MallinCam SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Download Page 162 | Manualshive

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SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual

March 17, 2019

SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual

Page 160

AstroLive USB and the SkyRaiderDS10CTEC

AstroLive USB is a software package to control your entire electronically-assisted
or video astronomy setup. With AstroLive USB you can control your telescope
mount and the ASCOM-based SkyRaiderDS10CTEC.

AstroLive USB can be obtained at:



http://astrolive.io/astroliveusb.html

As of this writing, the Version of AstroLive USB is v1.1. This version did not have the
SkyRaider series of camera in mind. But, the MALLINCAM ASCOM Driver does
partly work with AstroLive USB. This allows you to do imaging, and you are able to
adjust and save your images.

There is an update coming soon, that will allow you to control USB cameras such
as the Mallincam SkyRaider series.

Start AstroLive

You will be presented with the following Window

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Summary of Contents for SkyRaider DS10CTEC

Page 1: ...will quickly introduce you to the wonders of the MallinCam SkyRaider DS10CTEC Camera It will include instructions on how to install the Software and Drivers and how connect the SkyRaider to your comp...

Page 2: ...Revision Sheet SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page ii Version Date Revision Description 3 5 03 17 2019 Template Creation...

Page 3: ...r 13 Using the USB 2 0 Ports on the SkyRaider DS10CTEC 16 Dimensions of the SkyRaider DS10CTEC 16 4 Using MallincamSky Software 17 The MallincamSky Window 17 SkyRaider Quick Setup and Pictorial Work F...

Page 4: ...ge 52 Open Video 53 Save 54 Save As 54 Batch Save 57 Paste as New File 59 Recent Files 59 Exit 60 Edit 60 Cut 60 Copy 61 Paste 61 Paste Shortcut 61 Delete 61 Image Select 61 Select All 61 Select None...

Page 5: ...Target 101 Image Type 102 Auto Capture 102 Batch Record 102 Pause Video Capture 102 Open Video Folder 103 Zoom 103 Image Select 103 Track 103 Histogram 104 Reticle 104 ST4 Test 105 Advance Reverse 105...

Page 6: ...Digital Binning 129 Dark Field Correction 130 Flat Field Correction 132 Introduction 132 Optical Path Noise 132 Taking Flats 133 Black Level 135 Live Stack 136 Conversion Gain 139 Cooling 140 Sharpen...

Page 7: ...k Field correction 169 How Do I take Another Dark Field 169 My ROI Window is Black 169 Upgrading my SkyRaider Camera Software 170 Uninstall SkyRaider Software 170 Uninstall SkyRaider DirectShow Driver...

Page 8: ...ich when under cooling from direct cold finger and Peltier results in instability These parts of the CMOS sensor do not need to be direct cooled from a cold finger application MallinCam has successful...

Page 9: ...cked CMOS Sensor Scientific grade T Mount Pixel Size 4 63 X 4 63 microns 1900 mv Output Spectral Range 350nm to 1100nm Light Pollution Electronic Removal System using the White Balance Feature HCG and...

Page 10: ...n the Box The SkyRaider DS10CTEC includes the following standard equipment MALLINCAM SkyRaider DS10CTEC Camera High Precision T mount to 2 mount Eyepiece Adapter 5 metre 15 ft USB 3 0 cable 12 volts d...

Page 11: ...RAM Recommend 4GB or more 200MB Free HDD Installing the Software Visit the Software Downloads Page in the Support Tab located on the website www mallincam net Select the Blue Click Here Button to down...

Page 12: ...Double Click on the un zipped folder to open it up revealing the 5 folders programs it contains Double Click on the WINDOWS APPLICATION folder to open it up then Double Click on the MALLINCAMSKYSetup...

Page 13: ...location or select the default Click on Install to proceed Windows may again ask for permission to install the device software Click on Install to accept The MallincamSky Software will take about a m...

Page 14: ...gram and follow the instructions to install the ASCOM driver Optionally see Installing the DIRECTSHOW Driver for more in depth details Double Click on the DIRECTSHOW DRIVER Folder to open it up then D...

