My first prime focus image of the moon

[Striker]

I promised I would post my first ever picture no matter how bad it is....so here it is.

I started on the easiest object the Moon.

I really need to do some more homework on registax and k3ccdtools.

This was done last night on my Orion 80mmED with the toucam obviously unguided.

I'm not that happy with it but I will improve as I go...I will have another go tonight.

Any suggestion would be much appreciated.

[iceman]

Good start, it's just too overexposed. You need to use a shorter exposure time - what settings were you using with this one?

Excellent first effort Tony! This is with the ED80 on the EQ6?

Apart from being overexposed there's really nothign wrong with it, focus looks good!

[Striker]

Mike....

From memory
My settings were as followed:

Brightness 50%
Saturation 50%
Gain 0%

10fps for around 30 seconds

I found that what I could see on my preview screen was about the same as the finish product....so if I started with a dull image my final image was dull.....

I will try a heap of different exposure times and settings tonight.

I am only using the wizard until I understand the software a little better.

[iceman]

10fps is fine, but what about shutter speed?
1/100s? 1/500s?

You need to change that shutter speed to get the exposure correct. You don't want to see any washed out areas on your screen.

Use the histogram bar on the left while getting settings right (befoer you start recording) and make sure it doesn't sit at 255 (white) all the time.. it means you're overexposing.

For Saturation, I have mine at 95% but when capturing the moon it's ignored because I check the box "Black & white".

[beren]

Well done Tony , what a thrill hey ...keep going Mars is coming

[h0ughy]

whatis that song ..."i'm on my way from mysery to happiness....."

well done, you'll get there!

[Striker]

Mike
My shutter speed was less then 1/100 I think....maybe 1/55 sounds familiar.....Like I said last night was my first night with the software...I will have a go at what you said and look more particular to the settings I use.

Do you still use the K3ccdtool wizard.

registax has heaps of lingo and settings I dont have a clue what it all means.....I will learn with time.

[ving]

nice one tony. thats a great start! :)

[[1ponders]]

Great start Tony. With the moon you can go down to at least 1/500 sec or faster when you've got plenty of light to work with. Once you've set your exposure then play around with the brighness and gain, gain is usually pretty low. By the look of your image you may have set the contrast too high and adjusted the brightness to make up for it. Zip the Avi and email it to me. I'll have a play with it in registax and send you back the settings so you have some idea of the processing settings for a half moon.

Glad to see you're having a go.

[gbeal]

Nice one Tony, it is by far and away better than my first attempt, but then again digital wasn't around then.
Take Paul up on his offer, and once you get some benchmark settings try various scenarios from there.

[[1ponders]]

Maybe if I can get the opportunity tonight I'll pop out and do a couple of runs and send you the settings I use.

[atalas]

Well done Tony!


Louie

[xrekcor]

Great Shot! Tony

good start anyways!! look forward to more

regards

[Striker]

Ok I had a play around with some more moon shots tonight....there is a fair bit of improvement thanks to Mike and Paul....thanks boys.

I did both the imaging and stacking through K3ccdtools only.
The first pic is with the orion 80ED for comparison to last nights...the rest were done with the C11 and 6.3 Focal reducer.

1/1000 to 1/1500 exposure was used with 5 FPS
gain 0%
Brightness varied from 50%-70%
Contrast was 50%
Gama 50%

This imaging is so much fun.

[h0ughy]

Tony, the last shot looks like a pinnical golf ball.LOL.
they are excellent shots!!!

[davidpretorius]

top stuff, can't ait to join you

[davidpretorius]

wait that is not eat or ait!!!!

[Striker]

Yeah I know....probably one of mine I lost on Sanctury Cove Golf Couarse just 2 weeks ago.....lol

Yeah I am really happy with these for my second night out....I still need more education towards the software....ATM the wizard is doing everything for me.

[ballaratdragons]

Toe-nails,

I was going to ask why you are not doing pics with your new 20 trillion dollar C11 and PRESTO! You stuck some in here.

Be proud of those shots!!! They are excellent!

