This is a test. For the next 30 seconds this station will broadcast...

[LewisM]

...nothing but a test.

This was taken last night in near full mooon with the new-to-me FSQ-106EDXIII with the repaired SX OSC CCD all on the Vixen SXP. Hand focused. Just about 2 hrs total - I didn't even go through the FITS to reject any, so it does have some bloated stars from when I forgot to refocus (was warming my butt up inside! :lol)

Seemed to work.


This is merely scaled down straight out of PI BatchPreprocess with just a DBE.

Yup, system seems to check all the test boxes. Now to go image something in earnest :)

Below is a carpy 66% reduced JPEG. After I process the original, I may post it :P

Now quasi-processed and done with VNG this time :lol: :https://www.astrobin.com/full/352941/0/

[multiweb]

Success! :thumbsup: Looks very good. Have you tried to barlow the FSQ? You could narrow the fov around M20 if that's what you were imaging.

[Ryderscope]

You have an excellent base line to work from there Lewis. I like the way you’ve also grabbed a little bit of the lagoon as well.

[willik]

A good start Lewis looks good.
Martin:question:

[strongmanmike]

Worth the cold :thumbsup:

Mike

[LewisM]

I just checked my workflow, and I had still selected SuperPixel (binning basically) combine, so hence the blocky stars - gives better colour for small sub amounts though. Switching back to VNG combine and see how that looks (preserves the original data 1:1)

Thanks for the comments, even if it is...just a test...

[LewisM]

Purely accidental - was aiming to centre M20, but i landed there and was happy enough seeing it wasn't a legit image run.

I literally played "eenie meenie minee mo" trying to decide on a test target. Was this or Eta Carinas, but thought to check how well it all behaved close to the fullish moon. Overall, I am very happy.

Flats were fun though...0.8sec exposures on my minimum lightbox setting got me around 18000 with this camera.

[LewisM]

Yeah, it hit -4° again...went in side to thaw my butt and other bits, and that's when I lost perfect focus...then it went back to -1.7° for a couple hours so had to refocus yet AGAIN! Finally, when it started going downhill past -2° again I packed it up :lol:

I set the cam at setpoint -20°, but it insisted on sitting at -23° at 15% power...says a lot :D

[gregbradley]

You're off to a flying start.

Greg.

[Atmos]

Great test image Lewis, what is going to be the first target you hit? 20 hours of moonless skies on a big dusty region? :P

[LewisM]

You made me scratch my chin like an emoji Colin...

I have a dream...oh hang on, someone already said that.

I have an idea...for a change

[cometcatcher]

I know this was just a test..... but.... couldn't you have panned right just a little? :P

[LewisM]

Nah... I set it and walked away for 2 hours lol. Didn't even bother repositioning M20 centre (my polar alignment was out a touch, so it wasn't bang on)

Came back, said yeah, that'll do, and brought it inside.