ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

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Starry Jack
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ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

I borrowed a friend's ZWOASI120MM to test for my PST100 Stage One mod. The image was completely blownout. So I turned gain off, kept exposures in the lowest bracket available for each channel and made sure the Histogram kept at about 75% or less for each channel. The image was still blown out (zero detail). I also manipulated the brightness settings to no avail.

Finally I added a Baader ND25 filter (so only 25% of the light could come into the camera) and at last got a picture. However, as soon as I increased the exposure much at all the image rapidly overloaded again.

I also tried Auto Exposure.

I am using FireCapture. Do you have any suggestions for a setting I am missing?

Thanks,
Jack


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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

Here is the FireCapture Log as one example. Keep in mind this is my first use of this software:

FireCapture v2.3 (beta 15) Settings
------------------------------------
Camera=ZWO ASI120MM
Filter=CH4
Profile=Sun
Filename=Sun_153748.avi
Date=120415
Start=153748
Mid=153754
End=153800
Duration=12s
Frames captured=128
File type=AVI
Extended AVI mode=true
Compressed AVI=false
Binning=no
ROI=1280x960
FPS (during start of capture)=10
Shutter=34.45ms
Gain=0
USBTraffic=90
Gamma=65
Brightness=16
AutoExposure=off
Histogramm(min)=82
Histogramm(max)=174
Histogramm=68%
Noise(avg.deviation)=6.95
Limit=600 Frames
Sensor temperature=40.0 °C / 104.0 °F
Attachments
2015-04-13_8-55-50.png


Explore Scientific 152mm f6.5 achromat
Aeries D-ERF
Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
Mallincam .5x focal reducer (large format)
12nm Filter
ZWO174 (IMX249 chip 5um)
Huge Sense of Adventure Viewing Creation
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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Jack

in my opinion way to much exposed. You did run it at 34 ms, go down to maybe 5 ms or even less


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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

Thank you!
I was at 5ms and even less without the ND25 filter and it was still overexposed. The only way I could get any image at all was to add the filter.

Something is definitely funny...

Jack


Explore Scientific 152mm f6.5 achromat
Aeries D-ERF
Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
Mallincam .5x focal reducer (large format)
12nm Filter
ZWO174 (IMX249 chip 5um)
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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by marktownley »

What ERF are you using?


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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

I have the Lunt 100mm for the ERF.

I tried again today without the ND25 filter and no matter what settings I used for every channel, exposure, brightness, gain off...I could not get any detail. I am away from my computer so I cannot post the log from FireCapture until I get home Wednesday. You wil see that in that log exposures varied but we're all under 5ms, gain was off and gamma at about 50. I kept every channels histogram at about 75.

Thanks
Jack


Explore Scientific 152mm f6.5 achromat
Aeries D-ERF
Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
Mallincam .5x focal reducer (large format)
12nm Filter
ZWO174 (IMX249 chip 5um)
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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by GuillermoBarrancos »

I have the QHY5L-II (same sensor, just that I have color and you mono).

I use a gain of around 90-110, exposure between 18ms-28ms and gamma between 0 and 50 for surface and gamma between 120-150 for Prominences on the limb.


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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

Thank you for your settings. I will put them into play tomorrow.

Jack


Explore Scientific 152mm f6.5 achromat
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Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by marktownley »

Can you post a pic of your setup please


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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

Mark,
What part of the setup would add most value to photograph?

Jack


Explore Scientific 152mm f6.5 achromat
Aeries D-ERF
Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
Mallincam .5x focal reducer (large format)
12nm Filter
ZWO174 (IMX249 chip 5um)
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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

I got some better results today. Turns out that without a UV/IR filter, I get the blown out image. Each time I used the filter I got an image.

Here are some images and the FireCapture log.

FireCapture v2.3 (beta 15) Settings
------------------------------------
Camera=ZWO ASI120MM
Filter=CH4
Profile=Sun
Filename=Sun_162506.zip
Date=150415
Start=162506
Mid=162506
End=162506
Duration=0s
Frames captured=10
File type=BMP
Binning=no
ROI=1280x960
FPS (during start of capture)=30
Shutter=1.365ms
Gain=14
Brightness=8
USBTraffic=90
AutoExposure=off
Gamma=0
Histogramm(min)=1
Histogramm(max)=255
Histogramm=100%
Noise(avg.deviation)=10.41
Limit=10 Frames
Sensor temperature=40.0 °C / 104.0 °F

Produced:

Hang on...files not attaching...


