Astronomers Curse!

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #1 08-10-2007, 01:08 AM

Bloomin' Typical!!!!

A nice day, I get all set up for a night of trying to sort out the DSI with new instructions and as soon as the sun goes down, the fog rolls in!

The fog settles around 9:30pm and I can finally see Octans (sort of) to do a GoTo alignment. Find the 1st star, but couldn't find the 2nd. Go outside and it's getting cloudy!

I wait over an hour for a gap so I can start the alignment again. At least this time I made it to the 3rd star before it clouded over again.

About another hour later it cleared up a bit, so I started imaging NGC253 Sculptor galaxy. It was nicely in the image window, until the image finished. It wasn't there.

I looked outside and it was total cloud again! I stood outside for about half an hour waiting for the cloud to break but Big thick Black Clouds eventually filled the whole sky, and slight drizzle.

As I was already set up, I used the time to make a set of darks for future use.
Then I packed up. Man, it was thick black cloud!!!!!

I just went outside for a smoke, and yep . . . you guessed it!
A beautiful clear sky from Horizon to Horizon!!!!!!!

Agghhh, ya gotta laugh!

h0ughy (David) · #2 08-10-2007, 07:19 AM

you must have needed the exercise Ken!!

mlcolbert · #3 08-10-2007, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

Bloomin' Typical!!!!

Agghhh, ya gotta laugh!

nah, you've just got to move out of Victoria!

and before you say anything, I was born there and spent too many years growing up there!

michael

§AB · #4 08-10-2007, 09:47 AM

classic! except last night my sky didn't clear at all

he doesn't need to leave Vic, just needs to set up shop along the Murray somewhere!

Ric · #5 08-10-2007, 10:03 AM

I know exactly what you mean Ken, exactly the same here last night. I only just thought about setting up and the clouds rolled in.

Today it is clearing perfectly but my back is going out again (old worn disc) so there is no way I'm going to be able to set up the 12" tonight. This is where an Obs would be so handy.

Yes for me, there are two Astro curses.

Hope you have a better night tonight

xelasnave · #6 08-10-2007, 10:16 AM

Take up cloud photography that should see them disappear.
As usual with the dark nights near it rained here most of the night...its all Al Gores fault and his mate Al Meanio... still the rain is washing away all the smoke from the fires.
alex

Ric · #7 08-10-2007, 10:22 AM

That's another one of my curses as well Alex, bushfires, theres always some so & so who has to light one and ruin the the next few nights as well as being called out on RFS duties.

Cheers

mlcolbert · #8 08-10-2007, 06:30 PM

speaking of curses, another to add to the list.

When we were living near Wagga you could go out at night and be back inside inside of 30 mins. Reason....allergies

michael

Lee · #9 08-10-2007, 07:16 PM

Yep - lost count how many times it happened to me last year - so I took a break and built the obs! Guess what - first new moon, cloudy!

astro_nutt · #10 08-10-2007, 09:22 PM

Yep..tried to do some viewing..set up..duck inside for a cuppa..back outside..it's gone cloudy!!..and I'm thinking who brought a new scope today!!..LOL!!!...always next time!!!
Cheers!

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #11 08-10-2007, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ric

Hope you have a better night tonight

Nope Ric.

The DSI won't work at all!!!!!!!!!!

I am mentally drained and at the end of my temper. 10.5 hours I have been at it trying to get it to work! I started this at 10am this morning

I have re-installed the program over 5 times, re-loaded the camera twice, and yet nothing seems to work.

I test the camera in Windows Hardware device manager and it says the camera is still 'not functioning'.

I test the USB hub and it says it is working, so it isn't the hub.

But every time I re-start I get the message 'Usb device is not working. Windows has detected that a device is malfunctioning'.

Nothing has changed. I unplugged it like usual last night, then plugged it back in this morning like usual

Even in the exact same USB slots like I was warned to do.

This is supposed to be the camera that says 'Great pics first night out' isn't it? I have had nothing but grief with it the whole time.

