5 replies to this topic

[robbo8835]

Hello,
I'm using Ekos/INDI as I only have a Mac and don't wish to buy a minipc/asiair at this time to run something else.

I'm using a Canon R8 as my main camera for now which is still unsupported by libgphoto (not in current release, only devel it seems).

I believe I can polar align my setup using the guide scope and camera (svbony 165 and asi120). When it comes to syncing my main scope/camera I think I can slew my mount (AM3), center a star and then align however I was wondering if there's a way to plate solve by uploading a picture taken with my Canon? (After converting to FITS)

I can load and slew or capture, solve and sync but what I really want is to load, solve and sync. Is there a way to do this?

[dx_ron]

Hi - welcome to CN!

 

I think I understand what you're wanting to do, but I'm not certain. I think you are going to have to rely on your guide system for slewing/syncing. You can open a fits that you captured with the Canon and converted, but only to use with Load and Slew (as far as I know). Ekos will move the mount to where it thinks is the center of the loaded image, but then it will take an image with the current image train (which would be the guide system), solve that and move the mount again to try to get the center of the new image be equal to the center of the loaded image.

 

It seems to me that your best bet would be to align your guide scope as best you can with the main scope, so that a star centered in the main scope is also centered in the guide scope, and proceed with aligning using the guide setup.

[robbo8835]

Ah, I didn't realize it will take an image with the current image train after the initial move. I'll try to align my guide scope with the main scope as best I can. Thanks for your help!

[TelescopeGreg]

You should be able to align your system with the guide scope and camera, assuming it's aimed in exactly the same direction as the imaging scope and camera.  That alignment can be done during the day.

 

Only one application can "own" a camera at a time, so what you will need to do is have two profiles defined, one with the guider as the imaging system, and one with it as the guider.  Use the first one to do the alignments (polar and star), then switch profiles so that the guider can do the real-time guiding task, with the DSLR camera taking images triggered by an Intervalometer.  Some cameras have the interval timer built in, some need an inexpensive external one.  Images go to the camera's SD card.

 

I did this for several years, though I was using CCDciel and ASTAP instead of KStars/EKOS for the session management and plate solving.

Edited by TelescopeGreg, 14 May 2025 - 12:44 PM.

[dx_ron]

You should be able to align your system with the guide scope and camera, assuming it's aimed in exactly the same direction as the imaging scope and camera.  That alignment can be done during the day.

 

Only one application can "own" a camera at a time, so what you will need to do is have two profiles defined, one with the guider as the imaging system, and one with it as the guider.  Use the first one to do the alignments (polar and star), then switch profiles so that the guider can do the real-time guiding task, with the DSLR camera taking images triggered by an Intervalometer.  Some cameras have the interval timer built in, some need an inexpensive external one.  Images go to the camera's SD card.

 

I did this for several years, though I was using CCDciel and ASTAP instead of KStars/EKOS for the session management and plate solving.

I appreciate you're just being helpful, but I do not believe that the above is completely true in current versions of Ekos. You define one or more "Optical Trains" and each tab (Capture, Focus, Align, Guide) there is a drop-down to choose which optical train (including its camera) is active at any given moment.

 

If the case where you want to capture photos with a dslt that is not controllable via Ekos, I suppose it makes the most sense to just define the guide system as the Primary and only optical train. Then get polar aligned, lined up on your target and start guiding. Then, as Greg points out, you'd be triggering exposures with a remote or intervalometer. If you want to dither every several subs, there is some sort of "manual dither" capability, but I've never used it.

[TelescopeGreg]

I appreciate you're just being helpful, but I do not believe that the above is completely true in current versions of Ekos. You define one or more "Optical Trains" and each tab (Capture, Focus, Align, Guide) there is a drop-down to choose which optical train (including its camera) is active at any given moment.

 

If the case where you want to capture photos with a dslt that is not controllable via Ekos, I suppose it makes the most sense to just define the guide system as the Primary and only optical train. Then get polar aligned, lined up on your target and start guiding. Then, as Greg points out, you'd be triggering exposures with a remote or intervalometer. If you want to dither every several subs, there is some sort of "manual dither" capability, but I've never used it.

Thanks.  Yes, my experience with EKOS is a bit dated.  Seems like they've improved this part of the product.

 

Dithering becomes difficult when using an Intervalometer, because there's no way to synchronize the dither with the shutter release.  You'd need to set the Intervalometer to only take a few subs, hit the manual dither, then back to the intervalometer after things settle.  I'm "blessed" with a mount that doesn't like dithering, so I don't bother with it.  With sufficient exposure (to reduce the background noise a bit), and a good guider lock, walking noise pretty much goes away.