MaxIm DL script to call your mobile phone when the guide star is lost

Moon (James) · #1 13-09-2010, 11:15 PM

This has been bugging me for a while now. I wanted to find an easy way to get MaxIm DL to call my mobile phone when something goes wrong with the autoguiding.

The idea is that when the imaging session is up and running, I can go and get a few hours sleep before I have to go to work the next day.

If something goes wrong (like clouds or rain) it will call my mobile phone, and hopefully wake me up so I can rush out and close the observatory roof.

I did a bit of research today and found a simple way to do it using Skype. I have posted the details here in case anyone else would like to try it: LINK

James

madwayne (Wayne) · #2 14-09-2010, 07:04 AM

James

This is fantastic - thanks for posting the link. With Summer around the corner I can still image and get some sleep now.

Thanks again, clear skies and pleasant dreams

Wayne

multiweb (Marc) · #3 14-09-2010, 08:01 AM

SWMBO: "

did you check that latest mobile phone bill? 14056 SMS messages?" wtf?..."
ME [sweet little voice]: "

Yeah honey, poor polar alignment...sorry..."

Good script though

RobF (Rob) · #4 16-09-2010, 10:08 PM

Cool!
Must check it out next opportunity.

Bassnut (Fred) · #5 16-09-2010, 10:42 PM

That is very, very cool James, excellent work.

Moon (James) · #6 16-09-2010, 10:53 PM

Quote:

SWMBO: " did you check that latest mobile phone bill? 14056 SMS messages?" wtf?..."
ME [sweet little voice]: " Yeah honey, poor polar alignment...sorry..."

I was worried about it going haywire the first time I ran it too. But MaxIm doesn't run the script again until you click the 'Acknowledge' or 'Close' button. And if you don't actually answer the call then it's free - although it might be a good idea to answer the phone just to minimise the noise factor and the inevitable complaints from SWMBO.

I also noticed a small mistake in the script - the WSHShell.Run command needed a false instead of a true as the last parameter - it's fixed on my site now.

James

White Rabbit · #7 20-09-2010, 09:29 PM

THAT TOTTALY ROCKS!!!!

Thanks for that.

Bassnut (Fred) · #8 20-09-2010, 09:43 PM

mmm, thinking, a simple script allowing OBs close would just be so awesome, say though a RS232 handshake line. The single biggest obstruction to automation is an OBs close signal from an imaging app without a fancy OBs controller driver and weather sensor. I use a home made rain sensor to close, but a guideing loss signal (and settable time out, easy) on an RS232 hand shake line connected to a close relay would be more than required. I think you could acttually make money with such a little bit of coding.

Moon (James) · #9 20-09-2010, 09:52 PM

Fred
It shouldn't be too hard -example code. PM me if you need a hand.

I have a nice 12V DC garage door motor but that's as far as I have got in the automatic roof department.
James

DavidU (Dave) · #10 20-09-2010, 10:06 PM

Nice work James !

Bassnut (Fred) · #11 20-09-2010, 10:09 PM

Well James, I might take you up on that, Ill think on it. I can do the interface/relay part easily. I auto close now on rain (guiding loss would do) or time (in imaging hrs) , I know of no simple low cost way of doing this right now, without extra expensive hardware or paid for auto OBs software.

Tandum (Robin) · #12 20-09-2010, 10:17 PM

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView...T&SUBCATID=432
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView...T&SUBCATID=432

Maybe one of these might help Fred. Mill linked them in another thread.

Bassnut (Fred) · #13 20-09-2010, 10:26 PM

Robin

Well, there you go, with USB.

The single biggest improvement in astroimaging I made, was the ability to start imaging late and go to bed, allowing megadata capture all night with auto close or alarm on rain. The hardware is easy and generic (close or alarm) . Its the coding genious of the likes of James, the tricky part, that makes this all possible.

Moon (James) · #14 10-10-2010, 09:37 PM

We finally had some clear weather last night so I got a chance to give the script its first real world test.
I set up the scope and camera etc and hit the sack. Just before 2am the clouds rolled in, the guide star was lost and the script did its thing. I had my mobile phone under the pillow and although it woke me up ... SWMBO didn't hear a thing, including me stumbling around on the way out to, and back from the observatory.

James

OzRob (Rob) · #15 22-10-2010, 04:37 PM

That's terrific!!!! I was just wondering a couple of days ago how I could protect my gear while I was sleeping or off doing other things. I tested it and it works great. Thanks a lot.