ATIK 4000 Questions

[Starcrazzy]

Hi Guys.

Ive just started using an ATIK 4000c and have a couple of questions.

1. For some reason, the display shows me a colour image when taking subs, but when I go to stack them they are only coming up as grey scale images.
DSS says theres no colour info there. Do i need to tell DSS to change the bayer matrix? If so, which camera is closest?

2. I see there are instructions for using the ATIK to guide with , Im thinking a shoestring will be needed to go the G11?

3. Is it possible to use the same camera to guide with WHILE its taking subs?

Any help at all would be fantastic!!!!

[Amaranthus]

You will need to debayer the final FITS in your post-processing software of choice. If you are using DSS (which uses dcraw), try the standard RGGB setting first - just play around until you get it right. Also in settings look at the 2nd tab to make sure you choose the mono FITS option correctly.

I assume your display/capture software does a temporary debayer for you, to give you an idea of what you are looking at.

[Bassnut]

No

[Amaranthus]

Not the same chip, anyway. SBIG cameras (some models) have a separate guide chip built into the camera.

[mithrandir]

With which software are you imaging? You might be able to stop it displaying in colour, but if it is getting the colour right then it is using the correct mask.

Also you have to debayer before stacking. If you don't then unless you have perfect tracking you will be stacking different colour pixels.

[RickS]

Being a little pedantic, you need to debayer before image registration. When you register the images you move them around and that destroys the correspondence between pixels and the Bayer mask.

Cheers,
Rick.

[Starcrazzy]

Thanks heaps guys.

So debayering in DSS with the standard RGB doesnt work. The image is black and white. How can I debayer before stacking? Or does DSS do this?

Im imaging with the ATIK program "artemis". It hs a colour tab, which has a few options, which defaults as colour.

[Starcrazzy]

So how do I debayer before registering in DSS?

[LewisM]

I don't think you can with DSS, but with CCDStack you can easily - just hit the create colour button and go from there, remembering to hit the apply to all button.

One tedious bit though is background neutralisation -I find even if I apply to all, it only does one, and I have to manually do the lot one by one. Thankfully, CCDStack remembers the pixel area you selected to desaturate background, and it is easy.

If you DON'T debayer OSC shots before registration, you end up with a tartan look to the stack :)