So.. this was my plan to image same objects this week. I did.
Very light polluted area.
My scope is a modest AT72EDII F6. Nothing close to RASA F2.
The Leo Triplet came out not too bad.
But the Markarian's chain... at 120 sec x 60 it was nothing to look at.
Tonight I retried at 240 sec x 40. Better but not much.
Next week I'll drive 8 hours away from home to a dark place and see what difference would that make (hopefully everything will cooperate).
: /

Max - post your version - I bet we can help? my color camera is VERY susecptable to light polution. If the moon's out - forget it.
So I shoot mono mostly for my bortle 6 skies at home. (in my dome).
I just moved the color camera to a portable setup that I put together. A 80mm APO with .8 reducer, ASIair, OAG and cheap avx mount.
ITS GREAT FUN testing it in the driveway as I get it configured. My plan is to bring it to my daughters which has Bortle 4 (I can see the milkyway there)
NEVER at my place. I had thought about selling the camera, but figured I'd try this first. The simplicity of the setup makes it fun again.

Early stages - in the photo. I wanted to pull that beast of a guide scope and put a OAG on it.
I'm now testing spacing/focus point for guide camera as it has to match the primary.

<strong>SIMPLICITY IS BLISS![b/]



NOW...

Hi Ron/All,
Here's my Markarian's. I actually expected a better result. The sky was without clouds but hazy - maybe that's why.
AT72EDII, ASI294MC @ gain 200. 240 sec x 40. Optolong L-Pro filter.
Stacked in DSS. Minimal processing: RGB aligned in Photoshop and saved as jpg.
Can you turn this into something interesting? I am getting too much noise after contrast stretching (using photoshop). Thanks!

Here's my final result. Photoshop contrast stretching + Noiseware noise reduction.
(my images look quite a bit darker when posted on the internet - something is not right with my photoshop color profile or something).

Do you have one orignial .fit file that you captured to attach?

I'm surprised there isn't more data with this settings. I'm wondering if something went wrong in your processing. Must you align in pshop? DSS will align. I love using DSS LIVE during aquisition, it watches for new subs coming in from other software and will stack them live on the fly.

Hi Ron,
I was surprised too...
Here's a google drive link to one of the fits.
drive.google.com/file/d/1TXYB_AQgHrnS0S1...tnl/view?usp=sharing
Thanks!

I struggled with this for quite some time...
Tried different profiles, including sRGB. Followed different instructions...
Still my images look differently between color-matched and not color-matched applications.
I'll give this one more try...

several problems. Spacing is to close. How do you have the camera mounted and what is in the camera train? (shoot me a pic?) The camera sensor is a bit to close.
Focus was off
but It looks like the reason you have so little data is massive light pollution. What are your skies like? Was there a good sized moon? Both of those things will really lighten the background sky which washes out the light you're trying to capture.

The exposure was likely to long and you over exposed for your LP level. I'm in bortle 6 and I can't shoot longer than 45 seconds with my OSC camera. Else the backgroud washes out the target. I bet you'd have gotten better with 80-100 30 second exposures.

The needed no stretching (which is unusual, I've never seen that before). Due to over exposure. And when I debayered the sky looks like dawn or daylight. This is why the galaxies aren't showing up. Over exposing the back sky is just like shooting stars in the daytime. = )

I just a debayered and I see this. The image should be VERY DARK and need stretching at his point. So next time point to the same place and grab a bunch of 30 second exposures. You can try 40 sec or even 60 second. (but make sure that when you see your sub (unstretched) it's dark. What capture software are you using? Most auto stretch. It helps to turn this off to check your exposure. We could get into background adu levels but I'd rather not get into numbers. I hate numbers.
So the original is like daylight. Then asking software to stretch has to push to much to try and reveal the data... and noise is out of control and the sky is still way way to light.

For comparison here is a recent sub and I just debayered it. Not stretched yet.

Stretched - This was one of several test shots for my spacing. (same issue you have). Mine is also to close. I shoot a few tests then I go out and adjust the spacing. Because I'm to close I have oblong stars near the edges and corners that smear outward. This is my little portable 80mm.
But 10 seconds gain 240. (so I could get a lot of stars in a short exposure to see if they're flat or not.

SAME SHOT as the black one above. I just clicked the auto stretch button.
no cooler I wasn't into quality other than if my stars are pin points into the corners. (I'm still adjusting!)

Ron,
Good info - thanks much!
-- I am Bortle 8 if not 9 : /
-- Out of focus? that's probably due to long exposure and far from perfect guiding
-- I am too close? I have ASI294 - 11mm -21mm - 16.5mm - Orion Field Flattener - UVIR or L-Pro filter. Am I?
-- Yes, I agree. 240 sec is way too long. I was experimenting. Leo Triplet I shot at 60 sec and it was better. I should use 60 or 30.
Thanks!