开云体育

ctrl + shift + ? for shortcuts
© 2025 Groups.io
  1. ObsessionUsers
  2. Messages
Expanded Topics Messages Polls
Date
Re: M74 10 second exposure 10 stacks with UC18 and DS10cTEC

 

Re: M74 10 second exposure 10 stacks with UC18 and DS10cTEC

 

开云体育

Steve,

?

This image was post processed with 3 programs:

?

  1. GraXpert to remove the background gradient induced by all my Bortle 7-8 light pollution from Atlanta in my west (free software).
  2. Pixinsight with 3 addins :? BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator, Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch---$$$
  3. Gimp (free)

?

The MallincamSky software (free) that controls my Mallincam camera (DS10cTEC) derotates and aligns the images as it stacks (Deep Sky stacking mode).

?

My UC18 is a rather nice light bucket combined with the Mallincam Camera and MallincamSky software really make astrophotography possible with rather short exposures.? I enjoy spending 100 seconds to capture this quality of an image (I spent about 20 minutes with the post processing).

?

My electronic focuser has temperature compensation that keeps great focus over big temperature swings.? Poor focus will kill your ability to post process—stay in focus all night long.? You need perfect focus and I use a Bahtinov mask to achieve perfect focus.? I made mine from 1/8” thick and 18” in diameter plywood with a jig saw and it fits over the secondary mirror.

?

The ServoCAT and Argo Navis combine to work with an ASCOM driver so I can remotely control my UC18 from my recliner with Stellarium.

I mounted an Eagle4S windows 10 NUC on my telescope to run the ASCOM based software that controls the telescope and accessories and wirelessly connect to my laptop (MS Remote Desktop--free) at my recliner.

?

A telescope on a deck Description automatically generated

?

?

Richard

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of classicalgman
Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2023 5:33 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ObsessionUsers] M74 10 second exposure 10 stacks with UC18 and DS10cTEC

?

WOW. Great picture.

Is that with post -processing?

You are starting to get me more interested in Astrophotography.

I'll keep watching and paying?attention for now...but maybe sooner than later!

Steve

?

On Sat, Dec 23, 2023 at 1:27?PM Richard <rmille64@...> wrote:
Re: M74 10 second exposure 10 stacks with UC18 and DS10cTEC

 

WOW. Great picture.
Is that with post -processing?
You are starting to get me more interested in Astrophotography.
I'll keep watching and paying?attention for now...but maybe sooner than later!
Steve

On Sat, Dec 23, 2023 at 1:27?PM Richard <rmille64@...> wrote:
M74 10 second exposure 10 stacks with UC18 and DS10cTEC

 

Re: Push-to with plate solving

 

开云体育

There also the eFinder. R-Pi but the camera is not attached to the R-Pi. Also, will work with goto scopes.

Bob

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Richard
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 5:49 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [ObsessionUsers] Push-to with plate solving

?

The PiFinder sounds like an interesting push-to finder with plate solving for visual observers.

Richard

Push-to with plate solving

 

The PiFinder sounds like an interesting push-to finder with plate solving for visual observers.

Richard
Wizard Nebula

 

UC18 + LeNhance + DS10cTEC
Northern Lagoon Nebula

 

UC18 + LeNhance Filter + Mallincam DS10cTEC camera.

Made an impromptu screen out of a tarp and a couple of sticks to block the streetlamp behind my house from getting into my camera.
Re: My UC18 evolution

 

Very nice!




On Saturday, December 9, 2023, 6:54 PM, Richard <rmille64@...> wrote:

All,

When I purchased my UC18 I really did not have a plan to add a camera or to turn it into a robot.

Then I put my cell phone camera to the eyepiece and took a photo--then I was hooked.??

Now I observe with full remote control of the dob from my recliner on the big screen TV.

Below is a partial mosaic of the Rosette emission nebula.

I never imagined that it was possible to do dob based astrophotography to this level of quality from my back deck in a light polluted subdivision.

Obsession UC18, Mallincam DS10cTEC, Optolong LeNhance filter, ServoCAT for tracking, Stellarium and ASCOM for remote control and slewing.



Richard

Rosette nebula

 

All,

Here is a recent partial mosaic of the Rosette nebula from my Obsession UC18 and DS10cTEC.