Page 15: ...der DS10CTEC Insert the SkyRaider DS10CTEC with 2 Adapter attached into a 2 eyepiece adapter on your Telescope Depending upon the telescope you may need extenders so that you can reach focus with your...

Page 16: ...put requirements and not all computers are created equal If you find you are having difficulties with the following steps it maybe the USB 3 0 port on your computer If that is the case one option to...

Page 17: ...ll see the name as SkyRaiderDS10CTECC USB2 0 Once the driver has been successfully loaded you will see the name of the SkyRaiderDS10CTEC Camera in the MallincamSky Camera List on the upper left of the...

Page 18: ...B 2 0 HUB on the SkyRaider DS10cTec can be used to connect with various accessories such as a guide camera filter wheel or electronic focuser This will allow you better management of your cables The i...

Page 19: ...are The MallincamSky Left SideBar provides the simple click activation and selection capabilities to control all aspects of the image and camera The Left SideBar Base provides selection options for Ca...

Page 20: ...pical workflow when using the SkyRaider DS10CTEC with MallincamSky Start Mallincam Deep Sky Object Planetary Start Trigger Mode then Take Dark Field Trigger Mode to Image Activate Dark Field Video Mod...

Page 21: ...Raider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 19 Live Stack Pictorial Work Flow A typical workflow when Live Stacking with MallincamSky Expose Object Choose and Activate Video Mode or Trigger Mode Live Stack Adjus...

Page 22: ...Flow A typical workflow when using the Histogram Command with MallincamSky Expose Object Increase Left number or Move Left Bar in Darkens Increase Right number or Move Right Bar in Brightens Select Hi...

Page 23: ...C User Manual March 17 2019 SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 21 ROI Pictorial Work Flow A typical workflow when using the ROI Command with MallincamSky Expose Object Trigger Mode Trigger Mode Video...

Page 24: ...SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual March 17 2019 SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 22 Save Image Pictorial Work Flow A typical workflow on how to Save an Image with MallincamSky Expose Object...

Page 25: ...l Page 23 Record Video Pictorial Work Flow A typical workflow on how Record a Video with MallincamSky Expose Object If No Time Limit Set Enter File Location Format Prefix Type Number of Seconds Number...

Page 26: ...r Manual Page 24 Batch Record Pictorial Work Flow A typical workflow on how to Batch Record a series of Videos with a single Click Expose Object Enter File Location Format Prefix Type Number of Second...

Page 27: ...Manual Page 25 Auto Capture Pictorial Work Flow A typical workflow on how to Auto Capture a series of Images with a single Click Expose Object Enter File Location Format Prefix Type Capture Mode Total...

Page 28: ...l Page 26 Save Sequence of Images Pictorial Work Flow Trigger Mode A typical workflow on an alternative method to Save a Sequence of Images with the Sequence Command in Trigger Mode with MallincamSky...

Page 29: ...Digital Binning A typical workflow on applying Digital Binning Choose a Method usually Additive now select a Binning Number from 1 default to 4 Notice the video window will decrease in size so you ma...

Page 30: ...ypical workflow when taking a Dark Field with MallincamSky Determine Maximum Exposure Choose and Activate Video Mode or Trigger Mode with Maximum Exposure Required Click on Loop if using Trigger Mode...

Page 31: ...l Work Flow Choose and Activate Video Mode or Trigger Mode with Maximum Exposure Click on Loop if Using Trigger Mode Prepare Telescope for Flat Field Apply Flat Field Capture and Resolution Choose Qua...

Page 32: ...aider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 30 Sharpen Pictorial Work Flow Choose and Activate Video Mode or Trigger Mode with Maximum Exposure Click on Loop if using Trigger Mode Select Sharpen Value Choose perc...

Page 33: ...he Section Dark Field Explanation in the Appendix for a complete description of Dark Field Correction Double Click on the MallincamSky Icon to start the program Select the SkyRaiderDS10CTEC from the C...

Page 34: ...SkyRaider DS10CTEC taking continuous exposures in Trigger Mode Left Click on the Loop button Take Dark Field Correction Ensure that the Lens Cover is either on the SkyRaider Camera or the Telescope i...

