Quark Testing Round 5

[Starry Jack]

I'll save you my missteps on Quark Testing Rounds 3 and 4...suffice it to say that I processed my tests but I could not make heads nor tails on interpretation with such poor captures...and the light patterns did not seem to change much.

Then I discovered how to let SharpCap trigger capture once seeing reached a threshold...that helped get better videos. Next time I will also tell SharpCap to, "only capture any particular frame when the seeing reaches a certain level".

For this round of tests I also mis-applied a friend's advice and and I took my 152mm and extended my .5 focal reducer to get a very wide FOV, but then I also applied a 95mm mask to increase the focal length. I should have applied the mask only when I was starting without the focal reducer.

Funny enough...I really liked the view!

So I captured 200 frames when the seeing reached a mediocre level and then processed in batch in AS3 identically and then I processed in IMPPG with an identical curve.

I still can't interpret which Quark setting I like best. There is an active region in the center of the FOV.

NEGATIVE 5

11_45_21 Surface NEG 5 95 mm Ext FR-4-11566 as3 to imppg sml.jpg (315.24 KiB) Viewed 980 times

NEGATIVE 3

10_17_18 Surface NEG 3 95 mm Ext FR-4-11824 as3 to imppg sml.jpg (388.25 KiB) Viewed 980 times

NEGATIVE 2

10_10_44 Surface NEG 2 95 mm Ext FR-4-11788 as3 to imppg sml.jpg (409.79 KiB) Viewed 980 times

NEGATIVE 1

10_01_25 Surface NEG 1 95 mm Ext FR-4-11777 as3 to imppg sml.jpg (456.94 KiB) Viewed 980 times

ZERO

09_43_32 Surface ZERO 95 mm Ext FR-4-11814 as3 to imppg sml.jpg (434.2 KiB) Viewed 980 times

POSITIVE 1

09_36_53 Surface POS 1 95 mm Ext FR-4-11816 as3 to imppg sml.jpg (411 KiB) Viewed 980 times

POSITIVE 2

09_05_32 Surface POS 2 95 mm Ext FR-4-11893 as3 to imppg sml.jpg (425.19 KiB) Viewed 980 times

POSITIVE 3

08_50_44 Surface POS 3 95 mm Ext FR-4-11793 as3 to imppg sml.jpg (446.76 KiB) Viewed 980 times

POSITIVE 4

08_36_48 Surface POS 4 95 mm Ext FR-4-11794 as3 to imppg sml.jpg (390.49 KiB) Viewed 980 times

POSITIVE 5

08_29_43 Surface POS 5 95 mm Ext FR-4-11824 as3 to imppg sml v1.jpg (375.1 KiB) Viewed 980 times

[Valery]

My advice: return this Quark and try to get better one.

I am impressed how the DayStar can sell these crap devices in such a large number.

[krakatoa1883]

To my eyes negative 1 or zero seem the best, however I agree with Valery, send it back, no good.

[Starry Jack]

Tell me what is poor about this. I need to be able to speak intelligently to Daystar/OPT. I certainly don’t get what others seem able to get on both proms And surface at the same time. And others have suggested that the banding will be corrected when I do flat fields (which I am not doing during my tests).

Best,
Jack

Thanks,
Jack

[Valery]

Jack,

It seems this Quark sample has too much unevenness in bandwidth and transmission. In brighter areas, contrast is significantly worse than in darker areas. Yes, to some extent you can correct changes in brightness, but you cannot correct contrast and detail. In addition, such a Quark will not be pleasant to use visually.

[Starry Jack]

You nailed it visually. Visually I have almost no contrast. Nothing but a red field.

[marktownley]

Yeah, zero / neg 1 looks good to me.

Just bear in mind visually you won't see much, there's nothing to see. Proms and surface at the same time will just come with experience in both capture and processing.