Search found 144 matches

by cmas
Wed Jun 21, 2023 3:19 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Solar animation from June 20th 2023
Replies: 3
Views: 198

Solar animation from June 20th 2023

First of all please note: This is a big animation file so it may some time to download! Best to view on a big screen as the size of the animation is 3458 x 1387 pixels. Click for full size. I decided that I sacrifice my lunch break for solar imaging. I had time to take data for about 31 minutes. Dur...
by cmas
Sat Sep 17, 2022 10:46 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Full disk mosaic in hydrogen alpha on Sep 11th 2022
Replies: 7
Views: 296

Re: Full disk mosaic in hydrogen alpha on Sep 11th 2022

Yep. The altitude does not really support even my equipment's full potential anymore. I updated the images today as I think I was able to make some issues a bit better. Also checked that by combining the BW and color versions I could make print of about 90 x 90 cm at 300 dpi. And thanks for the comm...
by cmas
Fri Sep 16, 2022 8:18 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Full disk mosaic in hydrogen alpha on Sep 11th 2022
Replies: 7
Views: 296

Full disk mosaic in hydrogen alpha on Sep 11th 2022

This is my last solar image for 2022 as the sun is dropping low in the sky and the weather is just plain bad for any astro at the moment. I tried to get a proper mosaic of the sun and while there are some aspects in the uniformity of the mosaic I consider this as a nice end to the season. The images...
by cmas
Sat Jul 16, 2022 8:19 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Incredible sun 10th July but cannot focus with 120mm Refractor!
Replies: 14
Views: 609

Re: Incredible sun 10th July but cannot focus with 120mm Refractor!

Hi Magnus, Good to hear a positive outcome! For imx174: Theoretically F/22 is good, but I am using my ASI174mm at F/7 * Quark 4.3x (I think mine is closer to 4.3x based on images / field of view that I see) = F/30. It may be that F/35 is a bit too much, but test it first with a better seeing. And th...
by cmas
Sun Jul 10, 2022 12:43 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Incredible sun 10th July but cannot focus with 120mm Refractor!
Replies: 14
Views: 609

Re: Incredible sun 10th July but cannot focus with 120mm Refractor!

I bet you that you just need more extensions to make it focus. Typically the Quark requires them. E.g. In my setup (102 mm f/7) there are 80 mm + 40 mm extension tubes before the Quark and then I rack the focuser out about 30 mm still. So I'd just use more extensions. You can also take out the eyepi...
by cmas
Sun Jul 10, 2022 8:17 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: H-alpha mosaic from July 8th
Replies: 5
Views: 255

H-alpha mosaic from July 8th

Shortly: A half a sun mosaic with different processing options as a one collage. Longer details in Astrobin. Click for full size.

Image
by cmas
Sun Jun 26, 2022 4:21 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: 43 minute H-alpha animation and still photos from 26th June 2022
Replies: 3
Views: 231

43 minute H-alpha animation and still photos from 26th June 2022

Today's set as a collage here: https://astrob.in/2q4rgy/0/rawthumb/regular/get.jpg?insecure And then: a warning of file size - this is 134 MB gif. I decided to take a go and combine all my different processings into one animation showing all at once. I hope this will work and if not I have to post s...
by cmas
Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:37 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Animations and collage of hydrogen alpha sun on 25th of June
Replies: 5
Views: 312

Animations and collage of hydrogen alpha sun on 25th of June

Sun on 25th 2022 looked like this in the morning (around 6:36 am UTC). The session did not go as planned (details in Astrobin) but what's new :D Click on the image and the animations in order to see them full size. https://astrob.in/xzrkpl/0/rawthumb/regular/get.jpg?insecure https://astrob.in/12ucfk...
by cmas
Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:45 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: H-alpha animations, mosaics and protus on June 19th 2022
Replies: 4
Views: 241

Re: H-alpha animations, mosaics and protus on June 19th 2022

I lifted some of the protus a bit more so here is another two:

Image

Image
by cmas
Sun Jun 19, 2022 6:13 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: H-alpha animations, mosaics and protus on June 19th 2022
Replies: 4
Views: 241

