Loch Ness Monster in Vulpecula - vdB126, LDN768 and 769

[Roberto]

First image taken with my new tandem setup; also using new version of (Voyager) imaging software to control both cameras, guiding, dithering, etc.

I had started taking L frames for this one in April thinking I would finish it after the summer as nights got shorter and shorter.  I received a new OSC camera last month (ZWO ASI2600) and managed to get my tandem setup up an running in time to give it a push and try to finish it before darkness completely disappears!

I am very impressed by the sensitivity of the OSC camera and how clean the data is.  The files are huge and I now realise I need a much faster computer...

In any case here's the link to full details of instruments and acquisition:  https://www.astrobin.com/jue5tb/D/

Composition of L from big scope and RGB from small scope:



And OSC data only (3.5hrs only!):



Best wishes to All,

Roberto

[Carole]

That looks a tricky one Roberto, especially from Petts Wood.
Well done.

Carole

[Roberto]

Thank you Carole! The OSC camera is a winner. The target is not that difficult as the contrast is already quite high but it was taken after 2AM and before dawn in April and between 1 and 2AM for colour over the last couple of nights.

Roberto

[RobertM]

Wonderful image Roberto, what a great setup to have to get it too

I'm now suffering from stellar overload 

Robert

[Roberto]

Thank you Robert! I heard you mention on the Voyager forum you also got an ASI2600?  Any chance of trying it out yet?  Hope you had some time with it and this precious weather.

Roberto

[Hugh]

Look at all those stars!

Hugh

[MarkS]

Stunning result Roberto!  A good test for the new camera.

I did this with my ancient Canon 350 a few years ago.  Back then it was the Running Brontosaurus!

Mark

[RobertM]

Thank you Robert! I heard you mention on the Voyager forum you also got an ASI2600?  Any chance of trying it out yet?  Hope you had some time with it and this precious weather.

Roberto

Yes Roberto perhaps in a few days.  I've an M13 Capture I'm playing with but grappling with background gradients has defeated me thus far.  I'm also struggling with noise reduction a bit but will get there in the end.

It would be useful to compare calibration frames at some point.

Robert

[Roberto]

Thank you Mark!

Robert, my flats may not be correcting fully but I'm close I think.  I have a LED panel and the flats are 3-4 seconds long.  I calibrate with Bias and Darks only; not using Darks for Flats (using Bias instead).  I have been trying WBPP in PixInsight also.  It seems to work really well.  Also, I am imaging at 0 gain and 50 offset (50 usb traffic) in the ZWO driver.

Roberto

[RobertM]

I remember the Brontosaurus

I'm also using an LED panel with flats of about the same length, a bit biased to blue though so I'm tempted to take separate exposures for R, G and B and combine them (red count is 20k, green is 40k, and blue 50k).  Am using Gain 0 Offset 50 and 100 USB traffic (am fully USB3) and 600s subs with no filter (Camera window is UV/IR block).  Yes also using WBPP script, have tried Bias/Darks/Flats and also Flats + lights with matching darks for each.  Will do some further analysis over the coming days to assess if there are any differences.  I need to up the number of calibration frames from approx 30 to more like 100 which should improve the residual noise a bit more.

So far it's looking very very good, no amp glow that I can see anywhere.

Robert