Fine Tuning Question

For stacking lines to be removed, you require the MBB option to be set in tab 6, to a % of what you have as overlap. LNC can help to even out the panels in their overall "brightness" levels.

Thanks Vincent, I should have put the parameters I changed into my initial post. So here it is:

1.Load all lights

2.Analyse

3. Register- Change Mode to "Mosaic"

                  Turn on "Dynamic Distortion Correction"

                   Set Scale Stop to "10"

4. Normalize

5,Integrate-  Change LNC Degree to "1st Degree LNC"

                    Change Multiband Blending to "10"

I ran some new data I acquired last night. M31 again, but with 4x240sec per panel at a gain of 70 offset of 8 (unity for the camera is 100 gain/50 offset). In APP analysis I bumped up the star count to 1000, leaving the other settings as above until I got to integration where I bumped up the multiband blending to 15. This seems to have worked.

I should add, I live and image in a bortle 1-2 sky area and have never used flats or darks in stacking with this camera. 

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52249993208_48f7d8d146_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52249993208_48f7d8d146_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2nB9SBS ]M31_July28[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/140934176@N02/ ]Brent Secord[/url], on Flickr

Ok, so maybe the MBB setting just needed to be higher in this case. I would advice not to change offsets, just pick the one that is normal for your sensor and it shouldn't have to be changed ever again. Gain is something you can play around with. Darks and Flats will always improve your image, I would at least use darks.

Noted Vincent, however I subscribe to the school of "our situations are not all the same". I have options for imaging. My AP gear can be used in several combinations, not to mention when I made the switch 3 years ago from a 1100D Canon to a dedicated AP camera I noticed the same thing happened to mt images as I had seen with dedicated AP cooled cameras on every image site on the internet. Sharpness of stars deteriorated. And believe it or not one manufacturer was worse than others.

My combinations for gear are ZWO ASI533MC Pro, ZWO ASI183MM Pro in combination with a SkyWatcher 8" Quattro (f/3.9  Astrograph Newtonian) or a SharpStar 61 EDPH II APO refractor. What I have on my mount depends firstly on the season of the year and in the seasons I have to determine the Moon stage. From experience I have found the with either scope the ZWO ASI533MC Pro is super sensitive and issues arise IF the moon (even if the scope is pointed directly away from the moon) phase is above 30% illumination. At this pahse of the moon I will swithto shooting with the mono camera which has a lot less sensitive. 

Here is where the real homework comes in. Knowing unity for the cameras is one thing, knowing the live well depth is something else. The retailer I bought my cameras from is a actual gear user and one heck of a Astro photographer. And he experiments, with a group of people backing up his observations of their own. I was having issues with my mono rig combination. The ASI183MM Pro has some bad habits. first it is terrible for Amp Glow. this can be remediated with temperature appropriate Darks. The second issue with this camera is the live well depth. it has a shallow live well and fills up quick. His recommendation was to lower my gain from unity (120) to a gain of 70 with the offset staying the same. Immediately I noticed the stars weren't bloated any more. IMO a image is about the "Sum of it's parts" shooting nebula without capture the dust components would be fruitless.... 

The reason I lowered the gain for the second image above in this thread was done as the result of the other APer problem. I wasn't paying attention to detail one night not too long ago with the ASI533MC Pro in the light bucket and used the Gain and offset (70/8) that I normally used for the ASI183MM Pro. The dust lanes of a galaxy became more pronounced, the stars were more vivid and the only downside was the image had a tinge of green to it. ANyone who has been in AP for much time at all knows the green tinge is about the easiest thing to process out.....

I hear time and time again about using Flats and darks. Most of these suggestions come from people who have never shot in a Bortle 1 sky. In fact a lot of them have never shot the night sky except from the confines of the light polluted Urban Bubble. I am not doubting for a second that most people of internet forums are intending to help, but each of our situations is different. Sure there are good rules of thumb which help, but knowing, understanding and experimentation with your gear is the only way to get the most out of your experience. Secondly I get that not all APers are as lucky as me. For the last 7 years every night I have a clear sky I am doing AP. ow that I have my observatory semi-automated my Wife doesn't mind my hobby! At least I can be inside with her while still being semi-productive imaging.

I am not trying to be a jerk here. Life has taught me you only get out of it what you are willing to put into it, same with AP. My best teacher is the "School of hard knocks", If something isn't working, step back, and think about the how and why it doesn't work, don't go runnin' to the internet forum of your choice and star expecting anyone else to know YOUR specific issues. Frankly a lot of people can't write well enough to have a good question much less an answer,. Someone else can't do you!