QHY 8 Pro Strange lines on captures.

[Craney]

Hello everybody,

Lets hope for a good clear night tonight.  It would be nice to get my QHY 8 Pro OSC giving good results as well..... ie  better than my modded 600D that it was bought to supercede, especially when we have a few comets on the prowl.

This imaging lark sure does create headaches. Here is my latest issue ....   I am consistently getting this type of pattern on the subs that ruins the stacked image.

Sort of looks electrical, possibly software maybe...   anybody know ??   For info, I have downloaded the latest drivers from the QHY website and run EZcap on an old Windows 7 laptop.

Here is a sub of M31. ( converted to jpg)

I am hoping it is a case of not having something switched on /  check box activated etc......

Once again, many thanks in advance.

 

Sean.

[michael8554]

Radio Frequency breakthrough?

A poor earth or an earth loop somewhere on power supplies ?

Power cable running too close to camera cables?

Try taking test dark exposures with everything else powered down, if that cures it switch on kit one by one until it reoccurs.

Michael

[Craney]

Thanks @michael8554,

I took some Darks and Bias caibration shots in the lounge away from the telescope to create a library. I have just looked at them now, they do not show any pattern at all when stretched in PhotoShop.    So, you are saying it might be interference from another electrical component......  that would include,  EQ6 mount, Pegasus Powerbox,  regulated 12v supply (mains). 

I will do some experimenting....

Thanks for the advice.

 

Sean.

[tooth_dr]

30 minutes ago, Craney said:

Thanks @michael8554,

I took some Darks and Bias caibration shots in the lounge away from the telescope to create a library. I have just looked at them now, they do not show any pattern at all when stretched in PhotoShop.    So, you are saying it might be interference from another electrical component......  that would include,  EQ6 mount, Pegasus Powerbox,  regulated 12v supply (mains). 

I will do some experimenting....

Thanks for the advice.

 

Sean.

Hi Sean

It does indeed look like the sort of pattern one would get on a TV occasionally when another appliance/item comes on.  Michael has the right idea, and work systematically through it.  The first port of call would be to move the USB cables away from power supplies.

[Craney]

Hi Adam, I hope it is as easy to fix as moving the wires around..... .....    saying that,  looking at my cabling, it might need some folk from Bletchley Park to sort it..!!

Finally cleared up here  tonight,  going for some  'wider-field' shots with the ATIK 414, small 'frac and focal reducers.

 

S.

[tooth_dr]

11 minutes ago, Craney said:

Hi Adam, I hope it is as easy to fix as moving the wires around..... .....    saying that,  looking at my cabling, it might need some folk from Bletchley Park to sort it..!!

Finally cleared up here  tonight,  going for some  'wider-field' shots with the ATIK 414, small 'frac and focal reducers.

 

S.

I had an issue like that with a Canon because I had all the cables in the same small duct. I hope it’s easy for you too.

Looking forward to seeing your wider field shots.

Ita blowing a gale here but I’m getting a few subs with the new QHY9 - so far so good. 

 

[StuartJPP]

Have you got any USB cables with integrated ferrite beads in them, they can help reduce EMI with tightly bundled cables? Use them on the camera USB cable.

Like this:

 

Or ferrite clamshells on existing cables if you have got any:

[Craney]

That looks interesting...  I do have one of those somewhere in my collection....  Thanks @StuartJPP

[Craney]

Well.... a bit of success.   Borrowed a USB cable with twin ferrite clasps from work and got this as a 5 min sub of the Rosette. 

Looks a bit poor but  in fairness, there are no FLATS applied and it was on a 95%+ Moonlit night, with the Moon about 15' away and patchy cloud. Also I didn't cool the cam as it tends to form ice crystals on the image if you plummet down to -35'C immediately. It needs to be tempted slowly into icey noiselessness.

(This is with a Dark and Bias applied, No FLAT,  I have stretched it in DSS to see if any of the pattern remained. )

 

Thanks for the advice, @tooth_dr, @StuartJPP and @michael8554

This OSC lark is  turning out to be more time consuming than Mono LRGB !!!!

[Helen]

Somebody suggested running continuous short images (without saving) while the camera was cooling as a way of slowing the cooling down.

Helen