Viktiste

14 minutes ago, x6gas said:

Note that the most of the 'action' is Workspace01

Oh 😄  Have not used Work spaces in Pixinsight before either. Thanks for the help, looks good now.

StarNet (within pixinsight) is set to point to mono_starnet_weights.pb and rgb_starnet_weights.pb and works fine. I have never used project in pixinsight before, but I assume I should get all the process icons and images loaded?

Im trying to load the Pixinsight project linked in the OP, but all I get is this:

I do notice I get some of these errors while it is loading:

My Pixinsight version is the latest 1.8.8-6 Ripley (x64) on Windows.

Has anyone loaded this project successfully?

On 21/08/2020 at 23:08, alberto91 said:

What do you think? do you think it's achievable this century?

No.

And that is quite possibly one of the more frustrating aspects of life - so many places we will never visit. 

7 hours ago, Alan White said:

Ron, the lights are loved by thieves, no torches needed and they do not stand out lighting a darkened property with torches.
Just ask any Crime Prevention Officer to confirm this.
Security Lighting is a misnomer.

Totally agree with this.

Also if f you choose the 3rd cable (with the handset) there is some setting in the handset (PC direct I think, but not sure) that you need to enter to be able to control the mount from a PC. 

Loosing the handset was one of my best moments in this hobby!  I don't miss it 😉  But I still use it for visual observing.

18 minutes ago, Rustang said:

Sorry guys, its probably me not explaining things properly. All I'm after doing is getting my set up ready to guide, I have the mount, guide cam and guide scope, and have downloaded the PHD2 software, its just putting it all together properly to read each other through what every cables i need. As said, the mount is the older HEQ5 Pro with the SynScan hand set. It seems the drivers that Ive downloaded for the guide cam have allowed PHD2 to read the camera but that is as far as I have got. I'm still unsure what cables need to go where to get everything up and running. If I have to lose the Synscan hand controller then so be it. Below are the 3 different cables I have and there's one more but that's the one the goes from the guide camera to the computer. So what devices/sockets do they need to go to and from!? Is PHD2 going to be useable with what equipment I have? 

First cable: Plugs from the guide camera to your HEQ5 mount 'AutoGuider' socket. I don't think you need this.

Second cable: If you want to loose the handset and control the mount from a PC only. Plugs into HEQ5 'Hand controller' socket (and a PC)

Third cable: If you want to use both the handset and a PC. Plugs into the bottom of your handset (and a PC).  And if the PC is old and still have a RS232 connection, loose the USB crossover. Newer PC's dont have RS232 anymore and the USB crossover is needed.

Also you might find this guide helpful: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/354148-howto-set-up-win10-from-scratch-to-control-mount-with-stellarium/

I suggest you get to the point where you can slew your mount with Stellarium. Then look at what software you want to use for imaging, I also recommend NINA. But there are plenty of other choices. Then look at guiding with PHD2.

Took me a LOT more than one night to figure all this out.

On 12/08/2020 at 02:12, symmetal said:

 Also after transferring the coords from CdC you have to wait for the image to load from the Sky Survey if it's not cached.

To avoid having to wait for the image to load you can  change Image Source to 'Sky Atlas (Offline Framing)'. This option is located just above the Get coordinates from Planetarium button.

Just saw this. So sorry to hear about it, I know the feeling. Very difficult not to get angry and wanting all sorts of  havoc to the lowlife who does something like that. But luckily we are civilized people and leave it with the thought. I am seriously thinking about an electronically tripwire triggered water hose (+siren) though. I think that would be effective against burglars.

The sync button seems to work ok for me (using Stellarium v 0.20.1).

Good point. Like this:

I also make sure it does nothing when I close the lid:

And as a reminder to myself:

Don't install ANY personal stuff on it, no e-mail, no automatic login's to any sites or social media. Make a strong windows password. Encrypt HDD. Rig up  tripwires

Step 8, very optional:

Since I will be connecting a lot of other equipment to the LapTop with USB cables and USB connections are not all that reliable  I find the utility USBView (from Microsoft) very handy.

Download widows Debugging tools from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/usbview

Install it. 

Opt out to send anything to Microsoft:

Disable everything except Debugging tools for windows.

Once installed you need to browse to the exe file, it is not added to your start menu:

It lives in C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\Debuggers\arm

Run usbview.exe

It will list your USB hubs/ports in a explorer like view.

Any USB port that fails enumeration will be flagged with a yellow exclamation mark like this:

Anything plugged into that port just won't work, you will have to reconnect it/cycle power/reboot pc.

This saves me tons of hassle when setting up the gear outside, I always check I have no USB enumeration errors after the gear is connected but before firing up other software.

Step 7, Optional: Set up Stellarium Remote Control to allow Stellarium to send data to other programs, such as N.I.N.A

Configuration - plugins - Remote Control. Enable the 'Load at Startup' tick-box:

Main  - Save Settings. Restart Stellarium. Go back into Configuration - plugins - Remote Control. The configure button is now enabled. Click it. Enable tick boxes 'Server enabled' and 'Enable automatically on startup'. Leave port number at the default 8090 unless you have a reason to change it.