Explore Scientific 152mm f6.5 achromat
Aeries D-ERF
Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
Mallincam .5x focal reducer (large format)
12nm Filter
ZWO174 (IMX249 chip 5um)
Huge Sense of Adventure Viewing Creation
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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

I got some better results today. Turns out that without a UV/IR filter, I get the blown out image. Each time I used the filter I got an image.

Here are some images and the FireCapture log.

FireCapture v2.3 (beta 15) Settings
------------------------------------
Camera=ZWO ASI120MM
Filter=CH4
Profile=Sun
Filename=Sun_162506.zip
Date=150415
Start=162506
Mid=162506
End=162506
Duration=0s
Frames captured=10
File type=BMP
Binning=no
ROI=1280x960
FPS (during start of capture)=30
Shutter=1.365ms
Gain=14
Brightness=8
USBTraffic=90
AutoExposure=off
Gamma=0
Histogramm(min)=1
Histogramm(max)=255
Histogramm=100%
Noise(avg.deviation)=10.41
Limit=10 Frames
Sensor temperature=40.0 °C / 104.0 °F

Produced:
Attachments
2015-04-15_20-07-29.png


Explore Scientific 152mm f6.5 achromat
Aeries D-ERF
Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
Mallincam .5x focal reducer (large format)
12nm Filter
ZWO174 (IMX249 chip 5um)
Huge Sense of Adventure Viewing Creation
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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

These settings produced:
FireCapture v2.3 (beta 15) Settings
------------------------------------
Camera=ZWO ASI120MM
Filter=CH4
Profile=Sun
Filename=Sun_162604.zip
Date=150415
Start=162604
Mid=162604
End=162605
Duration=0s
Frames captured=10
File type=BMP
Binning=no
ROI=1280x960
FPS (during start of capture)=30
Shutter=1.365ms
Gain=14
Brightness=8
USBTraffic=90
AutoExposure=off
Gamma=0
Histogramm(min)=1
Histogramm(max)=255
Histogramm=100%
Noise(avg.deviation)=8.51
Limit=10 Frames
Sensor temperature=39.2 °C / 102.7 °F
Attachments
2015-04-15_20-07-29.png


Explore Scientific 152mm f6.5 achromat
Aeries D-ERF
Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
Mallincam .5x focal reducer (large format)
12nm Filter
ZWO174 (IMX249 chip 5um)
Huge Sense of Adventure Viewing Creation
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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

FireCapture v2.3 (beta 15) Settings
------------------------------------
Camera=ZWO ASI120MM
Filter=CH4
Profile=Sun
Filename=Sun_162322.zip
Date=150415
Start=162322
Mid=162322
End=162322
Duration=0s
Frames captured=10
File type=BMP
Binning=no
ROI=1280x960
FPS (during start of capture)=30
Shutter=3.765ms
Gain=35
Brightness=8
USBTraffic=90
AutoExposure=off
Gamma=0
Histogramm(min)=1
Histogramm(max)=255
Histogramm=100%
Noise(avg.deviation)=2.37
Limit=10 Frames
Sensor temperature=40.8 °C / 105.3 °F

Produced:
Attachments
2015-04-15_20-15-19.png
2015-04-15_20-15-19.png (162.61 KiB) Viewed 4895 times


Explore Scientific 152mm f6.5 achromat
Aeries D-ERF
Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
Mallincam .5x focal reducer (large format)
12nm Filter
ZWO174 (IMX249 chip 5um)
Huge Sense of Adventure Viewing Creation
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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by marktownley »

An out of band leak, makes sense...


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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by swisswalter »

Hi Jack

now take a 2x barlow and tweak the etalon


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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by Starry Jack »

Where does the out of bandwidth leak occur? In the filters or the mechanics of the OTA?

I will be switching cameras for tomorrow's test (Saturday) and will apply the Barlow at that time.

Jack


Explore Scientific 152mm f6.5 achromat
Aeries D-ERF
Quark Chromosphere f27 native, (f14 when focal reduced)
Mallincam .5x focal reducer (large format)
12nm Filter
ZWO174 (IMX249 chip 5um)
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Re: ZWOASI120MM and Too Much Light

Post by marktownley »

leaks are always in the filters


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Solar images, a collection of all the most up to date live solar data on the web, imaging & processing tutorials - please take a look!
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