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Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | (show all) jerryyyyy scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 10/06/11 Loc: Stanford, California Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Roy Salisbury]       #5527639 - 11/19/12 10:30 AM Attachment (24 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hello, For Hilmi, here is how I have the cables tied down... the extra grey cable is just in case the heavy sucker slides out and wants to take a fall... PS This is where I got my connector for the C8... they seem to have everything: ASTRO PHYSICS INC 11250 FOREST HILLS RD MACHESNEY PARK, IL 61115 (815)282-1513 Cheers Post Extras:       Hilmi Carpal Tunnel Reged: 03/07/10 Loc: Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: jerryyyyy]       #5529308 - 11/20/12 02:13 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thank you for the cable guiding picture, it sure is useful to see how others are doing things. Post Extras:       jerryyyyy scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 10/06/11 Loc: Stanford, California Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Hilmi]       #5537395 - 11/24/12 03:33 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hilmi, can I send you a couple FITS images and see if you are getting the same ADU values? I am having trouble getting flats right? Post Extras:       Chuck Faranda professor emeritus Reged: 03/31/07 Loc: Florida Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: MattThomas]       #5811985 - 04/20/13 10:33 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Where is the Maxim plugin for the STT-8300 and self guiding CFW that will allow RBI preflashing, and have a selection for the CFW? The plugin should also expose the preflash modes so automation software like CCDAP can use it to flash for bias, darks, lights and flats but allow focus and plate solving to use the fast readout mode without the flash. CCDOPS has a check box for flashing without details of user setable iterations and times. PRIMITIVE implementation in my opinion. Had I know this was absent I would not have bought an SBIG Post Extras:       Hilmi Carpal Tunnel Reged: 03/07/10 Loc: Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Chuck Faranda]       #5812202 - 04/21/13 01:34 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   With regards to the plug in for supporting the camera's features: -SBIG say it would require big changes in MaximDL to make the extra features work from inside MaximDL -MaximDL say it the responsibility of the camera manufacturers to make ti work -SBIG yahoo group was very responsive -MaximDL yahoo group regularly ignore questions that they do not want to answer. I have posted multiple questions about this in the MaximDL group and not so much as a polite response to tell me that it is SBIG's job to do it. I have also had the same experience with other questions I have asked on that group. I once posted a question about support for the Canon7D in MaximDL before I renewed my license. I basically wanted to know if I should spend the money on MaximDL renewal or just go for BYEOS. It took weeks till somebody responded to tell me they have had support for the camera for a full year now. Why does it take weeks to answer such a simple question? My conclusion, the lack of a plug in is due to both SBIG and MaximDL team. It is in the interest of both parties to support the functionality, especially considering the popularity of the SBIG cameras in general. You would think MaximDL development team would have incentive to support such large user base, but then again, what do you expect, they still do not support dual core processors even after so many years on the market. Because of this, you can't even do simple multi-tasking inside the app without causing something else to completely freeze till you finish your current task. Post Extras:       Jared Post Laureate Reged: 10/11/05 Loc: Piedmont, California, U.S. Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Hilmi]       #5812315 - 04/21/13 04:36 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The short term workaround on the RBI per flash is to connect the camera in CCDOps, enable it, and then disconnect and switch over to Maxim. The setting remains in non-volatile RAM, so it will remain turned on until you turn it off. The current universal drivers in Maxim should let you run all other features of the camera. It is unclear to me how many per flashes are involved. The difference in time to expose and down load with RBI turned on is only a second or two, so the RBI feature must be using a fast readout mode, so no real need to change back to RBI "off" for plate solves and focus subroutines. Post Extras:       Jared Post Laureate Reged: 10/11/05 Loc: Piedmont, California, U.S. Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Jared]       #5812317 - 04/21/13 04:38 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Oh, I should mention that this is all based on my experiences with an STXL--I'm assuming it's the same as the STT. Post Extras:       Chuck Faranda professor emeritus Reged: 03/31/07 Loc: Florida Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Hilmi]       #5812368 - 04/21/13 06:13 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Well, as far as Im concerned the camera is **edited since I am no longer as tired** incomplete without having its features accessable in the most widely used camera control software. Edited by Chuck Faranda (04/21/13 09:45 AM) Post Extras:       Hilmi Carpal Tunnel Reged: 03/07/10 Loc: Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Chuck Faranda]       #5812377 - 04/21/13 06:36 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Chuck, I wouldn't go so far as calling it a pile of junk. I would check first if the competing cameras with same features are having the same issue with MaximDL. Maybe it is MaximDL that's your problem. Jared, There are other features you can not control in MaximDL such as fan speed, fan on/off and internal processing. Post Extras:       Chuck Faranda professor emeritus Reged: 03/31/07 Loc: Florida Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Hilmi]       #5812395 - 04/21/13 06:54 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Nope, FLI works as expected, preflash fully setable as is needed for my remote use. I will qualify my statement, pile of junk for me as it relates to using it with a very popular SW package The camera is nicely made, and appears to perform to spec. But, not being fully active with Maxim Has anyone tried the new camera control in TheSkyX? I