314L + 1st Light

[Coco]

Well my ATIK 314L+ and filter wheel etc arrived yesterday thanks to FLO, I thumbed through the instructions and thought can’t be that hard...

After the usual routine of installing the software which was no problem what so ever, I’m one of the lucky ones with a new lap top that has XP Pro installed on it, so the software went on the lappy no probs I’ll try on W7 later today...

I decided to keep my first light simple but installed the filters in the ATIK USB wheel and attach it to the camera as I wanted to experience focus as it will remain for the remainder of the running in period, luminance only.

12:13 AM

With everything in place, EQ6 with camera mounted to a Revelation ED600/6 nicely 3 star polar aligned off we go...

I punched in the GOTO hand set with the instructions to GOTO M13 (coward I hear you say) I attached the 314L & Filter Wheel to the scope and launched the Artemis software, with instructions in one hand and finger on the F6 button, every tap on the F6 button does a quick 2x2 binned capture, I used this method to focus the camera, (anyone have a better tip jump in), once I was happy that the star was reasonably sharp I launched the exposure window and set the camera up for a 60 second frame.

What I didn’t expect was a over saturated image... it was only 60 seconds after all, I decided to go for 45 seconds, ok it was better but I thought I’d grab some at 30 maybe loads of them... ( discovered today 60seconds would have been no problem)

It was at this point the screen went dead... Flat battery!

Fatigue won over me... time to pack up and pat myself on the back for learning quite a lot in a short period of time... next up Filter wheel

Here is a 4 x 45 second quick first image.. some work to do on focus and getting used to the image displayed vs actual image captured.

On the whole I very pleased with the camera...

[Psychobilly]

Congrats - have fun - I am sure you will

Peter...

[TakMan]

Excellent first light - and not a bad image for only a short amount of time on it....

You certainly got through a few procedures on your first night out with the new gear, so should be pretty straight forward next time out - lets hope (for us all), it's not too long a wait!

I use a Bahtinov Mask from Stayfocused if that helps - still struggle with focus though!

Clear skies,

Damian

[moocher]

Focusing can be a bit of a chore but i'd second Damians suggestion of a banitov mask!! Love my 314!!!

Alan

[ollypenrice]

Hi Guy,

Glad you had fun. A few things...

When focusing don't bin, you have less resolution. Take a single 3 second exposure in Bin 1 (i.e. unbinned. I use the French terminology these days, Bin 1 and Bin 2.)

In the display window set the visualization to Log 0. If you don't you won't have any idea of how bright things 'really are.'

Pick a medium to small star in the field, one that is not saturated, right click and draw a box round it. Click on the focus assist window on the top menu on the screen. (Its the dark icon). Now double click on the star in the box. A Full Width Half Max value will appear. This is the diameter of the star image at half its peak brightness.

Now click on the loop exposure button and the camera will give you 3 sec exposures of your star in near real time. Tweak the focus till you get the lowest FWHM you can. Do be sure you are not saving these exposures. I have never saved 200 at a time, honestly!!!)

(If when you click on the star you don't get a FWHM window it is because you are still too far out of focus for the software to recognise the star. Do it by eye till you can get a FWHM. You have to be fairly close for the FWHM to appear.)

I use 3 sec exposures so that the star image is averaged out, seeing-wise. Your FWHM readings are far more consistent at 3 secs than at 1 sec.

Finally DE-ACTIVATE THE SUBFRAME WINDOW or your first 5 min sub will have one star in it!! Never done that either, of course!

Now, over exposed at 60 seconds? Impossible. I was shooting five minute subs two nights ago on M13 at f7 in the TEC and I could - just - avoid saturating the core. What I thnk was happening was that you were looking at the screen display with a log stretch applied. (Back to the display window, set to Log stretch 0.)

Unless you have secretly bought an f2 Hyperstar you should be able to go for several minutes on M13.

Great camera, great capture software.

Olly

[NickH]

Focusing a 314L is a lot easier than a 383L+ trust me,...

Great cameras...love mine, really do

[Coco]

Thanks you everyone... cant wait for another clear night

Guy..