372 replies to this topic

[Alien Observatory]

The Stellina found my house the other day (UPS)    

 

 

Boxed Very Nicely.  Unpacked and Set up on a Full Size Tripod.  Charged Battery and downloaded the App on iPhone and iPad.  Went thru the registration online and tried its Demo Mode...

 

Waiting for Clear Skies and First Light... Pat Utah

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Edited by Alien Observatory, 21 August 2021 - 02:14 PM.

[alphatripleplus]

Looking forward to hearing about first light, Pat.

[steveincolo]

She(?) reminds me a little of the robot in Interstellar.  Clear skies!

[Alien Observatory]

She(?) reminds me a little of the robot in Interstellar.  Clear skies!

My wife said the same thing  

[Alien Observatory]

First Light in too much detail:

 

Tried First Light last Night.  Skies were Hazy (smoke from CA Fires) and no Stars were visible.  Decide to give it a try and see what happens.

 

Checked Sky Safari and a large number of Objects were available to my normal Southern View.  Started the Stellina and it gave me a "Twightlight Warning" at 9:15 PM.  It also gave me the option to Continue, which I did.  

 

Stellina Steps:

1.  Auto Focus at 9:16 PM.

2.  Star Position Analyzed at 9:20 PM.

3.  Stellina Initialized at 9:22 PM.

4.  I selected M16 (Eagle Nebula) as its First Target near the Meridian and the Full Moon was just rising in the South East at 9:24 PM.

5.  Checking Position Accuracy and Tracking Activated at 9:25 PM.

6.  First Frame at 9:25 PM.

7.  10 Frames with a recognizable M16 on the iPad at 9:27 PM

8.  Set up iPad image on 50 " Monitor to enjoy the view.

 

On to Part 2...Pat Utah

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[Alien Observatory]

Part 2:

I just watched as the 10 second exposures stacked in the Stellina SW.  The image continued to get better with each stack and more Nebulosity and Detail showing.  I let it auto run for the suggest 30 minute time recommended.  I need to learn more about the icons on the image screen as I am not sure what they do (New SW Learning Curve).

Overall very impressed that I was able to image without a single star visible in the sky.    Looking forward to try more objects.  

 

Images at 12 Frames and 180 Frames reduced in size for Posting

 

Pat Utah

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Edited by Alien Observatory, 23 August 2021 - 09:44 AM.

[Jon_Doh]

You're going to have so much fun with the Stellina.  I have the eQuinox and it's opened a whole new dimension in observing for me.  Congratulations.  Look forward to seeing more images from you.

[Alien Observatory]

And the Computer Set-up Indoors...Pat Utah

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[steveincolo]

Wow!

[GazingOli]

Looks really great from here! Congratulations.

 

CS.Oli

[Forward Scatter]

Congrats, Pat!!!

[alphatripleplus]

 

5.  Checking Position Accuracy and Tracking Activated at 9:25 PM.

6.  First Frame at 9:25 PM.

7.  10 Frames with a recognizable M16 on the iPad at 9:27 PM

 

That is pretty fast. I didn't realize you could have a recognizable view within a couple of minutes of the first frame. It sounds to be about as fast as SharpCap in terms of getting something viewable on the screen, wouldn't you say?

[Alien Observatory]

Yes, I think so.

 

It is much simpler and faster for me to get an image so quickly.  Just push the On Button and go inside the garage. Launch the App and touch Initialize and wait a few minutes for the Alignment.  Select a Target and off it goes on Auto.  I could see a little bit of M16 in the first frame and at 10 frames it was good enough to recognize and see the FOV clearly.

 

With Auto Exposure, Auto Gain and Auto Stacking it is very simple to operate.  I know it has Manual Controls that I need to learn as I get a more viewing time. It has a built in CLS Filter which made imaging possible in my light polluted environment.  Long term plan is just redo all the Messier objects for the next year.  M42 and M31 should be interesting if I can learn how to do a Matrix Image with the Stellina SW.

 

Pat Utah

[mro1211]

That’s exciting! Looking forward to more images. Also interested in what kind of range you get from the built in wifi.
Thanks

[Jon_Doh]

And the Computer Set-up Indoors...Pat Utah

Now that's the way you observe in the winter!   Sit inside where it's warm and enjoy your favorite beverage while observing the universe.

 

One thing I forgot to add is that as good as the images look on the screen when you save them there is a lot of information captured.  With a little tweaking in an application like Lightroom you can really bring out details that aren't evident on the screen.

Edited by Jon_Doh, 24 August 2021 - 08:49 AM.

[Alien Observatory]

M10 and M12 last night.  Not a lot of user info available, so it will be a "Learn by Trial and Error".  Images reduced in size for Posting....Pat Utah

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[Alien Observatory]

A Side by Side of M12 at 30 minutes and M10 at 15 minutes.  Biggest difference are the star fields around the object.  Looks like 30 minutes is worth the extra time.   Pat Utah

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Edited by Alien Observatory, 24 August 2021 - 11:19 PM.

