Have you got some sort of optical issue? Stars in lower right look pretty round, but moving diagonally up to left corner they are quite elongated. Maybe the camera isn't square??? I'm probably not pointing out anything new but I'm curious as to the cause. (this comment is for Thors H.) Picture 2 shows better stars in lower left...perhaps you flipped that image?)
Have you got some sort of optical issue? Stars in lower right look pretty round, but moving diagonally up to left corner they are quite elongated. Maybe the camera isn't square??? I'm probably not pointing out anything new but I'm curious as to the cause. (this comment is for Thors H.) Picture 2 shows better stars in lower left...perhaps you flipped that image?)
Peter
Hi Peter thanks for the constructive feedback, yes thors is flipped the others are 'normal'. I've got a lot of bugs to work through, I think i have tilt from the rcc1 not being easy to use with the system- I plan on buying an extender to the moonlite so I can bring the rcc1 collar right to the edge of the focuser.
Still a way to go but I couldn't get a sub this long 2 days before this from firmware issues. Been troubleshooting flat out!! More to go!!
edit: just saw the pics on my work computer and a real monitor - stars are worse than I thought! (I process on the tv).
Cheers
Rusty
Last edited by rustigsmed; 21-12-2015 at 09:00 AM.
Looking very good there. I would also agree there is a tilt issue.
First step to handle tilt is to work out the orientation of your image with respect to your camera. For example my Honders scope the image is reversed left and right as well as top and bottom thanks to 2 mirrors and a corrector lens.
I use a dimmed torch (a tissue over a dull torch) use a focusing exposure with a delay so I have time to get in front of the scope. I shine the torch briefly either top or bottom of the end of the scope. I then look at the resulting image and not where the bright side of the image is - the same or reversed? Now I know the top of the scope is the bottom of the image (or vice versa). I repeat for left and right. Now I know which corner of the image relates to which corner of the camera.
In your image the tilt is the top left. Chances are this is the bottom right of your camera or bottom left.
Pack out only that corner. Take another focus image and concentrate on the shape of the stars in that corner. Are they better or worse? Take it from there until all 4 corners show round and sharp stars.
Tilt often makes one side or corner look soft in focus with larger bloated stars as well.
I am not sure if collimation errors can also get confused in here. So hopefully your collimation is fairly accurate.
I also use CCDinspector as a tool to confirm the problem especially when you are close to fixing the tilt but a little bit remains.
It may sound daunting but if orient first it may only take 15 to 30 minutes (yeah right).
The shimming required usually is a small amount like .2mm. Spark plug feeler gauges are great and cheap or buy some brass shimming sheets from a steel supplier and use scissors to cut little strips you can insert between your corrector and where it attaches in the offending corner(s).
What can make this difficult is flex. So you can correct it for one angle of the scope and then when you image it shifts at a different angle of the scope. So make sure all your adapters and attachments are seated squarely and nice and snugged up.
buut i will add more data to all of them, it was just good to finally produce something!
