8” dob x EQ Platform x Raspberry Pi HQ Cam

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Because there’s no way I’m buying an Astro cam (or a DSLR for that matter), I decided to build a cooled astro cam myself using a raspberry pi and an hq cam. I plan to focus on planetary as well as DSO. Wish me luck!

I’ve made an asiair-like web app which is hosted by the pi for controlling the camera from any device with a browser: https://github.com/n3rdium/astropi

I did a test last night, and it went… never mind.
I set the exposure thinking it was in ms, but it was in fact in us. And then I spent the next thirty minutes figuring out why the stars won’t appear.
Also, my only extension board for bricked, so I have to find another way to power the thing now.

Will do another test tonight and share the results here.

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Didn't get a chance to image, will try this weekend ;-;

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There’s a huge dust particle on my sensor 😭

But the thing is better than i expected!

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Been a long time, but I decided to start working on this again. Here’s the camera enclosure for now. Will run a small test tonight. Let’s see how it goes.

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I will be imaging M42 with this setup tonight. Wish me luck!

[next sapphire]

Gl bro

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It looks a bit dim for 1000ms

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Thanx!

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I guess i set the ISO wrong, then

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3200

That high too

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There might be a bug in my control application

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For my scope and webcam, just 62ms at 255 gain prosuces overexposed stuff

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Ye could be

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Will try bug hunting later today.

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Okie gtg byeee

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Thanks for the heads up!

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Cya

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Which scope btw?

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114/900

114mm aperture and 900mm focal length

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.

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So there must be a bug

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Yeah def

Are u outputing images or videos?

Also is there a lens b/w the camera and telescope?

I didnt use an eyepiece

We can be 100% sure if the frame rate of video is higher than calc framerate

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Images

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No

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i see

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Found the problem! The unit for exposure time is to be set in us, not ms. So, I was actually taking 1ms exposures instead of 1000ms ones.

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Great

Btw whats the max expoaure possible for the camera? Also whats its resolution?

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Max exposure ~670sec. Maximum resolution is 4056x3040 px.

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Tonight's test was nuked due to this bug 💀

Will try again on Saturday, ig

[next sapphire]

awww man

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nice. 670 sec plus the 4056x3040 resolution is pretty good

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The only problem is that the sensor is 🤏

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if your tracked, it wont be much of an issue

planetary would yield great resutls (taken thru webcam(same fov) 114/900 scope untracked)

that artifact is due to low gain i kept cause i feared that i would blow out the details on the white surfaces

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I tested this a few days ago. Results:

• Having trouble focusing
• Need to recalibrate the EQ platform

I could only get it to resolve Mars and Betelgeuse, and the data wasn't even worth stacking 😭

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awww man

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Currently doing a software rewrite. Will get some good data soon enough

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great

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What would be the better option for planetary? Capture lots of DNGs or just capture an AVI video? The former seems easier to implement.

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Avi

They work the best for planetary

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Will try 👍

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great

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Gonna recalibratw my eq platform tonight. Dem the exams are really slowing me down

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yeah exams really slow down progress

same here yk

are u in class 12th?

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11th

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i see

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You?

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12

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Noice. Best of luck, ig!

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thx, best of luck to you too

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Dang it, clouds!

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My exams ended today! Despite knowing that there's a really slim chance of success, I'll try imaging one of the Leo Triplet tonight. At the very least, I expect:

1. Good tracking from that EQ Platform
2. "Stable" imaging from the Pi
3. Decent data (I don't care much about the framing rn)

And yes, I know, I've got one 🤏 field of view.

Ah, the weather forecast

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The platform seems to be working just fine. Now I just need to find my target!

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wooo great to hear it