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Old 28-06-2011, 09:09 PM
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Paul Haese
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Next step in automation: Camera Rotator?

Ok, so now I have the PME pointing like a legend and guiding equally as nice, my next step is to incorporate a camera rotator so that I can image on both sides of the horizon (unless someone can tell me a fure fire way of rotating my images as well as the calibration frames so that I can use images from one side of the meridian to the other) on the same object.

My questions are:

1. Do I really need a camera rotator? Can calibration frames and images be rotated easily (ie in batches and which program?)

2. If I do need a camera rotator which one will work best on my TSA102? Takometer does not seem to fit this scope.

3. How do I intergrate software so that I can start on one side of the meridian and tell it to stop at say 4 in the morning. Bare in mind that cloud monitors might be talking to this also and influencing everything.

As you can see this is getting a little complicated. My goal is to image from home on any given night. I need to be able to use the camera rotator to fullfill part of this need.

I look forward to your responses.
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  #2  
Old 28-06-2011, 09:20 PM
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h0ughy (David)
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i am looking at a Pyxis LE so that once i have focus i can frame my target with a bit more ease (when i get the 14 going. I already have the temp compensating focuser)
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Old 29-06-2011, 07:57 AM
cfranks (Charles)
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Paul,

Rotation of Calibration frames should not be required. You just do your calibration first and rotate the appropriate images before alignment/stacking. PixInsight seems to rotate the images (when needed) during the Registration process.

Charles
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Old 29-06-2011, 09:57 AM
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Cloudyagain (Neale)
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I don't want to sound too smart but if you figure out how to image on both sides of the horizon (above and below) you could be onto a real winner.

Neale.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Haese View Post
Ok, so now I have the PME pointing like a legend and guiding equally as nice, my next step is to incorporate a camera rotator so that I can image on both sides of the horizon (unless someone can tell me a fure fire way of rotating my images as well as the calibration frames so that I can use images from one side of the meridian to the other) on the same object.

My questions are:

1. Do I really need a camera rotator? Can calibration frames and images be rotated easily (ie in batches and which program?)

2. If I do need a camera rotator which one will work best on my TSA102? Takometer does not seem to fit this scope.

3. How do I intergrate software so that I can start on one side of the meridian and tell it to stop at say 4 in the morning. Bare in mind that cloud monitors might be talking to this also and influencing everything.

As you can see this is getting a little complicated. My goal is to image from home on any given night. I need to be able to use the camera rotator to fullfill part of this need.

I look forward to your responses.
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  #5  
Old 29-06-2011, 06:15 PM
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bert (Brett)
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Hi Paul,

I use a 2 inch pyxis. Precise parts will make adapters to suit any anything, as long as you have the backfocus.

The 2 inch pyxis is LOUD and sounds like it is broken, it isnt, thats just the noise they make.

Rotators without automation are confusing to control, that said of late optec have updated their gui to be more intuitive. I used my pyxis to pick guide stars with the fov indicator in the sky and ccdautopilot4 to control the whole rig, I got frustrated with version 4 and the pyxis, I did not work too well for my system.

CCdautopilot 5 has since been released and has excellent support for rotators, and it can flip the rotator after a meridian flip and is great for framing and guide star selection. One feature I love about ccdap is the ability to use the Feild of view indicator in the sky and directly import it into ccdap5 and it will slew, rotate and plate solve to exactly where you selected. Brilliant.

My rotator use has until now, has only been for bright guide star aquasition for adaptive optics to get the highest correction rate possible. I use a square chip camera, so framing for me is a no brainer.


Brett
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Old 29-06-2011, 10:26 PM
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Thanks guys, so Pixis looks the go but I am concerned about noise. It gets really still at night and anything noisey would carry for miles. I don't want to upset my neighbours. However, you have given me some ideas. Thanks for that.
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Old 29-06-2011, 10:30 PM
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h0ughy (David)
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Originally Posted by Paul Haese View Post
Thanks guys, so Pixis looks the go but I am concerned about noise. It gets really still at night and anything noisey would carry for miles. I don't want to upset my neighbours. However, you have given me some ideas. Thanks for that.
i have been ummming for months and bought the LE this morning Paul - so i hope to have it is a couple of weeks - your post made me do it
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Old 29-06-2011, 10:37 PM
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i have been ummming for months and bought the LE this morning Paul - so i hope to have it is a couple of weeks - your post made me do it
Hey don't blame me Dave.
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Old 29-06-2011, 10:41 PM
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h0ughy (David)
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Hey don't blame me Dave.
LOL will be another toy to bring out at astrofest Paul
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Old 30-06-2011, 10:03 AM
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Terry B
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I would have thought that another mechanical object in the imagiing train is only going to introduce flexure and movement. It is much easier to preprocess the images in a batch and then rotate the images using the processing software before stacking.
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Old 30-06-2011, 10:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Terry B View Post
I would have thought that another mechanical object in the imagiing train is only going to introduce flexure and movement. It is much easier to preprocess the images in a batch and then rotate the images using the processing software before stacking.
Terry, I am all for doing this myself. Less cost to me and it only requires batching it together. Perhaps what I will do is do the subtractions then individually rotate the images and save them. Then open the other lot do the same again but leave out the rotation. I have a significant number of the SAO184433 images that could work for me to improve the signal over the noise.

Having said that though, Mark (wysiwig) has a rotator automated on his system that works well. I would welcome his comments here too. It would be instructive.
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