wonder if it has all the features there.......... Post Extras:       Raginar Carpal Tunnel Reged: 10/19/10 Loc: Rapid CIty, SD Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Chuck Faranda]       #5812569 - 04/21/13 09:26 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I wouldn't say MaximDL is popular, it's the only option for doing what most of us want to do . SGP is getting pretty good; and they are open to supporting their product. Obviously lacks all the image processing that most of us do in other programs anyways. Post Extras:       Madratter professor emeritus Reged: 01/14/13 Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Raginar]       #5813002 - 04/21/13 12:46 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I'm having my teething problems with SGP, but for the life of me, I don't understand why people will pay 500$+ for MaximDL. I have the trial, and I just flat don't get the attraction of it. I keep waiting for someone to tell me why it is so wonderful. There has got to be something I'm missing. Post Extras:       psu_13 sage Reged: 05/30/10 Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Madratter]       #5813054 - 04/21/13 01:24 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I like the image calibration engine in Maxim. The capture stuff is certainly OK, but the way you can setup a single set of dark/flat/bias and have the program calibrate and stack in one go is really handy IMHO. I assume other software has similar functionality ... but the especially handy thing is how it uses meta-data in the FIT files to match light frames to calibration frames automatically. This video summarizes some of how it works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD3tXJ1Yqak As always, YMMV. Post Extras:       Zoeff scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 06/10/09 Loc: Haarlem, Netherlands Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Madratter]       #5813064 - 04/21/13 01:34 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: I'm having my teething problems with SGP, but for the life of me, I don't understand why people will pay 500$+ for MaximDL. I have the trial, and I just flat don't get the attraction of it. I keep waiting for someone to tell me why it is so wonderful. There has got to be something I'm missing. My experiences with Maxim haven't been stellar actually. A few minor versions ago the lodestar driver completely broke. In the current version they claim to have fixed it but every now and then the entire program stops responding completely when trying to download a lodestar light. Because this problem isn't something that happens immediately you'll end up returning to your computer at a later time just to see it got stuck on downloading a lodestar image. >_< For 500 dollars? No way. It's too dated imo. Post Extras:       Chuck Faranda professor emeritus Reged: 03/31/07 Loc: Florida Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Zoeff]       #5813074 - 04/21/13 01:37 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   What is 'SGP'? See Maxim DL features for the list of what it does. Well worth the $$ in my estimation. Post Extras:       Chuck Faranda professor emeritus Reged: 03/31/07 Loc: Florida Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Madratter]       #5813077 - 04/21/13 01:39 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Oops, forgot the Maxim link. http://www.cyanogen.com/maxim_features.php Post Extras:       Hilmi Carpal Tunnel Reged: 03/07/10 Loc: Muscat, Sultanate of Oman Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Chuck Faranda]       #5813095 - 04/21/13 01:56 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The main attraction of MaximDL is the ability to accept 3rd party plug ins and the ability to script it. So you get plug ins like the flats wizard, and you get programs like focus max, pole align max and ccd autopilot. It also has built in auto-guiding so that if you have a camera with a built in guide chip, the only way to guide it is via the same software as your imaging platform. That is the main true attraction of MaximDL. Otherwise, it is clumsy antiquated interface and it is slow in processing compared to even some free offerings. Post Extras:       jerryyyyy scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 10/06/11 Loc: Stanford, California Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: Hilmi]       #5813397 - 04/21/13 03:33 PM Attachment (6 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Guys, looks like I dropped in on this a bit late... actually have been processing images with the help of the Gurus at PixInsight [they are magicians]. There are a lotta gotchas here... speaking as someone with now 17 months astroimaging experience who had to buy everything from scratch over that time. IMHO there is no way to automat image collection without Maxim... it integrates to the SBGI camera alright, and it integrates to CCDComander alright and RoboFocus integrates to CCDComander. Why is this important? Last night my wife had me to go out... so I turined it all on at 530PM and imaging started up at sunset 8:40 took a plate image near my focus start, autofocused, and at 5AM dozens of images were taken... I went out and slept all night. If there were another way to do this, I would have tried it... I have to say that on the processing side now I am in love with PixInsight. Those guys over there had me upload some of my heavily LPed images and they processed them and showed me what to do.... I can now go right from the output of Maxim to images including doing that stacking and flats processing... I have had probably one too many cups of coffee this AM... but below is the image they helped me process and I think I am geting somewhere inally with the STT8300 and the software. PS Narrowband is a LOT easier. Post Extras:       mmalik Carpal Tunnel Reged: 01/13/12 Loc: USA Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: jerryyyyy]       #5814546 - 04/22/13 01:49 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Quote: I have to say that on the processing side now I am in love with PixInsight. Good to hear. I had put together some PixInsight instructions... for my own learning sake; please review and see what could be improved upon given your new found love. Thx Post Extras:       LoveChina61 sage Reged: 06/20/09 Re: STT-8300 First light report [Re: jerryyyyy]       #5814643 - 04/22/13 04:41 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   NICE image! Which object is that by the way? Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | (show all)

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