What Imaging Sequence Software do you use and Why ?

[teoria_del_big_bang]

I am sure there are loads of these polls but there seems so many available now I was wondering what, and why, people are using them.

Poll is set to close end of August so it doesn't go on running forever.

Thanks for participating

Steve

Edited May 12, 2020 by teoria_del_big_bang

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Personally I started off with APT. It is available for free with most features you will ever need enabled, which I think is unbelievable. Very soon I aid the very small free for the full version and never looked back. I think it is just fantastic and seems to do everything I want with very good back u and help on the forum.

However, I did plan to try SG pro but as I am now used to AT am a bit reluctant to try it because I first have to learn it, whereas I know my way around APT and feel it may not really offer anymore than what I already use.

Steve

[fireballxl5]

I'd add the ASIAIR app as an option

[andrew s]

Started with Python controlling The Sky X, then CCDAuto Pilot (not on list).

Now use Voyager , robust, links to weather system. Has flexibility I need fo non imaging.

Basically,  I have used what was needed for the task. 

Regards Andrew 

[newbie alert]

I've tried SGP,  voyager, nina... 

Sgp threw up loads of coded messages that if I was a software engineer I might have a clue what it was talking about, and the frame and mosaic wizard liked to use m45 for most targets  even if I typed in something else ( sure it had a bug)

Voyager,  I had connection issues and because of the amount of time I'd wasted on clear nights messing about with software glitches that got deleted very fast.. 

NINA, I initially liked NINA,  the tabs were laid out nice, connected my equipment fairly easy. .. the  3 things i didn't like was to get an image and plate solve you had to have so many tabs opened, some would hide at the bottom of the screen and you be hunting around looking for them .. 2, I found it so glitch, the profile that you setup wouldn't always work, depending on which way the wind was blowing, even now I just use NINA for framing( which is excellent) and that may or may not work..3, when you had an issue and wanted help it's there under their discord forum, sounds great but most of them on there just want to take the £/$$, so when you want a straightforward answer and have a clear sky quite often you would have to wade through all the trash to get to the real answer most of the time the following day..

So I just use APT,  simple, reliable and does what I need it to do..which is all you want

[Stuart1971]

I started with APT many years ago when I had my first DSLR, and found it superb and still like it, but then I wanted to be able to have the PC on the mount and just the one wire from mount to power, and control it all wirelessly, this could have been done with APT but I was really getting fed up with windows after the change to win 10, too many Ascom, COM port and USB issues with my kit.
So then I discovered the raspberry PI with Kstars / Ekos, and have never looked back, a little raspberry PI on the mount controlling everything and Kstars / Ekos running from a Linux desktop 4k PC in the house..... absolutely superb....it just works and it’s all free open source software... 👍😀

[Stuart1971]

16 minutes ago, fireballxl5 said:

I'd add the ASIAIR app as an option

Hmmmm, that only works with one brand of camera plus DSLR, all the others runs all brands.. 🤔

[teoria_del_big_bang]

I have added ASAIR anyway, thanks.

Steve

[teoria_del_big_bang]

15 minutes ago, Stuart1971 said:

I started with APT many years ago when I had my first DSLR, and found it superb and still like it, but then I wanted to be able to have the PC on the mount and just the one wire from mount to power, and control it all wirelessly, this could have been done with APT but I was really getting fed up with windows after the change to win 10, too many Ascom, COM port and USB issues with my kit.
So then I discovered the raspberry PI with Kstars / Ekos, and have never looked back, a little raspberry PI on the mount controlling everything and Kstars / Ekos running from a Linux desktop 4k PC in the house..... absolutely superb....it just works and it’s all free open source software... 👍😀

I have a PC on the mount but not re RPi. I would like to try the RPi though and have started to look at KStars / Ekos.

• Do you lose anything doing this (taking in to mind what you can do on APT as that is what I know) ?
• How easy is it to use remote desktop, ot Teamviewer etc to monitor via a remote laptop?
• Is it easy to setup the RPi with all the software required ?
• I am guessing it would be best with the RP3B+ model ?

Steve

 

[Kinch]

I never realised there were so many...😀

I started off with SGP. It was a brand new kid on the block as was I, when it came to imaging. I have stuck with it ever since.

(There was a period when SGP was going through a bad patch....there always appeared to be some exception or other being thrown up. At that time, I actually bought Voyager with great intentions....but SGP settled down and I got too lazy to learn a new software.....so am happy at the moment to continue with SGP).

Edited May 12, 2020 by Kinch
Spelling

[wornish]

21 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I have a PC on the mount but not re RPi. I would like to try the RPi though and have started to look at KStars / Ekos.