H-alpha animations, mosaics and protus on June 19th 2022

First the weather was nice, then some clouds. Then pretty good and then a lot of clouds. I tried twice to get some imaging done. The first session was a dud but the second time resulted in these. The animation was cut short which is sad as the activity seemed to be pretty good - a lot of stuff to be...
by cmas
Mon Jun 13, 2022 6:16 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: A quick H-alpha session in the afternoon
Replies: 2
Views: 176

A quick H-alpha session in the afternoon

I only had time to image in the afternoon while I prefer morning due to much better seeing. It's been cloudy here lately and I was hoping to image this active area 1 or 2 days ago to get a nice 3D like effect close to the limb, but no luck. The full size image is a bit soft but I think it's still ok...
by cmas
Sat May 28, 2022 6:59 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: 2022 05 25 - Solid seeing conditions
Replies: 12
Views: 534

Re: 2022 05 25 - Solid seeing conditions

Pleasure to look at!
by cmas
Sat May 28, 2022 6:50 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Sunshine After Work 24th May
Replies: 22
Views: 752

Re: Sunshine After Work 24th May

Excellent stuff! CaK's are my favourites here :)
by cmas
Sat May 28, 2022 6:48 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: H-alpha details during lunch breaks on 24th and 25th of May
Replies: 9
Views: 425

Re: H-alpha details during lunch breaks on 24th and 25th of May

Thank you all! As it seems, the Finnish weather has now found its normal operating point and based on weather forecasts no sun at least until next Thursday. Although I am happy that I don't have any equipment tinkering to do this may still cause some withdrawal symptoms :cool: :roll:
by cmas
Thu May 26, 2022 7:25 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: H-alpha details during lunch breaks on 24th and 25th of May
Replies: 9
Views: 425

H-alpha details during lunch breaks on 24th and 25th of May

Imaging details and full size images can be found via clicking the images.

May 24th:

Image

May 25th:

Image

Image
by cmas
Sat May 21, 2022 10:57 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: CaK prom 19.5.2022
Replies: 14
Views: 558

Re: CaK prom 19.5.2022

Well deserved SPOD, Petrus! :)
by cmas
Mon May 16, 2022 4:06 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: H-alpha details on May 15th and 16th 2022
Replies: 5
Views: 262

H-alpha details on May 15th and 16th 2022

No time for animations. I put a bigger SSD drive into my old trustworthy laptop. However, the drive is a bit slower than the smaller one and I have hard time to get constant high frame rates which imx174 could output. There is always something... but with ram buffer in Firecapture I can still use my...
by cmas
Fri May 13, 2022 12:26 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Solar prominence timelapse.. 12 May 2022
Replies: 13
Views: 460

Re: Solar prominence timelapse.. 12 May 2022

Awesome work! :)

What was the duty cycle i.e. how long did you image and how long did you wait between sets? How many frames were stacked for each frame of the animation?
by cmas
Wed May 11, 2022 7:29 pm
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: Player One Apollo-M IMX432, unbox, and ZWO ASI-174 comparison.
Replies: 64
Views: 13489

Re: Player One Apollo-M IMX432, unbox, and ZWO ASI-174 comparison.

What exp time and gain are you using as you are really pushing the f/ratio close to 70?
by cmas
Wed May 11, 2022 11:22 am
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: Player One Apollo-M IMX432, unbox, and ZWO ASI-174 comparison.
Replies: 64
Views: 13489

Re: Player One Apollo-M IMX432, unbox, and ZWO ASI-174 comparison.

Excellent. Please link your images also to this thread. It would also be nice to see how clean the stacked image is with e.g. 400 frames stacked and with what ever low number of images you now stack with Apollo-max. As a reference compared to imx174 to get a better overall idea about the performance.
by cmas
Sun May 08, 2022 3:02 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: H-alpha composite on May 8th 2022
Replies: 6
Views: 253

H-alpha composite on May 8th 2022

Today there were some clouds on the sky so I did not dare to make any animations. Instead I though about testing to image larger areas of the sun at my typical imaging scale (around 0.39"/pix). I ended up needing to crop some areas out as I don't really like jagged image areas. I found out that...
by cmas
Thu Apr 28, 2022 3:26 pm
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: Player One Apollo-M IMX432, unbox, and ZWO ASI-174 comparison.
Replies: 64
Views: 13489

Re: Player One Apollo-M IMX432, unbox, and ZWO ASI-174 comparison.

