Thanks for the very informative vids. I have similar equip to yours but i’n just getting started. I’ve learned a great deal from you. Please keep up the great work. Clear skies.
Another great video… how are you finding the 533 mono camera? I guess that’s why you are now able to capture the fainter objects. Are you missing the colour? Are you using colour filters, or would that be too much faff for EAA? Do you think the IR pass filter you used on a previous video would help with my OSC camera?
Thanks, James. I used my Altair Astro 294c OSC for 4 years , but around a year ago, I started to think about purchasing a mono camera. The main advantage to me, was that a mono camera collects 3x as much light over the same period as an OSC. As you say, fainter targets would present themselves. However, it is the 3x increase in capturing speed that really appealed. Plus, with 2x2 bin I get a 50% increase in SNR (or so I read and I think I see). When I went for the ASI533mm it had the extra bonus that its size allowed a straight-through connection, goodbye star diagonal 😊 It also is a more modern sensor, less noise and better QE (91%). I really enjoy the simplicity and performance of the ZWO ASI533mm camera. Funny enough, I don't miss the colour. I suppose years of visual astronomy where the only thing I saw was "grey" has prepared me for for a non-colour image! I will put the colour camera back on, but I'm not looking forward to balancing the colours, the noise and possibly the longer total exposure times! I'm not using the mono camera to create colour images. I would have to go for a USB filter wheel (because I'm lazy 😂), and right now I don't feel the need for the extra complexity and expense. I think, as you say it would be too much faff 😊 I haven't tried the IR Pass filter on my colour camera. The 294c OSC's optical window has a UV/IR block (400-700nm). It's only a guess, but on an object as bright as the Moon it should still be effective, right? Actually, would it be "super" effective as you're using long wavelengths (same as mono) but also a narrow band (~15nm wide). I will have to give it a go and see (or not see 😂) what the effect is. Sounds like an interesting project, thank you for the idea. Thank you for your support James. Have fun. Pete
Hi James, Some holes appeared in the clouds this morning, so I took the opportunity to try the IR Pass filter on the OSC. As expected it worked. I used RAW8 first and got a lovely red image (no surprises again). Clicking on the auto adjustment in SharpCap gave me a green'ish image. I switched to MONO8 and felt more at home 😂 Conditions were not good. However, in yet another completely non-scientific, subjective test 😊. Comparing the non-filtered and filtered views, I would side on the filtered view. In live view there was less distortion and to me the live stacks were sharper and had more contrast. But again, the Sun was always rising and the cloud dodging became more frequent as I switched to the unfiltered view. The filtered view was quite dark and I had to boost the gain to get a higher framerate (40-50 fps), again to be expected, when you cut out a majority of the sensors light gathering capacity! Trying to compare previous live stacks from the mono camera is even dodgier but they were much better! Multiple variables at play here, including the fact I have not had the OSC on the scope for 6 months! It was interesting to get back into the swing of using it. The cost of the filter is pretty low, 16.99 GBP for the 2 inch. It might be worth giving it a go. I will try again when the Moon comes around again. I will leave the OSC on the scope for some summer colour observing. Have fun. Pete
@@Xio2011 Hi Pete, thanks so much for taking the time to reply and try the filter with the colour camera, I appreciate your feedback! Unfortunately the weather up here in Lancashire is only cooperating infrequently… I do have my CPC 925 setup and managed one night recently, but it wasn’t ideal due to the almost full moon and lack of astronomical darkness! Still I am looking forward to trying the lunar live stacking, when the weather and conditions allow! Please keep posting your informative videos, I am learning a lot from them, and find they inspire me to try new techniques and targets! Cheers, Ian!
Love this. Can’t wait to watch the entire video.
Thanks Doug. I'm looking forward to your next observing session.
@@Xio2011 you are very kind to encourage, Pete!
Informative.
Gratitude.
Thanks for the very informative vids. I have similar equip to yours but i’n just getting started. I’ve learned a great deal from you. Please keep up the great work. Clear skies.
Hi Robert, Thank you for your kind comment. Good luck with your astronomy adventure.
Impressive and informative tutorial. 👌🏻⚡️👌🏻
Thank you for your kind comment. I'm glad you found it informative. 😊
Another great video… how are you finding the 533 mono camera? I guess that’s why you are now able to capture the fainter objects. Are you missing the colour? Are you using colour filters, or would that be too much faff for EAA?
Do you think the IR pass filter you used on a previous video would help with my OSC camera?
Thanks, James.
I used my Altair Astro 294c OSC for 4 years , but around a year ago, I started to think about purchasing a mono camera. The main advantage to me, was that a mono camera collects 3x as much light over the same period as an OSC. As you say, fainter targets would present themselves. However, it is the 3x increase in capturing speed that really appealed. Plus, with 2x2 bin I get a 50% increase in SNR (or so I read and I think I see). When I went for the ASI533mm it had the extra bonus that its size allowed a straight-through connection, goodbye star diagonal 😊 It also is a more modern sensor, less noise and better QE (91%). I really enjoy the simplicity and performance of the ZWO ASI533mm camera.
Funny enough, I don't miss the colour. I suppose years of visual astronomy where the only thing I saw was "grey" has prepared me for for a non-colour image! I will put the colour camera back on, but I'm not looking forward to balancing the colours, the noise and possibly the longer total exposure times!
I'm not using the mono camera to create colour images. I would have to go for a USB filter wheel (because I'm lazy 😂), and right now I don't feel the need for the extra complexity and expense. I think, as you say it would be too much faff 😊
I haven't tried the IR Pass filter on my colour camera. The 294c OSC's optical window has a UV/IR block (400-700nm). It's only a guess, but on an object as bright as the Moon it should still be effective, right? Actually, would it be "super" effective as you're using long wavelengths (same as mono) but also a narrow band (~15nm wide). I will have to give it a go and see (or not see 😂) what the effect is. Sounds like an interesting project, thank you for the idea.
Thank you for your support James.
Have fun.
Pete
Hi James,
Some holes appeared in the clouds this morning, so I took the opportunity to try the IR Pass filter on the OSC. As expected it worked. I used RAW8 first and got a lovely red image (no surprises again). Clicking on the auto adjustment in SharpCap gave me a green'ish image. I switched to MONO8 and felt more at home 😂
Conditions were not good. However, in yet another completely non-scientific, subjective test 😊. Comparing the non-filtered and filtered views, I would side on the filtered view. In live view there was less distortion and to me the live stacks were sharper and had more contrast. But again, the Sun was always rising and the cloud dodging became more frequent as I switched to the unfiltered view. The filtered view was quite dark and I had to boost the gain to get a higher framerate (40-50 fps), again to be expected, when you cut out a majority of the sensors light gathering capacity!
Trying to compare previous live stacks from the mono camera is even dodgier but they were much better! Multiple variables at play here, including the fact I have not had the OSC on the scope for 6 months! It was interesting to get back into the swing of using it.
The cost of the filter is pretty low, 16.99 GBP for the 2 inch. It might be worth giving it a go. I will try again when the Moon comes around again.
I will leave the OSC on the scope for some summer colour observing.
Have fun.
Pete
@@Xio2011 Hi Pete, thanks so much for taking the time to reply and try the filter with the colour camera, I appreciate your feedback! Unfortunately the weather up here in Lancashire is only cooperating infrequently… I do have my CPC 925 setup and managed one night recently, but it wasn’t ideal due to the almost full moon and lack of astronomical darkness! Still I am looking forward to trying the lunar live stacking, when the weather and conditions allow! Please keep posting your informative videos, I am learning a lot from them, and find they inspire me to try new techniques and targets! Cheers, Ian!