StarLight Live and SX Trius 694 - help!

[arkosg]

Hello all,

I'm hoping Paul or someone who has used Starlight Live with a Trius camera sees this and can point me in the right direction!

I've borrowed a Trius XS694 (mono) to try out.  I have it plugged in to the AC adapter, and am using the USB cord that comes with the camera to connect it to my Macbook Pro's USB port.

When I attach the SX Trius 694 it shows up in Starlight Live 3.3 (checkmark symbol) as Starlight Xpress SX694 (F/W 25.1).  I can set TEC, mono, binning, etc.

However, as soon as I try to do anything (eg. start to take darks), it pauses, then loses the camera connection.  I have to physically unplug and replug the camera to get it to show up again.

My understanding was that SL supported the SX cams... do I need to do something else (command line?) before connecting the cam? Or...?

 

On a related note: I'd also appreciate the proper command line syntax to view FITS files generated by the cam (assuming I eventually get that working!) 

Thanks so much in advance!

- Greg A

[Jim Smith]

I had a similar sounding problem with my SX Ultrastar on my Macbook with SLL 3.3. I discovered that I had ticked the box to save fits files for every exposure, but I had specified a save folder that didn't exist.

[arkosg]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the suggestion.  I took a look, and I hadn't checked that box.  But I did make sure I had a "real" folder in the save files section.

It still disconnects after trying to start an exposure.  :-(

Should it just "work"  (plug and play) or do I need to do something from the command line (I recall you mentioned having to use a different pid for your Ultrastar...?)

Cheers,

- Greg

PS. The camera is recognized and "works" with the SX IO 1.0.8 software, so it's probably not a hardware issue, I think....

 

[arkosg]

UPDATE: 

After some further fiddling (this is indoors, daytime, using dark frame acquisition/image acquisition), I found that the camera DOES work - but only when binned 2x2 or higher.  Every time I set the binning to 1x1, the camera connection is lost once I initiate an exposure.  This appears to be reproducible.  MacBook Pro running El Capitan, SLL 3.3.

Help Paul! :-)

- Greg

[Jim Smith]

Greg, On my Mac, I have only used command line parameters when I have had two cameras connected at once with two instances of SLL running at the same time. With only one camera connected and only one instance of SLL running, it has, as far as I recall, all just simply worked without any command line parameters. 

I'll let you know if I think of anything else.

[arkosg]

Hi all,

So I'm still in need of assistance with the Trius & StarlightLive combination - hopefully Paul sees this at some point and can offer suggestions or a fix.

The Trius 694 works well, binned 2x2, but still fails at 1x1.  It also has problems in the Focus Tab if exposures are set at 1s or under - just hangs and or disconnects the camera in this case.  I've been using 1.5 s to focus the camera as a result.  At any rate, if these few issues could get cleared up, I think the camera is quite viable for EAA use.  Even in my suburban skies, the results are more than acceptable, and at 2x2, exposure times do not seem excessive.  I've added a few images below taken last night, most with an Halpha filter to combat the waxing moon/urban skies (forgive compression issues - the images on screen/full size are nicer)!

Paul, if you're out there... help! :-)

- Greg

 

[Ain Soph Aur]

Greg--

Nice captures. Since Paul has been awol lately, you my want to post on the SX mailing list where Terry and others can help troubleshoot.

[shirva]

Nice images

[arkosg]

Thanks guys.  

I've noticed Paul hasn't been around much lately, so I will look into the SX mailing list and see if anyone else can lend a hand.

How does one post on the SX mailing list?

Cheers,

- Greg A

[arkosg]

Bump....

Got a chance to do some more with the camera & SLL.  Same issues.  I tried contacting Terry, who said he would get hold of Paul.... but haven't heard back since.  It's been a while.  I do hope Paul is doing OK, wherever he is these days!  Here are a few examples - definitely not optimal conditions (the light from Vancouver makes imaging to the east challenging).  No filters.  Still using 2x2 binning.  Definitely lots of moisture in the air last night, clear and calm but unsteady skies.  Was able to get some of the nebulosity around the Pleiades, which was cool.  :-)   These images are with the university 8" CPC setup; the focal reducer is not as nice as the Borg one I used on previous shots.  I think the Celestron needs some collimation, but I just never seem to have time to get around to it!

Cheers,

Greg