MaximDL question - dark frames

[daz]

Does anyone know if you can turn off the "Dark frames required, cover camera" message in Maxim?

Ta

[roundycat]

are we talking about guide camera calibration? If so check 'no calibration' in the guide options.

Dennis

[daz]

No Dennis, when you take an image and set the type to Dark, Maxim pops up the message.

As I use CCDCommander for orchestrating the imaging session, I'd like to turn that message off - otherwise CCDC can't continue until the OK button is pressed.

It's not a *huge* problem but means I would have to get up to click the button, rather than have the whole sequence automated...

[roundycat]

surely that must be because Maxim recognises your camera as one without a shutter? It will not take a dark until you tell it the lens is covered. I have the same problem with my Atik but not with the STL or ST10.

Dennis

[Euan]

Hmm.. that's a really big problem for doing unattended imaging sessions

Are you using a filter wheel? If so you could fill in one of the holes and just do a light frame on the "Black" filter position

[daz]

No, the H9 does not have a shutter.

Oh well, that will be me getting up early then!

[daz]

@euan - possible I suppose. I wonder if there is potential for light leak though....

Actually, Maxim supports this (and I then assume it won't ask the question) which is interesting... Just need to find a good opaque material....

[Euan]

How do you manage to schedule your targets in CCDC?

I notice it's really a action based program, rather than a schedule based program like ACP, but I want to be able to really use my narrow FOV well and schedule several targets over the night at specific rise and set times.

Is it just a case of working out how long the exposures will take and starting the action list at a specific time?

[Euan]

@euan - possible I suppose. I wonder if there is potential for light leak though....

True

I suppose the only belts and braces approach would be to use CCDC to fire an external script before the dark frames that moved a stepper motor to cover the telescope front?

I'm sure I've seen something like that before..

[daz]

Is it just a case of working out how long the exposures will take and starting the action list at a specific time?

Yes and no!

Yes, it is a sequenced action list, but it has actions to jump at a specified time, or when an object reaches a specific altitude...

So I have a controlling action set that calls an imaging action set unlimited times. In the controlling action, I have a "skip at time" action to then take the calibration frames at the specificed time (currently 04:30)

[Euan]

I have a "skip at time" action

Ah right I will check that out thanks

[SteveP]

Daz

It appears you have 3 otions

1 Get a camera with a shutter - the expensive option!

2 Check in Maxim whether your filter wheel can be setup to include a 'dark' position and then use that for taking darks

3 .. and this would be my own preference in your situation ... create a library of master darks and bias frames so that during CCDC control, there is no need for dark frames and you can create the lights without any calibration. Of course, that would mean applying the calibration (darks, bias and flat fields) during the processing phase rather than the image acquisition phase

HTH

Steve

[daz]

Hi Steve

1 - Definitely out!

2 - Possible at the moment as I have two spare slots

3 - This is also the route I am taking - in fact, the camera was doing just that last night Scripts in CCDC will be amended accordingly!