Advice Using PD Colour Camera

[Matt Steele]

Dear all

It has been quite a while since I last attempted astronomy, let alone VAA: the expression ‘change of family circumstances’ springs to mind. However, now life is finally settling down, I wonder if I could pick your brains?

In brief, I am trying to achieve the ‘best’ possible live viewing experience from my CPC925, Celestron F6.3 FR and PD Colour Camera combo. Can you suggest any recommended PD settings for DSOs, given this setup? The Orion Nebula is easy enough, but the Whirlpool was barely identifiable last night (albeit, low on my horizon) and Andromeda was a disappointingly, smudgy pinkish ball, with no visible structure...

Any advice and tips are gratefully received. 

Clear skies, Matt

[shirva]

Trial and error, I'm afraid,,quite a bit obviously depends on seeing conditions, get your target in the finder scope and start with a low sense up setting  x256 and adjust settings ,then build up the sense up to x512..the Phil dyer camera goes up to x1024,, but never heard of anyone using it much in that setting, usually overexposed.

Been a while since I used mine,, still have it though

[hadyn42]

On 10/02/2018 at 12:26, Matt Steele said:

Dear all

It has been quite a while since I last attempted astronomy, let alone VAA: the expression ‘change of family circumstances’ springs to mind. However, now life is finally settling down, I wonder if I could pick your brains?

In brief, I am trying to achieve the ‘best’ possible live viewing experience from my CPC925, Celestron F6.3 FR and PD Colour Camera combo. Can you suggest any recommended PD settings for DSOs, given this setup? The Orion Nebula is easy enough, but the Whirlpool was barely identifiable last night (albeit, low on my horizon) and Andromeda was a disappointingly, smudgy pinkish ball, with no visible structure...

Any advice and tips are gratefully received. 

Clear skies, Matt

Hello Matt

 

I don't know if these settings will help you out with your PD camera and SCT, I use these settings on my ED80 and they work quite well.

Here you go:

PD COLOUR ASTRO VIDEO CAMERA (modified Huviron)
RECOMMENDED SETTINGS
For Deep Sky Imaging
Exposure Menu
Lens: Manual, E Shutter: 1/50sec
AGC: LOW
SENSE-UP: 128x, 256x, 512x or 1024x
Backlight: OFF
3D-DNR: HIGH
Day & Night Menu
D&N Mode: COLOR
Burst: OFF
Smart IR: OFF
Image Adjust Menu
Mirror: OFF
Gamma: USER: 0.30 or 0.35
LSC: OFF
Special Menu
Title: OFF
Communication: OFF
DPC: OFF
Factory Set: NO
All other settings can be left at their default values.
For Bright Objects (eg Sun, Moon, Planets)
Settings are the same as above, except -
Exposure Menu
Lens: Manual, E Shutter: 1/50sec or less
AGC: OFF
SENSE-UP: OFF
Image Adjust Menu
Gamma: USER: 1.00, or a little less.

Best regards,

Hadyn - Isle of Man

 

[Matt Steele]

Gents

Thanks for replying-it’s appreciated! The weather in the West Country hasn’t helped much lately, but I’m steadily getting back into it... 

A bit cheeky to ask, but...after mastering the PD camera, what did you naturally migrate to for ‘better’ live views?

Thanks, M