freiform

Hi, there was a nice thread over at CN comparing different software with one set of raw images. And what dou you know? It was the user, not the software. People were producing amazing results using PI, PS, APP, DSS, GIMP, StarTools and whatnot. Also, different people using these exact tools were producing not so pretty images. You have to learn the tools. There's not really a shortcut. If you're put off by the UI, well, stick with it until you get it or use something else. If your're put off by pricing models (as am I for some of the software discussed here), use something else.

You don't need 64-bit. Raspbian (and probably others) support LPAE, which allows to access the full 8GB with a 32-bit system. It is limited to 3 GB / process though, But I doubt that's a practically relevant limitation for 99% of use cases. Sven

Ah, I have, but apparently I had a knot in my brain. I was set on mounting it via the drawtube's base. But of course I can just as well mount it using a bracket screwed to the base of the focusing mechanism itself (where the lockscrew is located). Thanks for making me rethinking it! Sven

Hi, before re-inventing the wheel; has anyone a hardware adpation/bracket for a stepper to the stock focuser of a Skywatcher 150PDS? I have a few NEMA14 and 28BYJ-48 flying around and a 3D printer at hand. Thank you for any suggestions . Sven

And it is working! Using James Chambers benchmarks for the SD (Toshiba M203 32 GB): Category Test Result HDParm Disk Read 40.83 MB/s HDParm Cached Disk Read 40.55 MB/s DD Disk Write 7.1 MB/s FIO 4k random read 2978 IOPS (11912 KB/s) FIO 4k random write 115 IOPS (461 KB/s) IOZone 4k read 9293 KB/s IOZone 4k write

I just updated the bootloader as described in the link proveded by @Doug , and the system boots sucessfully from the SD in an USB3 card reader. Now I just have to migrate the system to a SSD and I should be set (famous last words)... Sven

The video does not cover natively booting from USB3. The method described still boots from the SD card and then points to the SSD. CS Sven

This is 65 Minutes of Barnard's Loop (5x300s Ha, 4x300s OIII & SII), shot with an ASI183MM through an Nikkor 35/f1.8 on a SA. I just threw everything together quickly, no noise reduction or sharpening or anything like that. Nothing special, but I like how the Ha regions come out at even modest exposure times. CS Sven

Ah, I forgot about the required FOV. Thanks for clearing that up! CS Sven

A bit OT, but I am quite sure that you can do this with any camera connected to any scope. No need to use a guidescope for that. CS Sven

Hi, I am looking for either a SkyWatcher 150PDS or a 6" RC in good condition. I would also be interested in a coma corrector for the PDS or a 0.67x reducer for the RC. I live in Germany, so depending on your location we would have to arrange international shipping. Thanks Sven

I am running a Linux system and INDI (the backend, like ASCOM for Windows) and KStars/EKOS as planetarium software and integrated solution for hardware control and image acquisition. There are alternatives, though; Cartes du Ceil is also available for Linux and CCDCiel is a capturing software by the same author. For planetary/lucky imaging there is oaCapture and FireCapture, although with limited support for cameras; not every vendor offers a Linux SDK, even less offer ARM binaries (Pi's CPU architecture.). If you do not want to start from scratch, there's pre-made images with everything

I am currently using a Raspberry Pi 4 and have used a RPi3 before that. Both are perfectly adequate to guide, plate solve, image, autofocus and everything else you need for imaging. There are a few drawbacks, though. The internal WiFi can be a bit weak, depending on your infrastructure that might or might not apply. Also when using it with a SD-Card, transfer rates a a bit on the slow side which effectively limits its use for planetary or lucky imaging. But that might be migitated by using a fast storage (i.e. SSD via USB3). Anyway, even the smallest NUC currently available, which feature

I am using an ASI183, so that would work. The ES Scope you posted is interesting but not really an alternative. It is too heavy with 8 kg and a length of 700 mm. I don't think the GP can handle it for anything but the shortest exposures. It also costs more than twice as much as a 150PDS with corrector

Hi, do you have any recommendations for an OTA for imaging with a focal length of 700 to 900 mm that will play nice with my old Vixen GP? Currently I am using a 72/432 ED refractor but I would like to get closer to some targets. I also have a 127/1500 Mak, but with no proper reducers available it's simply too slow. My Vixen R135S Newton is great for visual, but it has a sliding focuser. that probably won't hold hold camera and filterwheel and I doubt that I can fit an coma corrector. So a new scope it should be. The current contestants are 130PDS, which only has 650 mm foc