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There’s not one hard and fast rule with Mono and you will get different experiences and opinions from Mono imagers.
I used the 2600MC for just over 3 years and took the plunge into Mono ( 2600MM ) nearly 2 years ago , glad I did , my images have so much more detail and fidelity but you have to work for it.
This is what I do at both imaging sites Sydney B8 skies and South Coast NSW B3 skies.
I use Startools for post processing so my channels can be adjusted for weightings manually , either broadband or narrowband. ST can even provide missing channels like luminance ( Synthetic Luminance from the RGB ) if you fall short capturing it.
Anyway with any session I always capture the same exposure lengths for each channel , broadband LRGB or SHO narrowband.
If you want to add RGB stars to Narrowband images ( I don’t bother ) you can capture short exposures like 15 sec RGB say 20 to 30 mins worth each channel.
For LRGB broadband I use the following rough ratios in relation to total exposure time with all subs the same exposure time.
3:1:1:1 or 2:1:1:1
Both have worked well
For HaLRGB images of emission nebula I just gather my LRGB as usual and capture a few hours of Ha ( 2min to 3min subs )
In simple terms , Luminance is your main detail and RGB is your colour and some detail.
Don’t be too obsessed about gathering exact totals , I often have different RGB totals
If you have a look at some of my posts in Deep Sky Images , I detail my whole capture from A to Z including number and length of subs.
Most importantly don’t think that Mono is a short cut from OSC , you still have to get as much data as possible to improve SNR and get the most out of your camera. The more the better especially under light polluted skies.
Most of my OSC sessions over the years were 1 night to 2 nights max. With Mono it’s taking up to 5 nights to gather my data, sometimes more.
Hope the above is helpful
Other Mono folk will probably have different advice or experiences. Each camera , rig , location and target will require slightly different approaches.
Good luck !!
Cheers
Martin
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