AstroTortilla: WOW!

[rofus]

Hi all,

just wanted to share another fundamental piece of software I had time finally to test tonight. Welcome AstroTortilla, something that seemed complicated but was indeed super simple, and works 100% spot on! No more star alignments or manual centering of objects for the camera, all done in seconds automatically

Now my setup is reduced to 10 minutes: taking out mount to its usual place, check polarscope alignment, take out scope already with camera (already focus locked) and guidescope/guidecamera, switch mount on, connect all cables from the usb hub on the mount go inside, connect to the computer my usb cable coming from the mount hub, unpark EQMod and slew to whatever I want to via Cart Du Ciel, take a 5sec picture and AstroTortilla plate solves in seconds and centers object without any alignment needed.

And after a few objects precision of slew increases incredibly and at the third one all the following ones are just usually spot on in the center. Honestly it feels like magic!

I'm really happy, I think everyone should use it, seems complicated but is really that simple following the usual LightVortex blog

http://lightvortexastronomy.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/tutorial-imaging-setting-up-and-using.html

Once again the best possible resource for AP...very technical and detailed tutorials but very simple for whoever wants to spend the right time to understand them

[Astrosurf]

Thanks so much for this! I've been thinking about using AT but IT can leave me rather confused!  So I've been avoiding it. I'll read that tutorial and have a go.

Alexxx

[r3i]

Astrotortilla always seems to generate a wow, but with good reason .

Like Alexxx, I'd read about it for a while before trying it, wondering what the fuss was all about, but quickly realised how good it was.  

The tutorial mentioned above is excellent and should help you get up and running quickly.

I think the comment made by Steve (Kirkster501) at the end of this post sums it up nicely: http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/223275-awesome-astrotortilla/?p=2419894

[rofus]

Thanks so much for this! I've been thinking about using AT but IT can leave me rather confused!  So I've been avoiding it. I'll read that tutorial and have a go.

Alexxx

Yes I absolutely suggest to go through it knowing that it's really simple!

You just need to specify correctly the field of vews during installation, then you can copy/paste the settings.

Basically you go to the usual Field Of View calculator http://www.12dstring.me.uk/fov.htm and you take the degrees of your field of view. You'll probably use the bigger one in degrees for the wider size (during installation), and then for the narrower one (20% of the shorter FOV measure) you'll have to take the degrees and multiply by 60 (so you obtain arcsecs). Then is just about selecting from the two dropdowns a value where your wide degree and narrow arcsecs are included in.

To make it simpler and if you have one scope/camera, just read the part(s) of the tutorial where he just explains how to do it with one scope, really took me 5 minutes once I convinced myself it was indeed simple and I'd laugh at myself in the end for fearing it was too complicated...indeed still laughing, but now because I basically cut completely setup times and now all time is for imaging.

[Astrosurf]

Thanks gents!

[tony210]

I am a great fan and part of my nightly routine - finds every field and solves at FL1.2 metres -great add on! -Tony