u/Free_Masterpiece6004

I've started to dive into the rabbit hole of getting a good milky way "Hydrogen Highway" wide angle mosaic shot, preferably something maybe 1/4 this size https://app.astrobin.com/i/td1tki. I'm looking for a camera lens that would be sufficient for my camera. I have an ASI 6200mm with 4.5nm Edge filters SHO and LRGB V Pro that can shoot safely down to F2.7, and some say even faster. I am thinking about combining data from my Redcat 71 with a much wider scope. Perhaps minicat 51 or standard f2.7-f2.8 camera lens. Can anyone point me in the right direction as far as what lens I should consider? I've heard about bad field curvature on the minicat 51 but isn't that how all small/wide angle lens are with FF camera? TBH I don't care as much about mild field curvature as some folks...Just blurx it out and if you're zoomed out enough it doesn't bother me.

Can someone please tell me if I should keep my Antlia 4.5 edge filters where they are, or flip them? I’ve had a hard time determining which is the more “mirrored” side. One side has a bathroom mirror look, the other side has a colored mirror look. 1-7 as shown in the attached photo are LSHORGB, with second image showing same filters on the other side. Top photo currently faces the light, bottom photo faces camera. https://imgur.com/a/kCnN95q

Running equipment as seen below. There is my noise evaluation and there is my image. 15 hours of 300s Ha 4.5nm Antlia. Drizzle integrated, calibrated w/ perfect flats darks and bias. The nebula is good to go but I'm really wanting to pull out that faint background detail. Is it worth pushing it to 25-30 hours?  (noise eval is from raw image)

https://imgur.com/a/piyeyk0

https://imgur.com/AEuGDKV

ASI 6200mm pro, Redcat 71 WFID, ASI 220mm Mini guide cam, WO 50mm Uniguide Scope, HEQ-5 Pro w/ Rowan Belt Mod kit, ASI Air Plus, ZWO EAF Pro, ZWO EFW 7 2”, Antlia 4.5nm SHO filters 50mm, Antlia LRGB V-pro 50mm filters, Pixinsight

Did a quick test in PI to see a preview and to test out the mosaic tools. Only used 4 individual non calibrated frames. https://imgur.com/j9u7DAj. After seeing this I am super hyped to see the final image. 

 

1 - I live in Bortles 7 skies. Have a redcat 71 f4.9 with 4.5nm Antlia filters and an ASI 6200mm in Phx Arizona. 300s exposures. How many hours of H/O would all of you consider to bring out the background detail without going completely overboard? Are we talking like 50 hours, 75 hours, or 100 hours with a 2-1  O to H ratio?

 

2 - I'm assuming use graxpert on each panel, then graxpert again on the merged mosaic?

 

3 - Linearfit or DNA is to be used before creating mosaic, correct? To get all the panels alike.

 

4- Where do you apply your light blurx/noisex  and second pass of blurx/noisex?

 

5- I'm considering RGB stars, but I'm wondering if the 300s narrowband stars using Seti astro NBtoRGB star maybe would be best?

 

Any other tips/recommendations? 

I live in Phoenix Arizona. Tires are right at the 4/32 mark. 2023 Subaru crosstrek sport. 45k miles. Falken has a Memorial Day rebate until the 31st so was thinking of changing them now. However it seems i have a few k miles of tread left? Geolander yokohama g91.

I live in Phoenix Arizona. Tires are right at the 4/32 mark. 2023 Subaru crosstrek sport. 45k miles. Falken has a Memorial Day rebate until the 31st so was thinking of changing them now. However it seems i have a few k miles of tread left? Geolander yokohama g91.