From: Mark Gaffney <markgaffney@me.com>

Date: August 11, 2009 10:38:41 AM MDT

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] trying again...


Hi Milton, 

This is the source movie I was getting; http://web.mac.com/markgaffney/iWeb/Site/My%20Great%20Movie%2012.html

I realise it`s not much good to you in this form (through iWeb) to process yourself.

I was using a Mogg 0.3 FR which as you know is a 0.6 element with an extender tube which takes it to 0.3. I was so pleased with the quality of the movies I was getting I perhaps got carried away in my enthusiasm when processing. You told me to use "Light" at the time & I`ve selected the "Noise Reduction" option by mistake. My tracking/ polar alignment at this stage was very good. This is a moveable feast with me-at present PA needs to be done again. I`ve since mislaid the 0.6 lens element of the Mogg much to my frustration. I can always re-process the movie given these new parameters you`ve given.


Mark.

On 12/08/2009, at 1:33 AM, Milton Aupperle wrote:

Hi Mark;

You can't really comment on something unless you know what the source
is and what the result was, and all we have here is a stacking log
file as a Jpeg instead of text. And I think I've already commented on
this log too.

First off, you should not be using "Noise Reduction" with "Light
Sharpening", that produces a blurry stack. The only time you should
be using the Noise Reduction if your using medium or higher sharpness
to reduce the noise before sharpening is applied. I do use "Noise
Reduction" with "Light Sharpening" when stacking the R G B star /
DSO images (it makes the star colors look better when I combine the L
R G B image), but I turn both off for the Luma star / DSO stack. For
lunar I use light or none and for some planetary, I may go as high as
medium.

Secondly, save some CPU cycles and don't use high quality bayer,
especially if your just trying things out to see what you get for a
result.. It slows things down a lot. Once you know that you have
selected good parameters, then turn it on and process final. When
you've shot and processed many terra bytes of video like I have,
you'll likely be able to just use high quality bayer all the time.

Thirdly, do not check mark "Adjust pixel area brightness if frame
brightness changes." for lunar, solar, planetary images, that can
cause poor or no pixel matching if your scope has poor tracking. I
explained why in detail on page 35 of the Astro IIDC manual and also
the exceptions to the rule too.

Lastly unless your camera gains / brightness slider was set really
high, I would not be stacking 173 out of 533 frames. I'd probably go
with 50 to 80 frames, depending on the source movie. The main reason
one stacks lots of frames is to suppress noise and to bring out faint
features that the noise would obscure.

HTH..

Milton Aupperle

On 11-Aug-09, at 6:01 AM, Mark Gaffney wrote:

> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Astro_IIDC/files/Other/Flea%202%
> 20stacking%20files%20May%20%6009/
>
>