WADAS forum 3

[mapstar]

4 hours ago, Physopto said:

 

Looks well out of focus so possibly something  a good distance from the camera. Also it looks like it is radiating from a central point as there are FOUR  shadows (visible to me) in the photo.

Derek

Telephone, power cable or washing line? 

[cosmicbug]

24 minutes ago, mapstar said:

Telephone, power cable or washing line? 

Not likely. The artifacts are repeated on a different set of images. This is an equipment based issue.

[Physopto]

2 hours ago, mapstar said:

Telephone, power cable or washing line? 

It looks a bit like a shadow of a reflection. It maybe a point source reflection. Light reflecting off an pinpoint area or scratch in the blacking. This may be lightening up the rest of the image and the shadow areas show up as darker. Just an idea.

Derek

[Vicky050373]

If you look at my M81 and M82 image it's there too and in exactly the same place on the CCD chip. Things have gone a bit awry in the Bennett house tonight and I haven't had chance to investigate further. Hoping to have another look tomorrow. Atik have been in touch following my Tweet and offered to have a look at my subs to see if they can offer any help. That was nice of them. One thing Atik are good at is customer service

[Vicky050373]

Stretched images for comparison. It's not the scope, filters or location as I imaged from different locations each night. The same band is on all the filters - L, R, G & B. Camera was at a different orientation in the scope each night. Really concerned it's the CCD but I've never seen anything like this before.

I'm not concerned about the dust bunnies at this point, I'm really concentrating on the dark banding.

[Davey-T]

Are the lines there on flats / darks or bias ?

Dave

[Vicky050373]

8 hours ago, Davey-T said:

Are the lines there on flats / darks or bias ?

Dave

Hi Dave and thank you for your interest in my post. I'ii be honest and say that I'm a naughty imager who doesn't do flats. However, I do both darks and bias and I can't see it in those images. I can, however, see a narrow band down the left hand edge on the darks and bias when they are opened in FitsLiberator. I have attached below a few of my FITS files in their original format - one of each L, R, G, B, Dark & Bias. I use a manual filer wheel so the names of the R G & B are RL GL & BL as I manually change the file names. I have also attached an L file fom my M81 and M82 imaging session 2 nights previous to the Leo Triplets which has the same bacnd. Note: I was in a different location each time so it isn't anything in front of the scope such as power lines or washing lines etc. It isn't the scope as the camera was at a different orientation on each evening. Can't be something on the filters either. I can only think that the CCD is the one thing left. If it was something external causing the bands it would have been in a different place on then 2 imaging nights. I am going to try to set up later and take some test images without filters and rotate the camera by 90 degrees and do more test shots to see if I can deduce anything else. Also going to have another look at my sensor cover just to see if there is anything there I may have missed the first time, but I cleaned it after the M81 and M82 image. I'll update the thread with my progress this afternoon, however any further input and ideas are always appreciated. Thank you

L_2017-03-08_20-26-55_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

RL_2017-03-08_20-41-09_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

GL_2017-03-08_20-58-08_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

BL_2017-03-08_21-08-09_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

D_2017-03-08_21-31-15_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

B_2017-03-08_21-50-31_Bin1x1_0.001s__na.fit

L_2017-03-06_21-03-42_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

L_2017-03-06_21-01-39_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

L_2017-03-06_21-03-42_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

[Physopto]

2 hours ago, Vicky050373 said:

Hi Dave and thank you for your interest in my post. I'ii be honest and say that I'm a naughty imager who doesn't do flats. However, I do both darks and bias and I can't see it in those images. I can, however, see a narrow band down the left hand edge on the darks and bias when they are opened in FitsLiberator. I have attached below a few of my FITS files in their original format - one of each L, R, G, B, Dark & Bias. I use a manual filer wheel so the names of the R G & B are RL GL & BL as I manually change the file names. I have also attached an L file fom my M81 and M82 imaging session 2 nights previous to the Leo Triplets which has the same bacnd. Note: I was in a different location each time so it isn't anything in front of the scope such as power lines or washing lines etc. It isn't the scope as the camera was at a different orientation on each evening. Can't be something on the filters either. I can only think that the CCD is the one thing left. If it was something external causing the bands it would have been in a different place on then 2 imaging nights. I am going to try to set up later and take some test images without filters and rotate the camera by 90 degrees and do more test shots to see if I can deduce anything else. Also going to have another look at my sensor cover just to see if there is anything there I may have missed the first time, but I cleaned it after the M81 and M82 image. I'll update the thread with my progress this afternoon, however any further input and ideas are always appreciated. Thank you

L_2017-03-08_20-26-55_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

RL_2017-03-08_20-41-09_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

GL_2017-03-08_20-58-08_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

BL_2017-03-08_21-08-09_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

D_2017-03-08_21-31-15_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

B_2017-03-08_21-50-31_Bin1x1_0.001s__na.fit

L_2017-03-06_21-03-42_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

L_2017-03-06_21-01-39_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

L_2017-03-06_21-03-42_Bin1x1_120s__na.fit

Bands are there on all your images bar the fdarks  and bias. It is not your filters. Can you try the Camera on another scope? Or on a lens?

