Atik 420 color and hyperstar not getting perfect focus.

[stephen99]

Really hope this is not a camera problem. I have a celestron Edge HD8, Atik 420 color and hyperstar lens. I use a feathertouch focuser. No matter what I do I cannot get pinpoint stars. I get close, but cannot get it right. I am using the Artermis software to capture images and I use the FWHm thing. I ry to get that number as low as I can. I get in the 4 range. Problem is that I get the number as low as I can and I am still not within perfect focus. I attached a photo and you can see the stars look just not right. Is this a spacing problem? Anything else you can think of. Someone else said it was the camera and that getting s diff camera (starlight exp) would solve the problem. Really dont believe that.Please help. I am so close to producing some great images. Its killing me. I attached a photo and you can see the stars are round, but not perfect. Need some suggestions.

Thanks

Steve

[NickK]

how long are the exposures? It may be the seeing (atmospheric turbulence) and the exposure length causing them to bloat a little.

[stephen99]

These are 3 minute subs. I see this in ALL my photos. Whether its 1,2,3,5 min subs. I even have a focus mask for the hyperstar lens and the camera. Its really frustrating. Have all this great equip and lousy photos. My cheap DSLR gets great pinpoint stars and cannot get it here.

Steve

[stephen99]

Also looking at my screen shot. Is there any settings you see that need to be changed?

Thanks

Steve

[patholland]

Stephen, Have you collimated the hyperstar with the camera. Before you say yes, I have tried and tried and cannot get perfect collimation with either of my hyperstar rigs. I just get it as best I can after 2-3 hours. You may be MUCH better at it then I am but the only other thing I can think of is polar alignment. If it's not very good, it will show up in longer subs but not in short subs.

-Pat Holland