Nope, I'm done with stacking.. It is just impossible for me. Not even Orion Camera Studio can spit out anything decent for me. So you guys will just have to put up with straight out...

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

It is just impossible for me. Not even Orion Camera Studio can spit out anything decent for me. So you guys will just have to put up with straight out exported jpg's from me.
#1 and #2 are processed. #3 is my as shot and exported as a jpg. I know which one I like, and it takes no baloney to get there.

Stacking is for hay and firewood. And we all know what hay turns into.... :lol:
Regi Stax, DSS, and even Orion can't give me what a straight export will.
Tonight will be clear here. I'll be hunting again after the storm we just had. ;)
Time to set up for tonight's play. Oh, sorry, I forgot to say these are the Pinwheel Galaxy... :oops:

Stacked in Orion Camera Studio per instructions...

(Download)

Next attempt...

(Download)

A no baloney 450 second as shot, exported as jpg.

(Download)

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

You can do it! Get access to Nikonshooter's Dropbox account and download his images. Start with something modest, perhaps 4 of them without flats, darks and bias images and give it a try. If it works, start adding more files and try again. If it doesn't work, do some screen shots of your DSS settings and share them with us. I am having success with every batch I try and I do want to experiment with Nikonshooter's images to see if I can even improve upon what I have been able to do so far. (But this will have to wait another week until my company shuts down for Christmas since they keep me far, far, too preoccupied with stuff I am rapidly losing interest in -- 3 1/2 months to go to retirement).

But one thing I find I have to do is use DDS version 3.4 and it will not work if I use version 3.2. I suspect version 3.2 doesn't read my RAW files.

proteus1 Loc: NEVADA

GEE, I'm really not buying this. But just in case quote me a price on all of your equipment and we just may be able to make a deal, no used Celestron shipping boxes please

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

proteus1 wrote:

GEE, I'm really not buying this. But just in case quote me a price on all of your equepment and we just may be able to make a deal, no used Celesttron shipping boxes please

Bah, ha, ha. I was born in the dark, but it wasn't last night! I'm just done with fiddle farting around with doctoring images. Not selling out.
Especially not now that I finally have things working well. :twisted:
I ironed the bugs out, and even found my own way around the odd ball tracking after slewing to a new target.
(The secret is in shutting down the PHD program. Then restarting it fresh. Reboots out the previous guidance, and sets up anew on the current object. Nobody told me about that little fix before.) :twisted: So, Sorry Walt, no garage sale here my friend. :cry:

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

JimH123 wrote:

You can do it! Get access to Nikonshooter's Dropb... (show quote)

Thanks for the encouragement, Jim.
But there is a basic difference in the files. I could jump on the band wagon and play along.
But DSLR files, RAW or otherwise, are different and behave differently from my CCD fit files.
I have the 3.4 version you gave me the link to.
I've spent the entire storm getting nowhere. It acts like it is working, then comes up with nothing, zero, zilch, nada. Just wasted time. A blank screen.
Regi Stax stumbles, stammers, falters, and falls.
Not even Orion's camera program can work it's own dumb files. And often decides to shut down.
So I'm back to my purest ways. If I like it, I can export it as a jpg and there she is. If I don't there is always the delete key, the don't save option, tomorrow's another day try again option.
Doesn't take 40 different programs to get a pikturd for me. ;)
I came into this for the fun of it. I think I will keep it as fun. :)

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

SonnyE wrote:

Thanks for the encouragement, Jim. But there is a ... (show quote)

What options do you have to work with in Orion Camera Studio. Perhaps there are settings you haven't tried that will affect what it does. I have never used that SW, but perhaps it has some options worth looking at. And have you downloaded the latest rev of that SW?
To post a screen shot, first paste it into Paint.exe. Then crop as desired. Then save as JPEG, and post here.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

JimH123 wrote:

What options do you have to work with in Orion Camera Studio. Perhaps there are settings you haven't tried that will affect what it does. I have never used that SW, but perhaps it has some options worth looking at. And have you downloaded the latest rev of that SW?
To post a screen shot, first paste it into Paint.exe. Then crop as desired. Then save as JPEG, and post here.

Page 9 and on explains the steps I took to get no results. http://www.telescope.com/assets/product_files/instructions/29400_08-14.pdf
But hey, Jim, don't waste your time on my inadequacies. I am getting some pictures, and some that I really enjoy as well.
It took me half a year to get here. And I'm not unhappy. God knows, I'm having a blast.
What a long, strange trip it's been... I am gettin there, in my odd-ball round about ways. :lol: ;)

Albuqshutterbug Loc: Albuquerque NM

SonnyE wrote:

Page 9 and on explains the steps I took to get no results. http://www.telescope.com/assets/product_files/instructions/29400_08-14.pdf But hey, Jim, don't waste your time on my inadequacies. I am getting some pictures, and some that I really enjoy as well. It took me half a year to get here. And I'm not unhappy. God knows, I'm having a blast. What a long, strange trip it's been... I am gettin there, in my odd-ball round about ways. :lol: ;)

I wish I had a dollar for every time I tried and failed. I either had lock ups or 43 different views of each star in the shot that I was trying to shoot. He!! I still have that problem sometimes. Ok, frequently, but the ones that work are worth the effort. Don't give up, try different settings. Sooner or later it will click.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Albuqshutterbug wrote:

I wish I had a dollar for every time I tried and failed. I either had lock ups or 43 different views of each star in the shot that I was trying to shoot. He!! I still have that problem sometimes. Ok, frequently, but the ones that work are worth the effort. Don't give up, try different settings. Sooner or later it will click.