Page 35: ...der of telescope The shorter exposure will make it easier for you to align and focus your telescope Left Click on the STOP button in the Trigger Mode screen and now select Video Mode Move the slider o...

Page 36: ...next image is exposed to see how your adjustments look keep an eye at the bottom of the screen to see when the next adjusted image will appear Have Fun and Experiment You can now spend some time to b...

Page 37: ...f you do notice warm pixels and would like to eliminate them Then follow the step by step instructions located in the section called Dark Field Correction later in the manual The following instruction...

Page 38: ...cular SkyRaider can produce along with the largest bits of data for color or shades of Back and White for each pixel that the SkyRaider is able to produce This will provide enough data for external st...

Page 39: ...Auto Exposure CheckBox is unchecked The SkyRaider DS10CTEC has two exposure modes Video Mode Trigger Mode Since we are imaging planetary objects our exposure should not exceed 5 seconds Therefore we w...

Page 40: ...t and Right arrows keys on your keyboard to precisely move the Exposure Marker this method provides the most accurate tiny adjustments to the exposure times o You can Click on the Exposure Time s curr...

Page 41: ...d the ROI Tab Once you have framed the Blue ROI Rectangle over your image then Click on the Apply button in the ROI Tab to accept it This will make the Video Screen contain just the object that was en...

Page 42: ...Field Correction by checking the Check the Enable Button in the Dark Field Tab to disable Dark Field Correction just un check the Enable Button in the Dark Field Tab Again for most planetary imaging...

Page 43: ...ovided later in the User Manual The following instructions are used as a guide to assist you in doing Deep Sky imaging Don t forget when finished with a particular step that uses a particular feature...

Page 44: ...rticular SkyRaider can produce along with the largest bits of data for color or shades of Back and White for each pixel that the SkyRaider is able to produce This will provide enough data for external...

Page 45: ...w The longer the exposure the more noise that can appear on your image The MallincamSky software can remove this noise by applying pre prepared Dark Fields to your images effectively removing the nois...

Page 46: ...into the appropriate exposure time unit boxes or use the up and down arrows beside the chosen Exposure time unit to set your maximum time For us set the seconds s time unit to 30 for 30 seconds To sta...

Page 47: ...ing the Import Button Now is the time to get busy with actually imaging our Deep Sky Object since the preliminary work is done So remove the Len Cap from the Telescope or Len Cover from the SkyRaider...

Page 48: ...is too dim try increasing the Gain Now you have your Deep Sky Object or a least a dim version of it centered in your screen It is time to crank up volume Well for us time to increase the exposure time...

Page 49: ...current amount of time captured in the exposure info box located on the Bottom of the MallincamSky Window MallincamSky does this automatically for any exposure over 3 seconds The example on the left...

Page 50: ...ce and Color Adjustment Contrast Gamma settings to tweak your image Read the appropriate section in the User Manual it is great reading if I do say so myself to obtain more information what each parti...

Page 51: ...etailed information on how to use the Histogram Tab locate that section in the User Manual Set the exposure so that the peak of the Histogram is someplace between 50 and 100 Remember every adjustment...

Page 52: ...ou can choose no Binning 1 all the way to 4 x 4 Binning Note you will need to re adjust appropriate histograms contract after choosing a binning number You will also notice the Video Screen image size...

Page 53: ...er Manual will describe in exact detail what each control on both the Top Line Menu and the Icon Toolbar does This Chapter is best read on a rainy day or can be used to jump to the specific section th...

Page 54: ...cular image on your computer MallincamSky supports and can open a variety of image formats These are identified in the Files of type list box MallincamSky can open more than one image simultaneously b...

Page 55: ...stream and allow you use the File Open Video command Select the name of the file you want to open If the file does not appear select the option for showing all files from the Video Files Drop Down Bu...

Page 56: ...e Popup Window MallincamSky discards all changes made since the last File Save operation The File Save command saves the contents of the entire window unless if there was an ROI Region of Interest def...

Page 57: ...sive The default is unchecked Optimize Huffman codes The default is unchecked Smoothing The values range between 0 and 100 The default value is 0 Save these setting as defaults When saving a file the...

