Struggling to get the results i want

[Mikyg]

Hey guys and girls. Can anyone give me any pointers on how i can improve the results of my images after processing please? I don't seem to get the nice pinpoint stars i would like and tracking always seems a bit off\goto always seem a bit off. I've used a bathinov mask to get focus but something if a miss. I'm still very much a newbie. Thanks

[wornish]

First can you share the details of the shots you took

Exposure time and quantity for each type.  Lights , darks, flats, bias.

What software are you using to stack them and also to what software to process the stacked image.

Edited March 23, 2020 by wornish

[Mikyg]

Yes sure, this one wasnt as many as i’d like but i did;

10 dark frames 120s

10 red filter 120s

10 green filter 120s

10 blue filter 120s

10 lum filter 120s

i’m using deep sky stacker and photoshop to process, i dont know if it makes a difference but i’m using a Atik 314+ mono cam. Thanks

[wornish]

Thanks for the info. 

As always more data would help, which is always true.

The stars in your integrated image are not bad so I think its down to the post processing workflow.

How did you combine the LRGB image in PS?  Its hard to give advice without knowing what process steps you did.

 

Also, if you want to share each of the individually stacked and aligned masters on dropbox I am happy to give it a go in APP or PI.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mikyg]

3 hours ago, wornish said:

Thanks for the info. 

As always more data would help, which is always true.

The stars in your integrated image are not bad so I think its down to the post processing workflow.

How did you combine the LRGB image in PS?  Its hard to give advice without knowing what process steps you did.

 

Also, if you want to share each of the individually stacked and aligned masters on dropbox I am happy to give it a go in APP or PI.

 

 

 

 

 

Thankyou,
since i posted this i have learnt two things that i’m assuming will also make a huge difference. I received all my gear from my old man as he couldnt get his head round a computerised neq6 pro and ed80 ds pro. When he first bought his gear he bought a 250pds and bought  a coma corrector for this and the filter wheel, he then bought the ed80 ds pro with an ed80 reducer coma corrector, Since then he never really used it hence giving the mount/ed80/atik/filter wheel to me. What i didnt realise is he had attached the coma corrector from the 250pds reflector and the coma corrector from the ed80 together then stuck it all on the scope.
1- Would this make a big difference having two correctors as one was made for a reflector and one for a refractor?

also to my disappointment i opened up the filter wheel to find that there wasnt a lum filter so the images i was doing were Red/Green/Blue but no lum just straight through. Is the Lum filter absolutely necessary? Apologies for going on i’m still learning.  Thanks for your help

[JamesF]

It's not possible that what should be on the 80ED is a reducer/flattener?  I can't see why you'd want the coma corrector on it as well.  That seems quite odd to me.

James

[Merlin66]

Yeah,

remove the coma corrector. This was only needed for the 250pds.

A UV-IR depending on the RGB filters being used might help.

Having no dedicated Lum filter means significant re-focusing between the RGB and Lum ......

 

 

[Mikyg]

11 hours ago, JamesF said:

It's not possible that what should be on the 80ED is a reducer/flattener?  I can't see why you'd want the coma corrector on it as well.  That seems quite odd to me.

James

I think he just attached it altogether to transport when giving it to me and i didnt strip it down