LX problems so did Saturn instead

[Carole]

Still having problems trying to get LX to work.  John has checked my settings on my laptop but also can't get it to work, so Jim lent me his Atik Camera 1HS 11.  I did not have any better luck with this either (So with two cameras not working it must be something to do with the laptop).  I really do need some help with this as I am not technical enough to sort this out, John has kindly offered to take another look at things.   

So as not to have a totally wasted evening I turned the camera on Saturn.  With my new telescope Saturn was so small it just looked like a star and seeing was awful.  So I put on the 5 x powermate and managed to capture the attached which I think is a great improvement on my first image of Saturn.

It is strange because Jim's camera would only be recognised as a Toucam on K3. K3 would not accept it as an Atik camera.  I changed the settings however to an Atik B&W camera (which it is), and yet when I went into Registax to process it Registax said the AVI was in colour!!!!!???

Anyway, this is my image which I am quite pleased with as there is a faint trace of bands around Saturn as well as the "edge on" rings.




Carole

[Carole]

Whoops forgot all the techie stuff:
I did about 15 minutes imaging and as LX wasn't working had to go back to AVIs 5 fps.
1479 frames out of 1482 (not many dropped).

5 x powermate,
Atik 1HS 11 CCD Camera & 5 x Powermate
WO Megrez 72 APO telescope
on  a CG5 GOTO equatorial mount
Taken in my back garden, using K3CCDtools and Registax
Processing in wavelets only.

I must say I am noticing the difference with a decent equatorial Mount.  The image was so steady there is no way I could have put a 5 x powermate on with the ETX and done 15 minutes exposure.

Carole

[doug]

     That`s a nice one, Carole. Just for information for you, the April edition of SKY at NIGHT mag`s CD has a "self-stacking" programme on it.  If you are interested, I will lend it to you... if it helps. 

[Ian]

Carole,

if you're having problems with both cameras I'd take a look at the parallel port setting on the laptop. Firstly, you are using a parallel port built into the machine and not a USB adaptor? Apparently they rarely work.

Secondly, there are at least three different ways a parallel port can be set to operate. This is changed in the laptop BIOS which can usually be got at my pressing a button (usually the delete key) as the machine is first powered up. The three flavours are bi-directional, EPP and ECP. Right now, I can't remember which setting you need, but as there are only three settings try each one in turn.

While you are in the BIOS check to see what address the parallel port is set to as well. This'll be a hex number (that is, digits are 1-9,1-f - base 16) it could be 378h to 37fh or similar. You'll need this to tell the capture software where to find the parallel port.

[MarkS]

Carole,

That's a good image of Saturn.  It's one to remember with those lovely "edge on" rings.

Mark

[JohnP]

Ian - Carole is not using parallel port for LX exposure - it's done through serial - I'm going to give her camera a go on my laptop so we can isolate if her laptop is issue....

John

[Carole]

Thanks Doug.  

Thanks Ian, I will have a try at what you suggest, however I just want to clarify what a parallel port is.  I am plugging directly into the lap top with both USB and serial port (on SC3) and USB and a different port (which I don't know the name of with Jim's Camera.  I thought a parallel port was an adapter you could use to plug into the USB port if you don't have a serial port etc on you lap top.  Am I wrong?

Apparently they rarely work.

GREAT!!!  That's all you need when you are venturing into the unknown!!!

This'll be a hex number (that is, digits are 1-9,1-f - base 16) it could be 378h to 37fh or similar. You'll need this to tell the capture software where to find the parallel port.

.  Hmmm a bit over my head that bit.

Would it be OK if I report back what I find?

Carole

PS: Ah, I see John has posted while I was doing this and has confirmed the definition of parallel port.



Carole

[Carole]

Thanks Mark.  The seeing was really bad last night I am amazed the camera managed to pick that up, especially the bands. 

It does reassure me that I am making progress, albeit VERY SLOW.

Carole

[Ian]

Ian - Carole is not using parallel port for LX exposure - it's done through serial - I'm going to give her camera a go on my laptop so we can isolate if her laptop is issue....

John

Cool. Carole, ignore everything I said, it doesn't apply to your camera. There is plenty of evidence that USB serial adaptors work fine with serial LX cameras

[Mac]

USB serial adaptors

Just a note carol.
You need to plug the usb to serial adapter in to the same usb port you originally used.
If you plug the usb serial adapter in to a different usb port, you get a different serial port!!

I have 6 usb ports on my laptop, and each one will generate a different com: port when the usb is plugged in.

i.e.
If last night you pluged it in to the top usb port, it might have been allocated serial port com3: for example.
If you plug it in to the bottom usb port, it will now be a different port, com4: for example.


So if you've pluged the usb adapter in the top port, set you camera up to work, with the com: port, and then pluged in to the bottom
one you need to change your com: port in the software.

Mac.

[Carole]

USB serial adapter

Bit unclear what you mean by adapters, I don't have an adapter at all, just USB plug straight into USB port, and Serial plug into serial port.  (In which case do the same instructions apply?) 

However that is a good point about which USB port I use, because I only have two top and bottom, and I have always used the bottom one, maybe I should try the other USB port.  Having said that I tried taking LX exposures (in the same way John tried, i.e. allowing a little light to come in via the cap and watching for the screen to brighten over a 30 second exposure - which is never does!!!) and tried Com1, Com2, Com3, Com4 and none seemed to be any better than the other.  However I think there are a few more options on this, so perhaps I'll give them a go as well. 

It's all so frustrating, because I'm trying so hard to do everything right and just being thwarted by a stupid thing like this.  I've bought all the equipment, can align OK, get the object on the screen and then can't do anything with it.

Thanks for all your help guys.  I just wish I could come to the next imaging session as if I haven't got it sorted by then, perhaps one of you could find out what is happening.  Hopefully John will be able to suss it out before then.

Carole

[Carole]

PS:
Mac, is there any way of identifying which Com port you need to use?

Carole

[Mac]

yup.

open control panel
open the system icon
click on hardware
click on device manager
click on the little plus next to ports.

it will list all the com ports attached to your system.
either real or usb com ports.

Just set the correct com port on the software you are using.

i thought you were using these.

[Ian]

yup, Mac's got a good point. I get fed up with my Artemis wandering around the various addresses if I plugged it in differently.

My suggestion Carole, to keep it simple, once John gets it working make a note of *exactly* where all the cables are plugged in, and make sure they all go the same place every time. When I got fed up with playing "hunt the com port" on mine, I bound up all the wiring into a star shape, with the mount, camera, PC, hand controller and battery being at the points of the star. The centre of the star is attached to the tripod. Cable ties or tape work, although  I used special spiral binding, but that's a pain to use. Anyway, it means I don't have wires running all over the place like a rats nest and I can tell easily if I've not plugged anything in.

[JohnP]

Just so everyone knows - I spent an hour around Carole's a week or so ago trying to get her camera working. She has a USB & serial port on her laptop. The serial controls LX & the USB is for download etc. I checked which com ports were which in Device Manager & then put appropriate settings into K3. Camera does still not appear to work correctly in LX mode (or at least how I would expect it to work) so I suspect problem is either hardware with camera (i.e. LX not working or cable issue etc.) or something with the actual laptop. Next step is to isolate laptop by trying it on mine - hopefully I can pick her camera up this week sometime & do a test.

Will keep you updated, John