Using registax 6

[Chif]

Hey guys,

I'm using my dob and holding a camera up to the eyepiece to take pics of the moon. I'd like to practice processing the pictures to ensure its something that I can do ok before I start spending money on some better equipment.

Anyway, as this process leaves me with the moon in different areas of the frame, when I put the pics into registax and let it do its thing, it doesn't align properly.

I'm just wondering if there's a way around it? I did watch a video where a guy manually added alignment points, but that was in version 5.5 not 6. It seems to be set up different in 6.

Any help or recommendations would be appreciated.


Cheers,
Andrew

[EricB]

Hi Andrew!

This is the procedure I follow (rightly or wrongly) on Registax 6. It seems to work for me.

1. In Registax 6, select your video clip by clicking on the SELECT button in the top left corner of the screen (Photo 1).

2. Once the first frame of your clip appear on the view window, tick the ALIGN DATA box. My standard setting are per Photo 2.

3. At the bottom left hand side of the screen, select the best frame by going through the GO TO FRAME counter.

4. Click on the SET ALIGNMENT tab.

6. Click on the ALIGN tab. The alignment process can take some time depending on the size of your video.

6. Once the alignment is done, you get a series of yellow star-shaped patterns which show your the deviation from your set alignment points. If you use the GO TO FRAME counter to go to frame #2, you will see yellow circles and green lines going from each circle which tell you the alignment shift.

7. Using the GO TO FRAME counter, browse through your frames to select the one where only yellow circles appear and the green lines have disappeared.

8. One you have find that frame, click on the LIMIT tab (my standard settings as per photo 8)

9. Click on the STACK tab. This can take some time depending on the size of your video.

10. After stacking, the wavelet tab goes from grey to green, which means that you can click on it.

11. Apply wavelets as appropriate (photo #10 shows settings appropriate to the AVI I have processed).

If processing doesn't work in Registax, you can try Autostakkert 2 or AviStack 2.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you go.

Eric


PS I don't really have a technical knowledge of Registax. So I am not able to comment on the process itself as such.

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[EricB]

Here are the last 3 screenshots I couldn't fit in my previous message.

Eric

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[Chif]

Thanks so much Eric. I tried that again with some pictures of the sun I took today. The issue is that the alignment points were setting themselves in the black area of the photo, not on the actual sun.

So I set my own (only did 10 or so points), then went through the rest of the steps. Only issue there was that when I selected the frame that had no deviations from the alignment points, I only ended up with one frame to stack. Do you know what my issue there might be?


I'll try again once I get some better pictures of the moon, as the better alignment points might make all the difference.

I'm gonna have to get myself a camera adapter for my scope or use a webcam or something, as I'm just taking pictures trying to hold the camera steady.

[EricB]

Hi Chif. If your camera is hand-held, there could be too much movement for A6 to be able to align the frames properly.

Why don't you try Autosatkkert 2, it's a 3 step process. It's available for free, just gooigle the name.

In any case, you should steady your camera by getting an adaptor.

Cheers,

Eric

PS Just a reminder that you need an appropriate filter to image the sun.

[Chif]

ah, i'll try using that program then. I'll get some more pictures tonight and give that a go :).

I'll definatlely get an adapter. Processing these images has been fun, so I have no doubt that I'll enjoy getting further into this.

Ah I didn't even think about a filter. I've just got myself some solar film. So I need to get a filter that goes on the eye piece? I have a planetary filter, but I'm guessing that won't do?

[EricB]

It's great that you are enjoying processing despite of your issues.

Re solar imaging, I am not the right one to advise you as I have never imaged the sun. Members better qualified than me hopefully will.

Cheers,

Eric

[Chif]

No worries, thanks for your help :)