Xagyl Filter Wheel Testing

04/01/2025 - Configured a new (to me) 8-position 1.25" Xagyl filter wheel successfully on the venerable LX10.  The Starizona SCT Corrector III is inserted into the Meade zero-shift micro focuser and then there's spacing for proper back focus to the Svbony 405cc (including the 17mm width of the new filter wheel). 

Due to the moon, set up the scheduler to capture a set of light frames of M106 using the dual narrow band (Ha/OIII) filter first followed by a set of light frames using the UV/IR filter.  

The key configuration test was setting up the plate solver and auto focus module to utilize the UV/IR filter during those stages...for collection of light frames with the dual narrow band filter (where these steps are extremely hard through the filter itself.

Conditions started reasonable with no clouds but the moon at 23% and setting at midnight...but clouds expected near 03:00.  Set up the dual narrow band (mislabeled H_Alpha) first with 120s exposures 

Seeing forecast for 04/01 - 02/2025 showing arrival of clouds after 03:00 and the moon phase at 23% with the moon setting just after midnight. 

Indi Allsky backyard camera for 04/01-02/2025 showing reasonable skies (pseudo sky quality metric of ~5500) until 03:25 when clouds rolled in.
04/02/2025 - Configured calibration frames for the dual narrow band (mislabeled H_Alpha) and UV/IR light frames. Captured the dual narrow band filter flat and dark flat frames at 20 seconds at gain of 285 and offset 24. Captured UV/IR flat and dark flat frames with 8 second exposure with gain of 185 and offset 24. Finished with bias frames at each gain setting.


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