First night out with NINA ;-)

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Great write up and may well prompt me to give this a go.

I started off with APT which I thought was a great bit of software that never let me down and never crashed.

Over the short summer nights I have been trying to get to grips with  EKOS and KStarts, tried it both on a powerful CPU running Ubuntu and the latest RPi 4. To be honest I love the EKOS side of it and how it is laid out but hate the planetarium in KStars.  The programs seemed to work flawlessly on the powerful CPU but on the cheaper option of the Rpi did crash or freeze quite a lot but I think always in the setting up stage and never seemed to fail in the night when actually imaging and running the sequences.

Overall I did find some aspects of thee programs I loved and now very reluctant to let go but would now like to give NINA a go and see where I want to go before the clearer nights come (They will come --- won't they ???)

I know I can download the program to find the answer to these questions (and I will now) but thought I would ask anyway, 

1. Does NINA have a the ability to set a link to a previous image that it will use in the platesolve to make sure you are in exact same framing as a previous session ?

2. What Planetarium software works with it ?

I will go and download it now 🙂

Steve

 

[kirkster501]

25 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Great write up and may well prompt me to give this a go.

I started off with APT which I thought was a great bit of software that never let me down and never crashed.

Over the short summer nights I have been trying to get to grips with  EKOS and KStarts, tried it both on a powerful CPU running Ubuntu and the latest RPi 4. To be honest I love the EKOS side of it and how it is laid out but hate the planetarium in KStars.  The programs seemed to work flawlessly on the powerful CPU but on the cheaper option of the Rpi did crash or freeze quite a lot but I think always in the setting up stage and never seemed to fail in the night when actually imaging and running the sequences.

Overall I did find some aspects of thee programs I loved and now very reluctant to let go but would now like to give NINA a go and see where I want to go before the clearer nights come (They will come --- won't they ???)

I know I can download the program to find the answer to these questions (and I will now) but thought I would ask anyway, 

1. Does NINA have a the ability to set a link to a previous image that it will use in the platesolve to make sure you are in exact same framing as a previous session ?

2. What Planetarium software works with it ?

I will go and download it now 🙂

Steve

 

It works and links with CdC, I have tried it and NINA will import whatever you currently have clicked on in CdC.  You can then send those coordinates to the framing tool in NINA and create a sequence out of it.  It is very powerful.

Not tried it with any other planetarium as yet.

[Skipper Billy]

2 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

1. Does NINA have a the ability to set a link to a previous image that it will use in the platesolve to make sure you are in exact same framing as a previous session ?

2. What Planetarium software works with it ?

1. Yes - I did this the first time I used it and it solved and slewed then re-solved and ended up within 2 pixels

2. Tried it with Carte du Ciel and Stellarium - zero issues

[iwols]

Another great aspect to this is the support given ,2 queries i had were very quickly answered,just need the clear nights to put it through its paces

[Skipper Billy]

I really hammered it a couple of nights back - changing settings mid sequence - disconnecting and reconnecting things at random - absolutely stable.

The only thing I haven't done yet is a meridian flip which may need some tweaking of settings but I have no doubt it will do it - plate solve - adjust and crack on.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Sounds good I will be trying this out very soon. 

I think that if this does take off (I know it is not exactly new and has been around a while but is one of the newest players I think) then it may ell not be free anymore, but that is fair enough, I have no issues with paying for good software, with good support heavens know we pay enough for our equipment, I just hope they don't go like SGP and keep it to a one off payment , that is fair (with maybe a very modest upgrade charge). 

Steve

[Skipper Billy]

2 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I think that if this does take off (I know it is not exactly new and has been around a while but is one of the newest players I think) then it may ell not be free anymore, but that is fair enough, I have no issues with paying for good software, with good support heavens know we pay enough for our equipment, I just hope they don't go like SGP and keep it to a one off payment , that is fair (with maybe a very modest upgrade charge). 

I have no problem paying for something that does what I need it to do and works properly.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

3 minutes ago, Skipper Billy said:

I have no problem paying for something that does what I need it to do and works properly.

Absolutely, couldn't agree more, 

 

[steppenwolf]

14 hours ago, kirkster501 said:

I am using 95H.