Sure. Let us know! Then there is also the matter of matching the pixel size with rest of the setup. And resolution of the sensor affecting the image size. Indeed Apollo M is interesting but I did not find enough reasons to change the camera at this point with too little data around. Maybe when you s...
by cmas
Thu Apr 28, 2022 11:34 am
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: Player One Apollo-M IMX432, unbox, and ZWO ASI-174 comparison.
Replies: 64
Views: 13489

Re: Player One Apollo-M IMX432, unbox, and ZWO ASI-174 comparison.

So, what is the current understanding with this Apollo m-max: What is the max frate with full resolution at 12 bit mode and in high speed mode? Or is it the same regardless of the bit depth? And does the bit depth really matter in solar H-alpha. I am wondering if this camera is better in image qual...
by cmas
Tue Apr 26, 2022 2:25 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: April 24th plasma flow & protus (stills and short animations)
Replies: 6
Views: 239

April 24th plasma flow & protus (stills and short animations)

April 24th was a really windy day and a cold one, still close to zero degC while I was imaging. While being worried about if my gear actually stays upright I managed to pull some material for protuberances and sunspot areas. And after that I managed to gather animation data for a period of 19 minute...
by cmas
Tue Apr 26, 2022 2:25 pm
Forum: SPoD Archive
Topic: April 24th plasma flow & protus (stills and short animations)
Replies: 5
Views: 431

April 24th plasma flow & protus (stills and short animations)

April 24th was a really windy day and a cold one, still close to zero degC while I was imaging. While being worried about if my gear actually stays upright I managed to pull some material for protuberances and sunspot areas. And after that I managed to gather animation data for a period of 19 minute...
by cmas
Sun Apr 24, 2022 6:56 am
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: Imaging comparison thread for different equipment
Replies: 4
Views: 1417

Re: Imaging comparison thread for different equipment

Nice comparisons. Based on what did you choose Baader D-ERFs for the scopes? I have read that Baader D-ERF is not the worst when it comes to the ERF quality. And they are readily available in Europe. For full size ERFs I think they manage thermal flows in the OTAs better than just a small 1.25"...
by cmas
Sat Apr 23, 2022 4:06 pm
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: Imaging comparison thread for different equipment
Replies: 4
Views: 1417

Re: Imaging comparison thread for different equipment

Well, this seems to be a popular topic. Come on! :D I will continue with another example. After this I am out of data / examples so please contribute. Setup: Baader 110 mm D-ERF, Altair Astro Starwave 102 mm f/7 fpl-51 doublet (older batch, design around 2012 I think), Quark Chromosphere, tilt adapt...
by cmas
Sat Apr 23, 2022 3:49 pm
Forum: Solar Software
Topic: User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode
Replies: 19
Views: 3205

Re: User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode

Okay. I did some testing. For my seeing conditions and for solar features (not proms, haven't tested them yet properly) I'd state that 8 bit and high frame rate provides some advantage over 12 bit acquisition at least with my imaging gear (Baader 110 mm D-ERF, Starwave 102 mm f/7, Quark, ASI174mm). ...
by cmas
Sat Apr 23, 2022 10:11 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Spot group on 21st April on my grab & go setup (12bit vs 8bit)
Replies: 8
Views: 337

Re: Spot group on 21st April on my grab & go setup (12bit vs 8bit)

I would say that at these magnifications 8 bit is a solid choice. This is because the sun is so dynamic and rapidly changing that the priority seems to be to collect as many frames as fast as possible. Full disk is probably fine with 12 bit, but the closer one gets to the "surface" then I ...
by cmas
Sat Apr 23, 2022 7:01 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Spot group on 21st April on my grab & go setup (12bit vs 8bit)
Replies: 8
Views: 337

Re: Spot group on 21st April on my grab & go setup (12bit vs 8bit)

