Switching to Atik 314l× mono

[Craig123]

Hi all

I have given up using my Sony A7s due to finding it hard to get The reducer spacing right for the Ed80 pro and the star eater algorithm but thanks to help on here am slowly moving forward with imaging.I got the Atik working a few nights ago but have a couple more questions if anyone can help.1.I saved  files as Tiffs..should I be really sticking to Fits? 2.Do I need to refocus Baader RGB after foccusing luminance filter? 3.Are there any settings on the Atik that I should experiment with for capturing detail.I really just set exposure to 10 mins and let it go with default settings.The stretched image box was ticked on Armetis capture for the downloaded screen shot on laptop and it was pretty detailed but the saved tiff file less so. 4.Lastly any tips for  aligning images between sessions..i was trying Andromeda and its squeezed on to the small chip so want to get it accurate as possible.

TIA

[andyboy1970]

Stick to FITS up until you save your final stack then TIF into processing software i.e. Photoshop.

Check and see if the specs say they are Parafocal or not, but i'd check anyway with a Batty mask to confirm the first time.

Can't remember there being any other settings apart from binning.

The Artemis screen view is auto stretched for display only and does not alter the captured image which needs stretching after stacking etc...

Can't help with alignment between sessions i'm afraid.

[Craig123]

Thanks..very helpful.I used tiffs as I was already outside and couldn't open the files to see if working.What are the advantages of fits over the tiffs?

Thanks

[carastro]

I use Artemis, and it's great the amount of detail you can see even on fast looping.  I use binned x 3 to frame the target (make sure the autosave is not ticked or you'll get hundred of unwanted files.  Also don't forget to put it back to unbinning before you start the actual imaging lol.  In display window, if you put the image into negative and slide the log slider to the left, you'll get a better view of your target.

I normally focus on Luminance (or Ha whichever I am doing) and then check the focus in the other filters I am going to use at the same time, (I use a Bahtinov Mask),  I rarely have to change the focus for other filters, but I am not sure why it varies from one image to the next.  So on the filters where the focus is the same I normally then set up a sequence so I can capture luminance and colour in one hit.  I never use Tiff for capture, didn't even know there was an option, I always use fits. 

I normally bin the RGB and Oiii, Sii as the amount of clear dark nights available would mean I would wait for a long time to get a coloured image.  Although not ideal I have been recently processing images with very little coloured data as most of the detail is in the luminance (or Ha).  If you have copious dark clear skies then I guess you can afford not to bin.

When you say aligning images between sessions, are you referring to a) lining up on the chip, or  b ) aligning the images in order to combine the different filters.

a).  Two methods, use plate solving, or just eye ball it so the stars around the edge of the frame match.

b ) For aligning the different filters I use Registar, it's excellent and works really well, you can even register imaging done with different cameras and scopes.  You'll definitely need Registar (or similar) if you are going to bin the colour in order to re-size the binned images). 

HTH

Carole 

 

[Davey-T]

I think there's an option to put markers on the image so you can copy them for the next session, never tried it though but I seem to recall Olly uses them, perhaps he'll spot this post and chime in.

Dave

[Craig123]

Hi Carole

Many thanks.This site is fantastic for helping find your way.The Binning to find target is something I will try next.I could see Andromeda no problem but when looking for M101 after Andromeda went behind house I couldn't make it out at all.The alignment was a reference to going out again tonight and trying to get more data to add on.With my Sony there was room to crop in but not here so I need to get the camera orientation the same.

Craig

[Craig123]

21 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

I think there's an option to put markers on the image so you can copy them for the next session, never tried it though but I seem to recall Olly uses them, perhaps he'll spot this post and chime in.

Dave

Thanks Dave..yes I just read it in the manual but didn't suss it out the other night as there was too much going o already ? so I will just have to line it up by sight.

[Sp@ce_d]

Exciting isn’t it when it all starts coming together. The 314’s a great little imager.

Couple of quick thoughts

Suggest you recheck focus on B even if you’re treating the rest as parfocal as you’re imaging with a doublet.

A bit of natural dithering is actually beneficial when stacking out the bad/hot pixels. (I dither between each sub & don’t use darks)

For alignment, plate solving with a small chip was a revelation when I first used it. Saved so much time. Astrotortilla was my weapon of choice (before Pinpoint used with my automation software) . Worth having a read up on for progressing to.

[carastro]

Quote

 bit of natural dithering is actually beneficial when stacking out the bad/hot pixels. (I dither between each sub & don’t use darks)

Good point.

[Craig123]

Thanks..great advce.I will have a look at Astrotortilla(what a name!)..lining up different sessions of the same object has been a bit of a concern.Is the dithering done while capturing subs or after when stacking.. sorry if it's a daft question.It will be dark before I know it and sometimes I look at the gear and just shake my head.

