Skytools 3 Pro

[garymck (Gary)]

Hi,

is anyone using Skytools 3 Pro from :

http://www.skyhound.com/index.html

Seeking opinions om how good the software is, particularly the CCD exposure estimator and imaging tools section of the program. No trial is available, so would appreciate the opinion of people using it.

cheers
Gary

[Octane (Humayun)]

I use it, but, mainly for seeing what will be up and when, and, getting it to select appropriate objects for a potential imaging run. I haven't practically used it as yet (due to weather and work constraints over the last few months).

I'm not entirely sure how accurate the exposure estimator is, to be honest. It does give you the option of selecting a target signal-to-noise ratio and it works backwards from there and suggests appropriate sub-exposure duration.

I think, in general, a lot of us don't bother with that level of detail; we simply choose our sub-exposure length, be it 300 seconds, 600 seconds, and so on, and stick with it.

H

[garymck (Gary)]

Originally Posted by Octane

I use it, but, mainly for seeing what will be up and when, and, getting it to select appropriate objects for a potential imaging run. I haven't practically used it as yet (due to weather and work constraints over the last few months).

I'm not entirely sure how accurate the exposure estimator is, to be honest. It does give you the option of selecting a target signal-to-noise ratio and it works backwards from there and suggests appropriate sub-exposure duration.

I think, in general, a lot of us don't bother with that level of detail; we simply choose our sub-exposure length, be it 300 seconds, 600 seconds, and so on, and stick with it.

H

Thanks for the info,
cheers
Gary

[theskyhound (Greg)]

Originally Posted by Octane

I think, in general, a lot of us don't bother with that level of detail; we simply choose our sub-exposure length, be it 300 seconds, 600 seconds, and so on, and stick with it.
H

I hope nobody minds my jumping in here, but as the developer of this tool I was just a bit heartbroken by the comment above and felt I should speak up.

Do you ever image during moonlight? Twilight? From a darker site? With different filters? The sub exposure time really does matter and in some cases it matters a lot. You can get away with one standard exposure time you are comfortable with as long as the conditions never change. But the moment you try to observe with a brighter sky background or with a different filter or different telescope then what worked in the past will no longer work nearly so well. The worst part is that you will never know how much better your images would have been with a different sub exposure...

If you play around with the calculator you can experiment with different conditions, telescopes, filters, etc, and find out exactly how these things affect the final result. It boggles my mind that anyone would dismiss something that could be so useful.

While I'm at it I'd like to add that the exposure calculator does a lot more than just compute the optimum sub exposure. It is like a laboratory where you can experiment with different things to see what effect they have on the final image. It is a complete scientific model of your camera, telescope, and sky conditions that allows you to ask, "what if?" questions. For instance, "what if I expose after the moon rises? How much longer will I have to expose to obtain the same SNR?" This takes the guesswork out of the process. Based on what the calculator says you can make an informed decision rather than rely on simple rules of thumb. If I have learned anything from creating this tool is is that simple rules of thumb are pretty much meaningless. There are far too many variables.

Clear skies,
Greg

[garymck (Gary)]

Thanks for the further information on the program Greg. It's going to be my Christmas present to myself!

cheers
Gary

[Octane (Humayun)]

Greg,

I didn't mean any ill or disrespect -- it is a great program.

My personal issues with not getting enough time at the scope (indeed, only imaged twice this year) have no reflection on the usefulness of the utility you've created -- I haven't had the chance to use the suggestions the software provides.

I'm sure that if I was able to image more frequently, then, those features would instantly become a whole lot more useful. As it stands, I get one opportunity a month, and since March this year, work and the weather have conspired against me.

Cheers.

H

[OzRob (Rob)]

Originally Posted by theskyhound

I hope nobody minds my jumping in here, but as the developer of this tool I was just a bit heartbroken by the comment above and felt I should speak up.

Do you ever image during moonlight? Twilight? From a darker site? With different filters? The sub exposure time really does matter and in some cases it matters a lot. You can get away with one standard exposure time you are comfortable with as long as the conditions never change. But the moment you try to observe with a brighter sky background or with a different filter or different telescope then what worked in the past will no longer work nearly so well. The worst part is that you will never know how much better your images would have been with a different sub exposure...

If you play around with the calculator you can experiment with different conditions, telescopes, filters, etc, and find out exactly how these things affect the final result. It boggles my mind that anyone would dismiss something that could be so useful.

While I'm at it I'd like to add that the exposure calculator does a lot more than just compute the optimum sub exposure. It is like a laboratory where you can experiment with different things to see what effect they have on the final image. It is a complete scientific model of your camera, telescope, and sky conditions that allows you to ask, "what if?" questions. For instance, "what if I expose after the moon rises? How much longer will I have to expose to obtain the same SNR?" This takes the guesswork out of the process. Based on what the calculator says you can make an informed decision rather than rely on simple rules of thumb. If I have learned anything from creating this tool is is that simple rules of thumb are pretty much meaningless. There are far too many variables.

Clear skies,
Greg

Have you considered making a trial versin available? I wouldn't buy sofware anymore unless I got to try it to make sure it did what I expected it to do.

[theskyhound (Greg)]

Originally Posted by OzRob

Have you considered making a trial versin available? I wouldn't buy sofware anymore unless I got to try it to make sure it did what I expected it to do.

Some day down the road our software will only be available via download and will naturally be available as a trail version. For now we offer our products on CD/DVD.

We have an extensive web site including a video tour. There are many reviews available and astronomy clubs/star parties often have someone who can demonstrate it. We do offer a money back guarantee and I can tell you honestly that I can count the total number of SkyTools 3 returns (in almost two years) on the finger of one hand.

Clear skies,
Greg