What are folks using for automated image acquisition now?

Technology Instrumentation & Equipment
1

Hello,
After many years, I’m trying to get my observatory up and working again. I used to use an ST-9 parallel port camera and ACP/Maxim DL with my 32 bit laptop on my 10 inch LX-200 to gather images while I slept circa 2010. I was disappointed to see that DC Dreams is now going out of business as I was familiar with their software.

So, I’m still planning to use my trusty LX-200 perhaps with a focal reducer but what is everyone using for a camera and filter wheel these days? I still have my Astrodon and Schuler filters which seem to be in good shape (replaced the B and V filters after they clouded over).

I would like to use my current filters with 1.25" cells given the difficulty it seems to get BVRI filters these days. What CMOS cameras are good now? The nice thing about the ST-9 was that the large pixels matched my focal length pretty well as far as sampling was concerned and the SBIG filter wheel was a good match.

Automation and scheduling software - what can be used with the old LX-200?

It’s amazing how much has changed in 10-15 years. Help an old codger get back on the photometry horse. :slight_smile:

…Tim

2

Hi Tim
I have a serial ST9 laying around somewhere. I think Maxim will still talk to a parallel ST9. I am currently going through the choices that you are looking at for setting up the second telescope here. Some thoughts here, by no means complete or thoroughly informed thoughts.

Google says:

The pixel size for the SBIG ST-9 is 20 microns x 20 microns. This is for the primary imaging sensor, the Kodak KAF-0261E, which is used in the ST-9XE model.

  • The ST-9 camera has a 512 x 512 pixel array.
  • The pixels are square, measuring 20 microns on each side.
  • These large pixels make the camera well-suited for telescopes with longer focal lengths

Handy calculator next on the Astronomy tools webpage:
Assuming your 10" F10, I think that gives you a bit over 14 minutes square with fair, 1.6" spatial resolution.

Screenshot 2025-10-26 020303
Screenshot 2025-10-26 0203031492×856 78 KB

Use the calculator to try on some newer cameras like the ones used on AAVSOnet.

New cameras make huge files that are tough to handle en-mass. Not fun to process and send 300 x 64 Mpixel images every night. It would likely choke online photometry programs with upload times, download times, memory problems, etc. you can bin 2x2 to 4x4 but then pick the binning to match your optics. I like 1 arcsecond per pixel or binned pixel while my seeing is 1.1 to 3.5 arcseconds. Use the handy calculator above to figure it out.

Maxim still works very well and fills out your Fits headers well with airmass, etc so that you don’t need to edit them like users of other “free” software do. Maxim will take you over the meridian while flipping filters. Maxim does the calibrations easily and correctly.

I have ACP but only use it for darks and bias a couple times per year. Pinpoint works well with no downsides here. My images are solved as they go to disk during the run. They could be calibrated then also, but I like to bulk calibrate them and look at each image after calibration and before submitting to AAVSO.

Some say that ASTAP solves better. Many like NINA these days and I hear only occasional bug-a-boos about it. I would try it if I did not enjoy pointing the telescope myself and watching MaxIM take the images.

It is part of my quality controls here. I get occasional images from the automated scopes that are clouded over, unfocused, wrong exposure, etc. All that is avoided when the operator pays attention to the images coming in.

I never got an autofocus program to work reliably and they are extremely slow because my download time is six seconds. I would loose a lot of data waiting for them. With Maxim I can set the electronic focuser every couple hours as I see the images come in and stay ahead of mirror-flop and temperature changes too! Or focus rapidly with eyeballs on images just after pointing. It turns out that the crappy-chromatic optics on a Meade are perfect to tell me how much and which way to focus. Plus I can tweak focus while exposing. I have a tougher time with the little refractor setup because the stars are nice and round and go to donuts either side of focus. Because of that I have a 50/50 chance of setting focus correctly on the first setting.

Ray

3

“Some say that ASTAP solves better.”

In my experience ASTAP near-solves when degees off the target in a few seconds. When you get close, arcminutes from the target, it solves in less than 1 second. Such results require entry of the target coordinates.

