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Atik Dusk


Freddie

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Recently got my link to Atik’s new capture software Dusk to start beta testing.  It has a completely new look but lots of familiar functions and a few new things. Only had a quick try with it last night so hopefully the weather will clear long enough for me to get a good go with it under real conditions rather than in front of the tv !!!

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Dusk beta 0.0.0.9 came through today for more testing. Not had a chance to look at it yet and looking at the forecast it will only be looked at, for the foreseeable future, in front of the tv rather than under the stars !!!!

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  • 1 month later...

Nothing new to report as there has not been a new beta since 0.0.0.9.  They have been working on the Mac version which is taking some time but a new Windows beta is expected soon with a possible release in late Feb.

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  • 5 weeks later...

Atik has issued five versions of the 'Core Software with Dusk'  in two weeks. The latest on 1st April. One problem being that the new ASCOM Driver didn't support the CMOS Atik Horizon in Sharpcap, SG Pro and others, hence limiting Horizon owners to Atik's own software, which is great software,  but some of us wanted to embrace SG Pro, as well as Dusk, similar to it's range of CCD cameras. 

A 'Select camera' feature was added which incorporates the setting of Gain for the Horizon. But each new iteration introduced a fresh problem now affecting the wider range of Atik Cameras. As regards the Horizon, it would work in Sharpcap, but no longer work in Infinity. Then the next version added SG Pro, but it stopped connecting in Sharpcap.  However, I stress version 4.2.2.9 still works fine with Artemis Capture, Infinity, and all other software supported prior to March. So it's perhaps best to consider Dusk and its new ASCOM drivers as being still in beta-testing and roll back to version 4.2.2.9 for all other use.

Atik is now up to version 5.0.0.6 released on 1st April, which I have tested in daylight and it does appear to offer a solution to the Horizon's 'Camera not connecting' problems. The buttons to control the missing functionality (gain etc) also appear, at least for the Horizon. I can't comment on the CCDs. Hopefully, the unforseen bugs for the CCDs have been fixed too.. However, it has been wall to wall cloud in East Anglia hence frustrating any night time testing, and as I live close to Atik's HQ I guess they might similarly be struggling with their live testing.

In summary, it is worth trying 5.0.0.6, and Dusk and the more people beta-testing this with a wider range of cameras the better, but don't be surprised if you need to roll back to 4.2.2.9 to maintain the previous functionality that you enjoyed . 

Frankly, I think Atik have responded well to this crisis,  but clearly didn't anticipate the incompatibilities between various third party software where deploying CMOS compared to CCD, a step which has evidently proved troublesome despite ASCOM protocols. However, I am fairly confident that 5.0.0.6 should be fine......fingers crossed.......But we still have 4.2.2.9 so nothing is lost from where we previously were. 

 

 

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On ‎09‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 10:24, Freddie said:

Now fully released on their website.

I see you've joined us today so do you know how the Dusk software is going, have they ironed the bugs yet ?

Dave

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Noah, thanks for posting this information.  I was trying my Atik One 6.0 a few days ago with Sharpcap polar align. It worked fine on my usual imaging laptop which hasnt been updated in months with either Sharpcap or Atik software.

Not sure if this is an Atik ASCOM issue then or a Sharcap one.  Both were added to another two laptops. ARTEMIS and whatever was the version of the Atik ASCOM driver as of last weekend plus latest Sharpcap.

It connects but Sharpcap controls barely respond. Very very sluggish.

 

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3 hours ago, Davey-T said:

I see you've joined us today so do you know how the Dusk software is going, have they ironed the bugs yet ?

Dave

Sorry, no idea. I have stuck with Artemis as I couldn’t see any advantages for me with Dusk so have stuck with what I know best. To be honest, I got the feeling that they were testing and changing it but then just got to the point where they had hit the date they wanted to release it so just stopped and released it!!

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On 09/03/2019 at 11:20, carastro said:

Is there a demo anywhere.  Don't want to abandon Artemis until/unless convinced I will like it.  Love Artemis. 

Carole 

Couldn’t agree more.  I suppose there must be a good reason for the change but Artemis just works and is really user-friendly.  Why replace it?  But then I said that about Windows XP...??????

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11 hours ago, carastro said:

One of my local group chums, said he has installed it and says he downloaded V5.0.0.4 and it took out his filterwheel and would not cool the chip in APT.

Carole 

Each version from 5.0.0.1 to 5.0.0.4 (there was no 5.0.0.5) cured one bug but introduced another. ASCOM drivers are fine in theory, but once the suite needs to add a CMOS camera (like Horizon) with additional variable controls (like for filter wheel) it becomes more challenging because SharpCap, SG Pro, APT and Dusk all deal with this differently. Adding the Horizon functionality then screwed up some Atik CCD cameras and other devices and its not been easy to find solutions. However, 4.2.2.9 works fine with Infinity, Artemis Capture and third party software that worked before.

The latest version is 5.0.0.6. In daylight test I have had this driver working fine with SharpCap and SG Pro (not tested Dusk), but persistent poor weather has prevented a proper darkness test.

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  • 1 month later...

i'm not an expert reviewer and only use the simplest routines...... ie... scheduling   a Ha LRGB  or narrowband sequence , but a couple of things I cannot quite suss out, probably need to read the manual a bit better !!!

I have a 9x 1.25" insert on the EFW2, but I cannot  sequence FW position 9, it only seems to go up to 8 on the scheduler. Not critical but annoying because I have Hbeta in FWposition 9.

Some sequences just will not start, is it because I have the exposure loop still active....??... well when I turn it off, it still doesn't start.  Have to reload program to get it to work.

Scheduler seems to write out directories of all the previous sequences I have had.  ie. I store images in folders with the date as the 'name', when I create a new sequence it writes out all the previous ones as well, there must be a way to reset all of this.

Other than that, good piece of software. I used to like the Artemis one as well. Straightforward and it works.

 

Sean.

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