AIP4WIN 2.0 and deconvolution question

justDon (Don) · #1 05-09-2009, 05:50 AM

Hello all, first post, been lurking for a couple of years on and off.
Is anyone using AIP4WIN to deconvolve planetary images? I'm capturing using a Philips SPC900NC through 2x or 3x barlows, CPC 800 OTA on a first generation Orion Atlas EQ (HEQ6) mount. My processing flow is capture (Jupiter right now, though it is quite low here at no greater than 37¤ alt), convert frames to bmp, ppmcentre to crop and center, split into RGB, stack and wavelet process in Registax v5, save as .TIF, and recombine in Photoshop CS2. I can see the potential detail there, but I'm no Damian Peach or Don Parker-yet.
So, since right now I can't afford AstraImage or other dedicated sw for deconvolution and have AIP4WIN, I was wondering of any experiences and suggestions.
Thanks,
Don Carter

Alchemy (Clive) · #2 05-09-2009, 06:48 AM

i dont use it for planetary but i do use it for deep sky,

for neb curtains and such i use van chittert, .... select point spread function initially using stars ( i use 2.4 all the time now) up to 40 itterations , note this destroys stars but they can be pasted back in from original.

to tighten poorly focused stars, lucy Richardson, same PSF but about 100 itterations, this helps stars but not other high contrast objects, so i use Van for contrasting stuff and LR for stars and a bit of manipulating in photoshop to bring together the components of each.

as for how to in Planetary , i would try the VC do several runs varying the PSF and do about 16 itterations and see what happens.... use a small image 300 x300 pixels to evaluate the response.

clive

justDon (Don) · #3 05-09-2009, 11:31 AM

Thanks Clive, I'm truly appreciating the starting point- until the CGE 11 and other upgraded equipment arrives I'm having to stick to planetary only photographically (the old Atlas has severe play in the DEC shaft, I hacked up the tripod and put the head on the 12" pier) and am centering and cropping to 400 x 400 px- definately speeds up the processing. I'm off to drift align and colimate, Clear Sky clock says I have a 5/5 seeing at 0100 local, 0500 UTC... Hopefully I will have something worthy of posting tomorrow.
Don

justDon (Don) · #4 09-09-2009, 07:53 AM

OK, getting nice blurry pics, a few bands on Jupiter. This is like hearing Dutch being spoken, I can almost get it but not quite. I'm getting a nice overexposed blob dead center, some shape but no detail on the equatorial bands N and S, seeing isn't perfect but I think I'm getting decent and not great data- the only equipment issue is the rough focuser on the CPC 800 OTA, the rest is my inexperience in processing. SPC900NC and the Orion 3x barlow seem a good combination, I will get a Televue barlow and a couple powermates to rule out the one weak part of the imaging train...

justDon justVenting, clouds broke today so back to it again!