Some short animations too even if these are not high quality and the period is pretty short (not much time during a coffee break). These were taken under high wind conditions and it shows. 20 sec data acquisition at 160 fps, then 40 sec break and this for a total of 18 minutes. Animations can be ope...
by cmas
Fri Apr 22, 2022 5:07 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Spot group on 21st April on my grab & go setup (12bit vs 8bit)
Replies: 8
Views: 337

Spot group on 21st April on my grab & go setup (12bit vs 8bit)

During a coffee break I was able to get some data with my grab & go setup. I think I'm done with tinkering of this and start just imaging from now on. Everything seems to work pretty well and I am happy with the performance of the setup especially considering the weight of the system and SolarQu...
by cmas
Wed Apr 20, 2022 9:26 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Sun FD in H-Alpha and CaK 19th of April 2022 and new scope
Replies: 18
Views: 1003

Re: Sun FD in H-Alpha and CaK 19th of April 2022 and new scope

Very nice set and congrats on the new OTA!
by cmas
Sun Apr 17, 2022 3:54 pm
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Sun on April 16th with Quark and 102 mm doublet
Replies: 5
Views: 191

Sun on April 16th with Quark and 102 mm doublet

Well, I managed finally to shoot some testing material for this setup so I think this can be argued as the first light. This is a Quark based setup with 102 mm FPL-51 doublet from around 2012 I think. Got it in reasonable price and took it pretty much apart for adjustments. I am using 110 mm Baader ...
by cmas
Fri Apr 15, 2022 6:23 am
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: Imaging comparison thread for different equipment
Replies: 4
Views: 1417

Imaging comparison thread for different equipment

Hi there! There is a wealth of information and images with different equipment and observing conditions in this forum. Additionally there is a pretty good search function in Astrobin but lately I have been trying to find pictures to compare different setups and it is not that straightforward. Thus, ...
by cmas
Thu Apr 14, 2022 7:19 am
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?
Replies: 8
Views: 1820

Re: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?

Indeed I would not mind a slightly higher payload but in a way which still allows grab & go which is a requirement for me. Still this SolarQuest really is worth every penny.
by cmas
Thu Apr 14, 2022 6:40 am
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?
Replies: 8
Views: 1820

Re: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?

OK, I have had a couple of opportunities to test the mount. First I tightened the AZ axis (basically eliminated the spring loaded system by locking in). It helped. Then I also locked the Alt axis same way. Now the mount performs much better than earlier. With a very light weight OTA there is, in my ...
by cmas
Fri Apr 01, 2022 4:40 am
Forum: Solar Software
Topic: User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode
Replies: 19
Views: 3205

Re: User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode

I don't complain, I try to understand - there is a difference :mrgreen: So I went back to my current goto material - the Solar Astronomy book. And read more. Then I read this: https://skyinspector.co.uk/zwo-cmos-digital-video-cameras/ and https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/715880-firecapture-bit-and...
by cmas
Thu Mar 31, 2022 6:47 pm
Forum: Solar Software
Topic: User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode
Replies: 19
Views: 3205

Re: User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode

I use Calibrite color checker pro to calibrate my displays (laptop and a regular pc) so that is covered - been doing this for years. And in solar h-alpha I typically fill the histogram during imaging to 80-85 % with imx174 to leave some margin for flares and other features or changes in illumination...
by cmas
Thu Mar 31, 2022 3:54 pm
Forum: Solar Software
Topic: User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode
Replies: 19
Views: 3205

Re: User experiences: "16bit" vs high speed mode

Surely you are right, its only 12 bit (player one uses term raw16 and I wrote it wrong) so my bad on the terminology! I corrected the topic title and the first post on this regard. I have an 8bit + frc (so 8 bit with generating false data) monitor which is calibrated, but it is not 10 bit 3000 euro ...
by cmas
Thu Mar 31, 2022 6:50 am
Forum: Solar Software
Topic: User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode
Replies: 19
Views: 3205

Re: User experiences: "16bit" vs high speed mode

I have never done a comparison, but this YouTube from Woodland Hills Camera seems to show that 16 bit does give more depth, but at the cost of files that are twice the size of 8 bit. I have always used 8 bit so file sizes are smaller for my animations but maybe I'll rethink that. https://www.youtub...
by cmas
Wed Mar 30, 2022 3:33 am
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: Issues with reducing image after Quark - opinions needed
Replies: 19
Views: 3213

