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Old 21-06-2022, 01:04 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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ZWO asi2600mc calibration setup advice?

Hi, First sorry for picking everyone brains with all my questions lately.
I am slowly getting the hand of this new camera, I would just like to make sure i am on the right track with the way i am working things out.

So camera is the asi2600mc, I am getting great guiding tracking and i am dithering on every 3rd image.
I have been taking 180 second exposures of NGC 3372 Keyhole Nebula.
I am getting weird sort of light exposure showing up when processing in Startools when i do the wipe function.
But i did have everything included at the time, ( Light, Flats, Flat Darks, Bias )

I have since found out that all i should be doing is adding Flats and Bias frames to the stacking program ( Deepsky Stacker)

I think i have narrowed it down, with a lot of help from on here, to the flat calibration frames that i have been taking.
I use APT flats aid to do all the calibration frames. ( Astro Photography Tool V4.01)

So basically my flat frames, If i set the ADU rage in APT to 20,000ADU , I can get the range in APT to show 8,000 to 32,000 ADU, but the exposure time is 0.263 seconds

I am thinking this is way too fast and could be causing some of the issue. should i be aiming for something like 2 second exposures in the same ADU rage for these flats?

The next question is:
In Deepsky Stacker, do i simply just add the light frames, flat frames, Bias frames, click on register, then after that, just click on stack registered images? ( there is a few more steps than that, i am just referring to the very basics )

Sorry again for all the brain picking i have been doing lately on here.
It is appreciated.
Regards.
Peter.
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  #2  
Old 21-06-2022, 03:21 PM
Startrek (Martin)
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Peter,
I think only a handful of folk use DSS and Startools on this forum so I’ll be first to reply.
My flats using the 2600MC without filters are usually 0.4 to 0.5 sec but I’ve had 0.2 sec as well ( no issues at all ) If your getting 0.2 sec and you just want to expose longer just adjust either your ADU target or illumination level but I don’t see any issues with 0.2 sec ( Cloudy nights has some great posts about calibration frames for the 2600MC , it’s a very forgiving camera ) I only get 2sec and longer exposures using my L Extreme filter , sometimes up to 10 sec . You just adjust your ADU target value and or illumination level to ensure your 3 peaks RGB fall in the correct region of the histogram. ( about halfway)
I’ll attach my DSS procedures just to check you haven’t missed anything plus the prerequisites for using Startools

I know Fred ( Bassnut) uses Startools he may offer more advice plus maybe a few others , but I’ve been imaging and processing for quite a few years now with DSS and Startools without any issues ( good and bad data too )

Also I’ve added below my procedures for stacking multiple nights data in DSS
( Again I only use Flats and Bias to Calibrate my Lights )

Stacking Multiple Nights Data in DSS

Scenario 1
Camera not removed over multiple nights
( same orientation, temperature and focus )

Load frames from multiple nights Lights , Darks, Flats, Dark Flats and Bias into Main Group then Check All
Register as normal and then Stack

Scenario 1 works for multiple nights lights but 1 set of Bias and 1 set of Flats


Scenario 2A
Camera removed after 1st night and re installed 2nd night and so on....( same temperature and re focused )
Must take new Flats and Dark Flats
(Darks and Bias can be reused)

Note : Load Darks , Dark Flats and Bias where appropriate for your camera…..

Load Lights , Flats , Darks, Dark Flats and Bias from night 1 into Main Group
Load Lights, Flats, Darks, Dark Flats and Bias from night 2 into Group 1
Load Lights , Flats, Darks, Dark Flats and Bias from night 3 into Group 2 and so on ….

Now register and Stack as normal

DSS will create and save a final calibrated Stacked image file ( FTS ) plus Master Dark , MasterFlat , Master Dark Flat and Master Bias files in appropriate file folder locations

Or ………….

Scenario 2B
Load all Darks ( Darks or Bias ) from multiple nights into Main Group and Check All
Load a single Light frame from night 1 into Main Group , right click and mark it as a “Reference Frame”
Leave this frame unchecked
Now load all your Lights , Flats and or Dark Flats from night 1 into Group 1 tab and Check All ( no reference frame required)
Then load all your Lights , Flats and or Dark Flats from night 2 into Group 2 tab and Check All

Now Register as normal and Stack

DSS will create and save a final calibrated Stacked image file ( FTS ) plus Master Dark , MasterFlat , Master Dark Flat and Master Bias files in appropriate file folder locations

2B works !!!!
But you must use same Flats in Group 1 and Group 2


Hope all the information helps

Cheers
Martin
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Old 21-06-2022, 04:27 PM
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Bassnut (Fred)
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Any overlap gaps in stacking can cause havoc in Startools with auto stretching and other functions. If you have any stacking artifacts on the edges of a stack, crop them out 1st.
This is not a fault BTW, very different flux at the edges of an image makes auto anything very difficult to handle.
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Old 22-06-2022, 07:40 AM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Posts: 426
Appreciate the replies Martin and Fred.
Lots of valuable information there.
I will go back through and re read all procedures again and try some more experiments to see how they preform with the lights that i already have.
Very much appreciated.
Cheers.
Peter.
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