Man, I am tired, and about to throw everything in the dam. Breath deep, count to ten

xelasnave · #12 08-10-2007, 11:07 PM

Hide the axe.
alex

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #13 08-10-2007, 11:36 PM

Wooo-Hooooo

All fixed.

Had Darren helping me via skype for the last hour. It was a dicky USB cable after all that!!

OK, i'm going out there while the sky is nice and clear for a change.

Still gotta work out how to image with this thing, but at least it's working again

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #14 09-10-2007, 02:04 AM

Here it is 2:00am and I'm still taking Darks!

Once they are all done, I'll do the lights. Trying for Tarantula

I might be finished for 4:00am

xelasnave · #15 09-10-2007, 12:04 PM

Great news Ken...

:thumbsup :
alex

leon · #16 09-10-2007, 03:13 PM

Yep Ken it was a bugger of a night, and i had probably the same sort of cloud problems and nearly did exactly what you did, look, wait, push the roof back, look up again, bugger clouds, wait again.

Packed it in, closed the roof, went to bed and got up 1.30am, crystal clear, pulled the roof back and looked up , bloody clouds.

Well you know the rest.

Leon

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #17 09-10-2007, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leon

Yep Ken it was a bugger of a night, and i had probably the same sort of cloud problems and nearly did exactly what you did, look, wait, push the roof back, look up again, bugger clouds, wait again.

Packed it in, closed the roof, went to bed and got up 1.30am, crystal clear, pulled the roof back and looked up , bloody clouds.

Well you know the rest.

Leon

Last night was absolute magic here, Leon. I still had major problems imaging though.

The first 3 star alignment was miles out. The second was the same. I went and checked my polar alignment and it had shifted 2 degrees in latitude

I think the warmer weather (well, a few degrees warmer) is slightly moving my cubby observatory. The Tripod is sitting directly on the wooden floor, not on the ground or a pier.

After polar aligning all my GoTo's were perfect again.

Then the show began. I followed the directions Karl gave.

After putting the settings in, the DSI and Envisage happily went ahead and did its thing. After about an hour of taking darks, it was time for the lights.

After another hour I had a finished product.

50 darks and one light

and they didn't even 'save' anywhere, except the one light.

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #18 09-10-2007, 06:56 PM

OK, could someone please help.

I followed Karls advice exactly, but I ended up with only one 'light' image.

I did as he said with all the settings (except I couldn't find the boxes 'single image' and 'Web Mode') and took the darks. Envisage took 50 darks for me ranging from 1 second to 60 seconds. I even named them 'NGC 2070 Darks'. When they had finished the window popped open that says 'Uncover you Scope'. I did that.

Then I clicked start. The name in the 'Name' box changed to 'Deep Sky'.

It happily took lights until I got to 10 images (was only a trial so I didn't need 50 images) then I clicked 'Stop'.

Now this is where I need help. After I click 'Stop', what do I do then? Where did the stacked images go? I left it as default: C\Meade Images & C\Meade images Darks
Do I click on 'Save'? Do I click on 'What tha!'?

I have searched the whole computer and I can only find 1 saved image: Number 10 light called 'Deep Sky 2'.

The darks are gone (I even clicked on 'delete old darks' in the 'Take darks' setting) and the combined 10 images are gone (I clicked on 'Combine'). I also clicked on 'Sub Darks' to subtract the darks!

Where have I gone wrong?

Lee · #19 09-10-2007, 07:32 PM

When I was using mine - all the sub images were in the default folder - fits files, and the final combined one.

A hint - if you are going to take say 30 second lights - you can set the dark capturing to only take 30sec darks, saves heaps of time sitting around with the lens cap on!
I don't have a working windoze pc at present to check exactly what to do sorry.....

Ric · #20 09-10-2007, 07:36 PM

Hi Ken, you have to create the folders yourself the Meade software does not create it for you.
In your "c" drive file directory create a new folder and name it "Meade Images" then open that folder and create another folder and call it "Darks". In Envisage click on settings then then browse button and point to the new folders you have created.

Hope this helps and I'm happy that you have sorted out your major problem, I wish that I lived a lot closer so that I could drop in and help you sort it out in front of the computer as they say.

Cheers