A Bad Evening!

[Fay]

Now I have cooling on, images will be fine, the artifacts seem to have gone.

Problem is the focusing & download time while looking for your subject, it takes an age.
I made the big mistake of trying to go to the HH again, problem was,  the scope flipped & I forgot that the handcontrol, was going in a different direction to what I was used to. I saw the HH but it was upside down & back to front, which really addled my brain! I could not figure out in what direction I was supposed to be going. Ok if download times are quick, but they are not. 

I spent a long time on this before giving up & going east. Well now it is a case of just getting something. In Astroart, the star I had put a rectangle around for focusing , would not show up in the focus box. This happened the other night as well. I don't usually use it, but as download times are so long, I thought I had better try.

Well it finally showed up, but not sure what I did to get it to show.

Long post, as I have come in for a warm!

[RobertM]

Hi Fay,

I always use 3x3 binning for framing and rough focusing, it helps a lot.  Once you have a star centered (I use a 1-2nd magnitude star) then start focusing, after that then slew to your target and away you go (hopefully).

Don't use AA so can't comment there.

Long post did you say ? 

Robert (in for a coffee or two)

[Fay]

does your finger lakes take a long time to download, Robert?

[RobertM]

Too long Fay, about 3 seconds full frame which is why I bin and use subframes to focus.

[Fay]

mine takes about 28 secs

[RobertM]

But you can bin 3x3 and get it down to about 3s, then use a subframe to show the star to focus on...

[Fay]

will ..try Robert. Also, when you slew to your object & it is not there, to keep taking subs looking for it takes  a life time, any hints on that Robert?

[Fay]

looks like they suggest 4x4 for fast framing....will try that

[RobertM]

Well, if you're slewing to the object and it isn't there then you have some sorting out to do with that mount and laptop.  If I slew to a target I expect it to be there, the larger chip will help you but you must have a reasonable Polar Alignment and be sync'd for that to happen.  The camera should be used binned 3x3 to find your target but it won't be quite as flexible as the 314 because it's a full frame camera.  With a 3 second exposure you should see the rosette easily in Ha and certainly the the horsehead too.

4x4 will be quicker still...

[Fay]

Well I will finish what I am doing, then practice focus 3x3 and framing 4x4, then check polar alignment on mount

What you up to Robert?

I wanted a nice nebula, but they are few & far between, so have had to settle for a token just to see everything is ok.

[Rocket Pooch]

mine takes about 28 secs

Wow, mine is 2 seconds, is that laptop USB1, or I wonder if the camera has the latest BIAS on it!!!!

Fay, I focus on a local bright star, move to the target and then tweak it a bit.

[Rocket Pooch]

Actually Fay, Jim used Nebulosity really well at Olly's maybe give him a call and see what he thinks.

Chris

[Fay]

The camera is software version 5.5.332.1.

I would have thought it was updated. Do you think there is a chance it is not?

[Rocket Pooch]

Yes thats it later than mine, are you Drawing a box around a bright star and then doing focuse with the exposure set to say 2 sec in the focus box, remember you have to goto Focus / Guide tab.

Chris

[Fay]

Yes, I had never used it before, really. But I had a lot of trouble getting it in the focus box, it was blank. Could not find the star I had drawn a rectangle around

[Fay]

I am ok with the artifacts now, Chris, it was the cooling bit that was doing it. I saw the figure 9 in that box bottom right & now realise the the was the temp. Astroart does not mention anything about that.

It is only the focus, & framing that is my concern now!!  I will practice in a minute

[Rocket Pooch]

It might not have been very bright, did you get any numbers in the right side of the box?

[Fay]

The numbers were on zero.

Chris, can you bin flats?

[Rocket Pooch]

Hi,

Yes you can, I'm going to have too with mine to complete my image.

Chris

[Fay]

Thank God for that, too late for tonight. I was doing flats & they started off at 33,500 adu and by the end, they were 28,800adu. Do you think the light diminishes in the light panel if it is on too long?

[Rocket Pooch]

looks like they must do!

[Fay]

Ok, I just had a go at focusing & the star was not in the box. There is a big number bottom right, but the other two are zeros.

I will put a post on QSI forum

[Rocket Pooch]

Fay,

I think this is AstroArt thats the problem not QSI, maybe post there?  or both.

Chris

[MarkS]

mine takes about 28 secs

I can't believe you waited for a dark, cold, freezing night out in the back garden to try this out.  Why not experiment in daytime in the warmth of your home - both for your own comfort and so as not to waste valuable imaging time.

Mark

[Fay]

Hi Mark, i have not stopped experimenting since I got it.  All the other problems were the fact that I had not turned cooling on. Trouble was, I was still in the throes when the first good night came up & I had to go outside with what I knew at the time. And last night was the next good night, so had to go outside again. Learning in the field, so as to speak.

I just have to sort out the focusing & download times. It may have the same sort of size chip as the Canon, but the Canon is immediate in downloading subs. I assumed that QSI would be the same, but not so.