Page 58: ...oosing Compressions as JPEG the Image quality can be adjusted by the slider bar The values range between 0 and 100 The Default value is 75 Save these setting as defaults When saving a file the current...

Page 59: ...the current settings will be saved as defaults for the next file save operation For Bitmap bmp PCX pcx Targa tga There is no Option choices Batch Save The File Batch Save command will be enabled when...

Page 60: ...es This prefix will be combined with Name Format to form a final file name naming paradigm File Type In this combo box select the format in which you want the image to be saved can be BMP JPG PNG TIF...

Page 61: ...e properties via the Image Menu choice see Image section in user Manual MallincamSky will accept image data from other applications via the clipboard as long as it is in Windows Bitmap DIB format Mall...

Page 62: ...elf If an image has been modified before attempting to Exit MallincamSky will issue a warning to ask if user wants to save the images or not Edit This Drop Down Menu will allow you to Cut Copy and Pas...

Page 63: ...cted the File and then used Edit Copy into your currently selected folder Remember to use File Paste as New File to paste image into a new MallincamSky Window Paste Shortcut This control allows you to...

Page 64: ...es under the specified directory in the Folders Sidebar The Browse Window resembles the Windows Explorer Left Clicking on the will expand a folder so that you can examine its contents You can Right Cl...

Page 65: ...ebar The SideBar can contain 3 different Tabs Camera Folders and Undo Redo Left Click on the SideBar control to expand it You will see the 3 choices each with a check mark beside it Left Click on the...

Page 66: ...ram data as linear or logarithmic Clicking on the Histogram Control again closed the Histogram window Grids The View Grids control has the ability to display a grid overlay on top of your Video Window...

Page 67: ...5 Left Click on the Grids option on the left of the Preferences Window and adjust the Style No Grid Auto Grid and Manual Grid Line Style Solid Dash Dot or DashDot and Color that you are interested in...

Page 68: ...Blue Down Arrow along the Horizontal Ruler to where ever you want When it is dragging over the video image there will be a Vertical Line in the Color and Style chosen by you aiding you in judging wher...

Page 69: ...l Size to reset the Zoom to 100 Actual Size will be disabled if the View is already set to 100 and place the image video inside the Video Window Tab Full Screen Selecting the View Full Screen control...

Page 70: ...e Reticles or cross hairs styles to aid in aligning your telescope to a star or another stellar object You can change the color of the Reticle via the Option Preferences control in the Top Menu Line L...

Page 71: ...Large or Small Icons Simply Left Click to make your Selection Refresh This control allows you to refresh the contents of the currently selected folder Properties This control will display the current...

Page 72: ...allincamSky as well as test the ST4 port on the camera You can also pause the Video image on the Video Window from here Start Pause Left Clicking on this control will Pause the SkyRaider Camera s live...

Page 73: ...window is not activated Left Click this Snap button on the Camera Sidebar to a capture image quickly Only when the video window is active the Capture Capture Image menu will be enabled If the Live and...

Page 74: ...to record video in Trigger Mode as this command is identical When the Recording process starts the SkyraideDS10CTEC will toggle the fans when recording starts and when the recording sequence stops Th...

Page 75: ...e Record Tab in Options Preferences choose the location and file type and duration for recorded Video Files In the Batch Record Tab in Options Preferences chose the number of Videos to be recorded plu...

Page 76: ...nly abort the current Video but will continue with the next sequence MallincamSky will also provide you in a status on how the recording are going by displaying a Status Information line on the bottom...

Page 77: ...Colour Bits dialog is opened the default checked color bit is the current image s color bit Check the desired bit and click OK to end the command The image will be converted to the selected color bits...

Page 78: ...es the same adjustment to every pixel in the image The Brightness Contrast command does not work with individual channels and is not recommended for high end output because it can result in the loss o...

Page 79: ...G value of 20 and a B value of 50 When the values of all three components are equal the result is a shade of neutral gray When the value of all components is 255 the result is pure white when the valu...

