Getting back into imaging after a long break

[Gina]

Been outside again and still only a few stars out.  Think I'll chuck it and got to bed...  Been hot today, been out tonight so closed everything up and shut down the equipment before going out - don't think I feel up to getting everything ready again.

[Gina]

Soon be time to get to grips again with PixInsight but I've got the book and there's plenty of on-line tutorials so I'm prepared even if my memory fails (very likely).

[Gina]

My previous imaging sessions used the Windows operating system with a number of different applications running together and connected with ASCOM.  This worked for the most part though there were frequent problems with USB and comms ports and some others.  Getting astrometry (plate solving) to work properly was tricky.  The whole system was run off a laptop in the warm room attached to the scope room of my observatory.  This involved numerous cables and a USB hub and was rather messy.

Now I have changed to using a Raspberry Pi to control everything and capture images, with WiFi connection to my desktop computer indoors.  The RPi is contained in a little box directly on the mount with just very short USB cables to camera, EFW and mount.  The RPi also controls a focus motor.  All these remote operations are contained in software/firmware on the micro SD card in the RPi - the system is called INDI and is free Open Source software.  This acts as a "server" with "client" software on my main desktop computer indoors.  The client software is called KStars and does everything all those individual Windows apps did with the old arrangement.  Furthermore KStars is free Open Source software provided by the KDE Education group.  It is multi-platform software, meaning it runs on Windows and Mac OS etc. as well as Linux.  On the education side KStars provides a wealth of information about the cosmos with links to a vast on-line resource.  For astro imaging the software provides control of all the equipment including capturing images and saving them to appropriate folders on the main (client) computer.

So far I have only used a tiny part of the capabilities of KStars - capturing images and controlling camera, focussing and very limited mount control.  Now I am learning how to use the mount controls to find deep sky objects (a star map with many deep sky objects is included), slew the mount to position, track and guide to hold the image stationary on the sensor.  The software has an easy to use scheduler permitting setting up an imaging run which can be left unattended once set running.

The KStars Handbook

Edited July 5, 2019 by Gina

[wimvb]

Welcome to the wonderful world of kstars, Gina. I've been running my setup this way for more than a year now, and had no real problems this past season. As a matter of fact, when a friend's laptop broke down, we switched to an old RPi I had lying around, and were up and running in no time.

As you probably are aware of, I use Rock64 sbc's which has usb3, more memory (1, 2 or 4 GB), and supports both eMMC and larger SD cards than the Pi3. A larger SD comes in handy if you need to download astrometry index files and store your images locally during capture.

If you update your system to the latest stable versions of INDI and ekos/kstars, you'll find that offline astrometry is fully integrated. You only have to install the appropriate index files. This is a simple matter of clicking the files in kstars.

Btw, I'd recommend you test kstars on the Pi, and not on Mac/Windows. Just use RDP to connect to the Pi. Install xrdp on the Pi, and use Microsoft rdp on windows or Mac.

Good luck

Edited July 5, 2019 by wimvb

[Gina]

I'm running KStars on my Linux Mint desktop and have been for my all sky camera for a couple of years so well used to image capture and camera control plus camera cooling (DIY cooling system), DIY focuser and dew heater control.  Now with DSO imaging I need to control the mount and bone up on that.  I'm hoping slewing to the object and plate solving is easier in this than it was with the Windows system and AstroTortilla.

[wimvb]

26 minutes ago, Gina said:

I'm hoping slewing to the object and plate solving is easier in this than it was with the Windows system and AstroTortilla

Definitely, imo. And with your wide field setup, you won't have any problems with the index files. Just download down to 10% of the smallest fov you have. (Ie, 10% of the angular view of the short edge of the camera sensor.) The first blind solve can be a bit slow, but after that, it's a lot faster. And the more points you add to the mount model, the more accurate it gets.

[Gina]

Been reading The KStars Handbook and PHEW - KStars does absolutely everything!!  Lots more than I used to do in Windows and all easily accessible.  I am IMPRESSED!!  Maybe Windows setups will do all this if you buy expensive software such as SGPro but...

I have already done a lot of setting up including adding a rectangle to show the FOV on the starfield view like in CdC but CdC doesn't have the arrow showing which side is up (or it didn't in the version I was using a couple of years ago).  I like the automatic setting for exposure of Flats by choosing ADU.  If we get any clear sky at all tonight, at least I can have a "play" - getting used to the controls and options.  I see it can do what AstroTortilla could do - take an image from a previous run and slew to the same position.

[tonyowens_uk]

3 hours ago, wimvb said:

Welcome to the wonderful world of kstars, Gina. I've been running my setup this way for more than a year now, and had no real problems this past season. As a matter of fact, when a friend's laptop broke down, we switched to an old RPi I had lying around, and were up and running in no time.

As you probably are aware of, I use Rock64 sbc's which has usb3, more memory (1, 2 or 4 GB), and supports both eMMC and larger SD cards than the Pi3. A larger SD comes in handy if you need to download astrometry index files and store your images locally during capture.

