DSI arrives!!!!

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #1 10-09-2007, 03:08 PM

Today I went up to our General Store/Post Office (we don't have any mail delivery) and picked up my new DSI!!!!!

Now the learning starts again

Thanks to Roger at Bintel for getting it to me so fast. He posted it Friday and it arrived today (Monday).

and thanks Bert for a great Birthday present

And wouldn't you believe it, it is pouring rain with Thundrestorms forecast for tonight, and rain until Thursday

Sorry to the guys in this part of the world

h0ughy (David) · #2 10-09-2007, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

Today I went up to our General Store/Post Office (we don't have any mail delivery) and picked up my new DSI!!!!!

Now the learning starts again

Thanks to Roger at Bintel for getting it to me so fast. He posted it Friday and it arrived today (Monday).

and thanks Bert for a great Birthday present

And wouldn't you believe it, it is pouring rain with Thundrestorms forecast for tonight, and rain until Thursday

Sorry to the guys in this part of the world

but you need the water KEN to clear the air

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #3 10-09-2007, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

but you need the water KEN to clear the air

Not at night I don't

Let it rain during the day!

h0ughy (David) · #4 10-09-2007, 03:21 PM

well I can see photon holes opening up down the snake valley area real soon............do M83 to start with Ken!!

DJDD · #5 10-09-2007, 03:31 PM

looking forward to seeing your photos.

do you know if the AutoStar Suite will guide non-Meade mounts?
is that even the correct question?

I had a look on the web (cloudynights, etc.) and there were mixed responses.
no that i am up to this stage but just checking...by the time i do get that far there will be another solution...

cheers,
DJDD

[1ponders] (Paul) · #6 10-09-2007, 03:37 PM

Good onya Ken. Good luck with it.

DJDD I think you will find that the answer to your question is - negative- however there are plenty of free autoguiding software available that will use the DSI and autoguide non-meade mounts. PhD Guiding and I think Guidemaster and MetaGuide and of course there is the non freeware K3CCDTools

ballaratdragons (Ken) · #7 10-09-2007, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJDD

looking forward to seeing your photos.

do you know if the AutoStar Suite will guide non-Meade mounts?
is that even the correct question?

cheers,
DJDD

I asked the same question in another thread.
It looks as if it won't.

Oh well, I will go back to trying to get my mount to talk with Cartes du Ciel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

well I can see photon holes opening up down the snake valley area real soon............do M83 to start with Ken!!

Dunno what target I'll hit first. I haven't thought that far ahead yet. I'm still trying to get my head around the Meade online training videos

[1ponders] (Paul) · #8 10-09-2007, 04:02 PM

Two seperate issues here DJDD. Camera and Software. Yep the DSI is fine for autoguiding with, in fact it does a bang up job once you get used to it's ideosyncracies and don't try to rush it (it is a 16bit camera so there is a delay time between capturing the image and displaying the full data on your screen), along with 'non-standard' control features.

The software "Autostar Suite" however is another story. It was designed for the Meade range of mounts and while it can be modified for other mounts (rather modify the mounts for it) it hardly seems necessary when there are many excellent planetarium programs which will do the job very well and are free.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #9 10-09-2007, 04:03 PM

Whoops, you deleted your post before I was finished

I'll leave it anyway as someone else might want it at some point down the time track

Omaroo (Chris Malikoff) · #10 10-09-2007, 04:03 PM

Excellent Ken - looking forward to your results!

I notice that the DSI II is now back up to $849 again at Bintel - the low price is over by the looks of it.

Cheers
Chris

[1ponders] (Paul) · #11 10-09-2007, 04:05 PM

Whew, just as well. One can only fight temptation for so long.

DJDD · #12 10-09-2007, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Whoops, you deleted your post before I was finished

I'll leave it anyway as someone else might want it at some point down the time track

people are too quick on this list.
I thought I was the only one avoiding work.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #13 10-09-2007, 04:13 PM

Don't swear!!!! And it's not avoiding ****. We like to call it a mental health break.

DJDD · #14 10-09-2007, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

Two seperate issues here DJDD. Camera and Software. Yep the DSI is fine for autoguiding with, in fact it does a bang up job once you get used to it's ideosyncracies and don't try to rush it (it is a 16bit camera so there is a delay time between capturing the image and displaying the full data on your screen), along with 'non-standard' control features.

The software "Autostar Suite" however is another story. It was designed for the Meade range of mounts and while it can be modified for other mounts (rather modify the mounts for it) it hardly seems necessary when there are many excellent planetarium programs which will do the job very well and are free.

thanks for the reply. i think you have just cleared the whole topic up for me, maybe:

DSI for autoguiding = yes, interfacing with other software
AutostarSuite = use for processing images from the DSI

I like gadgets, hence my many questions/comments.

DJDD

leon · #15 10-09-2007, 04:26 PM

Ken I hope you realise you are responsible for this weather we are coping now, it's been beautiful and clear for nights on end, and now look...

leon

avandonk · #16 10-09-2007, 04:27 PM

Just enjoy Ken!
If you do half as well as you did pushing the poor old ToUcam. I will not be at all surprised!

Bert

middy · #17 10-09-2007, 04:39 PM

That's great news for you Ken.

Bummer for me though. That means I missed out on this batch of DSIs and have to wait until the next batch arrives.

Lets hope the world doesn't run out of DSI cameras before my order is filled.

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #18 10-09-2007, 04:40 PM

Good stuff Ken, be good to see the results mate. Thinking of getting one to use as a guide camera, but still few things to work out yet....

mill (Martin) · #19 10-09-2007, 05:14 PM

Great Ken.
I picked mine up on Thursday and it is an great camera.
Now only learning to use it

Envisage locks up sometimes and i have to restart it to work again.
But once it works it does its job.
Have fun with the camera

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #20 10-09-2007, 06:00 PM

I'm very happy for you Ken.
I hope you have a ball with it. You know, the learning process is half the fun don't you think?