Sorry, only just realised that this had been posted [ thanks for the information, much appreciated.

[kirkster501]

20 hours ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

I think that if this does take off (I know it is not exactly new and has been around a while but is one of the newest players I think) then it may ell not be free anymore, but that is fair enough, I have no issues with paying for good software, with good support heavens know we pay enough for our equipment, I just hope they don't go like SGP and keep it to a one off payment , that is fair (with maybe a very modest upgrade charge). 

Highly unlikely *they* will commercialise it.  Define "they"...?  "They" are all the people (including myself  as I have been looking at the software repositories) who are/will making changes and adding features to NINA, not just Iseborn who is the leader and merges all the contributions and repos into the release schedule.  NINA is community software so it is not "owned" in the way you think.  I never knew there was this NINA thing until recently, and as a person who has developed SW myself never knew there was such a community model for astro imaging acquisition software.  I think SGPs days are numbered now I have seen how good NINA is and how easy it is to use.

Linux has worked in this way for decades and is what makes it so successful.  True, there are paid for versions of Linux such as Redhat.  However, that is only for the support side because you would not want to run your billion dollar business on software where you had to rely on support on a forum.  Centos is the identical and community support version of Redhat.    The parallel is that NINA will probably never bee a charged for, commercial product, analogous to Linux.

[Jonk]

First problem for me... Sharpsky focusers won’t stay connected. They instantly disconnect.

Another problem, pulling the usb cable from the camera and no pop up to say disconnected. Even after waiting a while.

Have to stick with SGP for now...

[teoria_del_big_bang]

1 hour ago, kirkster501 said:

Highly unlikely *they* will commercialise it.  Define "they"...?  "They" are all the people (including myself  as I have been looking at the software repositories) who are/will making changes and adding features to NINA, not just Iseborn who is the leader and merges all the contributions and repos into the release schedule.  NINA is community software so it is not "owned" in the way you think.  I never knew there was this NINA thing until recently, and as a person who has developed SW myself never knew there was such a community model for astro imaging acquisition software.  I think SGPs days are numbered now I have seen how good NINA is and how easy it is to use.

Linux has worked in this way for decades and is what makes it so successful.  True, there are paid for versions of Linux such as Redhat.  However, that is only for the support side because you would not want to run your billion dollar business on software where you had to rely on support on a forum.  Centos is the identical and community support version of Redhat.    The parallel is that NINA will probably never bee a charged for, commercial product, analogous to Linux.

Cheers, very good information to know 🙂 

Steve

[kirkster501]

1 hour ago, Jonk said:

First problem for me... Sharpsky focusers won’t stay connected. They instantly disconnect.

Another problem, pulling the usb cable from the camera and no pop up to say disconnected. Even after waiting a while.

Have to stick with SGP for now...

Have you raised this on the Discord section?

I never see a "disconnected" in SGP either. 

[Jonk]

No, I haven't raised anything, I'll get round to signing up....it's on the list!

SGP did like a pop up when something disconnected in software, but true, I haven't pulled cables in SGP to see what happens. I'm guessing it's because SGP must only check for a connection every now and then (minutes probably) but when there's a reason for the software to disconnect, it reacts straight away.

[kirkster501]

11 hours ago, Jonk said:

No, I haven't raised anything, I'll get round to signing up....it's on the list!

SGP did like a pop up when something disconnected in software, but true, I haven't pulled cables in SGP to see what happens. I'm guessing it's because SGP must only check for a connection every now and then (minutes probably) but when there's a reason for the software to disconnect, it reacts straight away.

My findings when I pull a cable from under SGP is that it locks up and freezes.  Could be that it is waiting for something from ASCOM possibly from the driver.  But all the same, quality software should have an error handler and/or at least flash something up saying it has not seen the HW for X seconds.  A watchdog timer.

[Jonk]

From what I know about SGP, it’s polling a lot most of the time, and is basically a vey long “if-then” list which means there’s a lot of waiting going on.

[muletopia]

Hello Skipper Billy,

I also use Sitech with my Mesu 200 (mark1). Do you have a mount model? I f so how did you build it.

