sheeny
27-03-2006, 08:53 AM
This is a little project I've been working on for a while, if you are interested in a computer based logbook for your observing, image capture and image processing feel free to use and modify to suit your needs.
http://alsworld.topcities.com/astro/AstroLog.zip
It started out as a MS Access project, but I'm an old dBase programmer, and I don't work well in Access!:shrug: So over the weekend I migrated the whole thing to Excel.
The concept is to produce a document that represents the whole session. I suggest saving by date. Things like your observing locations, eyepieces, instruments, cameras, lenses, etc are all stored in tables (separate files in Excel) and are linked into the log file as appropriate to minimise typing. It does a number of calculations and things for you, calculating magnifications, FOV, resolution, and prompting seeing, transparency and wind speed, etc. The screens are red on black so you can use it in the field on a laptop, but it prints out in normal black on white.
There are at the moment only 3 entry proformas: one for a visual observation, one for image capture, and one for image processing. I haven't done anything for film imaging... not convinced I have a need anymore!:P
The worksheet uses macros to insert an entry proforma as required. If you are running XP, this may create problems with security, as I found out the second time I fired it up...:mad2: I'm no expert on XP security, but what I did was to create my own digital certificate, set the security level in XP to low to fire up the worksheet, open the macros and digitally sign them, then set the XP security level back to high. There is probably a better solution to this, so proceed at your own risk! I know the macros were not malicious when they left me. If anyone has better advice feel free to offer it!
BTW there is no protection in any of the files, you can modify at will! If you want to use or modify the files for your own use - feel free. If you want to make some money from it - talk to me first!
Enjoy.
http://alsworld.topcities.com/astro/AstroLog.zip
It started out as a MS Access project, but I'm an old dBase programmer, and I don't work well in Access!:shrug: So over the weekend I migrated the whole thing to Excel.
The concept is to produce a document that represents the whole session. I suggest saving by date. Things like your observing locations, eyepieces, instruments, cameras, lenses, etc are all stored in tables (separate files in Excel) and are linked into the log file as appropriate to minimise typing. It does a number of calculations and things for you, calculating magnifications, FOV, resolution, and prompting seeing, transparency and wind speed, etc. The screens are red on black so you can use it in the field on a laptop, but it prints out in normal black on white.
There are at the moment only 3 entry proformas: one for a visual observation, one for image capture, and one for image processing. I haven't done anything for film imaging... not convinced I have a need anymore!:P
The worksheet uses macros to insert an entry proforma as required. If you are running XP, this may create problems with security, as I found out the second time I fired it up...:mad2: I'm no expert on XP security, but what I did was to create my own digital certificate, set the security level in XP to low to fire up the worksheet, open the macros and digitally sign them, then set the XP security level back to high. There is probably a better solution to this, so proceed at your own risk! I know the macros were not malicious when they left me. If anyone has better advice feel free to offer it!
BTW there is no protection in any of the files, you can modify at will! If you want to use or modify the files for your own use - feel free. If you want to make some money from it - talk to me first!
Enjoy.