Derek

[Davey-T]

It's good to eliminate all the other stuff so I'd fire it up indoors without filter wheel, preferably using different cables, power supply and computer and take some short light frames, you may need to cover the front of the camera with white paper to stop it over exposing, try with cooler on and off.

If bars are still there then it must be a fault with the camera, a strange one though.

Dave

 

[Vicky050373]

25 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

It's good to eliminate all the other stuff so I'd fire it up indoors without filter wheel, preferably using different cables, power supply and computer and take some short light frames, you may need to cover the front of the camera with white paper to stop it over exposing, try with cooler on and off.

If bars are still there then it must be a fault with the camera, a strange one though.

Dave

 

Thanks Dave. Unfortunately, I have to keep the cooler on as the 314L only works when the cooler is on and it doesn't have set point cooling. It just cools to something like 20 degrees below ambient. Hoping to test it this afternoon inside and try to eliminate other things. Thanks for your ideas.

[Vicky050373]

Just as an aside, I have to attach the filter wheel as there is a male/male adapter stuck in the camera that was there when I got it third hand LOL. However, I will take the filters out of the filter wheel so that the camera is just looking through the wheel. I'll keep you posted

[Vicky050373]

OK, so I've had a really good look today and had the camera under the light. It is definitely the camera. I can actually see the band and the other 2 that are also present. Bad news is that they are not on the glass cover. I'm really hoping they are not on the actual sensor. Had a chat with Gain who is going to look at the camera and see if he can tell where they are and what they could be. Just hoping that a previous owner hasn't had the glass off and damaged the chip. Anyway, if it's something Gain can't resolve we are going to chat to Atik and see what they can do. Gain is hoping it is on the secondary glass rather than the sensor. If it does go back to Atik, and if they can fix it, then they will also get that stuck adapter off which will resolve another problem. Good news is that you can't see it on narrowband images. Also, on my binned 2x2 images it want as obvious. For now I am going to give it to Gain to see what he can do, and then the next step will be sending it to Atik. All is not lost yet.

[Mark62]

Hope it can be sorted V. I'm sure Gain will pull all the stops out 

[cosmicbug]

To answer everyone's curiosity:
Inspected and images taken.
Looks like blemishes left behind from a previous cleaning.
The mark is on the sensor cover glass and not the camera window.
If it is a scratch then it's new camera time. 
I've spoken to Vince at Atik and the best course of action is to return the camera to them. Hopeully the issue will be solved by a professional service and clean. This will incur a modest service/handling fee and fingers crossed, Vicky should be up and running again in the next two-three weeks. 

[cosmicbug]

@Vicky050373

we'll need to sort a meet for you to collect your camera!

[cosmicbug]

[mapstar]

20 minutes ago, cosmicbug said:

I can see it in that pic G. Sounds promising on the professionalism of the Atik customer services.  

[cosmicbug]

29 minutes ago, mapstar said:

I can see it in that pic G. Sounds promising on the professionalism of the Atik customer services.  

Yes Damian. It is invisible until you get the light to shine in along the direction of the mark. I am sure it will just require a clean.

[Vicky050373]

On 14/03/2017 at 13:03, mapstar said:

I can see it in that pic G. Sounds promising on the professionalism of the Atik customer services.  

Sent my camera off on Wednesday and it arrived with Atik on Thursday. Email from them on Thursday to say they had received it and would look at it ASAP. Email from Atik this afternoon with the verdict. Good news! It was just marks on the glass from where some crazy previous owner had tried to clean it! It's had a good clean and service and they've even removed the adapter that was stuck in it when I bought it. It will be back "home" early next week. You really cannot beat Atik for customer service and professionalism

[gtis]

that's good to here vicky

[rockystar]

Hey all, I know Damian and Neil are off to the Spring Peak star party this weekend, and the weather looks like might just be fantastic - so does anyone fancy a trip out to Winscar?

[Mark62]

If it stays clear I would make one in   

Saturday is looking good and so is Sunday 

[Mark62]

Anyone up for playing out tonight ?

[nicks90]

yes i am up for playing out! where do you fancy going?

[rockystar]

I've already arranged to head off up into the woods, otherwise I would have joined you.