715 replies to this topic

[GSBass]

Thank you this was helpful… glad it just complains about temp instead of refusing to use them

I put the D3 out last night to let it cool down.  I then installed the solar filter, put it in the shed, and closed the door.  I took a bunch of darks at various exposures and gain.  Problem is, by the time I started imaging the temperature had dropped even more and the D3 complained that the darks were off by more than 8 degrees.  I used them anyway.  Didn't want to wait.

 

The D3 selects the darks based on the exposure and gain that you select.  If it doesn't have any darks at that exposure and gain it will ask you to make some.  If it does have darks at that exposure and gain, but it's off by more than 8 degrees, it will complain.  To delete a dark you have to long press on a dark, check the darks you want to delete, and then hit Delete.  Weird thing is that it won't let you check some of the darks.  Don't know why yet.

[hfsarber]

IC 63 cropped

600 lights at 15s gain 120 (2.5 hrs)

 

[hfsarber]

I'm starting to like this thing.   I have it out now and I tried polar alignment and it said "NO".  Then I realized it wasn't in focus because I was using it during the day.  I hit Autofocus and within 10 seconds I was good to go.  Hit Eq mode and it says I'm within 3 degrees.   

[GSBass]

I can’t quite get over how good it is… not saying it’s perfect, they still have a lot of work to do…but the images speak for themselves… very nice

I'm starting to like this thing.   I have it out now and I tried polar alignment and it said "NO".  Then I realized it wasn't in focus because I was using it during the day.  I hit Autofocus and within 10 seconds I was good to go.  Hit Eq mode and it says I'm within 3 degrees.  

[hfsarber]

It's not perfect, but it's soooo close.  If they add a polar correction routine to get it under 1 degree it would be as close to perfect as you could get.

[hfsarber]

15s exposure appears to be the sweet spot.  30s and above ends up with a lot of trailing stars.  It's at least a 50% rejection.  That's in Eq mode.

[eyeoftexas]

15s exposure appears to be the sweet spot.  30s and above ends up with a lot of trailing stars.  It's at least a 50% rejection.  That's in Eq mode.

Is that because you are not under 1 degree off of polar aligned?  Or could it be tripod vibration, wind, or something else?

[GSBass]

I feel like I’m having pretty good luck with 30 sec…but I don’t have enough shots under my belt yet, I do think based on the experiments by digital art media on YouTube, good polar alignment is key… I think dwarf labs will refine this precedure to get you consistently within 1 degree…

15s exposure appears to be the sweet spot.  30s and above ends up with a lot of trailing stars.  It's at least a 50% rejection.  That's in Eq mode.

[hfsarber]

Is that because you are not under 1 degree off of polar aligned?  Or could it be tripod vibration, wind, or something else?

Probably all-of-the-above.  I'm taking 840 30s subs at gain 120 of NGC 1893.  Currently at 52 subs taken.   I have it plugged into a power supply so it's not going to run out of power before it gets done.

[GSBass]

I think maybe 60 gain might be better than 120… did a quick edit in photomator to bring reds out a little more

Some tadpoles.  450 minutes 30s Gain 120

Cropped

 

Tadpoles3.jpg

Attached Thumbnails

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Edited by GSBass, Yesterday, 10:13 AM.

[eyeoftexas]

I think maybe 60 gain might be better than 120… did a quick edit in photomator to bring reds out a little more

Which I think inadvertently calmed the green down, which I think is good.  Dwarf images to me always seem to have a lot of greenish hue to them.  

[GSBass]

I have a lut in photomator called color blindness, that has a few dirivatives like partial blue, full blue etc , if I do a partial blue it does seem to tame green and brings out reds… total blue does not work because it makes reds magenta…. But anyway it’s just one on my one click tools I use for Astro for very fast editing …. I have not nailed my workflow for dwarf3 yet… every scope is a little different 

Which I think inadvertently calmed the green down, which I think is good.  Dwarf images to me always seem to have a lot of greenish hue to them.  

Edited by GSBass, Yesterday, 10:35 AM.

[GSBass]

I think the wide angle is very green sensitive also… more test required… really need a couple of weeks if clear skies to learn the camera well, these random exposures lead to a lot of guessing

[GSBass]

It’s kind of interesting that I think my recommendation for people who are interested in an entry level robot is now the dwarf3, it’s really quite remarkable how well it performs for the price… nothing against Seestar or even the upcoming s30, but the d3 has so many capabilities and it appears it will remain the only native widefield robot for a while to come.

[Digital Don]

It’s kind of interesting that I think my recommendation for people who are interested in an entry level robot is now the dwarf3, it’s really quite remarkable how well it performs for the price… nothing against Seestar or even the upcoming s30, but the d3 has so many capabilities and it appears it will remain the only native widefield robot for a while to come.

I'm giving serious consideration to pre-ordering a Dwarf 3 as a complement to my Seestar S50.  A lot of people are waiting for Mosaic Mode to be implemented, but shooting mosaics is a time-consuming process. I'd prefer having a wider field to start with.  

 

If you get the opportunity, would you please take some pictures of the M 42 and Horsehead/Flame areas?  I'd like to see how much of that part of the sky can be captured at one time with the Dwarf 3.

 

Thanks!

 

Don

[GSBass]

Unfortunately those targets are not available to me yet before my bedtime, but I am going to attempt n. American and pelican tonight and this shot of veil might give you a good idea of fov…. It’s not super huge but big enough to capture all of andromeda… which I guess is my personal definition of wide angle . https://x.com/artemi...1XgzO5JXF9NadZA

I'm giving serious consideration to pre-ordering a Dwarf 3 as a complement to my Seestar S50.  A lot of people are waiting for Mosaic Mode to be implemented, but shooting mosaics is a time-consuming process. I'd prefer having a wider field to start with.  

 

If you get the opportunity, would you please take some pictures of the M 42 and Horsehead/Flame areas?  I'd like to see how much of that part of the sky can be captured at one time with the Dwarf 3.

 

Thanks!

 

Don