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Meade Deep Sky Imager Software Manual
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Meade Deep Sky Imager Software Manual

Meade deep sky imager: software guide
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Deep Sky Imager: The Basics

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Summary of Contents for Meade Deep Sky Imager

  • Page 1 Meade ® Deep Sky Imager: The Basics...

  • Page 2: Parts Listing

    When first opening the packing box, note carefully the following parts: • Deep Sky Imager camera • Parfocal ring • USB cable • DB-9 to RJ-11 adapter • LX200 serial cable • Autostar #497 serial cable • CD ROM, including the Operating Instruction in .pdf format Recommended Minimum System: PC running Windows 98SE with 96 MB and 100 MB free disk space.
  • Page 3 Install the Autostar Suite Software The following procedure is also found on the printed Quick Start Guide supplied with this product. Before you can operate the Deep Sky Imager camera, you must install the Autostar Suite software. Do not plug the USB cable into your PC at this time. You will be asked to do so later in this installation.
  • Page 4 PC configurations. 6. The driver is installed. Click “Finish.” The camera driver is now installed and your PC will now be able to recognize the Deep Sky Imager whenever you connect it to the PC.
  • Page 5 You can open other programs of the Suite by going to the Image menu and selecting the desired program. You can open the Operating Instruction manuals Menu screen of the CD ROM. Click the word “Meade” in the Main Menu Planetarium program will display.
  • Page 6 Deep Sky Imager camera to an ETX • While looking at the back of the telescope, orient the Deep Sky Imager camera into the eyepiece holder so that the USB cable points to the left of the telescope’s optical tube (see photo at right).
  • Page 7 Open the Deep Sky Imager Program To open the Deep Sky Imager Imaging program, go to the Image menu of the Planetarium program and select Deep Sky Imager Imaging. The Deep Sky Imager program will display.
  • Page 8 Deep Sky Imager Controls 1& 2& 3& 3*...
  • Page 9 Key to Deep Sky Imager Controls 1. Gain and Offset sliders 2. Preview and Exposure controls 3. Auto Exp (Exposure) controls 4. Mono (Black and white) check box 5. Live Image check box 6. Dark Sub check box 7. Long Exp check box 8.
  • Page 10 Once you have connected your camera to the computer and opened the Deep Sky Imager program, you’ll want to start taking pictures. Follow the steps below to start taking simple pictures with your Deep Sky Imager cam- era. We recommend that the first time you take pictures, you do so during daylight hours. Point your telescope at a stationary landmark, such as a building, telephone pole or so forth—trees and other objects that move slightly...
  • Page 11 Start Taking Pictures more... 6. An image should be already displayed on the screen (39). Use the focuser on your telescope to focus the object. Notice that in the Magic Eye Focus field (22), that two triangles are displayed and change their size. The Magic Eye Focus will help you focus your image;...
  • Page 12 When you press Start, the Deep Sky Imager camera begins taking images and continues to take images until you press stop. The Deep Sky Imager program uses the first 10 images it takes as a baseline to com- pare with the images it takes subsequently. In other words, the program is always comparing images.
  • Page 13 • The Deep Sky Imager program continues to composite the image until you press the Stop button. Typically, about 50 images are needed to get a high quality composite image. After 50 images, the quality of the image increases only in small amounts;...
  • Page 14 How to take a picture of a terrestrial object, the Moon or a planet 1. Insert camera into the telescope as previously described. 2. Click on the Live tab (XX). 3. Click Auto Exp (3). The program will find a good exposure automatically. Set the color balance according to your taste using the Contrast (21) and Color Balance (8) controls.
  • Page 15 9. The imager begins taking dark frames (see “Dark Frames” page 34, for more information). The Dark Frames are saved in the directory: C:Meade Images/Dark. The program will display how long the Dark Frame expo- Important Note: Do not take dark frames while the camera is cooling off.
  • Page 16 Stop to abort. You will now have an image that you can post on the web or submit to one of the Deep Sky Imager user groups. Experiment with Contrast, Shadow Enhance, Histogram sliders and Dark Subtract, and you will begin to take images like an expert.
  • Page 17 The Parfocal Ring It is extremely useful to have the Deep Sky Imager camera and a telescope eyepiece be parfocal—it will save you time when you need to refocus. Parfocal means setting two or more eyepieces to the same focus. (In this case, one eyepiece is a camera.) In other words, if you focus one eyepiece in your telescope, then you remove it and replace it with a parfocal eyepiece, the parfocal eyepiece will require little, if any, refocusing.
  • Page 18 2. Insert the Deep Sky Imager camera into the telescope eyepiece holder. thumbscrew. Make sure the Deep Sky Imager camera slides down as far as it will go into the eyepiece hold- 3. Point the telescope at a terrestrial object that has a lot of contrast with the surrounding area and if possible, has a distinctive edge (like a building, for example).
  • Page 19 Automatic Adjustment Controls Gain and Offset sliders (1): Similar to a TV set’s contrast and brightness controls. These controls are automatically set after you pick an Object (10) type and click on the Auto Exp button (3). Most users will seldom, if ever, need to set these controls manually.
