ASI662MC Settings - Forums

Topic starter

Mar 8, 2025

Dear Astrobinners,

I will be using asi662mc for planetary imaging with a 6" f15 refractor. The area is very light polluted.

I have 3 questions;

1. What exposure and gain should I use?

2. Should I use IR cut filter or IR pass (850nm+)

3. Should I bin2?

Thanks!

andrea tasselli

Frequent contributor

Mar 8, 2025

OSC cameras are a bad choice for achros which I expect that 6" to be. Your best option is to use a violet-suppressing filter such the Baader semi-APO. No IR filter whatsoever. Exposure and gain have to set in relation to what you are shooting at, so in general relate to frame rate. As a guideline try to get at 2/3 of histogram with your gain/exposure settings. In good seeing you try to minimize bandwidth noise so longer exposures at lower gain are to be preferred whilst the opposite in so-so seeing. In bad seeing you go home. I wouldn't bin, ever, while shooting planets but it might help focusing so that is an option.

Helpful Concise

Tony Gondola

Frequent contributor

Mar 9, 2025

Do not bin, you want to over-sample, not under. OSC can work very well for a monochrome target like the moon. An achromat with a green filter can perform extremely well in that application. But, as Andrea pointed out, shooting the planets in color isn't optimum with a simple achromat, even if it is F/15.