Antares

[LKD (Luke)]

First RGB with QHY600M, mainly been shooting narrowband since getting the camera. One of the few star fields I know that RGB really shines. 15x300sec subs per RGB only. Only processing is curves in PS and starnet + Pix morp to reduce stars a bit. Needs work and more integration time, and more refined image processing but has potential, Tak 105FSQ . Taken from the dark skies of Warwick airfield, QLD. Need to do some shorter subs to try and get some detail around Antares etc. Hope to capture the field with my RCAT in the next few days.

[JA]

That a wonderful image. The darkness shows

Best
JA

[astronobob (Bob)]

Nice colours LKD, Close up & personal, rekon the RCat would give a more appropriate wider field, just my opinion tho.
Going well for a 1st RGB tho, I never took on mono, so, good stuff there

[DarkArts]

Fantastic image! The nebulosity and M4 globular both look really cool.

If you're intent on doing even better, I'd personally love to see the colour difference between Antares and Alniyat (Sigma Scorpii) brought out a bit more - red giant vs blue giant.

[LKD (Luke)]

Originally Posted by astronobob

Nice colours LKD, Close up & personal, rekon the RCat would give a more appropriate wider field, just my opinion tho.
Going well for a 1st RGB tho, I never took on mono, so, good stuff there

Couldnt agree more, It was a rush to set up at Warwick and the cirrus had been a nuisance all week so ran with what I had, in part as a test to see what I needed in terms of exposure etc. Cant wait to see what the Rcat will produce

[LKD (Luke)]

Originally Posted by DarkArts

Fantastic image! The nebulosity and M4 globular both look really cool.

If you're intent on doing even better, I'd personally love to see the colour difference between Antares and Alniyat (Sigma Scorpii) brought out a bit more - red giant vs blue giant.

Thansk for the comment, critique. I agree need to work on the saturated parts of the image.

[LKD (Luke)]

Originally Posted by JA

That a wonderful image. The darkness shows

Best
JA

Thanks for your comment

[gregbradley]

Not bad for a first use of new gear. What mode, gain and offset did you use?

It looks like too high a gain as the brighter stars are badly blown out. F5 is going to get bright quickly.

I also often use 300 seconds but basically the QHY600M boils down to:

1. Broadband use, ie. a regular colour image.

Mode 0 Gain 26 Offset 40. At gain 25 the read noise drops hence 26.

2. Narrowband images

Mode 1 Gain 56 Offset 50.

3. Objects with very bright stars or centre:

Mode 3 G 56 Offset 10

Super full well mode 3 2CMSIT (double sampling) this has 1.3 times lower read noise than the regular full well mode (mode 2). Full wells of the camera top out at 81,000 electrons in this mode which is right up there. The KAF16803 does 105,000 electrons, the KAF16200 does about 50,000 electrons so its a high level. In Broadband mode its only 20,000 electrons which isn't that flash and is more like a Sony ICX695 sensor which is similar. Super full well mode would have reduced your highlights from being blown out. Perhaps part of this blowout was processing and you stretched the image too aggressively. You may need to remove the stars and stretch the nebula and then add the stars back in later (I usually don't do that but many do and it does work if it all goes smoothly (which it may not).

I have started to shoot stars for colour with 300 seconds and broadband mode but any Ha, O111, S11 in narrowband mode above. Means 2 settings for a shoot (I often do HaLRGB). But that's just how it is with this camera.
These modes are very handy as they are not offered in the ASI version and after using the camera for a while I would not want to miss out on that functionality.

Greg.

[LKD (Luke)]

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Not bad for a first use of new gear. What mode, gain and offset did you use?

It looks like too high a gain as the brighter stars are badly blown out. F5 is going to get bright quickly.



Greg.

Hi Greg, Thanks for the comments, yes I had the gain set for narrowband, forgot to change it. I use NINA to image, and have not found anyway to set the 3 modes of the QHY600M. I assume the level of gain you set automatically set the mode on the QHY600M. Need to do more reading on this. Yes it is over processed. I have just finished a shot of the area with my Rcat which I am happier with. Again forgot to set the gain correctly. So many things to get right!

[gregbradley]

Originally Posted by LKD

Hi Greg, Thanks for the comments, yes I had the gain set for narrowband, forgot to change it. I use NINA to image, and have not found anyway to set the 3 modes of the QHY600M. I assume the level of gain you set automatically set the mode on the QHY600M. Need to do more reading on this. Yes it is over processed. I have just finished a shot of the area with my Rcat which I am happier with. Again forgot to set the gain correctly. So many things to get right!

No you have to set the gain and offset when you select a mode each time.

I use:

Broadband Mode 0 gain 26 offset 10

Narrowband Mode 1 gain 56 offset 50

I have also used Extended full well mode. There is a new one Mode 3 that would be the one to use as it has lower noise. I'd have to look up what settings I used now. I think it was Gain 26 Offset 10 again but in mode 3.
I'll have to confirm that.

That mode would be good for taming Antares or Alnitak if imaging the Horsehead or the core of Orion.

Greg.