  • Page 20 Automatic Adjustment Controls Color sliders. Experiment with these sliders to change to change the image color. Sharp provides a sharper image, but the colors are less Saturated. Soft provides more saturated colors. Daylight provides a brighter image. Note that this may also be used for deep sky images. Experiment with this setting using the Preview Control (7).
  • Page 21 (you may wish to process the images yourself), uncheck this box and check the Save Every Image box. The Deep Sky Imager camera will take images and save them in the Image directory.
  • Page 22 Image Processing Controls Object Name (11): Type in a name for the object. Each time the Deep Sky Imager pro- gram begins to accumulate a new composite image, it renumbers the image in a new tab, using your original name. For example, if you named the first image “Building,” the next images will be named “Building 2,”...
  • Page 23 Image Processing Controls Image Acquire Status bars (15): Display while the Deep Sky Imager camera is taking pic- tures. Also a box displays the images format (e.g., jpeg), type of operation, time-lapse sequence or other pertinent information.. Image Directory field and Browse button: Click on the Settings menu (25) to display a dialog box.
  • Page 24 File Settings Tab File Open menu (25): Allows you to open a file you have previously created. Click on this button and your direc- tory list displays. Choose the desired file and it opens as a tab above the Image Display window. See diagram below.
  • Page 25 Magic Eye Focus Magic Eye Focus (22) displays a graphic representation of the focus as you adjust your telescope’s focuser. The orange triangles “grow” together to indicate better focus. The red lines indicate maximum focus levels. Avg (Average) check box: Check to average the last 5 focus values to smooth out noisy images. Note, however, that this makes the focus response more sluggish.
  • Page 26 Connecting your Telescope and Telescope Controls To connect to your telescope, see the printed instruction sheet that was including with Autostar Suite. Once the telescope is connected, you may use the following controls (28): Use the Arrow keys to move the telescope. Click on an Arrow to move in that direction at Guide Speed.
  • Page 27 Time-Lapse Settings Envisage software allows you to take time-lapse images of an object of an object. This means you can set the software to take an image, wait and then take another image after a period of time goes by, and contin- ue the process for however long you desire.
  • Page 28 Deep Sky Imager Camera Program Advanced Concepts...
  • Page 29 Tracking Boxes and Centroids Drawing a tracking box allows you to track (that is, to follow) a bright spot that is surrounded by a dark area. This is very much like your telescope’s tracking feature. A centroid is the spot where the crosshairs meet. You can use the centroids to help you center an object in a box.
  • Page 30 The Histogram controls allow you more control of the brightness, contrast and mid-range tones of your Deep Sky Imager camera. Experiment with these controls. Select an easily focused terrestrial image and adjust the Histogram sliders. You will notice the Live image growing brighter or darker, and even notice mid-tones becoming more visible.
  • Page 31 An autoguider helps keep an object centered so that a 35mm camera can take long exposures of an image. Note that you do not have to set the Deep Sky Imager camera for a long exposure using Exposure controls (2).
  • Page 32 Autoguider and Telescope Controls 6. In the “FL IN MM” field (focal length in millimeters), type in the focal length, in millimeters, of your telescope. 7. Locate a star using your telescope’s alignment and Go To procedures. Focus and prepare the imager as described earlier in this manual.
  • Page 33 Autoguider and Telescope Controls Other Features Center Target: Click Center Target to move the yellow circle to the center of the screen. The telescope models will follow (some telescopes will move more slowly than others). Set Target: Click Set Target and click on a position on the screen. The target will move to the this position. Corr (Correction) Gain: Sets how aggressive the correction operates.

  • Page 34: Dark Frames

    1 f/stop intervals. Later, when you set your camera exposure time (see Step 6 below), the Deep Sky Imager program will automatically select the Dark Frame file with the closest exposure length, scale it to the actual exposure time and apply it to the image you are taking. In effect, it subtracts out the dark current artifacts.
  • Page 35 Remove the lens cap from your telescope or uncover your Deep Sky Imager camera. as previously described in “Start Taking Pictures.” (See page 12 for more information.) The Dark Frames fea- ture is automated, so Dark Frames will automatically be applied to any pictures you now take.
  • Page 36 Make a Movie of the Rotation of Jupiter You should become familiar with autoguiding/auto tracking and calibration procedures as described in “Autoguider and Telescope Controls,” page 31. 1. Click on the Save Process button to open the dialog box. 2. Set the file type. Choose “jpeg” if just wish to create a movie, or select “tif” if you wish to process the frames in another image editing software program, such as Photoshop.
  • Page 37 CUSTOMER REMEDIES. Meade Instruments entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be, at Meade 's option, either (a) repair or (b) replacement of the SOFTWARE or hardware that does not meet Meade 's Limited Warranty. You must return the defective item to Meade Instruments, at your expense, with a copy of your receipt.
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