Page 80: ...versa Based on the human perception of color the HIS model describes three fundamental characteristics of colors Hue is the color reflected from or transmitted through an object It is measured as a lo...

Page 81: ...100 The Default values are 0 HMS Select the Image Adjust HMS command to adjust the HL Highlight M Midtone and S Shadow parts of the image Each part s value ranges from 100 to 100 This command is only...

Page 82: ...ed then only information about the Red channel will be retained The Green and Blue information will be discarded Invert Select the Image Adjust Invert command to reverse the pixel values of the active...

Page 83: ...Spatial Sigma like the domain and the Range Sigma you can affect how many pixels the algorithm uses when applying the smoothing Rotate This control allows you to rotate and or flip your image across a...

Page 84: ...remove the portions of an image that does not want so that the focus is on the part of the image that is left First select Edit Image Select the mouse cursor will change into cross hairs from the Top...

Page 85: ...dth and Height will stay proportionate to each other If the Constrain Proportions is unchecked the Width and the Height can be set independently but this will distort the image Reset Resets the image...

Page 86: ...mportant to note that even though we re talking about brightness levels we re not just talking about black and white grayscale images but Histograms work equally well and are just as important with fu...

Page 87: ...lays the following statistical information below the Histogram Pixels Represents the total number of pixels used to calculate the Histogram Level Displays the intensity level of the area underneath th...

Page 88: ...output It would take a novel to explain each of these standard graphical enhancement tools So I will leave it up to you to Google Search the enhancement type to see if it is something you could use Y...

Page 89: ...ual March 17 2019 SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 87 You can modify the color effectiveness range with the Range control to color sharpen your image You can modify the image the pixel no pixel cou...

Page 90: ...March 17 2019 SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 88 You can examine the image as a 3 D color contour map with the 3 D setup control You can apply the Pseudo Color application tools to turn a Black an...

Page 91: ...ratio is greatly improved The stacked image may have had some black edges this is because the images in the video has moved and in the stacking process MallincamSky will added black to the image area...

Page 92: ...Manual Page 90 MallincamSky will Open an Image Stacking Progress Bar to inform you of the process Once completed the stacked image will appear in the Video Image window You can now apply other process...

Page 93: ...ider camera Directory The file Directory can be select by Left Clicking the Browse button File The File Name This can be a combination of Name of Format File Prefix and File Type avi or ser format as...

Page 94: ...llow you to set the number of Video recordings in the batch plus the time interval between each separate recording Clicking on OK accepts the settings The Options Preferences Auto Capture tab will all...

Page 95: ...ill enable its edit box You can enter the Total Images from 1 to 9999 to be captured MallincamSky will stop the Time lapse capture process automatically when the Total Images are reached If Total Imag...

Page 96: ...displayed in the Browse window or not The checked Format can be displayed in the Browse window The Target Tab allows you to label the target that you are currently shooting The 10 solar system objects...

Page 97: ...The Line Style for the grid can be Solid Dash Dot or DashDot The Default is Solid Grid Line Color The color of the grid line The Default color is Red 255 0 0 Reticle Color The color of the Reticle Th...

Page 98: ...ur liking This control allows you to determine what metadata is embedded inside the FITS and EXIF files when they are saved File views that read FITS or EXIF images can then display details about how...

Page 99: ...pictures opened or captured inside MallincamSky s frame If you have made any modifications to the pictures or if you have captured some pictures from the camera choosing the Close All will let you fin...

Page 100: ...1 Choose the Windows Windows control 2 Select the windows you want to close Hold Ctrl or Shift key to select more than one at a time Here 4 windows are selected 3 Click Close Window s button those fo...

Page 101: ...kly locate a particular image MallincamSky supports and can open a variety of image formats These are identified in the Files of type list box MallincamSky can open more than one image simultaneously...

Page 102: ...ational error When an image is closed and not to save its changes is chosen MallincamSky discards all changes made since the last Save operation The Save Icon always saves the contents of the entire w...

Page 103: ...Left Double Click on a Graphics File inside the Video Window it will open up that Graphics File in a new Tab in the Video Window You can close the Tab in the Video Window by Right Clicking on the Tab...