[alphatripleplus]

Were the globulars taken with the built in CLS filter,  or unfiltered, Pat?

[Alien Observatory]

Were the globulars taken with the built in CLS filter,  or unfiltered, Pat?

Filtered.

 

I need to learn a little more about the Filter Application as I believe it is automatic based on sky brightness.  At a Dark site the filter would not be in the optical train.   Pat Utah

[Alien Observatory]

And I am learning the Image Screen Icons.  I found a release note on the Stellina site:

 

"Did you know?
Stellina incorporates a 6.4 million pixel sensor. To increase speed, automatic image processing generates JPEG files of approximately 1.5 million pixels. To obtain full resolution images, all you need to do is activate the option in the settings:
Go to Profile tab > Gear wheel > Settings > Enable full resolution"

 

I believe this Function is showing on the Frame Icon.  The Stack Icon allows the progressing Stack to be viewed, not possible to remove a single frame.  An option exists to save each frame in TIFF or Fits format using a USB memory stick. You can specify which format to use.   Pat Utah

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Edited by Alien Observatory, 24 August 2021 - 02:17 PM.

[Alien Observatory]

That’s exciting! Looking forward to more images. Also interested in what kind of range you get from the built in wifi.
Thanks

Stellina Site (FAQ's) states 10 meters - 30 Feet.  My iPhone Dropped the connection at 10 feet in the garage.  My garage is a Faraday Cage with the steel doors and steel mesh under the stucco layer.  I have had trouble with other WIFI devices at 5 feet with the garage door closed.  My older iPad seems not to be as sensitive as it did not drop the Stellina WIFI at 12 feet with the door closed.  Pat Utah

[Digital Don]

You may have created a monster... 

 

I showed this thread to my wife and she said go ahead and order one!  I'll certainly have to give that some serious thought.  

 

In the mean time I have a question about Stellina.  I know it has an internal battery, but can it be powered by an external source as well?  I'd be concerned that just about the time the battery reached the end of it's useful life, replacements might no longer be available.

 

Also, how dark are your skies?  I'm about 45 miles south of Chicago.  With a MallinCam on my Celestron 11, I can just make out The Horsehead Nebula from my backyard observatory. 

 

Those images are utterly amazing, especially considering it's an 80mm scope!

 

Congratulations on your new toy!

 

Don

Edited by Digital Don, 24 August 2021 - 04:32 PM.

[Alien Observatory]

Whooo...you might be in trouble  (50" monitor is a must for family viewing)  

 

The current Stellina's come with only an external Battery (10000 ma from Charmast).  I got a spare one today in the mail.  The internal Battery is no longer included as I suspect supply line issues.  I bought mine from the link below as they show a current accurate inventory,  I cancelled an order from a West Coast Vendor as I kept getting an automated response that it would be another 4 week delay after waiting for 5 weeks.  

 

My skies are very bad and my southern looking viewing area is into the light dome from metro Salt Lake City, 10 miles away.    Good Luck,   Pat Utah

 

https://milehighastr...AyABEgKcmfD_BwE

Edited by Alien Observatory, 25 August 2021 - 07:32 AM.

[Alien Observatory]

I discovered today the Stellina has a Built in Field De-Rotator and an Integrated Dew Heater which I did not know (always read the fine print and specs) and the known CLS Filter.  Now I understand why I see no star trails or Image Rotation at 30 minutes!   Pat Utah

 

 

Telescope Features

Fully automated alignment using GPS and star field recognition.
Complete GoTo and Tracking
Integrated Dew Heater
Integrated CLS (City Light Suppression) light pollution filter to improve results in the city and suburbs
6.4 MP Sony IMX 178 image sensor (3086 x 2076)
Fully automated focus system
Integrated field de-rotator
Optional: Store raw images in a user supplied USB thumb drive for manual processing
App Features

Catalog of 200+ of the best Deep Sky Objects
Smart recommendations
Live image stacking - watch the detail appear in real time
Multi-User mode, perfect for star parties and classes
Included educator content
Enter RA/Dec coordinates for any object you like, including comets
Easily save images and share through social media

Edited by Alien Observatory, 24 August 2021 - 11:47 PM.

[SanjeevJoshi]

Congrats!!   Great first light.

 

Mine came with a small 10K MA batt, it can run much longer than any of my EAA sessions, and easy recharge with usb.   Check out the owner’s group on Facebook moderated by Vaonis.  Tons of useful content and tips - including after market batt if you need one.   Some people have used a cheap after market WiFi extender (25 dollars) to use Stellina a couple hundred feet away, to stay warm.  Also note, you can simply walk away if you want to let the image build.  Come close enough and it will reconnect and refresh.

Edited by SanjeevJoshi, 25 August 2021 - 02:10 AM.