HA - 5 May 2024 - different quark settings (and a cheeky FD)

[vineyard]

Hello,

Managed to get some time this morning to test out different Quark dial settings. This was after Alexandra and Warren noted that the last image was way off band and suggested I should try that (thank you again!).

And sure enough the setting I had used in the earlier images is not a patch on these two which seemed to generate the best contrast. Out of these two, I think I prefer the "8oclock" setting of the dial vs the "12oclock", but I'm not quite sure yet. I've put both next to each other in both monochrome and colour.

I also took a quick cheeky FD.

Btw, one thing I noticed was that after a while, the quark light would go off. At first I thought maybe the powerbank had run out, but it was still quite charged. So then it struck me that since the powerbank is really there to heat the quark, maybe once the setup has been pointing at the sun for long enough it is naturally hot enough and stops using power. Is that right? (Firecapture was saying the camera sensor temperature was about 37C at that time, and these 8oclock and 12oclock images were taken under those circumstances).

Cheers,

Vin

HA closeups (monochrome) 8oclock vs 12oclock





HA closeups (colour) 8oclock vs 12oclock





FD (w a CLSCCD filter acting as a UVIR block for the camera)

[marktownley]

Very good Vin! The new setting definitely on band. A flat should sort out the uneven illumination.

[allhoest]

Very uniform full disk.

As Mark suggest, you can do a flat.
For Hi resolution pics, I do software flats, typically with gradient exterminator.

Regarding the led, I have seen recently a post of someone have issue with the connector. You may try to detect if the cable connection is OK. Or do you use a power bank?

CS
Alex

[vineyard]

Thanks both. Yes definitely should have taken flats Mark, but I was so busy looking at the contrast across the different dial settings, that I didn't notice the uneven illumination until the processed images came out Next time!

Alex what is a software flat (is that something done synthetically on a processed image?)?

Normally the cable connection is ok - I just noticed it towards the end of the session that the light was going off (there were no problems at the start). I'll check it again next time.

I did find this thread on CN (https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/6679 ... ing-range/) which was interesting. I was using a diagonal and so the quark body I guess does eventually get enough heat falling on it - luckily I've managed to get a good price on an extension tube on eBay so that should allow me to ditch the diagonal and go straight through meaning that the quark body is sheltered. It was also intriguing in that thread to read that apparently w some quarks even when the light is off they can still work fine - maybe I got lucky (at least once the quark is hot enough!).

Cheers!

[rigel123]

Looks good, Vin

[ffellah]

Beautiful FDs and good testing, Vin.

Franco

[vineyard]

Thanks both Warren & Franco. Chucking it down here today.

[allhoest]

Software flat is indeed a detection of gradient in the image + a correction.
As said, I use deep sky tools for this.
I use under photoshop GradientXterminator.
Under PixInsight, the background equalization function helps; an example here with the automatic background (Your pics are small; the result is subject to discussion...).

ABE on solar.png (722.26 KiB) Viewed 264 times

Browse on internet; you may find free tools.

Alex

[arnedanielsen]

Very nice Vin!

[MAURITS]

Nice to see Vin.

[vineyard]

Software flat is indeed a detection of gradient in the image + a correction.
As said, I use deep sky tools for this.
I use under photoshop GradientXterminator.
Under PixInsight, the background equalization function helps; an example here with the automatic background (Your pics are small; the result is subject to discussion...).

ABE on solar.png


Browse on internet; you may find free tools.

Alex

Thanks Arne & Maurits. And thanks Alex for that - I don't have Photoshop but I do have Pixinsight already I tend to use GraXpert rather than GradientXterminator. I would never have thought of using DSO tools (actually I don't know why...) - I'll try that and see what happens! Thanks again for the suggestion.