Page 104: ...in Clicking on the Auto Capture icon MallincamSky will indicate the status of the Auto Capture process on the lower left of the MallincamSky window Batch Record This icon activates the Batch Record ro...

Page 105: ...Tab live or static by using the Left Click Hold and Drag technique Once selected then you can Copy Ctrl C the selected region and then Paste it into another software program Once a Region of Interest...

Page 106: ...or information purposes beneath the Video window being displayed Clicking on the icon again will remove the Histogram The icon has a pull down tab where you can choose to display the real time Histogr...

Page 107: ...se These icons allow you to advance or reverse the current frame when viewing a Video in the ser format Recall to load a video for examination and viewing first close down the live camera window this...

Page 108: ...Click on the Snap button again Repeat as needed When you are completed taking the snaps Left Click on Next to bring up the next Stich Window Examine the options in this window and make the appropriate...

Page 109: ...the stitched images Compensation algorithms available are None Gain and Blocks Gain Bundle Adjust This is the process of simultaneously refining the 3D coordinates that describe the geometry in accoun...

Page 110: ...ces you have made and will place the final result in an image window for your viewing pleasure You can try other Stitching decision by having the Stitched imaged active in your Video Window and Left C...

Page 111: ...EC User Manual March 17 2019 SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 109 Preferences This icon opens up the preferences window This icon is identical to the Main Tab line Options Preferences See above in...

Page 112: ...red rectangular box on the Video Window to remind you that that control is in effect You will be able to collapse the control window by Left Clicking on the Up Arrow on the control heading Camera List...

Page 113: ...t Click on the Drop Down list on the Resolution to see all the allowable resolutions available for your SkyRaider The SkyRaider DS10CTEC has four resolutions 3704 x 2778 4096 x 2160 2048 x 1080 and 13...

Page 114: ...the Options Preferences Tab to choose the location name format and duration of the video Left clicking on the Record Icon will tell MallincamSky to start recording a video of what is currently being...

Page 115: ...ck on the Slider Bar which selects it you can use the Left and Right Arrow Keys of your keyboard to move the slider this gives you more control For Deep Sky Objects start the Gain at about 50 For Plan...

Page 116: ...with Auto Exposure checked you will see a Green Rectangle labelled Exposure will appear over your Video Window This Green Rectangle is a marked region that is a reference region for judging if the im...

Page 117: ...d to move the slider this gives you more control If you Left Click on the Current Exposure Time Value a window will open up where you can enter in the exact exposure time you require This window will...

Page 118: ...sly Loop images from the SkyRaider DS10CTEC You have two methods of setting your exposure to a large value o You can Click in the Time Unit Box of choice and enter in an amount i e 30 seconds using yo...

Page 119: ...ile format to match your preferences this is great for choosing a folder location for AstroToaster Number in Sequence Use this control to enter in the number of images you would like MallincamSky to s...

Page 120: ...reen and Blue available The larger the Bit Depth the larger the data and the harder the CPU must work to produce image adjustments White Balance The White Balance control allows you to manually adjust...

Page 121: ...Adjustment The Color Adjustment control will allow you to adjust The Hue The Saturation The Brightness The Contrast and the Gamma of the object that the SkyRaider DS10CTEC is exposing Any changes to...

Page 122: ...etting will be displayed above the slider Brightness This command controls the Brightness of the Video image Brightness makes the video image brighter or dimmer This is a linear adjustment You can eit...

Page 123: ...the Gamma setting will be displayed above the slider If you or the SkyRaider Camera ever get confused with what settings you have entered into by using the Color Adjustment control you can reset thes...

Page 124: ...n the Color choice If you require the color video to be displayed in shades of Gray the Left Click on the Gray choice Flip This control allows you to Flip the video image Horizontally Vertically or Bo...

Page 125: ...OI ROI or Region Of Interest relates to the rectangular portion of the video image that you may be interested in You will lose you Dark Field using this control When you are recording video images of...

Page 126: ...the ROI to its full screen by Left Clicking on the Default Button You may need to set Fit to Window in the Drop Down Size command in the MallincamSky Tool Bar If you are trying to improve the frame r...

