I was an Idiot! (Sigh)

[Andy01]

I feel sick and stupid - lost the lot from last night's amazing dark sky imaging session ...and it was freezing, but the skies were so clear!

Somehow I forgot to change back from binx3 test mode to binx1 mode when I was shooting on the SBIG 8300 OSC.

I now have 3 1/2 hrs of small, bright perfect bw pix of M20, no colour :sadeyes: no words to describe how stupid I feel .... Aaaaaarrrrrggggg! :shrug:

There's no way to rescue anything from this is there?

I'm going to make myself a checklist now, (sigh).

Andy

[alpal]

Hi Andy,
I always check the previous picture for variables like FWHM to check my focus.
That way I can also see if I have stuffed something else up as well.
Don't worry - I took hours of the Tarantula once which was out of focus.
I never happened again.

I learnt my lesson & now check every frame while the next one is being taken.
Think about it - you have time to do that while waiting on the next exposure.

cheers
Allan

[LewisM]

What Allan said x 2.

I won't do automation - takes half the enjoyment out of it for me - so I sit and usually watch every single frame for at least the first 2 hours. Then, if focus seems stable (using a doublet up til now, focus shift hasn't been of major concern), have a nap, with the alarm set to check the rig every 2 hours.

Yes, I did once do a few shots that were inadvertently binned. I also have made the mistake before of accumulative/additive subs - a Starlight Xpress software feature - that combines each additional frame to the first (GREAT, if you are perfectly polar aligned and don't set dither etc!)

[Andy01]

Thanks Alpal & Lewis, good advice!

Good to know I'm not the only one that has had bad luck happen, but I'm now considering this was just a costly, time consuming lesson learned - time to move on, back on the horse, giddyup! :):astron:

Cheers

Andy

[ZeroID]

I reckon we've ALL done something similar before , ... but we won't admit it !! :rolleyes:

[codemonkey]

Nope, not me ;-)

[Peter.M]

Left the Bhat mask on the scope. Everyones done it.

[LewisM]

Ah yes, the old Leave the Bahtinov on the scope trick... (said in a Maxwell Smart voice)

[stevous67]

With automation, if tried and tested, you make no mistake, and is equally rewarding. And you can still watch the data flow in if one likes. Only the clouds stuff us all up.

Sorry to hear Andy. Hopefully a once off boo boo.

Steve

[Octane]

Andy,

I've done the binning mistake before, too! annoying++;

As for automation: I also love attended imaging, but, with competing demands on my time (married life) extra brownie points are given for being inside. :P

The end goal is to collect data to process. In my opinion, whether you're there or not while it's capturing it, is immaterial. Automation is the bomb. :)

H

[LewisM]

Lazy :) :P :D

The only thing I automate is guiding and capture :) I think I relish getting away from the family for those short times too (SHHHH, she may be listening!)

Besides, if you are out there with it all, you get to see the other wonders - meteors :astron:, strange lights :ship1: (Swamp gas, yes.. swamp gas), naked neighbours at 3 am making spanking sounds...:evil2:

[Octane]

lol swamp gas.

Don't get me wrong, I love being outside next to my gear watching the guidestar in MaxIm DL and inspecting each image as it downloads. It's fun! I also like getting away from inside, too. But, I've spent far too much time outside recently. :P

H

[ZeroID]

Yeah, .... Right ! ;)

[Andy01]

Nice to know I'm not alone :lol:



Be assured Steve, that's one mistake I'll never make again :thumbsup:



H, I hear you, and my bed was calling - I had to be back in Melbourne by 8.30am, so at 1am I was ready to hit the sack.. and it was -2 outside! :eyepop:



Lewis, you crack me up :lol: Funny thing was, I was also doing visual alongside my mate and his 8" SCT while the AP was in progress. Spotted a whole bunch of galaxies, nebs and other stuff that I rarely see by eye. But eventually bailed out to bed as it was so very cold, and I had to get back up in 5 hrs to drive home. :screwy:

Next time eh? :)

Andy

[Camelopardalis]

Wow, thought I had adventurous neighbours, but at least they do it indoors :lol:

If it's any consolation Andy, I just travelled 1000+ km to astro fest and got there to realise I'd left the spreader plate for my tripod at home :rolleyes: