Dark flats

[jamie56]

Hi all looking for some advise, jumping from a dslr to a zwo asi close camera but struggling to create and save dark files onto registry and dss, any ideas 

[Simon Pepper]

Hi you will need some capture software so either an ASI air pro, Nina or APT. Are you using one of these?

[The Lazy Astronomer]

48 minutes ago, jamie56 said:

Hi all looking for some advise, jumping from a dslr to a zwo asi close camera but struggling to create and save dark files onto registry and dss, any ideas 

When you say struggling, what do you mean? As above, you need software to control the camera, which one are you using? 

[jamie56]

Hi Simon I've got APT, and was using the camera software/drivers etc to capture,  took numerous darks and stacked them but can't seem to create a master file in dss or registax. I have got a folder with the  darks in it. I use carte du ceil to guide etc, and apt to control guide scope.

[AstroNebulee]

Hi

I have neither apt or your camera sorry, I have asiair pro and 294mc pro. What format does apt take your dark frames in? I had this issue to with mine and never did find a way of stacking all my dark frames to create a master file. What I had to do (rightly or wrongly) was add some light frames of the same exposure time and add the darks to this in dss and stack, then a master dark was created.

 

Cheers Lee

Edited February 19, 2022 by AstroNebulee

[scotty38]

2 hours ago, AstroNebulee said:

Hi

I have neither apt or your camera sorry, I have asiair pro and 294mc pro. What format does apt take your dark frames in? I had this issue to with mine and never did find a way of stacking all my dark frames to create a master file. What I had to do (rightly or wrongly) was add some light frames of the same exposure time and add the darks to this in dss and stack, then a master dark was created.

 

Cheers Lee

Blimey, whatever that created wasn't a master dark 🙂

[AstroNebulee]

23 minutes ago, scotty38 said:

Blimey, whatever that created wasn't a master dark 🙂

Sorry i probably should of explained it better. I took light frames on an imaging run of IC434, then my flats and dark flats. I had already taken my dark frames a week before this and had them on my laptop. Then my workflow in dss was add light, flat, dark flats and my darks. Then let dss do its thing and at the end of the registering and stacking master dark was created in my dark frames folder. A master flat and dark flat in the relevant folders. I don't use bias frames with my 294MC pro 

Hope this clears it up. 

Edited February 19, 2022 by AstroNebulee

[scotty38]

ok I thought you meant you had created a master dark from a mixture of darks and lights lol....

[AstroNebulee]

4 minutes ago, scotty38 said:

ok I thought you meant you had created a master dark from a mixture of darks and lights lol....

Haha no, just my inability to explain what I meant (note to self)😁

[ollypenrice]

The terminology is bad enough without some maniac coining the term 'Dark flat frames!!!'   👹   For heaven's sake,  dark is an adjective and flat is a noun in this sentence. A flat cannot, under any circumstances, be described as 'dark.'  At least, 'Flat dark' can reasonably be taken to mean 'Dark for flats' and that is the term I would rather see used. But please spare us from 'Dark flats.'  No wonder newcomers get this round their necks. 

Olly

[Clarkey]

12 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

No wonder newcomers get this round their necks.

I thought confusing newbies was the whole idea? AP seems to have so many technical bits of 'mumbo jumbo' it makes it look like we all know what we are doing and are clever🤣. I've been at this game for a couple of years and I still consider myself a novice.

(Apologies for those who do know exactly what they are doing!!)

[AstroNebulee]

13 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

The terminology is bad enough without some maniac coining the term 'Dark flat frames!!!'   👹   For heaven's sake,  dark is an adjective and flat is a noun in this sentence. A flat cannot, under any circumstances, be described as 'dark.'  At least, 'Flat dark' can reasonably be taken to mean 'Dark for flats' and that is the term I would rather see used. But please spare us from 'Dark flats.'  No wonder newcomers get this round their necks. 

 

I apologise, I'm new to this myself and a bear of little brain 😔 I'm only following what the dss says about stacking without bias frames, the screenshot is from the dss help section, not my own workings, I've always said dark flat and no one picked up on it before or corrected me.

Edited February 20, 2022 by AstroNebulee

[ollypenrice]

47 minutes ago, AstroNebulee said:

I apologise, I'm new to this myself and a bear of little brain 😔 I'm only following what the dss says about stacking without bias frames, the screenshot is from the dss help section, not my own workings, I've always said dark flat and no one picked up on it before or corrected me.

Please, I don't hold you responsible!  It's the good folks at DSS who should know better and it was to them that I was referring.

Olly

[AstroNebulee]

23 minutes ago, ollypenrice said:

Please, I don't hold you responsible!  It's the good folks at DSS who should know better and it was to them that I was referring.

Olly

Thanks Olly, I see what you mean now too. It makes sense, just what I've learnt to say. I will try to fall on the flat dark side of the fence now. 😊

[Pitch Black Skies]

16 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

A flat cannot, under any circumstances, be described as 'dark.'

Why not? 🤔

How can a dark be described as 'flat'?

Edited February 20, 2022 by Pitch Black Skies

[Pitch Black Skies]

I think they should be called 'Darks4Flats', zero confusion 😆.

[jamie56]

AHi Simon I've got APT, and was using the camera software/drivers etc to capture,  took numerous darks and stacked them but can't seem to create a master file in dss or registax. I have got a folder with the  darks in it. I use carte du ceil to guide etc, and apt to control guide scope.

[jamie56]

Just now, jamie56 said:

AHi Simon I've got APT, and was using the camera software/drivers etc to capture,  took numerous darks and stacked them but can't seem to create a master file in dss or registax. I have got a folder with the  darks in it. I use carte du ceil to guide etc, and apt to control guide scope.

[jamie56]

Just now, jamie56 said:

Just now, jamie56 said:

AHi Simon I've got APT, and was using the camera software/drivers etc to capture,  took numerous darks and stacked them but can't seem to create a master file in dss or registax. I have got a folder with the  darks in it. I use carte du ceil to guide etc, and apt to control guide scope.

Thanks guys for all the comments but, none really answer the original question, I've a star camp next week hopefully get some info there. 

[barbulo]

DSS creates a master file (.tiff for the calibration frames, darks in your case) every time you run a stacking process. 
If you don’t have light frames to stack, you can use any frame (no matter the image but with the same exposure time, but at least one) and stack it using your dark frames. 
Having said that, you don’t need a master file to calibrate lights; you can use the original dark frames every time you stack.