What do you like most about SharpCap?

Anything that doesn't fit into any of the other forums
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rockenrock
Posts: 68
Joined: Tue May 03, 2022 12:53 am

What do you like most about SharpCap?

#1

Post by rockenrock »

Hi SharpCap users.
I have been wondering what others most like about SharpCap. So what are the best features you like to use? Here is my list.... I am a newbie to SharpCap but have been doing deep sky images for years first with CCD, now with CMOS.
These are the things I like most:
1. The author of SharpCap, Dr. Robin Glover actually answers our questions here on the forum. And we know he knows what he is talking about. How many astro-equipment manufacturers do this?
2. For my first live stacking I used the brightness filter in real time to cancel any bad subs before they were stacked. A cloud comes, PHD2 starts binging, and live stacking rejects that 30 sec sub automatically via the brightness filter. Now I look back thinking how many 5 or 10 minute subs I saved, and used when I had clouds going by and I didn't cancel the sub. As we all know, garbage in - garbage out!
3. I set up a basic sequence using sequence editor. I had no idea 'programming' (haha) could be so easy. And you can test every step with the test step button!
4. I ran camera characterization, and better understand what the terminology and results mean. It was a very thorough characterization and varied many settings to cover the full range. Wow. I always like this kind of analysis, and reminds me of John Murphy's Neutralize Gradient Script which has a huge amount to data analysis used to get the best out of your images.

Next on my list to try are 1. Calculation of best sub exposure time/settings for my light polluted site. 2. Use PHD2 guiding and dithering via SharpCap. 3. Polar Alignment. 4. Check collimation. 5. Plate solving/ mount control. 6. Write a real script to do the full imaging I want to do. 7. Collect some photons and process in PI!

Roger
ChrisR Oz
Posts: 158
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:03 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: What do you like most about SharpCap?

#2

Post by ChrisR Oz »

Hi Roger,

I would vote for ...

1. Live Stacking (online calibration, guiding/PHD2 control/monitoring and dither, alignment and filtering on FWHM) - very cool to see Deep Sky objects emerge from the noise and nebulae blossom before my eyes.
2. Two levels of histogram, with log X scale (in Live Stack), Log Y scale (in Smart Histogram, wish that was in normal histogram too).
3. The detailed discussions about the technical aspects, such as camera physics, bit depths, noise, black level, gain, ideal exposures and getting the most of counting statistics versus noise sources.
4. Yes, definitely, Robin's fast response to queries, both newbie and technical. And the new features that often appear soon afterwards ...
5. His Polar alignment tool is great. Only used that 'on the road' (at home I have this huge tree due South that blocks the polar neighbourhood).

Cheers, Chris.
Celestron EdgeHD 8, reducer 0.7x, Star Sense, CGX-L mount, Focuser, CPWI; Starlight Xpress AO, OAG and Filter Wheel; ZWO 294MC/294MM Pro and 174MM mini; SharpCap Pro, PHD2, Powermate 2x, Baader Neodymium, Astronomik CLS-CCD, ZWO UV/IR, Duoband filters.
rockenrock
Posts: 68
Joined: Tue May 03, 2022 12:53 am

Re: What do you like most about SharpCap?

#3

Post by rockenrock »

Hi Chris,
Wow a great list.
Your first one that is the direction I am going. Still learning and building my knowledge. Today I connected my IOptron mount for the first time. I am trying to find out how to sync the mount to the DSO after fine tune the position. I can only do with the hand controller presently.

Roger
ChrisR Oz
Posts: 158
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:03 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: What do you like most about SharpCap?

#4

Post by ChrisR Oz »

Hi Roger,

If you install a plate solver (I found ASTAP straightforward), then after slewing to a target, you can “plate solve and sync”, where SC will use ASTAP to do the plate solve and then move the mount to centre on the target. This assumes that you have already slewed the mount to the known coordinates of the target.

For this to work, you need to select “sync and recenter target” under plate solving in the SC settings (file menu).

Then you’d get PHD to find a target star to guide on and start guiding. In SC Live Stack, enable all the check boxes on the guiding tab and enable “Alignment” to get SC to align each new frame and stack them. Also enable “optimise for faint stars”.