• Do you lose anything doing this (taking in to mind what you can do on APT as that is what I know) ?
• How easy is it to use remote desktop, ot Teamviewer etc to monitor via a remote laptop?
• Is it easy to setup the RPi with all the software required ?
• I am guessing it would be best with the RP3B+ model ?

Steve

 

I also started with APT many years ago.

 

I moved to running Astroberry on my RPi4 which gives you Stars / Ekos already installed.

I access it remotely from my Laptop using OpenVNC over WiFi.   Again Astroberry includes that.

If you use Astroberry everything is installed so set up is simple.

The RPi3B will work but go for the RPi4 with at least 2Gb memory or even 4GB it is so much better.

 

Astroberry Server 2 is the latest version and you can download the complete disk image from here.

https://www.astroberry.io

Edited May 12, 2020 by wornish
typo

[teoria_del_big_bang]

40 minutes ago, wornish said:

I also started with APT many years ago.

 

I moved to running Astroberry on my RPi4 which gives you Stars / Ekos already installed.

I access it remotely from my Laptop using OpenVNC over WiFi.   Again Astroberry includes that.

If you use Astroberry everything is installed so set up is simple.

The RPi3B will work but go for the RPi4 with at least 2Gb memory or even 4GB it is so much better.

 

Astroberry Server 2 is the latest version and you can download the complete disk image from here.

https://www.astroberry.io

Many thanks, I would love to try it.

Steve

[Skipper Billy]

I started off with APT but it didn't do everything I wanted it to do so I moved to SGP which does do everything I want it to do - BUT - it has a few slightly annoying shortcomings and can be a bit 'flaky' so just before the next season starts I will be trialling Voyager.

I did once dabble with Maxi DL5 but it didn't float my boat.

[RayD]

I use a few of the above but can only select one.  I guess the one I use most is SGPro.  I find the GUI really well designed, clean and well thought out and, generally, it does and awful lot for the money and does it well.  However, and it is a big however, Jared and Ken just seem to not want to include many of the feature requests unless they are already on their planned workflow, which really isn't keeping the users that happy.  It works for me, and works very well, but I used it in fixed observatories with very little changing of equipment, which can cause it to have some moments.

I am currently trialling (and now using) Voyager which seems very good and robust, although it does seem to be specifically targeted at robotic observatories and full automation rather than interactive imaging, so is not as intuit to use and lacks some visual feedback, it just gets on with capturing images.  Platesolving and autofocus routines work great, and there is a decent looking mosaic module, but I have only played with this and haven't used it in anger.

I use BYEOS to capture DSLR images with my Canon 450D as I run this as a stand-alone on my AZEQ6 using EXMOD.  This is bomb proof and never faults.

I tried some of the others (NINA, EKOS, APT etc) but for differing reasons each just didn't deliver what I wanted/needed in my particular application.  

I'll probably be sticking with SGPro for at least another season, but continuing to use Voyager alongside it with the hope that they do add the little feedback touches that will make it a really good alternative to SGPro.

Edited May 12, 2020 by RayD

[SlimPaling]

I use a program called "SEQUENCE" .... it comes with my ASA mount and is used in conjunction with MaxIm DL to do a perrrfect job.

I could use Maxim DL on its own ... but this "Sequence" software does the job even better.

However ( I am pretty certain ) it does not work on any other type of mount .... but it is worth a mention for the sake of completeness.

Mike

[DaveS]

I too use Sequence which is now running like a dream on my DDM60. Still waiting to commission my DDM85 due to delays. Apparently there is a new version of Sequence going through beta soon. About time too.

[MarkAR]

I use Ekos as its Mac native. Gremlins do crop up but I've not really seen any better alternatives.

[Xsubmariner]

I currently use, SGPro and Sky X (which I notice is not in the list). Now I have a dual imaging rig, I am disappointed SGP still hasn’t provided multiple camera synchronisation and dither. While the Inclusion has been discussed since 2006 the language now suggest it might appear in version 4, when might that be? In the mean time I plan to investigate APT. I occasionally use Artemis with my Atik cameras (another not on the list) and Nebulosity.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

27 minutes ago, Xsubmariner said:

I currently use, SGPro and Sky X (which I notice is not in the list). Now I have a dual imaging rig, I am disappointed SGP still hasn’t provided multiple camera synchronisation and dither. While the Inclusion has been discussed since 2006 the language now suggest it might appear in version 4, when might that be? In the mean time I plan to investigate APT. I occasionally use Artemis with my Atik cameras (another not on the list) and Nebulosity.

Sorry about the ones not in the list these are ones I was unaware of. I am still amazed how much software is actually out there for this purpose for what I once perceived as a niche market. 

