Getting a Reliable EQ Mount

[Herzy]

Thanks, I think I'll go for the AVX, and I'll just have to make sure that it has a warranty so I can get parts replaced. Those are some great photos, but the hot pixels are ruining it. How bad is your light pollution?

[ollypenrice]

2 hours ago, SonnyE said:

That is a very good question. Mine would be why can't I get my subs to stack?

A Friend of mine had me send him a series of images taken with my camera and he could not get them to stack either. So I sent the camera in under warranty and the company replaced it.

I'm still learning and trying to figure this all out.  I'm using an Orion ED80T CF telescope, and Orion Imaging Flip Mirror Box, and an Orion G3 Color CCD camera. Oh, and a filter wheel which carries many filters, but mostly I use my Baader Sky and Moon Glow, or for Nebula my Baader Ha7nm.

So besides being a beginner, I really struggle with processing my images. Here is a 1200 second untouched exposure. Same camera, same night, same series, just earlier in the evening.

Any suggestions gracefully welcomed. A lot of hot pixels to deal with?

I don't think the problem here is hot pixels. The brilliantly coloured dots are, perhaps, stars which the camera is failing to capture properly. If this is a Sony camera I think there may be a thread on this already.

Olly

[Waldemar]

4 hours ago, SonnyE said:

That is a very good question. Mine would be why can't I get my subs to stack?

A Friend of mine had me send him a series of images taken with my camera and he could not get them to stack either. So I sent the camera in under warranty and the company replaced it.

In which format do save your images?

Besides the weird colors of the stars, this image is a lot better: no banding, a lot less blooming. Do you have shorter exposures too?

[SonnyE]

On 2/27/2016 at 10:26, Herzy said:

Thanks, I think I'll go for the AVX, and I'll just have to make sure that it has a warranty so I can get parts replaced. Those are some great photos, but the hot pixels are ruining it. How bad is your light pollution?

I'm actually quite happy with my AVX now. But it was a bear at first. Celestron (here) gives a 2 year warranty. I can't stress enough to only use battery power to it and I believe it will work fine.

Sorry for pirating your thread, it was not my intention.

[SonnyE]

On 2/27/2016 at 11:04, ollypenrice said:

I don't think the problem here is hot pixels. The brilliantly coloured dots are, perhaps, stars which the camera is failing to capture properly. If this is a Sony camera I think there may be a thread on this already.

Olly

Hi Olly, They have proven out to be pixel problems. The reason is when I have done series' of images shooting the Comet Catalina, the hot pixels are always fixed when other DSO move ever so slightly from frame to frame. Stars came be observed with a small amount of change, but these colored dots or spots will remain fixed in place. As they would as artifacts of the sensor itself.

I'm going to begin doing reduced time exposures, and exploring stacking the images. I actually got 3 images to stack today, so I am encouraged.

The camera is an Orion G3 Color CCD. I'm sorry, but I still haven't found my signature to list my equipment yet. I'm wondering if there is a minimum post criteria to be able to have a signature. ?

On 2/27/2016 at 12:35, Waldemar said:

In which format do save your images?

Besides the weird colors of the stars, this image is a lot better: no banding, a lot less blooming. Do you have shorter exposures too?

I save them as FIT files, and as jpg files. I prefer to export them from the Orion Camera Studio program as jpg.

The camera control program gives me raw, YCbCr, or RBG as capture modes for the CCD. I have my best luck with the RBG mode and saved as jpg images.

I've decided to try the shorter exposure time direction, and to try and do stacking. The camera program can do looping where it will take many exposures as individuals. I used it to do an overnight run for a time lapse video of the Comet Catalina. So I think I need to try shorter exposures, then see if I can figure out how to stack to make an image.

This is a 1200 second, single exposure. When I get another clear night (tomorrow) I plan to try a series of shorter exposure images for the expressed purpose of stacking

[ollypenrice]

Are you subtracting darks? This is very important. You could also run a hot pixel filter at an aggressive setting during the stacking routine. I find that such a filter does no damage to the stack in my programme (AstroArt5.)

Olly

[SonnyE]

6 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

Are you subtracting darks? This is very important. You could also run a hot pixel filter at an aggressive setting during the stacking routine. I find that such a filter does no damage to the stack in my programme (AstroArt5.)

Olly

Hi Again Olly, No, I haven't been subtracting dark's yet. I'm hoping to be gathering some fresh imaging tonight, with the specific purpose of stacking images. I'm hoping I can fully unleash the camera program and let it run to its potential now that I have my other parameters working.

I checked the specs on the Orion G3 CCD camera I have and it does indeed use a Sony chip, Sony ICX419AKL CCD.  I just need to continue gaining experience now that I have a grasp on my other issues with equipment troubles and guiding, and to learn post processing of my images. I've gone to the long extremes, now to come back to shorter exposures and stacking/filtering.

I'll search for threads about Sony CCD chips.

I'm glad Herzy has decided on a mount. If any of my experiences with mine can be of any help to him, I hope to share.