đź” 2022 Gear Overview
Overview
I only had a few hours last night, so I thought I would see what I could get done in a short amount of time. It turns out that in just 2 hours I can get some interesting data.
I basically consider anything I do this fall to be preparation for the winter. In the winter it gets dark at 5:00pm in the north where I am. In theory I could have about 11-12 hours of capture time, though I’m not sure I’ll ever use that much. When I have those long nights, I want to be comfortable using my equipment so I can spend the most amount of time capturing images. I also want to not have to spend much time in the cold.
Schedule
Here is where I spent my 2 hours:
| Time | Activity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 20 min | Polar align and focus | This still takes me too long. I should be able to finish this faster |
| 75 min | Capture images | (See below) |
| 10 min | Cleanup | |
| 5 min | Stacking (Siril) | Copying image files, setting up Siril, and running script |
| 10 min | Post Processing |
Frames
Here is what I captured in those 75 minutes:
Lights: 2 @ 3 min, 10 @ 5 min (56 min total)
Darks: 3 @ 5 min (15 min)
Bias: 10
Flat: 10
Siril
Siril stacked these images in less than 2 minutes using the built-in script. I might have to update the script so it matches the files generated by the ASIAir.
Once I had the image I did some super quick and basic edits:
Photometric Color Calibration
Background extraction
Histogram transformation (using the “auto stretch” preset)
Asinh Transformation to set the black point
All of that took just a few minutes. I bet I could get some better results if I spent more time on it. I really should figure out some more tips and tricks for this post-processing. When I have more data, then I will be more concerned with spending time on it.
New Equipment
Since last time, I got a new Sirui Carbon Fiber Tripod, which is exciting for me. It is super nice and can handle the weight of everything I put on it. I think my setup is 25 lbs or so, which needs a heavy-duty tripod.
I also ordered some tripod clamps for my ASIAir and Power supply to help me organize all my cables. Those should be here in a few days.
Power Usage
I tried to figure out how much power I used by hooking up my Kill A Watt Meter. In the 90 minutes it said I used 0.01 KWH, but I’m not sure I trust that. I just threw the monitor in at the last minute, and didn’t think too much about how I was using it. I’ll try again next time.
I want to get a battery pack to power my rig, but I need to know how much electricity it uses first.
Output
