Hardware/Software
Hardware
Imaging cameras have changed dramatically in the last 15 years. PCs had 9-pin RS-232 serial ports,
now everything is USB based.
LG laptop @ 2.90 GHZ w/32 GB RAM, 1.0 TB HD, 17.0" screen is dedicated to the telescope and guiding the camera tasks at 2560 x 1600 resolution.
Laptop does the image processing and web posting.
ASI 2600 camera raw .FITS files are quite large at 50 MB each, so it takes a lot of memory to process them.
I monitor the telescope and cameras from inside the house from a 42" wireless display. I handle all telescope and camera adjustments indoors. Only going outside for any major tracking issues, and look at the sky!
Software
- Celestron PWI (CPWI) connects to telecope mount via the USB-A (480mbps) on the auto-focuser.
- PHD Guiding does the auto-guiding seamlessly. CPWI provides the interface that PHD 2 uses. USB-A (480mbps) connects to the guide camera.
- Starry Night Pro Plus 8 provides sky views and handles all of the GOTO's and object searches.
- ZWO ASI Studio controls the camera acquisition.
- Astro Pixel Processor calibrates, stacks, and processes the bias, flat, and light frames.
- Maxim DL Pro provides additional processing and analysis tools.
- PhotoPad Image Editor and Luminar AI provide the finishing final touches.