[beren]

Very nice Tony , luv the second shot ...just because thats one of my favourite regions of the lunar surface , get that coffee machine in the Ob and keep the images rolling well done

[[1ponders]]

Excellent Tony, excellent. You're on your way :thumbsup:

Remember; "Practice Makes Perfect" so you'd better break the bad news to your wife, you'll br moving into the new "shed"

[Striker]

Nah Paul...I have mastered it...time to sell all the equipment and move on.....lol

Seriously...its so much fun doing images...even more then I expected.....but I realise I have got heaps to learn.

[Astroman]

Nice shots Tony well done, have you looked at the PE of the EQ6 yet and was it better with the synscan unit? Your images are looking very crisp and sharp well done.

[Striker]

No Andrew......I dont understand all that PE and Backlash fully so David(Westsky) is going to help me.

The Dec seems good but the RA is not functioning aswell as it should.

[[1ponders]]

Tony, you can do a PE check using K3 V2. In the Drift Explorer window , center top is an icon that will log your drive performance. You can then export it to Excel and convert it to a chart. Here's the process.
Periodic error measuring:

The procedure is very simple:

1, Set the appropriate sampling interval (e.g. 500ms)

2, Target the required star

3, Press the Log to File button

4, Wait about 10-20 minutes

5, Close the logged file by pressing Log to File button again

6, Import the logged file into Excel program and create the required graphs

To find out where the log files are stored or to set the directory to store them look in the sttings dialogue box under guiding (You know the toolbar button that looks like a hammer, screwdriver and spanner. See image

[Striker]

Thanks Paul...the problem is I dont have K3 version 2....

My source didn't work out...wink wink..

[Sausageman]

I was in Strikers observatory today, I'm sure I saw the coffee machine there.
I will have to check the pics I took.
I got to see his original pics, they all looked great to me, but I didn't have my glasses on. :rofl:
Sorry Tony, just having a dig from envy....

Mike

[Striker]

I took a few more Moon shots last night.....with the C11

Whats wrong with this picture.....should their be that dark shadow section in that area on this pic.

[h0ughy]

it is the different volcanic soils of the moon :2thumbs: nice shot

[[1ponders]]

Gees Tony do you have any idea how long people hunt and image to try and get a shot of that clarity of luna pyroclastic flows. :eyepop: The mans' a natural.

[atalas]

Holy cow ! :eyepop: :2thumbs: yeah thats a bad shot there Tony ,

well done again champ.


Louie :thumbsup:

[Sausageman]

Hey Tony,
It might have been cloud cover :rofl:
Great shot Buddy.

Mike

[[1ponders]]

Tony, check out pages 58 and 59 of the latest AS&T on "Explosive Evidence on the Moon". Its a good article on just what you've imaged.

[ballaratdragons]

Tony,

Keep up at that quality and you might even find the tyres marks from the Lunar Rover!!!!!! LOL

Have you zoomed right into any detail in Photoshop (or whatever program you use). It would be interesting to see how far in you can go before losing the detail.

[Sausageman]

Hey Tony,
Don't forget to get up early and have a crack at Mars.
You can do it.
Better turn the fish tank heater up a notch too.
It was so cold here this morning, I could have stored Hypered film outside. LOL. I even saw a dog stuck to a tree. :rofl:
I think I need an Ice filter, any for sale out there. :rofl:

Mike

[Striker]

Mars......I'm asleep by then....Someone so beautiful like myself needs their beauty sleep.....lol

I will give it a go tonight Ken...but I dont think I can go much further without loosing heaps of detail with my knowledge anyway..maybe in the future once I understand the software.

[seeker372011]

great work Tony, and that too in such a short space of time...

look forward to your planetary images next

[Striker]

Boy this fun.....Moon mania....my first Mosaic off 4 shots done with Autostich...just an hour ago.

Sorry Mike...its a little big...forgive me....102KB

Plus a single shot a little closer just for Ken.

[h0ughy]

your getting very clever!!! :2thumbs:

[iceman]

Another great couple of shots Tony, you're mastering this very quickly. Nice job.