Rosette Nebula - dual rig experiment now + Hubble version

[Carole]

I decided to try to see if I could capture data from 2 cameras simultaneously.  I did try this once before but got flexure in the 2nd camera, so this time I set up using the side by side bar and a more substantially mounted finderguider).

Ultimate plan is to image with both Atik cameras one with Ha and the other doing either RGB or Oiii/Sii.  However I wanted to see if it would even work before forking out for another Ha filter (as the current ones are all unmounted ones in my EFW). 

So for the experiment I decided to use the DSLR for colour and the new Atik460EX for Ha - so this is first light for the 460EX.
There was obviously a FOV discrepancy but it won't be so bad when I use the two Atik cameras.
Yonks since I have used the DSLR for DSOs.

Moon was up during the 2nd half of image gathering, but the main purpose of the exercise was to make sure it would all work - not necessarily to get a decent image.

I orientated the cameras and scopes in the daylight:

I chose Rosette nebula as it was an easy target to reach from the POD and was going to have a reasonable amount of time before it disappeared behind the trees.

Ha image:
11 x 1200 Atik460EX (first light)
WO ZS71 + x 0.8 focal reducer
NEQ6



DSLR image
17 x 5mins (took more but discarded due to Moon).
Modified Canon 450D and CLS filter
SW ED80 + x0.6 focal reducer
NEQ6



HaRGB image
Both images combined in Registar and Photoshop

[Fay]

They look very good Carole! looks like its working!



Fay

[Carole]

Thanks Fay, I was quite pleased with the outcome.  There is a little bit of tilt top right of the Ha image, but nothing like as bad as I used to get on the 383.

Carole

[RobertM]

You're certainly moving on Carole

Individually I think they're very good but the colour balance in the composite looks a bit out.  Did you add Ha just to the red or to the blue too ?  Hb is generally present in the proportion 10:3 with Ha (Ha=10, Hb=3) and can give a better balance (though that isn't always the case).

Robert

[Carole]

Thanks Robert,

Did you add Ha just to the red or to the blue too ?

I did neither Robert, the DSLR image was already rather red so decided to just add it as a luminance layer in Labcolour and then adjusted the colour a little so the Ha didn't wash out the red as pink.

I just adjust until it looks reasonably OK to the eye.
The histogram has the colours sitting one on top of the other, with an extra low lying lump off to the right in the red. So in non statistical terms what do you think needs adjusting? 

Carole

[Carole]

This is a photo of the rig by the way.

[Fay]

does it all run ok off one laptop?

[Kenny]

Looks fantastic Carole.

[MarkH]

Excellent image and manic rig Carole. 

[Carole]

Thanks Kenny, and Mark.

does it all run ok off one laptop?

I bought a 2nd laptop Fay as hubs don't seem to work on my Vista laptop.  Don't you remember I E mailed you earlier in the week about drivers coming out of my ears when i was trying to install them all on the new laptop?

So running half on each.
Team viewer was interesting, but I got that working on two links as well.

Carole

[JohnP]

Impressed Carol with your technique and processing skills... For a test shot that is a very good image..

[Carole]

Thanks very much John.

Carole

[MarkS]

That has worked well Carole.

You've got a very nice dual rig there and you're jumping into a new realm of complexity!

Mark

[Carole]

Thanks Mark,

you're jumping into a new realm of complexity!

Yes, like dithering with two cameras - lol.
Not attempted that yet.

Carole

[MarkS]

you're jumping into a new realm of complexity!

Yes, like dithering with two cameras - lol.

If you dither, how would you synchronise 2 cameras?