Richard
Dumbbell on my UC18 with Pixinsight post processing

 

Re: M51 from my UC18 and DS287c (taken last year but processed today in Pixinsight)

 

Richard, the stretch academy from Adam bBock is a very good tutorial too to understand the concepts and the various approach of stretching (with or without masks, with or without stars, ...). I am sure you will be surprised how you can smooth down your M51 core and raise the spiral arms, and you will enjoy to let speak your data :-). If you capture in alt az with your obsession I think more shorter frames are better than fewer longer exposures. I also have a seestar50 smart telescope too when I travel. Exposures are 10s and the scope refuses to stack above a given altitude as field rotation becomes too strong. It gives incredible result on bright DSOs considering the very small aperture but you have to manage several hundreds if not thousand of subframes.? WBPP of PI does the job for you, you just need a powerfull enough PC or mac to run it ;-). In order to manage the uneven background I had a lot of improvement chasing light leak from the outside in from the UTA and if the gradient is homogenous during your imaging session do not hesitate to take flat frames if you do not already do it. It really change things. I still love visual observations at my dark site but I thought astroimaging would be much more complex than it really is. Especially with all the software existing now to run capture sessions without siting next to your scope
Frederic
Re: M51 from my UC18 and DS287c (taken last year but processed today in Pixinsight)

 

Thanks for your suggestions!!!

i am watching Adam Block videos to help me up the steep learning curve. ?I took the plunge and purchased PI and 3 tools from RC-Astro: BlurXTerminator, NoiseXTerminator and StarXTerminator. ?I am also using GraXpert to help me with gradients I have from neighbor lights.

i will study your work flow advice!

thanks,

Richard
Re: M51 from my UC18 and DS287c (taken last year but processed today in Pixinsight)

 

Hi Richard, your image is promising. If you use pixinsight I suggest that you try the following path to make it even more beautiful. Start with SPCC for color balance, then Blur Xterminator from RCastro (free trial) then Back ground extraction DBE if necessary and noise Xterminator from RC astro too before starting the stretch. I have a UC22 and I started asteophoto with a dedicated setup. The above processing path really improves the look of my images. CS Frédéric?
M100 from mu UC18

 

M51 from my UC18 and DS287c (taken last year but processed today in Pixinsight)

 

10 stacks of 10 second exposure and a bit of Pixinsight.? I watched Adam Block for an hour today teach Generalized Hyperbolic Stretch on Pixinsight.
Pacman with my UC18 and DS10cTEC camera

 

M65 from my UC18 and DS287 with Pixinsight post processing (stars removed)

 

Re: UC18 and DS287 of M17 with stars removed by Pixinsight

 

开云体育

Ahhh, understood, thanks!?

On Oct 31, 2023, at 10:53?AM, Richard <rmille64@...> wrote:

?

Dave,

?

I post process my images without stars.? My post processing of stars is not so hot.? Once I learn how to “clean up” my not so round stars I will add them back in.

?

Richard

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Netscape via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2023 1:45 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ObsessionUsers] UC18 and DS287 of M17 with stars removed by Pixinsight

?

Richard,

I’m curious as to why you remove the stars, personal aesthetic preference??

Dave



On Oct 31, 2023, at 10:02?AM, Richard <rmille64@...> wrote:

?All,

This was taken in my front yard that I share with a streetlamp.

I used the Optolong LeNhance filter and lots of the Pixinsight tools to remove the stars, denoise, sharpen and then Gimp (I am still learning Pixinsight features, but know Gimp very well).

<M17_230922220209_GraXpert_starless.jpg>
Re: UC18 and DS287 of M17 with stars removed by Pixinsight

 

开云体育

Dave,

?

I post process my images without stars.? My post processing of stars is not so hot.? Once I learn how to “clean up” my not so round stars I will add them back in.

?

Richard

?

From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Netscape via groups.io
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2023 1:45 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ObsessionUsers] UC18 and DS287 of M17 with stars removed by Pixinsight

?

Richard,

I’m curious as to why you remove the stars, personal aesthetic preference??

Dave



On Oct 31, 2023, at 10:02?AM, Richard <rmille64@...> wrote:

?All,

This was taken in my front yard that I share with a streetlamp.

I used the Optolong LeNhance filter and lots of the Pixinsight tools to remove the stars, denoise, sharpen and then Gimp (I am still learning Pixinsight features, but know Gimp very well).

<M17_230922220209_GraXpert_starless.jpg>
141 - 160 of 694