[tooth_dr]

1 minute ago, Craig123 said:

Thanks..great advce.I will have a look at Astrotortilla(what a name!)..lining up different sessions of the same object has been a bit of a concern.Is the dithering done while capturing subs or after when stacking.. sorry if it's a daft question.It will be dark before I know it and sometimes I look at the gear and just shake my head.

Dithering is done between each sub so that the light signal falls on a slightly different position on the sensor. 

[Craig123]

Ahh ok.thanks.I keep hearing it mentioned..another subject to look in to.

[ollypenrice]

3 hours ago, Davey-T said:

I think there's an option to put markers on the image so you can copy them for the next session, never tried it though but I seem to recall Olly uses them, perhaps he'll spot this post and chime in.

Dave

Yes, there are alignment markers available in Artemis. 

The issue with parfocality is not usually with the filters so much as with the optics. The colour correction of your scope will not be perfect and this will cause a small variation in focal length at the different wavelengths. Whether or not you need to worry about it depends on your system. At coarser pixel scales it may not matter. At finer ones it might well.

Olly

[Sp@ce_d]

19 minutes ago, Craig123 said:

Thanks..great advce.I will have a look at Astrotortilla(what a name!)..lining up different sessions of the same object has been a bit of a concern.Is the dithering done while capturing subs or after when stacking.. sorry if it's a daft question.It will be dark before I know it and sometimes I look at the gear and just shake my head.

Been a while since I used AstroTortilla... if I remember right you can pick a previous nights sub & tell it to go & align ready for your next run.. simples ?

The thing to remember is “don’t panic” don’t ruin your night by trying to get too many things going at once. Just try one new thing at a time. AP is frustrating at the best of times... I do it for relaxation ? ?

[Craig123]

Thanks...it takes around 2 hours to get to the relaxing part at the moment if at all.lol

[Craig123]

47 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Yes, there are alignment markers available in Artemis. 

The issue with parfocality is not usually with the filters so much as with the optics. The colour correction of your scope will not be perfect and this will cause a small variation in focal length at the different wavelengths. Whether or not you need to worry about it depends on your system. At coarser pixel scales it may not matter. At finer ones it might well.

Olly

Thanks Olly..at this stage i will go with what I have and hope it doesn't look too bad 

[carastro]

Quote

Yes, there are alignment markers available in Artemis. 

I never knew these existed, but I've just had a play (without the camera attached) and I think I have found them, very useful, thanks Olly and Davey T.

Carole 

[Craig123]

22 hours ago, carastro said:

 

For aligning the different filters I use Registar, it's excellent and works really well, you can even register imaging done with different cameras and scopes.  You'll definitely need Registar (or similar) if you are going to bin the colour in order to re-size the binned images). 

HTH

Carole 

 

I had a look at Registar..it looks an amazing bit of software but it's quite pricey .The sequencing software also looks really useful for small chip Atik..

[spillage]

Have you had a look a AstroPhotography Tool (APT). I just connect to my kit load up a previous image and plate solve. You can dither every x amount of shots, it also has a flats assistance for adu levels.

spill.

Oh and it's free!

[tooth_dr]

1 minute ago, spillage said:

Have you had a look a AstroPhotography Tool (APT). I just connect to my kit load up a previous image and plate solve. You can dither every x amount of shots, it also has a flats assistance for adu levels.

spill.

Oh and it's free!

I’m using this too Spill, and it’s really good. I think I paid €18 for it which is nothing st all. It is handy as it also saves the files with a nice filename that records temp data as well. 

[carastro]

Quote

I had a look at Registar..it looks an amazing bit of software but it's quite pricey .

Yes it's not cheap but compared to some other software around and the cost of astro kit in general -  in comparison it is worth its weight in gold.  When I first started mono imaging I tried 2 other softwares for aligning the filters and found them convoluted and unreliable, and I could not align the images properly.  Then some-one told me about Registar so I bit the bullet, and those who use it including Olly and myself will swear by it.  Well it's there if you need it.

Carole 

 

[carastro]

Nice image by the way.

[Davey-T]

Plus 2 for Registar, it does what it says on the tin so worth the money, there are programs that claim to do the same thing, Maxim supposedly can but that's loadsa money, you can do it in P'Shop but hit and miss I found, PI ? I don't know as I haven't used it, so one trick pony it may be but Registar works.

Dave

[Sp@ce_d]

Yeah RegiStar is very good at what it does. I have found however since using PixInsight that I haven’t had to use it. At some point I’m going to go back over the years of data from different setups & test them both against each other. Probably one for the retirement list though as I don’t find enough time to process my current data properly!

[Craig123]

6 hours ago, spillage said:

Have you had a look a AstroPhotography Tool (APT). I just connect to my kit load up a previous image and plate solve. You can dither every x amount of shots, it also has a flats assistance for adu levels.

spill.

Oh and it's free!

Hey Spill..thankyou.That is awesome.Been looking around for exactly that.Found Astro tortilla but this sounds excellent.Iff too check it out.

Craig