Oh, it can't click. It doesn't have a shutter. :shock:
:lol:
Things are working along pretty good tonight though.
Shot my nemesis the Dumbbell Nebula, got some of the Helix Nebula but too late in the evening, going to shoot another night; and seem to have a good bead on The Great Orion Nebula and using my UHC filter with 22 second exposures to gather a series.
Hot off the sensor...

(Right now I'm waiting for my power pole to move N/E so I can continue playing. :lol: :roll: )

Orion 12-12-15 YCbCr, UHC filter @ 22s

(Download)

Albuqshutterbug Loc: Albuquerque NM

SonnyE wrote:

Oh, it can't click. It doesn't have a shutter. :s... (show quote)

Looks like fun.
Its snowing here.
Muttering.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Bummer. It's cold outside, but I'm running from inside.
I just discovered how to run a sequence with the camera.
I think that will be a great asset for me in the future.
Currently running a 50 shot sequence of Orion.

I caught something kind of odd in my looping run tonight (Orion).
Side by side streaks like JimH123 caught in one of his images.
Tomorrow I'm going to try and make a video of them for my Youtube channel to share.
I was able to save 4 of the 6 before the program decided to stop. :evil: Lost the other two, and all the rest of about 65 images.
When I got it running again, I caught another 'streak'. I'm wondering what the heck is going on.
Ah heck, I couldn't wait.
Streakers on Orion's Nebula
http://youtu.be/4tHhWivVmjQ

raymondt3 Loc: Chicago Heights

Sorry to hear you're giving up on stacking. I've watched your progression through this endeavor as I try to duplicate your progress. You seemed so close to getting it!! I hope you don't throw in the towel on this so I can see how you worked it out. I'm trying to "get there" as well.

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

raymondt3 wrote:

Sorry to hear you're giving up on stacking. I've watched your progression through this endeavor as I try to duplicate your progress. You seemed so close to getting it!! I hope you don't throw in the towel on this so I can see how you worked it out. I'm trying to "get there" as well.

If you find the magic button, please let me know.
I've followed along, I have books, I've done step-by-step,
and I get blanks on the screen where a damned picture is supposed to be...
BUT, if I take my images and save the ones I like, or export them as jpgs or tifs, I get a picture.
I try the programs others use and I get garbage.

Tell you what I am ready to do though, uninstall these problematic programs. Blow them out the fan in a green data cloud. Then start over.
It is possible that DSS is corrupted. Or Regi Stax is wack.
I went step by step with the Orion book on Image Processing, NaDa.

Poop. At least I've got a clear night (no rain). The mount is out, and I plan to go hunting. Me and Orion, across the skies.
I have a bead on the Helix Nebula... :-D

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

SonnyE wrote:

It is just impossible for me. Not even Orion Camer... (show quote)

I download your first stretched image. Please bear in mind that this is compressed and extracting info is a challenge...nonetheless, this is what I got. If you could send me a HI RES file - tif or fit file I would iike to see what you have captured.

I hope working on your image doesn't offend you as it is a bit presumptous but I am absolutely certain your data is much better than you thought.

If interested, send it to ed@emphoto.net and should it be too big to email, send it using https://www.mailbigfile.com/ it's free if under 2 gig

Your image stretched

(Download)

SonnyE Loc: Communist California, USA

Thank You Ed.
No, never offended my friend.
I'd welcome the help.
I sent a reply to you.
I'll see what I can send tomorrow and hopefully I can get some files to you. (Sorry, tonight my laptop is tied up outside in 35 degree weather and I doubt I could type legibly out there. :lol: )
I do use DSS, but as of late it goes through a bunch of gyrations, then comes up with a blank screen.
LOL! Tonight I tried it after uninstalling the earlier version (3.1, I believe it was) and it went through the same multiple steps to a blank screen.
But wait, there's more!
I then tried to save the output. ;) A window popped open and told me there was no file to save. :shock: :evil: :thumbdown:

Meanwhile, I am locked onto Craig's Crab Nebula like a pitbull with lockjaw. And waiting for the next exposure to finish.
But here is a 1500s Ha 7nm image in a jpg. (untouched, and then cropped and lightly basted with Adobe Photoshop Elements.)

Untouched, 1500s Ha 7nm filter

(Download)

Same, but lightly fiddled and diddled in AP Elements, and cropped