2 months ago • Cuiv, The Lazy Geek

Well well well, what do we have here?

 https://pixinsight.com/forum/index.php?threads/pixinsight-1-9-0-lockhart-released.24605/ 

2 months ago (edited) • Cuiv, The Lazy Geek

*Update 20241217: I got an update from SVBony, they will add focuser stroke/travel in the lens to accommodate that. So if you can reach focus, no problem, for others reach out to SVBony about it and they should be able to do something about it.* 

I've been made aware of a potential backfocus limitation of the SVBony SV555 lens according to multiple reports on CloudyNights.

Effectively, there are cases where you cannot reach focus at infinity with standard ZWO adapters. Some details below based on preliminary findings (this is best guess at this stage):
- If you have 55mm worth of adapters between the camera sensor and the lens flange, together with a 2mm (or more) thick filter - which is most filters - , you will be able to reach focus. This was my own setup throughout my tests for the review (UV/IR cut filter which I had put within the lens).
- If you have 55mm worth of adapters between the camera sensor and the lens flange WITHOUT a filter, you may not be able to reach focus (I didn't test this scenario, it didn't occur to me that this could happen).

However, if you use a ZWO EFW, together with either their 16.5mm spacer or their standard OAG, you now have 56mm worth of adapters instead of 55mm. It seems that in this case the lens will NOT reach focus. If you use the ZWO OAG-L together with the EFW, your distance is 55mm, so with a filter you will reach focus. 

4 months ago (edited) • Cuiv, The Lazy Geek

After my latest video ( https://youtu.be/V4snlZYduNg ), where I show you how to compute exactly how effective a filter will be for your telescope, three different people/teams reached out telling they had built a program to replace my own clunky spreadsheet! Here are some info and the links - if you guys want to work with one another, feel free!

- Online calculator by Astrophilos:  https://astrophilos.com/calculation/  ( https://www.instagram.com/_astrophilos_/ )

- Online calculator by Orphi:  https://astronomytools.orphi.eu/fbsc.html  (contact available on the webpage)

- The astronomical students team from the Polytechnic University of Valencia,  https://www.instagram.com/astroupv/  - unfortunately their program is an .exe so I can't really share it, but they actually use the Integral method which is amazing!!

You guys are awesome! 

4 months ago • Cuiv, The Lazy Geek

I'm back in Japan!  But I caught a cold and have no voice, so I need to wait for that to get better before filming again :)

I have some cool videos planned!
- reprocessing old images with my new easy PI flow
- trying out Adam Block's new NB techniques
- going into the weeds of bandpass shift for narrowband filters, including how to compute it exactly for a given filter and telescope (the results are NOT nice for fast scopes!)
- an autoguiding primer
- reviewing Dwarf III vs S50
- reviewing Vespera II
- reviewing SV240 from SvBony

And many more! 

5 months ago • Cuiv, The Lazy Geek

Hello everyone! As always thank you so much for your support!

Quick heads up: I'll be taking 2-3 weeks off to relax a bit, so expect my replies to comments, emails, Instagram, FB, etc. to be much slower!

But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you and I have prepared several videos for your viewing pleasure, which I will release regularly 😉 Some of them are already available to my Bortle 5 and Bortle 0 Patreon sponsors! Others are awaiting editing 😅

So clear skies, don't forget to look up at the stars, and see you soon! 

5 months ago • Cuiv, The Lazy Geek

It's finally here! The ultimate guide to lazy PixInsight Processing! From Zero to Hero in one video :)
 https://youtu.be/XCotRiUIWtg 

5 months ago • Cuiv, The Lazy Geek

Sometime next week (probably Friday) I will be releasing on YouTube my longest video to date: a 3 hours long zero to hero course in PixInsight, with my raw data provided for every example so you can follow along! By the end of this one video, you will be able to process your images to an amazing degree in just ~30 minutes per image, even if you've never used PixInsight before! Basically 10% effort for 90% result. This is PERFECT for anyone considering a PixInsight trial (warning: this course may tempt you into buying PixInsight).

My Patreon Bortle 5 & 0 supporters have already had access to the course for a while and the feedback has been amazing!

The course goes over download, installation, modules and scripts installation (so we have the exact same baseline), initial setup, interface explanation & guidance, before slowly transitioning into workflows for every scenario: OSC/DLSR broadband, OSC narrowband (HOO and SHO), monochrome camera broadband, monochrome camera SHO narrowband. Everything is covered in just one video :)

And of course I'll have my usual little tips and tricks for maximum laziness/efficiency!

This upcoming video was many tens of hours of work, and is sponsored by my Channel Members and Patreon Supporters - this would NOT be possible without your support, and the whole community profits thanks to you! The simple yet effective workflows themselves stand upon the shoulders of giants, they are made possible by the amazing work of so many, like the Graxpert team, Starnet team, Bill Blanshan & Mike Cranfield, Seti Astro, and many others.

Anyway, just to hype things up a bit - I rarely do that, if ever (I'm terrible at self promotion), but I'm really proud of that video! 

5 months ago • Cuiv, The Lazy Geek

If you ever feel confused about calibration frames (what they are, which ones to take for YOUR camera, how to take them, and how to use them) I made this video to demystify all of this for all cameras (DSLR, uncooled astro camera, cooled astro camera, camera with amp glow, without amp glow, and the special case of the ASI294MM/MC). Hopefully this can be helpful!
 https://youtu.be/2SMIuCM9j8k 

6 months ago • Cuiv, The Lazy Geek

I aimed my two similar telescopes to The Dumbbell Nebula with a catch: one telescope used a monochrome camera with filters, the other used a one shot color camera. Which of the below images do you think was taken with the monochrome camera?
Full answer in my latest video!  https://youtu.be/CooWNVq6rj8 

This is the monochrome camera!

Nah, THIS is the monochrome camera!

1.7K votes

6 months ago • Cuiv, The Lazy Geek

Impromptu live streaming in 30 minutes or so! I will be using one of my supporter's rigs in Chile (where they live & work) with full remote control from NINA!