Save settings and restart Stellarium.

Step 6: Download and install the latest Stellarium from https://stellarium.org/:

Once installed, Open Stellarium. Set your location in the location menu.

Set up Telescope Control: Configuration - plugins - Telescope Control. Enable the 'Load at Startup' tick-box:

Main  - Save Settings. Restart Stellarium. Go back into Configuration - plugins - Telescope Control. The configure button is now enabled. Click it and press Add:

You may also want to enable the 'Start/Connect at startup' tick box. I don't because I usually don't use Stellarium to slew my mount. 

Scroll down:

Choose ASCOM Telescope:

Click Connect.

That't it, all set 😀 Now test it - select a star, click telescope icon, click Current Object, Click slew.

A nice little circle indicates the mount position on the sky map as it slews:

Since my my laptop was stolen I had to get a replacement one. I needed to install all the necessary software on it and thought that was a good opportunity to document how I do that. This will be for a Windows 10,  64 bit pc. I will be using a SkyWatcher HEQ5 Pro with a EQMOD cable, no handset and control the mount with Stellarium.

Step1: Install the latest .net, currently 4.8 fom https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-framework

My computer already had this as part of the windows updates:

Step 2: Download and install ASCOM from https://ascom-standards.org/

This will also install the required prerequisite visual c++ runtime packages:

Successful ASCOM installation:

Step 3:  Install EQMOD from http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/eqaindex.html

You will be redirected to SOURCEFORGE:

Step 4: Connect mount to power and turn it on. Connect the EQMOD cable to the mount and a PC USB port.

Step 5: Find EQASCOM Toolbox in the Windows Start menu and run it:

Click Driver setup. Enter Timeout 2000, Retry 2, Baud 9600, Port - click search icon to find the comport for the EQMOD cable, in my case com4.

Enter your location longitude and latitude. 

Click OK. 

Back in EQASCOM Toolbox, click ASCOM Connect.

Use arrow keys to slew the mount, you may want to increase the RA Rate/Dec Rate from 1 to 4 in the drop down.

Check that the Park/UnPark button works.

Here is how I have it set up:

In Stellarum, Configuration - Remote control: Tick on Load at startup. Then under (Configuration) Main - Save Save settings. Restart Stellarium. Go back into Configuration - Remote control, this time load at startup should be ticked already. Click on configure, Make sure 'Listening on [your pc name] IP' has your PC's LAN IP listed. Make sure Port Number is 8090. Then go Main - save setting again. Restart Stellarium again.

Then in NINA Check settings as per screenshot. 

Make sure a target is actually selected in Stellarium, then in NINA -  Framing - Coordinates - Click the location button.
In this example I selected the Sun.

I don't think NINA and Stellarium talk together as such (?). I use NINA for imaging, but Stellarum for picking the coordinates of my targets. I Select a target in Stellarium, then in NINA under Framing click the the 'location' icon next to 'Coordinates'. This imports the coordinates of the target from Stellarium into NINA. Then (still in NINA), Slew, platesolve and start imaging. No need to use Stellarium to control the mount at all. 

I find NINA very stable once set up.

21 hours ago, newbie alert said:

 full of know it alls that just want to take the £!$$.. 

What do you mean take the £!$$ ? NINA is completely free... But yes, the Discord forum is a mess, not easy to find anything.  

1 hour ago, MikeP said:

It is worth having a look at NINA https://nighttime-imaging.eu/

Mike

That is what I am using. I'm very happy with it. But I have never used SGP, so I can't compare.

I found it was a real pain to find the focus position the first time on stars at night. A good advise is to aim at something distant during daytime to get the focus in the ballpark. 

11 minutes ago, miguel87 said:

I punched in the numbers (I think) and it seems a pretty good area, very similar to my 32mm eyepiece.

That looks about right, pretty much the same FOV I get with my 550D + 200P.

The EOS 55D has close to the same "flange backfocus" as you Pentax K-r. So I am guessing you will achieve focus, but there is only about 1 cm left to move the focuser in. Bear in mind I have the stock focuser, I don't know the details of your focuser.

To find your field of view google your cameras pixel size and resolution and plug that and the 200P details in here: http://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/

I did not have to cut my 200P to achieve focus with a Canon550D. Mounted like this:

A tripwire (above cat height) that triggers floodlights and a siren (and possibly an accurately aimed water hose with an electronic valve?) is something I have started to think about.  Cameras I don't think will stop anyone. And would not the IR light of security cams be bad for imaging?

1 hour ago, Rocket Stars said:

Was upset for quite some time. But, my loving wife told me (and her self) Not to let XXXXX ppl destroy something good. Ofcoarse, she was right. (she always is) 

In the end, we got a new one. And continued to have fun!  

So, don't let XXXX ppl pull you down! Keep at it!!  Get a small sign (I can make one for you) that clearly is visible and states That the equipment is antitheft marked, and video sureilence and alarm is going! 

 

If you drop this hobby, the assholes win!

Rocket - this is very true. But I think I will give it untill over the summer before I rig it up again, then with some security measures in place. The imaging season is soon over here anyway.