Posts Made By: Kirk Vanden

Hello,


Seeing was terrible, but I did go out last weekend and take a first shot at RGB imaging with the DMK 21F04. I used a Lumicon manual filter selector and a Astronomik LRGB Dichroic Filter Set (Type II with Built-in IR Block). The telescope was a Meade 12 SCT with a Televue 3x barlow.

I am anxious to try it again on a night with better seeing, as I am encouraged by the results. I did have to probably over use wavelets and unsharp mask to get this final image as the seeing yielded very poor frames in the AVIs.


Kirk

Hello,


Here is my second attempt at RGB imaging with the DMK 21F04. I used a Lumicon manual filter selector and a Astronomik LRGB Dichroic Filter Set (Type II with Built-in IR Block). The telescope was a Meade 12 SCT with a Televue 3x barlow.

Seeing was better than last weekend, about 6/10 this time. I did make one big improvement in my technique. I now focus separately for each of the RGB filters. Since I have an Optec TCF-S focuser with digital readout it is a snap to return to the exact setting needed for each color filter. I can change focus in about 3 seconds while I am changing filters, and hit the exact needed settings for each color perfectly. This lets me get all 3 RGB AVIs in a little over 3.5 minutes. The Optec is a very precise focuser with very small steps and almost zero backlash.

I had been just focusing the Red filter and keeping the settings the same for the Green and Blue. Big mistake. The Green and Blue channels improved dramatically when they are focused with custom settings. I was worried that the Lumicon manual filter selector would have too much play in it, but it is working very well so far.


Kirk Vanden

Hello,


I took this early Sunday morning. I used a DMK 21F04 and Astronomik RGB filters. Meade 12 inch SCT, Televue 3x barlow, and Optec TCF-S focuser. Each color was the best 700 frames out of 1800 taken for each color. Seeing was good.


Kirk

Hello Brian,

The colors in your pictures are very nice, and the image scale is nice and big. Nice job.

Two things you might want to check are color alignment and focus. I see some "ghosting" around the polar cap. RegiStax will let you manually adjust the alignment of the colors.

I was never satisfied with my focusing until I got a precision focuser with a readout. The readout makes it possible to try different settings and return to the one you thought was best in a very precise manner. It seemed to improve my imaging quite a bit. I bought the Optec model, but Vandyke and others make precise units as well.


Kirk

Hello,


Awesome images.


Kirk

Hello,


I took this early Monday morning. I used my Infinity 2-1M camera with Astronomik RGB filters. Did not have time to learn StreamPix yet, so I just used the free capture software that comes with the Infinity. It lets you capture at subframes down to 640x480 at 15 fps. Not optimal, but I wanted to try the camera quickly. I also captured each AVI for 90 seconds because of the slow frame rate. This is probably too long, so hopefully with ROI in StreamPix I can improve.

I processed the AVIs and realized I had captured clouds on Mars.

I only used the RegiStax wavelets in small amounts to keep the limb from getting too sharp and harsh. I seem to enjoy the more natural look at the expense of sharper green and blue channels.

Seeing was 6/10. Temperature 60 degrees.

Kirk

Hello,


I took this last night just as a fog layer was forming on a very warm Florida evening. Even my hair was collecting dew after only 30 minutes outside. I finally gave up after only a few videos and came back inside in the air conditioning.

Infinity 2-1M Camera, Meade 12 SCT, Astronomik RGB Filters, Lumicon filter selector, Optec TCF-S focuser, Televue 3x barlow. Each AVI was 60 seconds, and I stacked the best 1,000 frames of each color.


Kirk

Hello,


Very nice images, and I can't wait to see the animation.


Kirk

Hello,


After about a 5 month break from using my scope I finally got some free time (and good weather) this weekend. I took this with a Infinity 2-1 camera, Meade 12 SCT, RGB filters, and a Televue 2x barlow. Seeing was very good.


Kirk

Hello Mike,


This is a recent picture I took of Tycho. I believe
the formation that you mentioned is at the
4 o'clock position in my photo. Lighting is different
than yours.


Kirk