Spaced Out

Go for it ! My live stream video and all-sky stills cam were both easy to do and not that expensive. For example, I set up the live stream with an IP security camera that cost £79, I wanted to see how well it worked, if it's ok then I may invest in a better camera later on (I'd love a live stream with a Sony mirrorless camera but they cost £££ !). Low light technology in security cameras seems to be improving every year tho and when a new cam comes out the previous ones drop in price, there's a couple of cheapy IP security cameras around now that claim to be 'star cameras'.

Thanks everyone for the help and tips ! 👍

This is great ! Thank you for taking the time to write this, it has set me on right track. I will try using it from scratch again with a different image/set of calibration frames. Only ever used it a couple of times before, quite a while ago and then I just dabbled with a couple of things. I'm interested to see what it can do.

Thanks, it was my first ever attempt at using a SW 250 PDS the other night so it was more of a test session, setting up coma corrector spacing and the guiding etc, no calibration frames taken unfortunately, it's just stack of about 20x 60 sec subs. Could the lack of calibration frames be the issue ? I will try deleting some of the points as you've suggested and see what happens. Interestingly, I just restarted Siril to try again and ran into exactly the same issue of the 'compute background' button not working, nothing happens and then the 'apply' button remains greyed out. 🤔

Brilliant ! Thanks. I thought I did but nothing happened. Just restarted and tried it again tho and it has worked ! However, it produced this 🤔 , I'm guessing there is a setting somewhere that I need to work out. ...

The motion detection software got this a couple of nights ago. Meteor 13-02-2024.mp4

Sounds good. How did you get on with it ? Love a project !

Hi all I'm a total newb to Siril, using it for the first time today. Just following a simple processing tutorial on a TIF image (previously stacked using DSS - 16 bit). I've got as far as background extraction and hit a snag, the 'apply' button is greyed out and I can’t work out why. Did a quick google and can't find an answer to this so I thought I'd just ask here. Sure I’m missing something really obvious and will no doubt look foolish, but you've got to start somewhere ! Thanks

Really ? Wow ! Thanks. 🙂

Thanks ! It's just an IP security camera but one that performs fairly well in low light. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tapo-Weatherproof-Detection-Starlight-C325WB/dp/B0CB1TGPJG?th=1 I was amazed to see the Milky Way on it the other night, incredible for a 20 frames per second video camera, ok, it was very subtle but it was there ! Here's a timelapse, if you squint and use your imagination you can just about see it.... MW timelapse 2.mp4

Its not bad for the price, I actually got the Milky Way on mine the other day, incredible for a 20 frames per second security camera ! Here's a timelapse, you'll need to squint but you can just about see it ! 🧐 MW timelapse 2.mp4

The motion detection software was triggered again this evening, I presume this is a meteor blazing behind the clouds 🤔. Meteor 03-02-2024.mp4

I can email it you if you like ? Drop me a DM with your email. 👍 Thanks, I could easily schedule the camera to turn on and off with its own software but I need to leave it on 24/7 as it's a live stream. Its the motion detection software I need to turn on and off, this is possible by adding in some code, just working out how to do it atm but I am not a programmer ! Fairly confident I'll get it sorted tho. 🤞

This guy on YouTube uses a C325WB with the Contacam software for meteors.

Thanks, I've got the software working OK, just trying to work out how to schedule it to turn off in the daytime ! I think it's meteor, seen a few aircraft on here, they are much slower and they strobe.

I got the C325WB purely for it's low light performance. Hunted around for info on cameras and it seemed to be one of the best IP security cams for under £100 for low light stuff. Wanted to catch auroras with it, so good low light performance and wide angle were the main things.

It's donationware, they expect £10 for it, but you can download and use it for free to try it then make a donation if you are happy it does what you need. I'm still testing it atm but I will be making a donation soon I think as I'm impressed with it so far. For example, it picks up small flying birds no problem in the daytime. I am just trying to work out how to schedule it to turn on and off each day so it only monitors at night, in the daytime it is a nightmare with lots of birds triggering it ! Motion triggers are in real time and it can send you notifications via email with either a short video or a gif thumbnail. A couple of thumbnails attached. I like the ability to highlight the trigger with a red box on thumbnail previews (so you can see where the movement is) and also you can mask off areas where you don't want detection, so I only have the sky active to avoid false triggers from swaying tree branches etc. You can also adjust trigger sensitivity. Bird.mp4 meteor.mp4

I am using Contacam software and so far so good but very early days, seems to work tho. You might want to also take a look at this... it got me started. https://community.tp-link.com/en/smart-home/forum/topic/621130?sortDir=ASC&page=1

Yes, I'm doing it at the moment. See here...

Thanks ! Second night using the motion detection software last night and it works ! 🙂 Meteor.mp4

It's easy enough to do and the live stream camera is a relatively cheap security camera designed for low light conditions. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tapo-Weatherproof-Detection-Starlight-C325WB/dp/B0CB1TGPJG/ref=sr_1_3?crid=366SQ6A882KC5&keywords=tapo%2Bc325wb&qid=1706785049&sprefix=tapo%2Bc325wb%2Caps%2C93&sr=8-3&th=1 I saw this video about using it to catch real time auroras and it convinced me to give it a go !

Hi, the location is Embleton Northumberland. The live stream camera is pointing north. The live stream camera is a video camera but the all-sky camera is a stills camera and can't do video.

Ahhh.... Just looked back at the images and looks like the camera was down from 5.30 - 6.30. Been running without a hitch for weeks now then a glitch today just at that time. Typical eh !

If you can give me an approx time I can look at the all sky cam images (was it around 6pm ?), the live stream is north facing tho so wouldn't pick up stuff out at sea.

Sadly not 🙁