Deep Sky Stacker

[ASTROMONK (David)]

I am new to this so if I mess up please be gentle with me!
I just bought a Starlight Xpress M26C single shot colour ccd camera, and would appreciate some advice on its use with DSS.
I save the images in separate R G B files from Nebulosity acqisition and camera control software (Stark labs), then attempt to stack them in Deep Sky Stacker.
This works just fine, EXCEPT that the resulting image appears as a MONOCHROME image.
How do I get to show colour??
Appreciate any help...

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

Dont seperate into RGB files, just leave them as raw. DSS will de-bayer them correctly itself.

DSS does not know how to combine seperate R, G and B files.

[alistairsam]

Hi,

I have the same result even though i just use raw lights and darks using a canon dslr.
I have to adjust curves and levels to get the colour and contrast right.
but i didnt use flats or bias frames. would it make a difference? just starting with DSS.

[ASTROMONK (David)]

Thanks for replies....I have found the following by experiment;
If I save the files, using Nebulosity software , as separate stacks of R, G, B , then use DSS to stack them and combine into a single TIFF file - Photoshop will pick this up and display as a colour image.
I have to use separate R G B files because once they are combined it is not possible to remove the hot pixels. (Terry Platt) So I remove the hot pixels using AstroArt median filter. I suspect other software will do just as well.

[ASTROMONK (David)]

Trevor..

Not too sure what is meant by RAW files. I can only save them as Maxim FITS or separate R G B FITS,files using Nebulosity.
I dont get on with the SX software. The only other camera control software I could use with this camera is Maxim, but only the latest version has the correct driver for the M25C.

[tlgerdes (Trevor)]

See attached picture, this works for QHY OSC cameras

[ASTROMONK (David)]

Trevor,

What camera control software are you using? Nebulosity?
So far as I can find out, including corresponding with Terry Platt, the M26C does not produce RAW files...

[TheDecepticon]

A .fit image is a raw file. Save your files as fit images(MaxIm) from Nebulosity. In DSS towards the botom on the left hand side should be a tab that can be set up like this

http://deepskystacker.wikispaces.com...ck+QHY8+images

except you will need to select your camera, not a QHY8(although, does the M25c use the same chip as a QHY8??). If it isnt there you could try the generec setting.

Then add your darks, lights, and flats or whatever you have and set your stacking parameters and it should spit out a colour image.

[ASTROMONK (David)]

Thanks for that....my fuzzy old mind is somewhat clearer now!
The Sony chip in the M26C is not the same as the QHY8 camera, but according to Terry Platt (SX) the generic RGGB works ok.
With long exposures (20 minutes) I am getting some hot pixels which need to be removed. Currently I have to interrogate each frame individually with AstroArt to remove these, then stack and combine. I then find the colour balance is out......whereas combining a single R G B frame keeps the colour balance ok. Is there a quicker way?
One step forward, two steps back!

[ASTROMONK (David)]

A big THANK YOU to all who helped put me on the path to good imaging.
Don't suppose you could send some clear skies from downunder...??

[TheDecepticon]

I still don't believe that you need to split into separate RGB's and do your hot pixel removal.
I would leave them as is and put them into DSS with my dark, bias and flat frames and select the hot pixel removal from the stacking menu and see how they come out. I would be surprised if there was too much difference.
Dark frames should help remove hot pixels, as well as a bad pixel map or dithering your mount while imaging.
It doesn't need to be that hard.