ASTAP can be called as the solver from within image acquisition apps, e.g., SharpCap, Astro Photography Tool (APT).

4

Hi,
I would try CCDCommander which is now in the public doman and free of charge. It has been upgraded substantially by a Belgian amateur astronomer Sjoerd Dufour to use aside PinPoint also ASTAP and other solvers, avoid the moon and skip subactions when below a certain airmass. The software can be found on this website by scrolling down:
https://www.astronomie.be/sdufoer/software/software.htm
It works with MaximDL, V5, V6, …
I run all my obs with the upgraded version of CCDC.
Josch Hambsch

5

Forgot to mention that nowadays also 16 bit CMOS cameras are available from ZWO and QHY to name just two of the vendors. Much better than the old ST9.
Josch

6

Thank you for your comprehensive answer Ray. It has gotten me started down the rabbit hole and I’m enjoying it. The link to the CCD Calculators is very helpful. I’ve also found some older threads here too that for some reason I couldn’t find before that are useful too.

Thanks,

Tim

7

Thank you for your kind responses Josch. It provides food for thought.

…Tim

8

Josch
Are you sure that is the correct link for the download?
Oop, it is way down at very last of grey screen with fine black font.
Anyway, it needs work for me to get it to work here on Win11.
Ray

9

Hi Ray,
it works in my case on both Win 10 and 11 systems. If you need advice how to use it I can help out.
Josch

10

Hi Tim,

While you have been away some things have changed dramatically. From your post, it seems the only thing you don’t want to change is your LX 200 mount and 10 inch scope.

So, first, cameras:

New cameras with 16 bit CMOS detectors have been readily adopted. Someone described the latest CMOS cameras to me as “CCD killers”. I also have an ST9 in a drawer and another CCD which needs a minor repair. It is unlikely they will ever be used again.

I purchased some CMOS cameras from a Chinese manufacturer, namely ZWO. Despite insinuations from some about Chinese cameras, I have found them much more reliable, and if things fail, easily and quickly repairable.

Of course, this leads into the question of resolution. You can operate these cameras at various levels of binning to achieve the desired resolution. However, un-binned, and if the imaging chip is large, you will get huge image files. One aspect of these newer cameras is that they can operate with USB 3 to get a faster download. Once downloaded, it is better to store the images on an external drive.

Next, operating systems:

Both operating systems and applications have moved to 64 bit in recent times. This means you can make use of more than 4 Gigs of RAM and a long list of other benefits. If you are using Windows, note that Windows 10 is no longer supported by Microsoft. Some choose to use a mini-PC sitting on the OTA to reduce cable drag. If you go this way, and if using Windows, it is easier if you have Windows Pro on the mini-PC so that it can be accessed without having to plug in a monitor and keyboard/mouse.

Third, controlling programs.

I use Voyager, an Italian control software by Leonardo Orazi. It requires first time payment and has an annual subscription for ongoing support and updates. I have found it anticipates many a problem with built-in mechanisms. NINA is free and has many devotees, but after using Voyager for some years, I just couldn’t get into NINA. I wasn’t aware that CCD Commander is now free.

If you decide to go all of these routes together, you may experience a unique physical outcome. You will weigh less … because your wallet is empty. :grinning_face:

11

You will find that EKOS (part of Kstars) should do every thing for you now that ACP, Maxim, and its friends and relatives did for you back then.

As for cameras my Starlight Xpress Sx814 with its built-in USB hub and optional filter wheel (models holding from 5 to 11 filters) does a very fine job indeed.I use 1.25" filters too. It’s not CMOS but CCD. The pixels are smaller (I run mine at 3x3 binning for photometry, 2x2 for general imaging and unbinned for super-resolution) but SX sell other cameras too. You may find their AO unit helpful but it will eat up some extra back focus.

I have no pecuniary interest in Starlight Xpress, merely being a very satisfied customer for a good number of years. Their technical support is second to none in my experience.

YMMV.

Good luck,
Paul

(Added in edit: information about binning; fix a couple of tyops.)