't know about the SXV but Maxim should capture with it OK.

Keep the filter in place as it cuts down the LP.

Don't know about the cooling, my Atik doesn't bother telling me anything about this either.

Kaptain Klevtsov

Good stuff thanks for that.

[anthony]

You'll love that camera. I have one and it is a great bit of kit.

Cooling is 30 degrees or so below ambient.

Try and take flats - this can be as easy as securing a white t shirt over the front of your scope. Aim for an average pixel value of about 20 - 25,000. Take a series of flats and average them for each filter that you are using - LRGB. Then take a series of equivalent dark flats for each filter. Sounds like a hastle but when the average exposure time is a fraction of a second it does not take long.

Flats will clean up dust motes and reduce uneven illumination nicely.

Do take darks at or around the same time as you main light images - they do make a difference.

As far as I know the LPR filter will affect the colour balance in your RGB subs - but then again I have never tried it. If you have the time and the skies it would be interesting to hear how it works out.

Good luck and here's to clear skie to get you started

Anthony

[MartinB]

Here's an LRGB imaging primer Dave http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php/topic,21557.0.html

Tshirt flats are dead easy along the lines Ant suggests. Remember the scope has to be in the same focus position used when imaging. They only take a few minutes to collect.

Unlike Ant I've never found darks worthwhile with this camera.

The cooling isn't controllable since the noise levels are so low compared with the Kodak chips (which do require darks).

Maxim is superb but AstroArt is supposed to be practically as good and cheaper.

I know you've just spent a load of dosh and might not want to hear this but a motorised filter wheel is a massive help with LRGB imaging especially with software like Maxim that will run a full sequence for you. Maxim will automatically move the filter wheel at the end of each sub, changing the binning and exposure times as necessary. It works out the sequence based on the number of subs for each channel and builds up the LRGB images as it goes along. If your image is cut short by cloud you still have an LRGB image. All done automatically - wonderful. Every bit as easy as one shot colour. Atik now do one which is much cheaper than other wheels (I think they now have a version with a PC interface).

[Dave Moulton]

You'll love that camera. I have one and it is a great bit of kit.

Cooling is 30 degrees or so below ambient.

Try and take flats - this can be as easy as securing a white t shirt over the front of your scope. Aim for an average pixel value of about 20 - 25,000. Take a series of flats and average them for each filter that you are using - LRGB. Then take a series of equivalent dark flats for each filter. Sounds like a hastle but when the average exposure time is a fraction of a second it does not take long.

Flats will clean up dust motes and reduce uneven illumination nicely.

Do take darks at or around the same time as you main light images - they do make a difference.

As far as I know the LPR filter will affect the colour balance in your RGB subs - but then again I have never tried it. If you have the time and the skies it would be interesting to hear how it works out.

Good luck and here's to clear skie to get you started

Anthony

Anthony,

Thanks for that. I am ok at taking flats so that should be fine. Thanks fort the help.I am looking at the weather and may just be lucky on Thursday Night, I hope so as I am away this weekend.

Dave

[Dave Moulton]

Martin,

Thanks for the link I will have read of that later.

The Manual filter wheel was very nearly a deal breaker as I could see the advantages of an electric wheel. Not sure if the Atik wheel is USB sorted as yet. In any case I will have to take stock and use what I have for a while. It has to be my next serious purchase though, as I do see the advantages.

Summer tends to see me doing other things, Cycling, Sea Trout & Salmon fishing, Carp Fishing amongst other things. Astronomy tends to get left behind in the summer months. Still with this new camera I will have my work cut out to do it all.

Thanks for the help,

Dave

[Whippy]

I know you've just spent a load of dosh and might not want to hear this but a motorised filter wheel is a massive help with LRGB imaging especially with software like Maxim that will run a full sequence for you.

Nooooo! Don't say that! I'm waiting to give my filters and wheel their first light and you're making me think I should have spent a bit more and got the motorised one! Saying that, I haven't got Maxim either so it wouldn't be a cheap upgrade for me..

Getting back on topic, Dave, I'm also looking into taking flats for my images and one of our members made this lightbox. Looks cheap and easy to make: http://www.asignobservatory.com/LightBox.aspx .

Tony..

[Dave Moulton]

I managed to grab a coulple of first light images with the new camera.

M101 I HR Data no colour data as the mount hit The limit before I could start

Scope WO Megrez 110 F5.9

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

IMHO Marvo, you've cracked it!

Kaptain Klevtsov

[Whippy]

Nice pic , off to a flyer!

Tony..

[MartinB]

That's a beauty Dave. how much time did you give it?

[Dave Moulton]

That's a beauty Dave. how much time did you give it?

1 hr in 10 minute subs through an Astronomic CLS.

I ran out of time as I was looking forward to adding rgb data.

When running eqmod the limits are set so as to stop the scope hitting the pier. I have limited view from my Obsy so obtaining rgb data was difficult in the time scale I have.(Electric filter wheel by next Christmas I think) Still hopefully next time I will get some colour data

Cheers,

Dave

[Dave Moulton]

IMHO Marvo, you've cracked it!

Kaptain Klevtsov

Ha, grinning here.

Cheers,

Dave

[Dave Moulton]

Nice pic , off to a flyer!

Tony..

Should be fun Tony.