Paul81

Hi Don, Unsure, do you have any raw FITS files you can send me? I can then take a closer look at what might be going on. Cheers Paul

This is actually a trick that will no longer work in the next release (V0.13)... So V0.12 (and previous) automatically connect to the Lodestar camera, but you can use command line arguments to connect to the SX-825, so by starting one instance of LL with no command line arguments (connect to the Lodestar) and one with command line arguments (connect to the SX-825) you can have both running. The latest code I am working with auto connects to (the first one it finds) lodestar, ultrastar, SX-825 and oculus, so this trick will no longer work when V0.13 gets out there. However, it is a planned mod later in the future to allow multiple cameras with multiple instances....

Superb write-up Dom and a fantastic set of captures showing what the 825 chipset is capable of! It will be really interesting to see the differences between the Ultrastar and SX-825, and what effect the TEC cooling will have once that is up and running. I do not know if the Ultrstar has antiblooming? Looking forward to your next session!

Happy days V0.11 is finally available - see post http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/234260-lodestar-live-v011-beta/ Looking forward to seeing how people get on with the new display processing controls!

It ha been a while (thanks to a hectic work schedule) but there first beta version featuring live stacking is now available: http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/220800-lodestar-live-version-09-beta-download-live-stacking/ I am looking forward to seeing the results of peoples observing sessions!

I have put a video if the latest code running on YouTube. Still lots to do, but hopefully showing some good progress.. See post http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/217378-lodestar-live-stacking-demo-video/

I have posted some technical information and some initial results of the live stacking coming soon to Lodestar Live in the Video astronomy forum: http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/213955-lodestar-live-version-08-beta-download/ Live stacking is coming on well but lots more still to do!

Version 0.8 (beta) is now available to download from the Video Astronomy part of the forum: http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/213955-lodestar-live-version-08-beta-download/ The new version adds a few minor features and has some tweaks and bug fixes. Work on live stacking is proceeding very well, I should be in a position to start running some end-to-end tests on previously captured data very soon! :laugh:

Version 0.7 is now available which has a few tweaks, bug fixes and now also is available for Windows platforms. Below is a link to the video astronomy forum where the links to download the application are available. http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/212494-lodestar-live-version-07-beta-download/ Currently working on the live view stacking, and in my latest development version I have also been working on optimising the colour processing by re-writing the critical bits in SIMD assembler. Also I have made the dark frame acquisition mode display the median stacked master dark rather than the individual dark frame exposures. I thought that might be better...?! No doubt there will be other tweaks (and bug fixes) in the next version!

The colour display and processing is now completed. You can edit edit each colour channel separately or as one. The histogram display shows each colour channel so should allow the right tweaks to get a nice balanced colour. Results so far with sample Lodestar-C images have been encouraging. Looking forward to seeing some future results when people give it a go under the stars. I still only have the Lodestar-M - I didn't buy a Lodestar-C at Astrofest. Also working on a better zoom mode, the current one is clunky from a user perspective. Also adding the ability to add the target name and scope details etc as an overlay in the exported PNG images. After that it will adding the real-time stacking. I also need to sort out a website (a high priority). For anyone who is not familiar with the Lodestar Live application, or short exposure video imaging then check out the video astronomy section - there are lots of sample pictures from various cameras and it gives a good flavour of what can be achieved with modest budgets and short exposures!

After what seemed a struggle colour decoding is now working. Turns out the Lodestar-C sensor is CYGM (rather than RGGB or that ilk). Oh and also it isn't read out by the SX electronics like the Sony datasheet suggests. Got there in the end though. The main app now 'understands' OSC but displays it in properly converted luminance. The next task is to add R, G and B processing to the pipeline and allow the UI to separately tweak levels in R, G and B. When that is complete the Lodestar-C will display in full glorious colour. Hmm.. after all that effort I might get a Lodestar-C myself for the bright colourful stuff (and use the mono on the dim stuff requiring filters). Maybe.. Oh, I also fixed the interlaced readout issue (for very short exposures) - nice and smooth images now! Hurruh!

I had a request to allow the user to save and restore master dark frames, such that if using the same exposure length and roughly the Lodestar ambient temp is the same you do not have to recapture the dark frames between sessions. Well, I had a 24 hr plane journey home from Oz, so added this functionality in. Sadly it didn't distract me from the boredom of long haul flying for very long... Colour decoding for the folks with Lodestar-C is still being worked on.

A couple of kind people have sent me some raw FITS files from the colour version of the Lodestar camera so work is underway to integrate colour into the application!

I've decided it is soon time to get an icon for the app - any ideas - I am rubbish at art! Suggestions welcome (clean ones please...)