NexImage help

[rblunden]

I recently bought a second hand NexImage to try out imaging on my NexStar 6SE. I'm an Apple Mac user, so then went out and bought an Acer Aspire One netbook, running windows 7, partly so that I could capture images from the NexImage.

Now I find that the NexImage capture software won't run on the Aspire One. Help!

I guess my options are:

1. find some alternative software which will run on the netbook and allow me to capture images from the NexImage;
   
2. sell off the NexImage and find another cheap camera which will allow me to use the netbook;
   
3. get rid of the netbook and find another windows compatible laptop/netbook (not really an option).
   

Any advice/suggestions please?

[Bigwings]

You can run windows on your MAC

Does this help?

Running Windows on your Mac

Can I really run Windows applications on my Mac?

Yes, you can. Since Apple’s transition to Intel processors in 2006, Windows applications run beautifully on the Mac—faster than they do on many PCs, in fact. To run Windows applications, you’ll need additional software and a Mac with an Intel processor running Mac OS X v10.4.6 or higher. Every currently shipping Mac qualifies, but older Macs may not. Please check your system profile in About This Mac to ensure What you need to run Windows.

To run Windows applications, do I have to run the Windows operating system?

Yes, you do. Basically, there are two ways to run Windows on your Mac:

1. Boot into Windows at startup. This dedicates 100% of the processor power to Windows and Windows applications. You can’t use Mac OS X again until you restart.
   
2. Use virtualization software, which lets you run Mac OS X and Windows side by side. You can switch between them as easily as you’d switch between Mac applications.
   

But you can’t run Windows without Windows—you’ll need to acquire your own copy of either Windows XP or Windows Vista to use either solution.

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Boot Camp: Booting into Windows

First things first—how do I boot up into Windows?

You use Boot Camp, which is built into Mac OS X Snow Leopard. To use a Windows application, set your Mac to run Windows Boot Camp: Booting into Windows, then reboot.

What’s the benefit of the Boot Camp approach?

Basically, the Windows operating system runs faster under Boot Camp. By allowing Windows to run natively on the Mac, just as it does on a PC, you give the OS access to 100% of your Mac’s resources, including the processor, RAM, and graphics — it does not share resources with Mac OS X as it must under virtualization.

What do I need to know about Boot Camp?

You need to re-boot in order to switch between Mac and Windows applications. Depending on what you do and how you work, this is either a minor inconvenience or a big deal.

[rblunden]

Thanks Bigwings. Yes, another possibility would be to run Windows on my MacBook. It would mean me buying a copy of Widows software, which I am slightly reluctant to do.

Having bought the netbook, which is very light and portable, it would be really good if I could find a way of using it for simple astrophotography. But maybe that is not to be

[Bigwings]

Memory may be an issue and you may run out of resources on a netbook. May have to use a USB drive of some sort to capture your data.

[rblunden]

I was planning to do that anyway, so I can transfer the data to a desktop machine for processing. Mind you, I still have 117GB free on the Acer hard drive.

Sorry to be a pain, but is there any way I could set the Acer up to capture data from the NexImage?

Thanks for your patience.

[red dwalf]

may be that you need to update the driver for neximage to work with windows 7,

but it should work if it works with vista, also you might want to check this out.

http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-tips-tricks-techniques/90516-32-bit-programs-working-64-bit-vista-windows-7-a.html

[rblunden]

Thanks. I'll check this out. I don't think Celestron have issued a driver update for windows 7. I'll also follow up the VMware Player route, although I'm not sure that the netbook will have enough space to run both. Worth a try though!

[BlueAstra]

I found quite a few capture programmes would not work when I went from XP to Vista. I can now get the NexImage to work with XP and Vista, but not tried Windows 7. Which capture programme are you using?

[rblunden]

AmCap is what comes with the camera. That seems to install ok, but I don't seem to be able to install the camera driver.

[Brinders]

Have you tried the Celestron site for drivers? Both XP and Vista drivers are available here under the "Support/Files" tab:-

NexImage (item #93712) / Celestron.com - Telescope | Computerized Telescopes | Microscopes | Binoculars | SkyScout

I have just bought a Samsung NC10 Netbook to both control my telescope using ASCOM and to image using the Neximage. However, the netbook came with Windows XP, so I've had no problems.

Brinders

[studdedsole]

Roger, There is a thread on Cloudy Nights forum relating to the same problem - looks like a full update of Windows 7 and then install the vista driver from the celestron website may get you running

Tony

[rblunden]

Thanks,

I've found the Cloudy Nights thread and am working through it. It seems that its all to do with 32bit and 64 bit. Being a Mac person, it's all Greek to me, but I'll work through and report back.

Thanks to everyone for the very supportive advice.

[rblunden]

I've had no luck updating the NeImage driver from Celestron. I notice right at the bottom of the Celestron page (How do I get my NexImage to work with my Windows Vista 32 bit operating system? ) it says:

****NOTE: There are no Vista 64 drivers for NexImage.

I guess the problem is to do with 64 bit, rather that Windows 7.

I've just found this thread here (http://stargazerslounge.com/imaging-tips-tricks-techniques/90516-32-bit-programs-working-64-bit-vista-windows-7-a.html ), but I'm not sure that I will be able to install a virtual system on my little netbook to run in parallel with Windows 7. I'll give this a go and see how I get on.

Does anyone know of any (cheap) cameras with software which will work in 64 bit?, or would it be possible to find an alternative driver for the NexImage?

Thanks

[rblunden]

An update, in case anyone is interested.

I now have the NexImage connected successfully to the Aspire One. It turns out that it is not running 64 bit, and I was able to follow the Celestron instructions for installing on Windows vista (How do I get my NexImage to work with my Windows Vista 32 bit operating system? )

It's pouring with rain outside, so I can't test it with the scope, but it certainly registers light in the house.

[Brinders]

Glad you're sorted. I did wonder about the version of Windows 7 you had installed on your netbook. I would have exepected it be 32 bit, but you seemed so sure it was 32, so I didn't want to argue! I went for a Samsung NC10 because it came with Windows XP (32 bit) and I knew everything from ASCOM telescope control in Stellarium and Cartes du Ceil to image capture software for the Neximage would work.

I think you'll find the Neximage great for a camera of such modest price and spec - I'm happy with mine for now, although I do have desings on an Imaging Source camera at some point, but the Neximage will do for now!

By the way I can recommend the Nexstar Resources site for info and advice on all things Celestron including the Neximage at:-

http://www.nexstarsite.com/index.html

Brinders

[rblunden]

Thanks for the encouragement. I do find this Windows stuff difficult to get my head round. Macs seem so much more intuitive, but I guess this isn't the place to start that rant.

The NexStar resources site looks really useful. In one way I'm disappointed that the torrential rain up here means that I can't try out the NexImage. On the other hand it gives me the chance to read up on how to use it. I'm quite excited to be taking my (very basic) astronomy one step further.