Connect SGP (Sequence Generator Pro) to SkyWatcher StarAdventurer GTi

[Michael Kieran]

I'd like to test Sequence Generator Pro (SGP) for capturing a one-minute burst of images during the total solar eclipse next month in Australia. However, I can't get my SkyWatcher Star Adventurer GTi to connect to SGP. 
 
I'm using an ASI2600MC camera and have tested it in combination with an ASIAIR+ but found that it was only able to capture eight or nine short exposures in 63 seconds (the length of totality in my location). I'm hoping I'll be able to capture more exposures with the camera connected directly to a PC running SGP. 
 
Greatly appreciate any input on how to make these work together.
 
Thanks!
Michael 
 

[symmetal]

Hi Michael,

For imaging the Sun or Moon it's better to take a video of the whole event with your ASI2600MC using a program like Firecapture or Sharpcap. The length of the video is dependant on how much ram and storage space you have available, preferably a SSD drive. Selecting a region of interest on your camera just large enough to capture the image area you want you can get a higher fps from the camera.

Then using the program PIPP you can split the long video into like 5 second segments and then stack each segment in Autostakkert to give a final composite image which will be higher quality than a single video frame. If you want more images you can split the video into 2 or 3 second segments instead though the stacked images will be a bit lower quality. As long as you keep a copy of your original video you can try multilple splits to see what's best.

All the programs mentioned are free and there are plenty of Youtube videos and web pages showing how to use them.

Taking single frames you have to wait to download each full frame in 16 bit which is limiting the number of images you can take in the 63 seconds. With video you usually record in 8 bit in high speed download mode and as long as you have at least 50 frames in each video segment, when stacked, it will have around 11 bit image resolution, which will be fine.

There's no need to have the mount connected to the image capture program as you can slew it to the Sun using Synscan If you have it or the phone app. If the mount is reasonably polar aligned it should track the Sun fine if solar tracking is selected, before, during and after the total elcipse. If it's going out of frame you can nudge it back in with the app or Synscan. The stacking programs will take care of aligning each frame so the Sun frames are well registered even if there is movement between frames.

You can practice taking videos during the day, or using the Moon to get more realistic practice.

I'm not sure why you had trouble connecting the mount to SGP though, If you have the Ascom driver installed for the Star adventurer. But as mentioned, for solar there's no need.

Alan

Edited March 17, 2023 by symmetal

[Michael Kieran]

Alan –

Wow, that makes perfect sense, and is very using information. I will use that workflow for future lunar and planetary imaging. With regard to an eclipse, is there any way to vary exposure times during the capture? The brightness levels in the corona vary by three orders of magnitude or more.

kind regards,
Michael
 

 

 

[symmetal]

Glad it helped. For some useful tips on getting the best framerate and pictures etc the posts I made in this topic should help. They refer to Firecapture which I normally use but would apply to SharpCap or similar programs too.

You can do fps tests just with the camera alone plugged in to the PC. No need to have an actual picture. You can vary the ROI and other camera settings to see how it affects the frame rate, and how long a video you can record before your PC runs out of RAM, when the frame rate will likely drop off, though if using a SSD disk this may not be significant. Firecapture displays how much free RAM is left as you're recording.  

The ASI2600 is not designed  for use as a planetary type camera, so the fps you achieve will be less than a dedicated planetary camera like an ASI224MC, ASI178MC, or any newer models. A cooled camera also isn't required for planetary work.

If you have the free Stellarium planetarium software installed you can input the details of you scope and camera and have it display the FOV you'll get . If you select the Sun as a target you can see what a suitable ROI is needed to see the corona features without capturing too much background sky which would reduce your framerate.

While the video is being recorded you can vary the exposure with the exposure slider, and the preview image and histogram will display the image live so you can change it as you wish. The stacked image of each recorded video segment will show the average of the exposure during that segment, which shouldn't be a problem.

Just to check I assume you're using a dedicated solar filter on your scope. What scope will you be using by the way? Smallish refractors are the norm for solar, though others are fine if you take the necessary precautions with regard to filtering.

Alan