Main Sequence Software

[martin_h]

Main Sequence Software is a front end sequencer for Nebulosity 2 or Astroart 5.

It has been mentioned breifly in other threads, but after having a limited go with this over the past week or so I thought I would give some idea of what this FREE! software is capable of.

In a nutshell it will communicate with the above two capture programs, PHD and either Elbrus or PinPoint plate solving programs.

Within the program you are able to generate equipment profiles for all of your bits of imaging kit, so if you mix and match scope/CCD you just call up that profile and your set to go.

The programs main function is to generate an imaging sequance for a complete run, i.e. from planetarium, goto target, plate solve, select filter, goto preset star for focus routine(with auto focuser), swing back to target, solve, image x number of frames, change filter, swing to focus star, focus, back to target....etc.

All options are user variable and can be added to or subtracted, even on the fly during a run.

I havn't tested all the options, having only a manual focuser and manual filter wheel but last night was the first real run for me having set 2 sequences to run with a pause between for manual filter change and it worked perfectly.

The other part of the intergration is plate solving, I am using the FREE! Elbrus plate solver and after a few false starts(me being thick) it workes a treat last night. I am adding data to a mosaic that I started in May this year (Ha done), the camera has been on and off the scope a few times inbetween and I knew it was going to be a nightmare going back to the run again, but using Elbrus made it so easy..... I preloaded an image from the first panel and solved it...hit goto and the scope did its thing, from within the sequencing software just hit the solve and slew button and watched the scope line up on the target.....simples......it resolved the original image, took an image of where it thought it was, computed the offset, synced the scope, slewed to the new position, took an new image to confirm position, and it was, to my eye, spot on.

Main Sequence Software

StarLocatorElbrus : Star Locator Elbrus

[BlueAstra]

Sounds very useful. I use MaximDL so I'm not sure how it would integrate with that, but I like the sequence setup.

[Komet]

Sounds very useful. I use MaximDL so I'm not sure how it would integrate with that, but I like the sequence setup.

As stated, it is a front end for AstroArt and Nebulosity. It won't do anything with Maxim which has its own sequencing setup anyway.

[msinclairinork]

Thank you for this Martin! Sounds like a fantastic bit of freeware!!

So if I'm reading you right Martin with that plate solving. As long as the camera is in the focuser at the same angle as it was a previous night then the software will align the mount to near exactly where it was the last time?

Thanks,

Michael

[martin_h]

Thank you for this Martin! Sounds like a fantastic bit of freeware!!

So if I'm reading you right Martin with that plate solving. As long as the camera is in the focuser at the same angle as it was a previous night then the software will align the mount to near exactly where it was the last time?

Thanks,

Michael

You can re-calibrate the software on the new image to determine the new camera angle. It will scan the coordinates with up to +/- 15 deg rotation, doesn't take long.

[msinclairinork]

Nice! Thanks.

Michael