Have fun. It’s a lot to take in initially. But you’ll put it all together soon enough.
Cheers, Chris.
Celestron EdgeHD 8, reducer 0.7x, Star Sense, CGX-L mount, Focuser, CPWI; Starlight Xpress AO, OAG and Filter Wheel; ZWO 294MC/294MM Pro and 174MM mini; SharpCap Pro, PHD2, Powermate 2x, Baader Neodymium, Astronomik CLS-CCD, ZWO UV/IR, Duoband filters.
ChrisR Oz
Posts: 158
Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2021 11:03 am
Location: Melbourne

Re: What do you like most about SharpCap?

#5

Post by ChrisR Oz »

Hi Roger,

See this post from Menno recently …

Cheers, Chris.
Menno555 wrote: Wed Nov 10, 2021 4:41 pm Hi

It depends on the mount if the plate solving is done right in 1 or 2 times. With my mount I have to do it twice: 1 time plate solve and then the coordinates are uploaded to the mount and then a 2nd plate solve to match it all and the mount moves to the part that is plate solved. Call it finetuning.
For all this you use the button I circled in the screenshot. If that is greyed out you have to tick the Connected box.

Now in your mount software you give the command to go for example to M31, with a direct command or the coordinates of M31.
The mount moves and indeed it can happen that the object is not in view. Now use that circled button again to plate solve and synchronize. When the plate solve is done, is should slew to the right coordinates and M31 should be in view.
This all should be precise, SharpCap is not GoTo software. So roughly pointing at where M31 should be and then telling SharpCap to get M31 in view will not work :) That is the job of your mount GoTo software or handcontroller.

Menno
Celestron EdgeHD 8, reducer 0.7x, Star Sense, CGX-L mount, Focuser, CPWI; Starlight Xpress AO, OAG and Filter Wheel; ZWO 294MC/294MM Pro and 174MM mini; SharpCap Pro, PHD2, Powermate 2x, Baader Neodymium, Astronomik CLS-CCD, ZWO UV/IR, Duoband filters.
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Menno555
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Re: What do you like most about SharpCap?

#6

Post by Menno555 »

ChrisR Oz wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 11:11 pm Hi Roger,

See this post from Menno recently …

Cheers, Chris.
That methode I did change in the mean time.
I do the polar alignment and when satisfied with it, I then set the mount to Tracking in Ioptron Commander.
Then I use the Slew function in Commander to go to M31 for example. I choose Messier from the dropdown menu and then type 31.
That's either in view after that or not. When not, I use the SharpCap plate solve and sync.

Menno
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Menno555
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Re: What do you like most about SharpCap?

#7

Post by Menno555 »

When I started around 2 years ago, I tried several programs. SharpCap was the 4th or 5th program I tried and it was love at first sight.
Not because of its possibilities (didn't understand most of it back then) but because of it's interface: for me it was logical and very intuitive in its use. This made learning way more easier for me.
Shortly after that I found this forum with so much information, patient members explaining things to me and of course Robin who always can explain things. In comparison to other forums, this is rather a good forum.
Plus of course the continues development SharpCap. A development where we, the users, can do suggestions on which Robin realistically answers on why it can or can't be done.

Menno
rockenrock
Posts: 68
Joined: Tue May 03, 2022 12:53 am

Re: What do you like most about SharpCap?

#8

Post by rockenrock »

Menno555 wrote: Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:07 am
ChrisR Oz wrote: Sat Jun 25, 2022 11:11 pm Hi Roger,

See this post from Menno recently …

Cheers, Chris.
That methode I did change in the mean time.
I do the polar alignment and when satisfied with it, I then set the mount to Tracking in Ioptron Commander.
Then I use the Slew function in Commander to go to M31 for example. I choose Messier from the dropdown menu and then type 31.
That's either in view after that or not. When not, I use the SharpCap plate solve and sync.

Menno
Hi Menno,
Your above direction is what I am used to doing, but I did my go to with Maxim DL. Now I will use Commander for initial go to. Robin gave me some pointers on editing (creating) a sequence to do dithering.
I do not want to dither within a live stack because I have to debayer in order to align the subframes. Then I have a bunch of stacked color images to process in PI. But initial processing in PI is best done with the raw fits images; well at least that is what I have always done.
Let's see what happens tonight!
Roger
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