Lodestar Live System Requirements / Spectroscopy

[Bill S]

I am interested in using a Lodestar X2 and Lodestar Live. Please could someone tell me what the Windows system requirements are? Processor, memory etc. Apologies if this is covered somewhere else. Just point me in the right direction.

Also (maybe one for Nytecam). Has anyone tried using a Lodestar with a Star Analyser diffraction grating? I appreciate an adaptor to allow 1.25 inch filters to fit would be required.

Thanks.

Keep up the interesting work and discussion everyone.

Bill S

[Merlin66]

Bill,

the original Star Analyser was designed for a webcam, so the Lodestar would be OK.

I have both but never tried them together. Should certainly work OK.

[Paul81]

Lodestar live (now starlight live) should work on most machines up to 5-6 years old.

The faster the processor the better, but given most people use 10+ sec exposures even modest hardware can keep up.

As for memory the app doesn't use a huge amount <100MB from off the top of my head.

What spec system do you have? In the field I use a 8 year old MacBook!

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[nytecam]

Hi Bill - I've used the Rainbow Optics 200 l/mm grating for a decade or more but with the Lodestar in recent years. Both RO 200 and the SA 100 gratings screw direct into the Lodestar - with the SA100 its distance from the sensor should be doubled for a similar spectrum length eg typically from 20mm - 40mm or thereabouts.

Exposures can be remarkably brief eg 0.01s - 0.1s for 1st mag stars and longer as the target star gets fainter say triple the exposure for each mag fainter. I use A type stars like Vega (with the strong Balmer hydrogen lines) to start a session for reference to subsequent stars or PNe spectra. Good fun and plenty of science too!

The original SX s/w has a one-click 'line profile' option for instant gratification on download (that I got SX to incorporate !) But there's lots of spectro s/w that takes you deeper.

Good luck

Nytecam

[nytecam]

Correction the Lodestar thread is too small for the standard 1-1/4" filter thread and needs an adaptor - I have been known to use Selotape to couple grating to Lodestar :-) 

Here's some stellar spectra from 'hot  to cool' via Lodestar mono on 80mm aperture f/5 DIY Schmidt camera with quoted exposure - even visually invisible stars like Chi Cyg in near IR can be investigated !

Nytecam

[Bill S]

Thanks guys for the very helpful and interesting replies.

Paul: Regarding the laptop I would like to use. It is a few years old. It's got an Intel Centrino Core2 Duo running at 1.83 GHz with 3 GB RAM running under Vista. If this is not adequate then it's not a stopper because I have a more up to date machine but the old one is my preferred one for taking outside etc.

Thanks

Bill

[Paul81]

Hi Bill

I reckon that should be ok. I am working on performance updates so even if it is slightly sluggish it should improve with a future update!

Paul

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