I am halfway though building a mount model using Nebulosity4. This program frequently drops communication with Sitech  so I asked Stitech groups if it was possible to build a plate solved model using NINA.

This is the reply I received from Don W

" There is a cumbersome way to use Nina, by modifying the script to develop a PXP model to pause and manually take a Fits image in NINA and save it to the default.fit location, then let SiTech run Platesolve 2 or 3 for that PXP point, then move to the next point. "

That sounds much too complicated , so unless there is a more straight forward method I will continue with Nebulosity and platesolve3, when it works it is quite quick but it is unpleasant to have to restart nebulosity listen mode after every couple of calstars are acquired.

 

Another question about NINA, does it support QHY8L, my imaging camera (guiding uses a ZWO  asi 120mm)

I hope these questions are not an imposition on your time.

Chris

 

 

[Skipper Billy]

30 minutes ago, muletopia said:

I also use Sitech with my Mesu 200 (mark1). Do you have a mount model? I f so how did you build it.

 

31 minutes ago, muletopia said:

Another question about NINA, does it support QHY8L, my imaging camera

I don't use a mount model so I can't help you with that sorry.

I see no reason that NINA wouldnt work with a QHY8L.

I am no expert on NINA - I only started using it 10 days ago!!  The support forum is very quick and responsive and there is  a wealth of information there inc the main developers.

[muletopia]

Thanks Skipper,

A learning we shall all go.

Chris

[kirkster501]

One thing I can't yet work out how to do in NINA.

SGP has a nice framing tool where you can loop exposures of say 2 or 3 seconds, without saving them, so you can hone in on your rough focus before engaging the autofocus.  

Anyone know how to do that with NINA?  I was looking how last night but the clouds rolled in...  There must be a way I'm sure.  I will ask on Discord.

[sloz1664]

22 hours ago, muletopia said:

Hello Skipper Billy,

I also use Sitech with my Mesu 200 (mark1). Do you have a mount model? I f so how did you build it.

I am halfway though building a mount model using Nebulosity4. This program frequently drops communication with Sitech  so I asked Stitech groups if it was possible to build a plate solved model using NINA.

This is the reply I received from Don W

" There is a cumbersome way to use Nina, by modifying the script to develop a PXP model to pause and manually take a Fits image in NINA and save it to the default.fit location, then let SiTech run Platesolve 2 or 3 for that PXP point, then move to the next point. "

That sounds much too complicated , so unless there is a more straight forward method I will continue with Nebulosity and platesolve3, when it works it is quite quick but it is unpleasant to have to restart nebulosity listen mode after every couple of calstars are acquired.

 

Another question about NINA, does it support QHY8L, my imaging camera (guiding uses a ZWO  asi 120mm)

I hope these questions are not an imposition on your time.

Chris

 

 

Hi Chris,

I'm interested in NINA also and couldn't get my QHY8Pro to connect. Unfortunately, the old drivers are not compatible with NINA and Ascom 6.5. I don't know if this is relevant to the QHY8L  though. If so, there is a workaround that may work using the latest NINA beta release and reverting back to Ascom 6.4. 

Steve

[Skipper Billy]

15 minutes ago, kirkster501 said:

SGP has a nice framing tool where you can loop exposures of say 2 or 3 seconds, without saving them, so you can hone in on your rough focus before engaging the autofocus.  

Anyone know how to do that with NINA?  I was looking how last night but the clouds rolled in...  There must be a way I'm sure.  I will ask on Discord.

In the section highlighted red in the attached image

Choose your exposure time, filter, binning and turn on 'loop' then click the aperture symbol and it will keep clattering away and displaying the image.

[Stuart1971]

This software looks superb, and I see no reason to pay for SGP or such like, with packages like this and other open source software available for free....great thread... 👍😀

[Stuart1971]

Another thing which seems excellent in N.I.N.A is being able to mix Ascom and indi drivers, and not be stuck with using just one...great idea...👍

[kirkster501]

Great stuff, thanks for that Skipper-Billy.  I thought there must be a way but struggled to find it last night.

Edited September 29, 2020 by kirkster501