Gina's Observatory - The Build

[Gina]

If you are using XP with the obsy PC's dont go too mad on the RAM as if I remember right it only recognises 3 and a bit Gb

The netbook has 1GB and 144GB HD space divided in two, though only a 1.6GHz processor. As for the other PCs - they have 512Mb and 1GB. I wouldn't be going above 2GB anyway.

I would like to use the netbook for it's convenience (I bought it for this purpose, though it's a nice little machine anyway). I've ordered a USB CDROM drive. I though I might be able to install the Canon software using network sharing with the EOS Utils disc in another PC but it won't share - maybe the CD is protected.

[RogerTheDodger]

Gina, looks like you had the orientation correct in the first pic. Here is the output from astrometry.

[Gina]

Thanks very much Roger - that's very helpful So I was in the right part of the sky but covering a smaller area than I thought. That looks useful software

[yesyes]

Roger, what software did you use for that? Looks very useful indeed...

I only know the astrometry solver on Flikr but that takes ages to solve, too long for a quick check...

[RogerTheDodger]

Go to nova.astrometry.net and create an account. Once signed in hit upload, feed in your pic and wait, the page will update every 10 secs while solving, when it says success, click on the picture to see the result.

If you want to come back later, log in and go to Dashboard -> My Images.

It's fast enough that I've used it outside when trying to find something feint.

[Gina]

Thanks Roger

[Gina]

USB CDROM drive arrived today so I was able to install the Canon software on my netbook and had that working fine. Full camera control from the netbook. The software has a lower limit of 1024x768 for screen res so wouldn't install with the netbook screen of 1024x600 but installed and worked alright with my 17" monitor that I shall be using anyway. Only funny thing was that it wouldn't do a custom install for the EOS Utilities but was alright installing the lot.

Just want to install the other software such as APT and I'll be set up. Already have EDMOD/ASCOM/SharpCap/CdC/etc. installed and was running those in the obsy.

I was hoping to have a session in the obsy tonight but I seem to have a chill and feeling rather below par so will be staying in the warm indoors. And it seems to be clear tonight - typical!!!

[Freff]

Glad you got it working. Hope you feel better soon.

[RogerTheDodger]

I was hoping to have a session in the obsy tonight but I seem to have a chill and feeling rather below par so will be staying in the warm indoors. And it seems to be clear tonight - typical!!!

I was the same last night, new camera but still getting over a chest infection

Stay warm

[Gina]

Glad you got it working. Hope you feel better soon.

Thank you Tony

[Gina]

I was the same last night, new camera but still getting over a chest infection

Stay warm

I shall do my best to stay warm Thank you. Hope you get over your chest infection soon. So annoying, isn't it! From the forecast, the beginning of next week is looking a bit better.

[Gina]

My health is better today and I made up a solar filter for the ED80 scope (see thread in DIY Astronomy). Later, being a lovely sunny day, I went out to the obsy to try it out and also the EOS Utilities I had installed on the netbook. The EOS Utilities wouldn't work with the camera plugged into the USB hub on the mount so I got another USB cable and plugged that into another port on the netbook. The software then worked fine.

I attached the 1100D to the scope focuser and switched everything on (camera and mount). Then went into my warm room and closed the dividing wall door, set up live view in EOS Utils, pointed the scope at the sun using CdC and picked up the sun's disc on the 17" monitor. Focussed it using my remote electric focus control and used live view zoom x200 to fine focus on a sun spot. What a delight to be able to do so much from the warm room (with fan heater to raise the temperature for comfort). Used the EOS Utils software to take some images.

Then tried my SW ED 2x Barlow (with extension tube) to give a bigger image. The sun's disc had just a bit cut off the top and bottom. Took some more images using the EOS Utilities software. Focussing was very critical and I'm thinking I might refine my home made focussing control. In live view and zooming in to view the sun spots, the image was dodging all over the place due to atmospheric perturbations.

[malc-c]

What a delight to be able to do so much from the warm room (with fan heater to raise the temperature for comfort). Used the EOS Utils software to take some images.

After all your hard work you are now reaping the benefit - well done.

Gina, download APT and give that a go - it's an excellent bit of software for controlling and capturing images from canon cameras

Glad to hear your health is improving.. I'm back at work next week having been off for three weeks with a chest infection... had it since October last year and just couldn't shift it ! - Facing a bronchosopy at some point in the near future, but the rest has helped no end.

Even so my wife was none too pleased when I was itching to get out the other night to do some observing... saying I was a fool and would set myself back... so I compromised. I opened up the observatory and remote desktopped into the obsy PC - worked a treat but felt uncomfortable not seeing what the scope was doing. Wasn't until the tracking graph started doing funny things that I realized something was wrong. I went out to check and found the scope pointing straight up and the mirror pressed up against the dew controller - Must sort out setting the limits in EQMOD when it's warmer !