Steve

Edited May 12, 2020 by teoria_del_big_bang

[Vox45]

for me it's EKOS on an RPI4.

I use Stellarmate. It's a pre-installed and pre-configured image with all the software included, so you just need to put it on an microSD card and you are done. I started with BYEOS but soon wanted to have everything run at the mount so I switched to an RPI and INDI/EKOS to replace all my windows software and ASCOM/EQMOD. I've never looked back since. 

Edited May 12, 2020 by Vox45

[Stuart1971]

7 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I have a PC on the mount but not re RPi. I would like to try the RPi though and have started to look at KStars / Ekos.

• Do you lose anything doing this (taking in to mind what you can do on APT as that is what I know) ?
• How easy is it to use remote desktop, ot Teamviewer etc to monitor via a remote laptop?
• Is it easy to setup the RPi with all the software required ?
• I am guessing it would be best with the RP3B+ model ?

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

No you don’t loose anything in fact you gain a load, as it’s an all in one solution, Skymap, complete imaging software, and platesolve

Very easy, I use VNC viewer on my PC, but I only run the indi server in the rpi, and then Kstars runs from my PC in the house, and connects to the INdI server on the rpi wirelessly, so no need to use any RDP or Teamviewer unless you actually want to run Kstars off the rpi, which is also possible...

Yes, ones you have flashed an SD card with the Raspbian image for the rpi, it’s quite simple with minimal Linux skills, I had none and found it easy..or you can buy the ready made Stellarmate OS which has it all done for you, it’s $49, this is what I use....

The best rpi is the latest rpi4b which is a much higher spec than the 3b+ And comes with USB 3 ports and 4 GB RAM

HTH 👍😀

[teoria_del_big_bang]

1 hour ago, Stuart1971 said:

Hi Steve,

No you don’t loose anything in fact you gain a load, as it’s an all in one solution, Skymap, complete imaging software, and platesolve

Very easy, I use VNC viewer on my PC, but I only run the indi server in the rpi, and then Kstars runs from my PC in the house, and connects to the INdI server on the rpi wirelessly, so no need to use any RDP or Teamviewer unless you actually want to run Kstars off the rpi, which is also possible...

Yes, ones you have flashed an SD card with the Raspbian image for the rpi, it’s quite simple with minimal Linux skills, I had none and found it easy..or you can buy the ready made Stellarmate OS which has it all done for you, it’s $49, this is what I use....

The best rpi is the latest rpi4b which is a much higher spec than the 3b+ And comes with USB 3 ports and 4 GB RAM

HTH 👍😀

Thanks, that helps a lot  👍

Steve

[stash_old]

I use CCDCIEL created by the same author as CDC Patrick Chevalley. Still officially in Beta but IMO has everything and more than any of the above.

Main Features:

1. Works across all platforms- Macos,Windows and Linux

2. Works with Ascom and/or Indi or a combination of the 2.

3. A simple but powerful Sequencer with all the std add on bits - platesolver,guiding control ,auto focus ,unattended mode , dome control etc But still allows a simple Image capture when sequencer not required.

4. Does not tie you down to one specific application - e.g. you can you CDC for your Planetarium or HNSKY

5. Uses multiple Platesolving options with automatica fallback mechanism should the first fail. 

6. Enables remote full DSLR operation via Indi - weakest point being it doesn't support dslr direct like APT but then you cant run APT on one PC and have your DSLR on another PC on the mount.

7. Image camera support only limited by ASCOM or INDI offerings.

8. Can be run on most mount SCB - eg RPI3b+ upwards or Windows Mini PC's

9. Has a simple Preview with live stacking feature

10. Scripting language built in.

And more

Yes there are still things to develope and its still in Beta testing but I have found Patrick is always open to changes and normally delivers changes at speed when possible .

Oh and its FREE - for now at least !

[Paul M]

APT for me. The free version got me started in imaging, I like it so have paid the small fee for a license.

More features than I envisage ever needing so it'll keep me going for a while. Already integrated plate solving/scope control. Next will be guiding.

[Annehouw]

I have had a few over the years: AstroArt, MaximDL, Nebulosity. But I ended up with APT. It is cheap and has a very rich function set. It can handle DSLRs as well as CCD or CMOS camera's. Fast platesolving, automatic meridian flips, repeatable pointing in plans. Etc. And not to forget: voice progress-notifications  😉

But the most important thing for me is that the developer (Ivo) is very open and responsive. I noticed that the unguided dithering feature did not do as I was expecting. I sent him an email with my finding and my guess as where the algorithm was wrong. No "not invented here". Within a few days I had a special beta to test out (which solved the problem) and after a few weeks it was in the official version als well.