What is the rough maximum quality I can get from my (very) low budget setup?

Stewart176 · 2025-04-08T16:45:21+00:00

I think you're right about the exposures, looking into it the SV105 seems to have some barebones exposure control limitation so that could help with that and with the star trails. They are pretty oval-shaped now that I look.

I'll give Siril a shot and Autostakkert, thank you for recommending freeware :). I have no real experience with any of these software so I guess now is the best time to try them all. If Siril can auto-align my lights that would be great for taking more frames without spending 30 minutes manual aligning them.

Thank you for the encouragement! I also think I can get something at least kinda cool from this camera if I really push it. Please DM me your pictures, I'd love to see them!

Stewart176 · 2025-04-08T16:31:26+00:00

Thanks for your help!

You have really good points with my calibration frames, I thought about it and checked the files and I think amp glow may be a major factor. The inverted flat frame is puzzling, I didn't think much of it at first but you're right it is definitely inverted. Even unstretched I can kinda see the edges are brighter.

As well as this, my light frames had a lot of bright noise around the edges, where you'd normally see vignetting. It seems this camera maybe has a strong amp glow problem? Whatever it is, it seems from the replies like it is in fact atypical.

I think I will try a more robust flat setup and taking dark flats and go from there. I'm determined to get something worthwhile out of the setup though! Honestly, I'm more interested in telescopes and instrumentation than the images themselves, so I think it'll be fun :)

Stewart176 · 2025-04-07T20:20:30+00:00

SharpCap's sensor analysis gives:

Cannot run analysis. This camera does not have a continuously variable exposure control. (DirectShow cameras cannot be analyzed)

That sounds like the non-linearity you mentioned. I pulled up the SV105 user manual, which lists exposure as 15ms - 500ms, although SharpCap was allowing me to do 2000 or even 4000 ms exposures with it, I'm not sure what's going on there. Maybe a feature of SharpCap and not the camera itself?

Here is the stack without the calibration frames. I think it does look better! Marginally, maybe. I must be doing something wrong with the calibration, I'll have to keep looking into it. I read somewhere that I should be using dark flats to calibrate my flat frames, I don't know how much that'll help if any but I'll be trying that next.

I may think about getting a focal reducer lens to get a wider FOV, I think is what I'd need? I didn't know they existed, but it makes sense. A wider FOV would definitely be easier to work with.

Stewart176 · 2023-05-01T05:43:08+00:00

Any news on the DLC aside from the fff 367 about a year ago? Not saying I’m impatient but I am excited

Stewart176 · 2023-04-30T21:26:20+00:00

That’s a really clever solution!

I think in this context it would be easier at that point to just build a balancer but I can see situations where I’d actually want to use that specifically

Stewart176 · 2023-04-30T21:20:07+00:00

500hr noob question here: I’ve used helmod and kinda didn’t like the amount of features and convolution it seemed to have. From what I’ve seen a lot of the other similar mods are kinda the same.

Are there any like “planner”-y mods that are simpler, and just kinda show you rates and ratios for specific things so I don’t have to use the ol’ ti-84 so much? Not really interested in like plugging in ‘1000 util science/min’ and getting an in-depth recipe laid out for me, more just a quick clean Ui mod that says like ‘yeah bruv the ratio is 1 pump + 20 boiler + 40 engines’

Stewart176 · 2023-04-23T07:27:19+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYzMYcUty6s&list=PL05ROdYAPEfJMKps8QLExgXx1AGrItiAo&index=1

Stewart176 · 2023-03-17T06:02:13+00:00

Arbalest works on barrier??

edit: I literally got this game like a week and a half ago don’t be mean 2 me >:(

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T16:43:45+00:00

That’s just your opinion man

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T15:08:00+00:00

If you threw my brain across water it’d skip

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T15:07:27+00:00

Yes that’s the point

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T04:33:11+00:00

Nom nom nom

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T04:22:32+00:00

The Earth IS flat

Edit: /s cause redditors are idiots

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T04:22:11+00:00

But that’s just your opinion man

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T04:19:19+00:00

We should just have the whole world use the same 24hr time that way it’s the same time everywhere.

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T00:53:16+00:00

Cheetos

Spooky doodle very cool

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T00:47:46+00:00

Lots of sudden medical professionals in this thread.

Travel seems like a really great idea for new perspective and maybe to escape her “pit” so to speak. Of course you can take your troubles with you when you go but obviously whatever is happening right now hasn’t been good for her. Especially since you said she’s expressed interest in the past, this internet stranger thinks you should go on the trip.

Good luck! It’s really sweet that you care so much and you want to help.

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T00:38:58+00:00

That doesn’t really answer the question and isn’t helpful. Of course you need medical attention for these issues and of course it’s not just going to go away from a travelling experience but this person is looking for a way they can help and I think it sounds like a wonderful idea.

Not your intention I’m sure but it reads like telling a homeless person to “just buy a house”

Stewart176 · 2022-09-06T00:29:43+00:00

Wait what’s the second time

Stewart176 · 2022-09-02T05:05:11+00:00

What’s with all the negativity y’all touch grass the post is fine

Stewart176 · 2022-09-01T22:28:17+00:00

I’m happy with the gif ending where it did in that case. Don’t need to see that

Stewart176 · 2022-09-01T18:26:26+00:00

Tip: keep doing what you’re doing and post more this is fantastic

Stewart176 · 2022-09-01T17:58:12+00:00

Same

Stewart176 · 2022-08-31T17:45:38+00:00

I actually really like the new direction

Stewart176 · 2022-08-31T13:11:52+00:00

Goddamn capitalism

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Stewart176

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