If you update your system to the latest stable versions of INDI and ekos/kstars, you'll find that offline astrometry is fully integrated. You only have to install the appropriate index files. This is a simple matter of clicking the files in kstars.

Btw, I'd recommend you test kstars on the Pi, and not on Mac/Windows. Just use RDP to connect to the Pi. Install xrdp on the Pi, and use Microsoft rdp on windows or Mac.

Good luck

Wim i'm interested in your Linux setup due to the USB3. In principle I should be developing my high resolution planetary imaging, but keep getting distracted onto other pursuits! What had stumped me in putting together a good fast planetary imager was the 2-3 metre length limitation of a ZWO planetary cams like the ASI174, when running flat out. The best resolution appeared to be a USB3-capable SBC mounted on the OTA or mount saddle plate, then off via hard Ethernet or WiFi to a server. But Intel NUC's are a bit pricey and delicate for that sort of outdoor exposure. Something else was required...

My understanding of USB3 on SBC's around 1 year ago was that basically very few exist and none are reliable. What has been your experience?

cheers

 

Tony Owens

[Gina]

Been trying to download astrometry index files but no joy!  Read these instructions in The KStars Handbook :-

Following these instructions produced this pop-up error :-

Clicking OK went here :-

Then whatever I do, such as setting a box for an index file again brings up the error box.  What am I missing? 

[Gina]

I've searched all the INDI settings for the mount and can't see anything there.  Looks like it's going to be cloudy tonight so probably won't be able to do any imaging for testing the plate solving anyway but I'd like to get this set up for the next clear night.  I can take Darks though.

[wimvb]

2 hours ago, tonyowens_uk said:

My understanding of USB3 on SBC's around 1 year ago was that basically very few exist and none are reliable. What has been your experience?

I bought a Rock64 because a faster image download from ASI cameras is supposed to reduce amp glow, plus less risk of dropped frames. I have the cooled mono version of the ASI174, and it has worked well. But I do need a powered usb3 hub to get it stable. It could just be the sbc power supply, or maybe the sbc doesn't provide enough current to the camera over usb3. But with the hub, it works fine. The sbc works with ubuntu 16.04 and 18.04 (I just updated a month or so ago, and haven't tested it in earnest.) It's also a LOT faster than a Pi3+. I have never used it with streaming, only dso imaging, so I can't judge its planetary/solar imaging properties.

 

Edited July 5, 2019 by wimvb

[wimvb]

1 hour ago, Gina said:

I've searched all the INDI settings for the mount and can't see anything there.  Looks like it's going to be cloudy tonight so probably won't be able to do any imaging for testing the plate solving anyway but I'd like to get this set up for the next clear night.  I can take Darks though.

If you use the simulator mount driver, you can at least test your imstallation. You will need to have the gsc (general star catalog) installed. You can configure the simulator with your own focal length and aperture.

I had the same configuration file error as you, but the problem solved itself when I installed the newest version of kstars.

[Gina]

I wondered if KStars needed updating.  I can't find "Update" - it is a case of downloading and installing?  (or with Synaptic?)

Edited July 5, 2019 by Gina

[wimvb]

When I updated ubuntu to 18.04, I installed everything from scratch, and on a larger sd card. But I believe synaptic update will do the job. Easy to test, just look at the version numbers before and after. The Windows versions need to be reinstalled. I don't know about the Mac version.

[Gina]

I'm in Linux.  Think I've done it - after some errors.  Removed old KStars and installed KStars bleeding and KStars data bleeding.

[Gina]

KStars is running again, now to set everything up again...

[Gina]

Still getting the same error, just in different colours.  The file /etc/astrometry.cfg doesn't exist - I guess it needs astrometry set up, but where?

[Gina]

Found it!  Needed astrometry.net installed in Linux Mint.

Edited July 5, 2019 by Gina

[wimvb]

Did you open astrometry.net as an auxiliary device in the indi/ekos profile? Try with that

[Gina]

OK so I can now get the Index Files window open but the FOV is 0.0' x 0.0' whereas previously is was showing large numbers of minutes.  I thought it got it from the FOV Symbols from the Settings menu but it isn't now.  I can't be set in the Index Files window.

Edited July 5, 2019 by Gina

[Gina]

32 minutes ago, wimvb said:

Did you open astrometry.net as an auxiliary device in the indi/ekos profile? Try with that

Yes, I did.

[wimvb]

3 minutes ago, Gina said:

OK so I can now get the Index Files window open but the FOV is 0.0' x 0.0' whereas previously is was showing large numbers of minutes.  I thought it got it from the FOV Symbols from the Settings menu but it isn't now.

It will fill in the correct settings in the fov after the first solve, afaIk.

[Gina]

Didn't need a solve before but then again it didn't work.

[Gina]

It's been downloading index files even though I turned some of the bigger ones off.  I didn't even click OK.  Stopped when the SSD was full!

Edited July 5, 2019 by Gina

[Gina]

Total cloud cover tonight so taking Darks.  Cleared some space on the main SSD.