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Anyone Using the Pegasus Flatmaster 150 ?


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Anyone using this bigger version of the FlatMaster 120 yet ?

A while back I quite fancied the 120 version.
They seemed great as they are not over expensive and you can set the brightness via software for different filters.
This would be really helpful as the usual issue with LED panels is that ideally they need very different brightness levels for LRGB compared to NB and need to be brighter again for ultra NB, otherwise exposure times for LRGB can be ridiculously short or for ultra NB ridiculously long.
Being able to set brightness levels for each filter and leave the software to take all your flats at the correct brightness would be great.

However, when I read a review that basically said it was great for LRGB but exposure times for the ultra NB filters was over 2 minutes even at full brightness I decided not to get one.
Now the 150 model (and a 250) is available I emailed Pegasus and they said it is considerably brighter, so might be interested in this but by the sound of it it needs to be over twice as bright and difficult to get this out of them, although I could reply and ask how long for say a 3Nm Ha filter at 25,000 ADU or whatever and see if they have an answer.

But I just wondered if these were being used by any SGL members yet.
Unfortunately, I do not think there is any support in EKOS yet but probably would come if they become popular. But even though I am currently using KStars to install APT, which does have control of it in its flats aid, is not an issue.

Pegasus Flatmaster

Steve
 

Edited by teoria_del_big_bang
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Hi,

I had one a month or so ago, and TBH it was rubbish....no,where near bright enough for NB, and barely bright enough for LRGB, I tried to contact Pegasus, and they never even replied....so sent it back...and bought the Geoptik version and it’s great....and much cheaper...

it’s not available here anymore, but it’s this one, and they do bigger sizes up to around 300mm

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Geoptik-30B304-Flatfield-adapter-imaging/dp/B0184BQSB6

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3 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

Hi,

I had one a month or so ago, and TBH it was rubbish....no,where near bright enough for NB, and barely bright enough for LRGB, I tried to contact Pegasus, and they never even replied....so sent it back...and bought the Geoptik version and it’s great....and much cheaper...

it’s not available here anymore, but it’s this one, and they do bigger sizes up to around 300mm

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Geoptik-30B304-Flatfield-adapter-imaging/dp/B0184BQSB6

Was that the 150 version or the 120 version ?

TBH that was my suspicion. 
It was really just the ability to set brightness in software that makes it a great idea, I guess I will just continue for now with my Aurora Flatfield Panel.

Steve

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11 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Was that the 150 version or the 120 version ?

TBH that was my suspicion. 
It was really just the ability to set brightness in software that makes it a great idea, I guess I will just continue for now with my Aurora Flatfield Panel.

Steve

Hi, 

I only had the 120 version, but don’t think the 150 is really any better...it’s certainly no where near on par with the one you have, but I agree being able to control with software was a bonus, but one I can quite easily live without...as I don’t tend to do my flats with scope on the mount anyway, I do them once I have brought scope indoors for the night...different I guess if you have an obsy and need it all automated... 👍🏼

Edited by Stuart1971
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No, very true I do the same and doesn't take long really, so just me being lazy but would have been nice just to leave it all going whilst I get off to bed, or off to work if scope had been imaging right through till morning (not done that for a while as scared of rain or snow at some point) taking flats for all filters used instead of having to adjust brightness in between some of the filters.

But yes you are right not really a hardship.

Cheers 
Steve

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I have had the Aurora for several years  and thought I would find the Pegasus 120 a better panel, but the 120 is no longer made. I ordered a 150 from a UK retailer.

The 150 arrived, I turned it on, it buzzed, flickered and went off.

Tried it using the Flatmaster software, connected via usb on the laptop, but was very faint. Spoke to Pegasus and returned it back to Greece at my cost.

Another 150 arrived from Greece, turned it on  and couldn’t connect via usb either from laptop or a usb plug adapter.

The 150 was put away in a draw while I completed the build of my micro observatory. The Aurora has now come out and I’m currently in the process of trying to sort out my flats by defusing the light with a couple of pieces of white paper. 

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21 minutes ago, Dougie said:

I have had the Aurora for several years  and thought I would find the Pegasus 120 a better panel, but the 120 is no longer made. I ordered a 150 from a UK retailer.

The 150 arrived, I turned it on, it buzzed, flickered and went off.

Tried it using the Flatmaster software, connected via usb on the laptop, but was very faint. Spoke to Pegasus and returned it back to Greece at my cost.

Another 150 arrived from Greece, turned it on  and couldn’t connect via usb either from laptop or a usb plug adapter.

The 150 was put away in a draw while I completed the build of my micro observatory. The Aurora has now come out and I’m currently in the process of trying to sort out my flats by defusing the light with a couple of pieces of white paper. 

Are you having to send the 150 back too...?

I have had well over 2.5k of Pegasus kit over the years and was always very good, and still use some....not sure what has happened with them, but the back up service, and some of the latest products, have not been so good, over the last 12 months...maybe lockdown has had some effect....

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I had good service from Pegasus but the cost of sending it back to Greece for a second time during lockdown, when your local post office closes, I gave up.
And I don’t think Pegasus  would have believed me a second time as they told me that every unit is thoroughly tested before it leaves them.

Having just moved house with a major refurb and setting up my micro observatory, I had too many other software / hardware issues to sort out including remote access.

I’ll probably look at the Geoptik version later this year.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I’m on my second 150 version. The first was faulty; horizontal dark bands running across the face of it. Prompt service from Pegasus, they replaced it without hesitation although didn’t offer to refund the postage back to Greece.  The second one is fine. It’s handy having both software control and local control available via a switch . However it is quite dim even at full brightness. Using an L-Pro filter with my ASI2600MC Pro I have to take 2 - 3 second exposures to hit a reasonable ADU level. Still, not too much of an issue. I think with narrow band filters the exposure times will be a lot higher. 

In general, do I like it? Yes. Is it worth the extra cost above a cheap light box tracing panel from Amazon? No.

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1 minute ago, UKRoman said:

I’m on my second 150 version. The first was faulty; horizontal dark bands running across the face of it. Prompt service from Pegasus, they replaced it without hesitation although didn’t offer to refund the postage back to Greece.  The second one is fine. It’s handy having both software control and local control available via a switch . However it is quite dim even at full brightness. Using an L-Pro filter with my ASI2600MC Pro I have to take 2 - 3 second exposures to hit a reasonable ADU level. Still, not too much of an issue. I think with narrow band filters the exposure times will be a lot higher. 

In general, do I like it? Yes. Is it worth the extra cost above a cheap light box tracing panel from Amazon? No.

Thanks for the info and I am glad you finally got a working model.
 

I think the idea is great and the price is good bit will probably leave it as like you I expect the exposure time for flats on 3nm NB filters will be minutes.
It just needs to be brighter which probably means a 12v supply rather than using USB but I do not see that too much of an issue as we all have 12V floating about somewhere.

Thanks again for the advice 🙂 

Take care and stay safe
Steve

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