Flats?

[Lex]

Hi Forum;

I am just curious to know how that you take your flats?
I wanted to buy a EL panel but they are way to expensive compared to twilight flats or my beloved dome flats..

So tell me 

Best

Lex

[Max]

Hi Lex

For me there are four advantages for EL panel:

1.) You have always the same conditions.
2.) You can perform flats any time you want.
3.) Because of point 1.) and 2.): You can generate the flats very quickly with the sequencer.
4.) You can control the exposure time with white papers between panel and optic.

I use the EL panel with six white papers. So I cant get all the flats with the same setup - I only have to change the exposure time with the sequencer SW.

PS:
In the setup picture I used no white paper because of narrow band filters flats.

Thanks
Max

[Lex]

Max,

Thanks for the nice review, obviousely there is no way around ine of these Neumann EL panels!
Man you have a nice setup there and as i see you do like working in the colder nights also ;-)

What are your typical exposure details for flats? About 6 seconds each?
Do you take care of the ADU or just go by trial and error?

Thanks a lot

Best

Lex

[Max]

Hi Lex

Thank you!

I use six white papers between the EL panel and the optic. In this way there is 2sec for the LUM and 4sec for RGB . The ADU is with this setup between 15000 and 25000.

Thanks
Max

[Lex]

Thanks Max!

[Lenny]

Try milk plastic and an inexpensive incandescent bulb in one of those portable reflector hoods. You'll need enough plastic to cover the opening of the scope and enough to cover the reflector face. The idea is to diffuse the light so there's no point source where the bulb is and to expose the flat long enough to get to the proper ADU level. You can try mounting the reflector in front of the scope or bounce the light on a 45 deg. angle off a piece of  white poster board.

[Lex]

Hi,

Thanks for the infos, i tried the milk plastic thing with a 20 led warm white bulb but i was not able to achieve acceptable results...

Best

Lex

[ArchieBarton]

Hi,

Thanks for the infos, i tried the milk plastic thing with a 20 led warm white led lights but i was not able to achieve acceptable results...

Best

Lex

Hello man were you able to find right way of doing it? Even I tried led warm white bulb but correct results were not there..

[NickK]

I use an Aurora panel with a white t-shirt folded to dim it.

The only problem with these panels is that the inverter wires break very easily during use (they're too thin). However I used a aux power back they sell at Olly Penrices in the south of france which has far thicker wires.

[Lex]

Hi,

After fiddling around to much, with bulbs, diy boxes, wet t-shirts and unacceptable results, i saw my self forced to buy a Neuman ELP.
Those are really nice robust helpers. For now I have completed my DIY dome automation, up next is flat automation with main sequence generator and Ascom poth....

Hopefully this works!

Best & CS

lex