Help with SGP.

[mark skelton]

When I Start up SGP I connect the camera, filter wheel, focuser and the mount, no problems so far. The trouble I'm having is when I use the frame and focus, I get the target stat into the centre of the crosshairs the star is some what bigger than the two circles out of focus and the exposure is out by a big way, what's the best way of getting the size of the star smaller and in focus/exposed?

[sloz1664]

Hi Mark,

I tend to use frame and focus when I am way out of focus. I set my camera to binned 2x2 and exposure to 3s. Using the Focus Control module. I take one exposure, tick the use subframe and drag a box around a prominent star. I set my course steps to 100 and start Frame and Focus on continuous exposures and move the course steps in or out until I get the smallest star profile. Stop Frame & Focus, untick use subframe & I then proceed to use the auto focus routine in the Focus Control module by hitting the run button, for accurate focus.

Hth

Steve

[mark skelton]

8 hours ago, sloz1664 said:

Hi Mark,

I tend to use frame and focus when I am way out of focus. I set my camera to binned 2x2 and exposure to 3s. Using the Focus Control module. I take one exposure, tick the use subframe and drag a box around a prominent star. I set my course steps to 100 and start Frame and Focus on continuous exposures and move the course steps in or out until I get the smallest star profile. Stop Frame & Focus, untick use subframe & I then proceed to use the auto focus routine in the Focus Control module by hitting the run button, for accurate focus.

Hth

Steve

Never thought of the use subframme,   I'll give that a try next weekend if skys are clear.cheers for the info

[mark skelton]

On 02/07/2019 at 08:42, sloz1664 said:

Hi Mark,

I tend to use frame and focus when I am way out of focus. I set my camera to binned 2x2 and exposure to 3s. Using the Focus Control module. I take one exposure, tick the use subframe and drag a box around a prominent star. I set my course steps to 100 and start Frame and Focus on continuous exposures and move the course steps in or out until I get the smallest star profile. Stop Frame & Focus, untick use subframe & I then proceed to use the auto focus routine in the Focus Control module by hitting the run button, for accurate focus.

Hth

Steve

Thanks for the info I did the same till I got down to less than HFR =3.0 then I selected 1x1 binning and 3 min exposure where I got the lowest HFR down to 1.87 before the clouds came in

[sloz1664]

Hi Mark,

I use 2x2 binning for autofocus, it's a lot quicker and hopefully miss the clouds. Are you using a permanent set-up or having to set-up & strip down?

Steve

[mark skelton]

Hi sloz1664,

As I tried to say in my last post last night when we had a clear spell I also used 2x2 binning & 3 sec exposure to start of with, then when the HFR got down to 3.0 I then set the binnig to 1x1 & 3min exposure to fine tune til I got the HFR  to 1.87. I've got rig set up as permanent (see my post https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/274300-show-us-your-set-up-in-action-at-night/page/20/ ) It's about half 2 thirds down the page. The set up can be tken down if I'm going to a star party.

 

[sloz1664]

I'd just set and leave the binning to 2x2 for your auto focus routine. Start at 9 data points and adjust your step size until you get 4 data points on the r/h side of your curve leading to your auto focus sweet spot. I'd then set the auto focus setting to 7 data points for all  your future auto focus routines.

Steve

[kirkster501]

20 hours ago, sloz1664 said:

I'd just set and leave the binning to 2x2 for your auto focus routine. Start at 9 data points and adjust your step size until you get 4 data points on the r/h side of your curve leading to your auto focus sweet spot. I'd then set the auto focus setting to 7 data points for all  your future auto focus routines.

Steve

Exactly this.  However, I tend to bin 4x4 to get the rough focus. the sub then downloads in a second or so.

[Waynescave]

Hey guys.. 

Is a HFR of(minus) - 1.000 possible? 

As this is what my image statistics say on my k stars software 

It also says my SNR is varying 0.682 - 1.5? 

Any interpretations are welcomed? 

Cheers guys

[JamesF]

53 minutes ago, Waynescave said:

Hey guys.. 

Is a HFR of(minus) - 1.000 possible?

I suspect that when you get a figure of -1 for HFR it's indicative of some sort of error condition in the software.  It doesn't make sense to have an HFR figure that's negative.  What the error condition might actually be, I don't know.  Might be worth starting a new thread and posting an example frame so people can see what it looks like?

James

[Waynescave]

17 hours ago, JamesF said:

I suspect that when you get a figure of -1 for HFR it's indicative of some sort of error condition in the software.  It doesn't make sense to have an HFR figure that's negative.  What the error condition might actually be, I don't know.  Might be worth starting a new thread and posting an example frame so people can see what it looks like?

James

Thank you James ill see if I can sort something out like that 👍