9 replies to this topic

[pbunn]

Just a dumb beginner question - If you are using a DSLR control program like APT and are using PHD to guide - Do you need two computers - one to guide and one for DSLR control  - or can they run simultaneously on one computer?

 

Thanks

 

Pat Bunn

[shawnhar]

Just one

[tim57064]

pbunn, I have no experience with Astro Photography Tool, yet I use Backyard EOS along with PHD and  Planetarium program all on the same computer at the same time.

Guess shawnhar beat me to the punch with a much simpler version,   

Edited by tim57064, 31 October 2014 - 08:13 AM.

[Goofi]

You can run them both on the same laptop.

[GJJim]

Modern CPUs are so much faster than even a couple of generations prior. A (now dated) dual-core D2550 Atom processor has enough power to run a typical observatory imaging system.

[pbunn]

Thanks

 

I thought that might be the case but nothing in APT jumped out and said so.

 

I really do appreciate the help.

 

Pat

[tazer]

Modern CPUs are so much faster than even a couple of generations prior. A (now dated) dual-core D2550 Atom processor has enough power to run a typical observatory imaging system.

 

Yes indeed it does. I had PHD2, my intervalometer application, and Stellarium/Cartes du Ceil running on a Lenovo Tablet 2 (Z2760). Everything ran just fine.

 

Mark

[ManicSponge]

Pat,

One thing I would add to your list, right up front, is a good quality powered USB hub. I use a cooling fan/pad, and wireless mouse on my laptop, leaving me only one USB2 port. I had mysterious COM errors, and drama before I picked up one of these:

 

http://www.amazon.co...M/dp/B009AT5T1W

 

You may or may not need it, but if you are running EQMOD, capture software, and PHD, and you encounter weird crashes/lags, etc. I'd look into something like this.

Regards, Kyle

[mikewayne3]

I WAS using a dell 1150 and it only has 2 USB ports and it's on the slow side

I used a powered hub and it worked fine

so yes you only need one

Mike

[Phil Sherman]

I've run a complete imaging rig; planetarium program to run the scope, camera, and PHD on an 800Mhz single core Celeron CPU. This is what I've been  using for my field use computer, an old ASUS Netbook. It's a great system for field use because the external power requirement is 12V, which makes it runnable directly from a deep cycle battery. While these programs are running, I still have enough horsepower to run my image processing program to look at individual images. There isn't enough memory on the system to allow full processing of images from my imaging CCD or DSLR but I can process images from a DSI II.

 

It doesn't take a lot of computer power to take images. Processing them takes lots more memory and a more capable processor.