SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

You're Welcome, glad to help where I can.

notBert Loc: Ft. Collins, Colorado

Thought this might interest you? Added 10kmAh battery to bottom via ¼-20 screw thru aluminum plate & into tripod mount hole + laser pointer in flash shoe via cushion cable clamp & a hot shoe mount.
Sadly cloudy skies since full moon so no fotos, yet.

BigDale Loc: Seymour CT.

I’m also new to astrophotography and a long time Linux user. Mint Linux. I‘ve been using Siril-0.99.7 for stacking and initial post processing then move to RawTherapee-5.3 and Gimp-2.10.22 I still have a lot to learn but I believe these are good tool for the job. There are less tutorials etc for us Linux users for Astro processing. I downloaded the users manuals for each and a lot of trial and error. When you use Siril for stacking it is important to have your lights darks, flats and biases in sub folders that are properly named and then set the main folder as the home folder in Siril. Then I use the scripts to start the stacking process. There are some powerful processing tools in Siril so sometimes I have a nearly finished picture before I move on.

notBert Loc: Ft. Collins, Colorado

HI,
Thanx for your info.My present OS is Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. I tried Siril, but could not figure out how to get my RAW Sony .arw format files into it. I am using DigiKam and the learning curve is fairly steep, but I am making some headway. I downloaded WINE so I could run Windows version of PIPP for sorting the numerous exposures astro uses to get a final image. I have only used it once. DigiKam has a blend tool which looks like it stacks fotos or I can use RegisStax. I would prefer to use Siril or a Linux program instead of WINE. Do you know how to get Siril to deal with Sony RAW .arw files? I think Siril wanted SER format and I also downloaded FFMEG but gave up after a day of failures. I have used GIMP for basic cropping, scaling and exposure corrections. Also ran Mint18.1 Serena Cinnamon version on an old HP desktop some years back, but took the easy way and updated Ubu18.04 LTS to 20.04 on my laptop.
I woul like to get a workflow that consistently runs moon & planet RAW frames from start to finish. So far I have not been able to accomplish all that and any help much appreciated.

BigDale Loc: Seymour CT.

Hi notBert
I think that you might be able to convert your Sony raws then stack with Siril. I would try to convert to 16 or 32 bit tiffs I think that would be close to the raw data. You may be able to convert using software from Sony ( run in Wine) to a recognized format. I sort my images in RawTherapee first. First I make a note of the image # were the lights,darks, flats and biases start and end. Then I go through my lights ranking them with the star system looking at tracking errors, airplanes etc. that might throw off the stacking process . I write down the #s of the images I want to stack and copy them into the lights sub folder.
It takes the software developers a while to start recognizing a new camera’s raw format. Try to get the latest versions of Siril and RawTherapee from their websites, the repositories tend to be several versions behind.
From what I can understand SER files are video format that would be used for stacking planetary images but I’m not sure.

BigDale Loc: Seymour CT.

I think that I found the conversion that you need in the Siril forum. I can't try it because I don't have that format. https://discuss.pixls.us/t/siril-colour-management/22208/8 I hope this helps.

BigDale Loc: Seymour CT.

I like your hotshoe lazer pointer holder. Do you find that it is accurate enough to aim a telephoto lens in the 200mm range? Did you buy or make it?

notBert Loc: Ft. Collins, Colorado

Thank you much. I will give it all a try. Yup, SER is video. I took 4k video of Saturn Jupiter conjunction 21 Dec 20. Eventually will see if I can get it into Siril, but try first your advice w/ moon & same nite as video of Sat-Jup.
Are you familiar w/ KStars?

https://edu.kde.org/kstars/

I find it easier to use than Stellarium & eventually if I ever get back ro Colorado use it as GoTo app for my Celestron 5" telescope.

notBert Loc: Ft. Collins, Colorado

I made it from AmZ supplied parts & Z-bolt laser that was discontinued and a real bargain @ $30. There is post from SonnyE 27 Dec 20 @ 19:19 w/ his good experience w/ this laser and I have had no problems @ 300mm, tho at 900mm foto tripod screws everything up as I tighten screws, but that is 2°40' AofV. I can send more fotos and detail if you like?Right now need to get sourdo in oven for this week's loaf of bread!

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

"Right now need to get sourdo in oven for this week's loaf of bread!"

YUMMM!

notBert Loc: Ft. Collins, Colorado

You asked about the laser pointer. I found this foto of crescent moon where I used the laser to line up the Sony 100-600mm lens on the A6300 camera (1.5x crop factor 900mm focal length) for this shot. I think I aimed for center of terminator. Camera on tripod, legs tied together to convert it to a monopod. I usually line up the greendot on the center vertical line in the viewfinder and then rock the camera forward & back until object is centered and then a series of 9 shots bracketed using Auto ISO from 100-25600. I think this was shot at 1/60"/f6.3, EV -3, (so ISO 400?). If EXIF data is attached it has all that.
I finally got Siril to import my Sony .arw RAW files. It outputs them as FITS format. May not get to processing them further until the weekend. It looks like Siril and GIMP or digiKam will be sufficient to get to a final image. Found some tutorials on UTube.

notBert Loc: Ft. Collins, Colorado

Apology if this is multiple posting, buTT I get multiple "Website not available error" so try, try again. Here's sourdo baking. Food toasted w/ homemade apricot jam!

Err msg can't load sourdo foro

notBert Loc: Ft. Collins, Colorado

Try again w/ sourdo foto.

notBert Loc: Ft. Collins, Colorado

My apology if you get two of these msgs.
They said, "It's your birthday, 'Here's HAPPYS to Ya'" a day late. I rigged a Z-Bolt laser to a mini-ballhead on a hot shoe ¼-20 screw to slide in the flash shoe atop my Sony A 6300 to use as a pointer. Works good enuf. My apilogy if I already sent you about it, buTT @ 87 finding my glasses is a daily task. As you can see it points a bit high, sufficient to align Mars (center, Aldebaran & Pleiades. Do you know the relationship between the magnitude of say Sirius @-1.2 and Expsoure Value ? I am thinking it is a way to estimate ISO + f stop & shutter for my Sony 200-6000 f5.6-6.3 telly lens. Started up the steep curve learning Siril to stretch & stack, meanwhile the moon is my friendliest astro target. Here in Florida clouds are hindrance. Good luck w/ 7Sisters fotos.
Oooops I see I did send one laser fitting note. Update is using mini-ballhead.

Pleiades are faint @ lower right

notBert Loc: Ft. Collins, Colorado

Updated laser pointer adding mini-ballhead to lock it in position. Good enuf to center Mars in Sony A6300 monitor.

Laser to Mars

(Download)