Quote:
Originally Posted by frolinmod
It's not an easy change over for mental reasons mostly. For me it was love/hate for about three months. For what it's worth, I will feel your temporary transition pain with you.
One of the MOST important considerations is that your video card and video card driver have excellent OpenGL support. Download and install the latest video drivers directly from the video card manufacturer. If you have an Intel video card, you may be in for trouble as Intel video cards can be problematic when it comes to OpenGL support.
Don't bother with the software on the CD. Register all your serial numbers (all software serial numbers plus the mount serial number) then download the software from Bisque. You want to download and install the following in the following order:
TheSkyX Professional Edition for Windows Full Installer.
TheSkyX Professional Edition for Windows Latest Update.
TheSkyX Professional Edition for Windows Daily Build.
AllSky Image Link Database. (It's a large download.) No hurry on this one.
Then pop on over to ascom-standards.org and download and install:
ASCOM Platform 6 SP2.
TheSky Controlled Telescope 5.2.12 for TheSkyX.
That way if you prefer, you can not only have TheSkyX use Maxim DL as your camera, but also have Maxim DL control the mount in return too.
Right click on the icon or start menu item and set TheSkyX to "Run as Administrator." Do the same thing for anything that needs to communicate with it.
If you don't already have UCAC4, let me know and I can give you a download link. (It's another large download.) Or get a copy of the UCAC4 DVD from someone down under.
The Camera Add On and Tpoint Add On are contained within the base software and enabled by entering serial numbers. Nice thing about that is that they have no subscription fees associated with them and that they're automatically updated/fixed with TheSkyX updates/fixes.
You can have both TheSky6 and TheSkyX installed at the same time, so don't bother deinstalling TheSky6 or Tpoint for Windows.
If you have CCDSoft and still use it, be sure to go into CCDSoft->File->Preferences and tell it to use TheSkyX instead of TheSky6. You can also have TheSkyX use CCDSoft as your camera if you need to for some reason.
QSI have an X2 driver for their cameras available for download from their website.
You will not need AAG Tpoint Mapper.
You will not want to use GSC with TheSkyX. UCAC4 is far superior. Image Link within TheSkyX works extremely well with UCAC4. The only stellar databases you need enable in TheSkyX are Hipparcos-Tycho (bright stars) and UCAC4 (everything else).
You can bring over your custom horizon file by editing it with a text editor to match the format used by TheSkyX.
You can bring over your Tpoint model by exporting the samples from TheSky6 and importing them in TheSkyX. Then click on supermodel for a better model than you ever had before, particularly if you have a large number of samples.
The #1 distraction people run into is having their orientation changed on them and the need to select Orientation->Celestial Sphere from time to time when that happens. Put a button on your toolbar for that.
Click on Display->Field of View Indicators->Equipment->Update Equipment Database from Web to get the equipment database up-to-date.
Once you have field of view indicators, don't forget to click on the checkbox that ties them to the rotator (if you use one). When you do an image link you can have Tools->Image Link create your field of view indicator to the exact size of your actual field of view rather than the theoretical size.
Click Display menu item and add/remove sidebar tabs to suit. Enable the Chart Settings tab, click on that tab and you have a zillion things to drill down through enable/disable to suit your tastes.
Check out the optional databases in Input->Database Manager. Stuff like Celestrial Equator and Poles, Declination Zero, G2V stars from SIMBAD, etc.
Tools->Preferences->Toolbars->Customize lets you totally customize your toolbars including adding new ones to add buttons for often used actions. You can even run Java scripts from toolbar button clicks.
Click on Telescope->Telescope Setup and you'll see there are actually 12 setups to go through Imaging System (Mount, Focuser, Camera, Dome, Filter Wheel, Rotator, Video Device) and Autoguider (Focuser, Camera, Filter Wheel, Rotator, Video Device).
Don't miss going into Tools->Preferences->Advanced and turning stuff on/off/down/up as desired. So you really want 30fps updates to the screen? Increase the bad pointing sample criterion. Yes, you do want the advanced camera user interface. Etc.
TheSkyX has a zillion features. Even after you think you've explored it all, you'll find more you missed before. Telescope->Tools->Bisque TCS is where all your Paramount specific setup is located, such as setting Southern Hemisphere, checking synchronization history (oops, I didn't realize I accidentally synced but there's the log showing I did and when I did it), setting mount parameters, programming PEC, etc.
If you have and use a LodeStar camera, direct support has just recently been added for it by Richard Wright.
I know the time differences can be problematic, but get your butt on over to the Software Bisque support forum and post questions whenever you have them. Lots and lots of questions are okay! Don't forget to include your TheSkyX version number and build number.
Download "daily builds" religiously. New ones appear frequently and intermittently. They can be backed out when needed if they cause a problem.
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Wow, that IS comprehensive, I wish knowing this when first played with my set up. I will save it for future references. Thanks