Software question again..

[Brady]

Any of you guys using Nebulosity SGP or Maxim-dl for their dso capturing at all? any thoughts, pros, cons on any of these if possible 

Thanks

Edited March 2, 2017 by Brady

[red dwalf]

i use nebulosity which also can stack the final images although i find using the stacking routine a bit of a pain but i`m not very good at understanding software but there is plenty of tutorials on the web, i like to stick with what i know but it is fully ascom compliant so will work cameras, filter wheels, focuser and so on, i use deep sky stacker for stacking which i`m finally getting the hang of but just lately i`ve been using startools for processing the finished stacked images which at £40 looks a good buy, other people swear by sgpro which does everything including plate solving which can be a god send program, i use astro tortilla for plate solving which is free and once set up also works very well in plate solving, no more 2 or 3 star aligning ! you still need to polar align though.

[Sheila]

I use Maxim DL, it does everything as it says on the tin, then when its all done i use Photoshop.  The only problem

with Maxim is the price, but I am very happy with it.  Stacking etc is very easy and quick.

 

Sheila

[+Graham]

Another vote for maxim from me.

[Brady]

Thanks guys, the situation is that im in the process of upgrading my dslr setup to a new camera, now i have my eyes on the zwo 1600 mono cooled  but it isnt the cheapest thing, with that i would like some decent software to compliment it preferably a package suit hence the question, now my cheap way of thinking is if SGP does pretty much the same as maxim then thats extra cash going towards the camera but i dont want to cut corners as this will be my last purchase for some time..except maybe a few filters here and there if i get a few paper rounds or grass cutting jobs , im being drawn to SGP simply because i like the way it looks and works on demo at least, same with Nebulosity, sheila as you have already mentioned it's only the price difference that puts me off Maxim, which also looks a cracking bit of software...well thats the situation everyone....decision and saving time..

Thanks

[sloz1664]

Hi Brady,

 

SGPro  is an imaging acquisition programme only. Which it does brilliantly.  MaximDL  is an imaging acquisition, guiding, imaging stacking and has a basic processing tool in it's arsenal. The downside of MaximDL is it's price. Imho I would spend as much as you can on the hardware, that's what collects the hard earned images. In the mean time use the imaging software that comes with the ZWO (free), PHD2 to guide (free), Deep Sky Stacker (free) and Gimp for image processing (free). You can then look at your leisure for which software to use. There are many software packages out there to  aid you in  your astroimaging.

You can then choose wisely.

 

Steve

 

 

[Brady]

Cheers Steve, ended up playing with APT which im finding is more than adequate for my needs at the moment, plate solve works a treat while controlling my mount, focuser, camera in one package which is what i was looking for, being a bit backwards with the times im loving plate solving at the moment..

 

[red dwalf]

plate solving is a god send, no more star alignments. 

[stash]

2 hours ago, red dwalf said:

plate solving is a god send, no more star alignments. 

Especially when you realise APT has 3 ways to plate solve - PlateSolve,All Star Plate Solve and Astrotortilla - the latter being called externally (i.e. from Astrotortilla) the other 2 called from APT. The Focusing aids arn't bad either.

 

I would slightly disagree about "no more Alignments" in that once you plate solve in APT it asks you if you wish to "SYNC" which if you run EQMOD means it stores the positions and therefore does multipoint alignment - a bonus.

 

The only question I would like to know is does it do all the above with CCD's as I have only used Canon DSLR's ?????????????? 

[Brady]

It does covers CCDs Clive according to the site as this was the route i was taking but it would be a bit daft of me spending over a grand on a new ccd at this moment in time so i am also using the dslr with APT, although i have just ordered the Astronomik H-Alpha clip to try narrowband..and also seen some nice images using the OII clip also...we will see

[red dwalf]

APT does allow the use of ccd cameras, although i never got on that well with it as i`m so used to using the ccd camera with nebulosity and plate solving with astro tortilla separately, but seeming we have nothing but poor seeing weather the last few months i will have another go at using it. 

[stash]

Yes I was aware APT did CCD but hadn't come across anyone who had used the CCD side so wasn't sure if the "PlateSolving" still worked (other than Astrotortilla) so i will be interested to see if the CCD side works as per the DSLR. Must admit ,to start with, I was a little confused over how APT worked but once I had "mastered"  it I found it superior to BYEOS. I have now got Platesolving down to 7s - due to the Sharpcap Polar alignment I suspect and SSD set up. To be within 5 pixels of the object is super for morons of the night  sky ,like me, and when using not so superior refractor it means I dont seem to suffer from elongation of stars as the  centre of FOV is normally spot on.

Now if it cleared the skies via a button Rob that would be a killer program.

Been that bored with the c**p skies I have written an Ascom automated Filer Wheel,with the help of Robert Brown DIY Focuser fame, Works in APT in testing at least. So I will be looking to Narrowband to give extra clear nights when the Moon is bright and it always seems to be clear - Until I start narrowband that is