Re: Issues with reducing image after Quark - opinions needed

I'd say that Daystar does not let you know everything. My reducer does not give 0.5x if I attach my 174mm directly to it as far as I am able to tell by comparing theoretical FOV and what I actually see. I find that adding about 55 mm extension after the daystar reducer gives me about 0.5x at the sen...
by cmas
Wed Mar 30, 2022 3:29 am
Forum: Solar Software
Topic: User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode
Replies: 19
Views: 3205

Re: User experiences: "16bit" vs high speed mode

And no other opinions? I thought this question was going to start a debate :lol:
by cmas
Mon Mar 28, 2022 8:05 am
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?
Replies: 8
Views: 1820

Re: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?

Update: I took the covers open and tightened the AZ gear a bit. Thus, if the wheel is not too uncircular, this could solve the issue. Still untested as I am waiting for some final parts to arrive for the OTA setup. I'll get back to this when I have some actual results. Factory had busted 2 out of 6 ...
by cmas
Sun Mar 27, 2022 1:31 pm
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: Player One Apollo-M IMX432, unbox, and ZWO ASI-174 comparison.
Replies: 64
Views: 13489

Re: Player One Apollo-M IMX432, unbox, and ZWO ASI-174 comparison.

So, what is the current understanding with this Apollo m-max: What is the max frate with full resolution at 12 bit mode and in high speed mode? Or is it the same regardless of the bit depth? And does the bit depth really matter in solar H-alpha. I am wondering if this camera is better in image quali...
by cmas
Sun Mar 27, 2022 9:50 am
Forum: Solar Software
Topic: User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode
Replies: 19
Views: 3205

User experiences: "12bit (raw16)" vs high speed mode

Well, this has been discussed time and a time again. And many of us have tested this by ourselves. But let's entertain us a bit more, shall we... I noticed that PlayerOne has made an H-alpha tutorial and recommed using 12bit mode with their Apollo m-max camera instead of high speed mode. I have not ...
by cmas
Wed Mar 16, 2022 1:24 pm
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?
Replies: 8
Views: 1820

Re: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?

https://youtu.be/hgEzeXrhhEg Indeed I found this. I need to check it. Thanks for the tip!
by cmas
Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:35 am
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?
Replies: 8
Views: 1820

Re: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?

By "mount plate on the side" you mean exactly what? Open up the screws at the bottom i.e. turn the mount upside down and take of the plate which has that 3/8" thread or by mount plate do you mean the plastic cover or something else? There are some pics at SGL but they only show the AL...
by cmas
Sat Mar 12, 2022 6:56 am
Forum: Commercial Solar Filters/Cameras/Hardware
Topic: SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?
Replies: 8
Views: 1820

SolarQuest mount with AZ play - how to fix?

Hi, Does anyone have the SolarQuest mount and experiencing some play at AZ axis? The ALT is fine in my case but I do have some degrees worth of play at the AZ and I was wondering how to tighten it up a bit. It tracks without issues but if possible it could be made better. So has anyone disassembled ...
by cmas
Thu Mar 10, 2022 11:31 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Huge and active SE Prom Animation, 32 minutes, 7-3-2022
Replies: 34
Views: 1508

Re: Huge and active SE Prom Animation, 32 minutes, 7-3-2022

Tommi, here is the tone curve I used in this case in ImPPG: Tone Curve.jpg Thanks for the details and the curve. It seems similar as my approach with all the different settings and software. And you have quite a bit of different steps too. I was wondering if you were using e.g. Astrosurface as a &q...
by cmas
Wed Mar 09, 2022 7:02 am
Forum: This is SolarChat !!
Topic: Huge and active SE Prom Animation, 32 minutes, 7-3-2022
Replies: 34
Views: 1508

Re: Huge and active SE Prom Animation, 32 minutes, 7-3-2022

This. Is. Spectacular! Must be the nicest animation I have seen. Just jaw dropping material!

Edit: Could you open up a bit of your processing flow? I am interested as you have a nice black background with very visible proms at the same time.