Camera Rotators

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Calamity_Jane
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Camera Rotators

#1

Post by Calamity_Jane »

I am the proud owner of a Pegasus Falcon camera rotator. This is quite a useful little device even though I have an equatorial mount.

I've just discovered that I can drive it from SharpCap. That's quite a boon, since Pegasus' own driver is a nightmare to use. It takes ages to start and keeps offering updates I don't need.

:D Jane
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admin
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Re: Camera Rotators

#2

Post by admin »

Hi Jane,

yes, the Pegasus is a great piece of kit (I have one). Not only can you control it manually in SharpCap, but you can also drive it via the sequencer. The 'Goto Image' tool can also use a rotator to match the orientation of the camera to the orientation of a previously saved image.

Happy to hear feedback on other rotator related features that might be handy in SharpCap - for instance I think there is an existing suggestion on here somewhere requesting a button that will rotate the image so that up is North...

cheers,

Robin
MunichAtNight
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Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2021 7:57 am

Re: Camera Rotators

#3

Post by MunichAtNight »

admin wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2024 1:26 pm .... Happy to hear feedback on other rotator related features that might be handy in SharpCap - for instance I think there is an existing suggestion on here somewhere requesting a button that will rotate the image so that up is North... cheers, Robin
:D I suggested this a while ago! I am very pleased that you still remember my suggestion and that you now have a Falcon Rotator yourself. It would be fantastic if at some point in the future it were possible to orient the object to the north at the push of a button. :mrgreen:

If I may add another suggestion? I don't have the option to activate the AltAZ "De-Rotate Field" function" in the Sharpcap Control area, when using an AltAZ operating mount! Especially if you could then switch this on and off with the sequencer.
sharcap-rotator-01a.jpg
rotator-07-B.jpg
Servus - MunichAtNight - Ewald
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admin
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Re: Camera Rotators

#4

Post by admin »

Hi,

oddly, enabling the alt-az compensation function of a rotator isn't something that is possible via the ASCOM rotator specification. There's no way to ask the driver to turn that function on or off, and there's no way to ask the rotator to rotate at a specific speed, so you can't have SharpCap doing the calculations and running things. Individual rotator devices might offer ways around this by custom actions or commands available via ASCOM, but I tend to avoid using those if possible as it is a slippery slope to having to deal with the details of every device that you might encounter. So... the only way to turn on/off the alt/az rotation is going to be via the manufacturer supplied app (Pegasus Unity, Wanderer Empire, etc).

cheers,

Robin
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