[Gina]

After all your hard work you are now reaping the benefit - well done.

Thank you Malcolm Yes, it's very satisfying

Gina, download APT and give that a go - it's an excellent bit of software for controlling and capturing images from canon cameras

Already done that but not tried it in earnest yet. Maybe tonight - see how I feel - at least I've achieved something today. I was beginning to wonder if events would ever let me get out there and do some astronomy!

Glad to hear your health is improving.. I'm back at work next week having been off for three weeks with a chest infection... had it since October last year and just couldn't shift it ! - Facing a bronchosopy at some point in the near future, but the rest has helped no end.

Oh dear, that's nasty Hope you fell better soon and it clears up

I had a bad chest infection a few years ago - got so bad I had to have an overnight stay in hospital while they attacked the infection with heavy duty antibiotics. The normal ones prescribed by my doctor didn't cure it.

Even so my wife was none too pleased when I was itching to get out the other night to do some observing... saying I was a fool and would set myself back... so I compromised. I opened up the observatory and remote desktopped into the obsy PC - worked a treat but felt uncomfortable not seeing what the scope was doing. Wasn't until the tracking graph started doing funny things that I realized something was wrong. I went out to check and found the scope pointing straight up and the mirror pressed up against the dew controller - Must sort out setting the limits in EQMOD when it's warmer !

Ah yes, I know how you've been feeling! And yes, it's definitely very reassuring to be able to see the scope and cables etc. through the window!!

[Gina]

Here are a couple of solar images from this afternoon. Each shown full frame but scaled and at full resolution and cropped. The first with camera directly on focuser and the other with extension tube and 2x Barlow. The first without any image processing and the other with curves altered to bring out the detail better. No sharpening used.

[iam]

Just spent the past two hours reading this entire thread - absolutely superb effort and the results speak for themselves. Hard not to start putting drawings together for my own, and I've only had a scope for a couple of months

Favourite photo of the thread is the one of the moon a few pages back - absolutely fantastic.

Keep up the excellent work - some more pics of any progress with the warm room interior etc would be great

[Gina]

Thank you very much

[Gina]

Had a pretty good session in my obsy last night Using 1100D DSLR with and without 2x Barlow on moon, Jupiter and DSOs. Obviously Jupiter was very small in the frame but I could see the bands if not in detail. Software used was EOS Utilities and a first try out of APT with which I'm very impressed but have many more features to try out.

Here are a couple of images processed in the GIMP to bring out the details. These are single shots only so I'm expecting better results later when I get to stacking multiple images. Firstly the moon using 2x Barlow and secondly my very first DSO - the Orion Nebula I didn't manage to capture Jupiter because the camera battery ran out.

[RobH]

Cracking moon image Gina....M42 would be better without the barlow I think.

If I were you though, I'd post images from your obsy in the relevant sections of the forum, that way, more folk will get to see them

Cheers

Rob

[yesyes]

Off to a good start, Gina.

One piece of advice though. Don't use GIMP. It's a nice and free program but it only handles colours in 8 bit per channel. You'll lose subtle differences in colour which will become more apparent when you stretch the histogram. You'll need something that does (at least) 16 bits per channel.

[Gina]

Cracking moon image Gina....M42 would be better without the barlow I think.

Thank you Rob That one was without Barlow in fact - sorry if my post implied otherwise.

If I were you though, I'd post images from your obsy in the relevant sections of the forum, that way, more folk will get to see them

Yes, I have posted elsewhere too. Must desist from posting such things in here As you say this is for the obsy build - I'll keep it to that Thank you for pointing that out

[Gina]

Off to a good start, Gina.

One piece of advice though. Don't use GIMP. It's a nice and free program but it only handles colours in 8 bit per channel. You'll lose subtle differences in colour which will become more apparent when you stretch the histogram. You'll need something that does (at least) 16 bits per channel.

I see - I wasn't aware of that. Thank you for pointing it out I'll see what else I can find, preferably for Linux as that's the OS I'm using on this machine (my main desktop).

[JamesF]

I think gimp is supposed to get 16-bit support "soon", though I don't know how soon "soon" is.

James

[Bizibilder]

"Soon" has been for at least the last three years!

[Gina]

I think gimp is supposed to get 16-bit support "soon", though I don't know how soon "soon" is.

James

Googling has brought up this from the GIMP FAQ

When can we see 16-bit per channel support (or better)? For some industries, especially photography, 24-bit colour depths (8 bits per channel) are a real barrier to entry. Once again, it's GEGL to the rescue. Work on integrating GEGL into GIMP began after 2.4 was released, and will span across several stable releases. This work will be completed in GIMP 3.0, which will have full support for high bit depths.

Current version is 2.6.8