What data sets do you keep ???

[kirkster501]

Do you keep all the lights, flats etc?  Or do you keep the calibrated/registered lights only and delete the originals?  Or do you only keep calibrated and integrated masters for each filter?

I'm getting on for 2 TB worth now and the larger sensor cameras at 1x1 create BIG files.  OK, Storage not expensive nowadays but interested in how you approach this?

[Datalord]

Good question. I have pondered the same. With PI exploding projects to hundreds of gigabytes, I have deleted a lot of intermediate files from my finished projects. I obviously keep all originals and project files, but calibrated/registered gets the boot.

[carastro]

I tend to keep everything.  Had to buy a back up drive for the imaging files as main desk top was bursting. 

I ought to have a clear out of data I am not going to use again.  But there have been times when I have gone back to old data and used it to combine with new data or reprocessed old images as my processing skills have improved so am always reluctant to delete old data "just in case".

Carole 

 

 

[sloz1664]

I keep all my good original data sets and banks of processed data. Software processing software is certainly getting better as time passes and with keeping original data you can keep reprocessing

Steve

[Gina]

I've been wondering the same and have kept terabytes of data.  I use a 500GB SSD for working files but that soon fills up and data files have to be pruned or moved to backup devices.  Organising such vast amounts of data is a bit of a headache.  Having gone over to a much larger image sensor size and CMOS rather than CCD I collect hundreds of short exposures rather than tens of longer ones.  Both these aspects have multiplied the data I save vastly!!  The saving in not needing guiding for the short exposures has been balanced out by the much greater quantities of data to store and process.