Sudden Binning Problem

[rparry51]

I have been experimenting with Bias images. My camera is a Mallincam DS16c. I have been using it
with both SharpCap and MallincamSky software without issue. The last session i was imaging with both
software packages and did not seem to have an issue.

However when I was processing the Bias, Flat and Dark files I PixInsight choked on the number of pixels
in the frame. I seemed to get the Bias and Darks that I took with MCS and those from SharpCap mixed up.
DSS did not seem to care but PI noticed there were 1544 rows on one image and the other was 1546 rows.
This was while binned 3x3.

So today I was trying to sort out which one clipped the 2 rows. However when I loaded the SharpCap files
into PI it said:

*** Error: /Volumes/Volume_1/Observatory/Testing-SharpCap/2020-08-29/Bias-ShC/23_17_59Z/Bias-ShC_00001_L-Enhance.fits: Zero or insignificant signal detected (channel 0)
<* failed *>

No signal was detected? This was strange so I varied the exposure length, rebooted the computer, plugged and unplugged the camera
and it did not matter. No signal was detected, I went back to MCS and in the Digital Binning it had an option of Average or Additive
Binninng. It was set to Additive. I changed it to Average and when brought into PI there was also no signal. Very interesting.

Back to SharpCap and I set the Binning to 1 and I got lots of signal. Set it Binning = 2 and No Signal?

The weather has been good lately and I have been imaging away with SharpCap in the Binning = 3 mode and have been getting images
just fine, Does anybody have any idea what changed? Did I tweek something unknowingly? Binning = 1 with my 14" gives too small an
image setting so I would prefer not to image with that,

Bob Parry
Chilliwack Observatory

[admin]

Hi Bob,

I'm certainly unfamiliar with that camera, but maybe there are other SharpCap users who are using that camera or a similar one at who can chip in with some suggestions. I'd also suggest it be great if you could post links to a couple of single frame fits files – one that pixinsight has a problem with and one that it's happy with and then we can have a look to see if there's anything obviously different between them.

Cheers, Robin