Autoguiding and image capture from same camera

[okiestars (Art Trail)]

Hi all!

I have been trying various apps for image capture, and researching autoguiding for my CPC 1100 with a NexImage camera. I know it is a beginners camera, but wanted to see if it would be possible to use it for both, autoguiding AND image capture? I have tried to use K3CCD tools, but cannot get it to communicate with my scope. I have looked at PHD and Guidedog, but do not want to invest time in them if it is not possible to guide with one program, and capture on another with the same camera.

Other than K3CCD, do I have any options?

Thanks!

Art

[Octane (Humayun)]

Art,

If you're thinking about imaging and guiding at the same time, with the one device, it's not possible. Unless the camera has a guide chip built in (like the SBIG STL-11000x and STX-16803 series of cameras) you will need a separate camera for the guiding, and, an imager.

H

[TrevorW]

Now there's an interesting concept for some bright spark someway of splitting the signal or having two processors doing different things with the signal received by one ccd chip

[okiestars (Art Trail)]

Humayun,

What is it that is preventing a software app from using the same captured image for guiding, as well as acquisition? I believe your reply, I'm just curious and trying to educate myself.

Thanks!

Art

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

Some time ago i found an app that could do just that. I will continue to look for it again and feedback. It was able to split into 4 video feeds from a single camera.

[mswhin63 (Malcolm)]

First one I found - http://splitcam.biz/ but not sure if it is appropriate but worth a try. I was looking at this for webcam imaging on my DOB without a guide cam.

[OICURMT]

Originally Posted by TrevorW

Now there's an interesting concept for some bright spark someway of splitting the signal or having two processors doing different things with the signal received by one ccd chip

Hmmm.. why couldn't you use a plate solving algorithm to detect where the CCD moved to and then re-align for the next image? With proper polar alignment, this should not be a big deal... or will I stand corrected???????


food for thought????

<Late Thought> Long Exposures problem... I've obviously not thought this one out... ha ha


BTW: Strikeout would make this post much more effective..... O.o

[rogerg (Roger)]

Originally Posted by okiestars

Other than K3CCD, do I have any options?

Isn't what you are after simply "Track and Accumulate"? Try googling that. Here's one thread discussing it and webcams.. http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...d.php?p=607152

[okiestars (Art Trail)]

Great! Thanks for the replies, everyone!

I will start looking into these.

Art