Page 127: ...he Histogram to aid you in determining the best exposure value for your particular object But try not to get too aggressive as you can easily clip remove important data form your image If you are look...

Page 128: ...o illustrate what you can do with the Histogram I have thanks to Jim Meadow s amazing images included some before and after pictures Increasing the Left Bar Darkens the image Decreasing the Right Bar...

Page 129: ...er so you have about 4 times the capture area than one cell But remember nothing is free it gives up the number of horizontal and vertical pixel resolution by that same factor You can have the Mallinc...

Page 130: ...as one effectively lowering the number of pixels in the image resolution You can use the Zoom controls to increase the image size to your needs You will notice that the brightness of the image will d...

Page 131: ...ur We suggest saving a set of Darks for each of the binning modes Use a naming convection or a file location so that it is easy to not only choose the correct Darks for a binning setting but with in t...

Page 132: ...pture Resolution The Exposure Gain Window will expand select the exposure time for the Dark Field You must determine what you believe will be the maximum exposure for this session As you will create D...

Page 133: ...bottom right side of the MallincamSky window you will see a counter letting you know how long is left in that particular exposure Once you have finished taking your Dark Fields don t forget to remove...

Page 134: ...prints and other unwanted shadow producing things in the light path The result of such optical path obscuration is an unevenly illuminated CCD CMOS chip These noise variations are usually caused eith...

Page 135: ...ting the camera after you have taken your flats with integration times to allow the flat to produce an image that captures of noise but Flat images should never bloom but should also not be less than...

Page 136: ...are will display its progress above the selected Quantity Remember the images you select the more averaged will be the Flat Field As the Flat Fields are being exposed you can watch the exposure counte...

Page 137: ...age to slightly brighten towards level 31 or dim towards level 0 the starting point for the image s backest location Using this slider allows you to define what you believe based on your current image...

Page 138: ...The follwing images captured live illustrate the advantages of Stacking M5 a single 5 second exposure using SkyRaider DS10CTEC on 10 VRC M5 two 5 second exposures stacked using SkyRaider DS10CTEC on...

Page 139: ...by checking the Align Frames Box You can select the number of frames you would like stacked in the Number Box You can tell MallincamSky if you would like the images Added made brighter or Meaned made...

Page 140: ...for the image Start the Stacking by checking the Enable Box The stacking process will keep you informed with its status by indicating you what the current input stacking number is what the current out...

Page 141: ...ncreased sensitivity and low read noise for lowlight scenes providing tremendous benefit for real time imaging The LCG mode is comparable to the old NO GAIN while the HCG mode is comparible to high ga...

Page 142: ...C by clicking in the radial On button then enter a Target Temperature C value into the box 0 C is recommended but some users are having the best success at 10 C It is also recommended that the tempera...

Page 143: ...the screen If the Fan is turned Off then TEC is automatically turned off and the Fan automatically turns to High when TEC is activated If you are finished using TEC leave the fan On to allow sensor t...

Page 144: ...round wit black stars Just use the check box to activate Preset The Preset control allows you to Load a previous set of camera control parameters or Save the current camera control parameters for anot...

Page 145: ...see Management command below Give a Name that is easy to determine what the parameters in the file contain That is choosing a name like Eagle Nebula Dark Skies would indicate that the parameters in t...

Page 146: ...r This Folder such as Preset Files on your computer under a name that indicates that these files are yours such as Michael s SkyRaider DS10CTEC Preset Files for New Hamburg This way you can save a ano...

Page 147: ...a Windows Computer There may be a download for a Later version as updates come along Your Browser should download a zipped file called mallincamsky2016mmdd the last eight number may be different as th...

Page 148: ...ers for the camera The WINDOWS APPLICATION folder contains the camera control software Installing DirectShow Driver Open up the DIRECTSHOW DRIVER folder then Double Click on the MALLINCAMDshowSetup Fi...

Page 149: ...h to close the process The DirectShow driver will give you the ability to display the SkyRaider video using other video display software The software that uses the DirectShow video protocol will alway...

Page 150: ...our computer www ascom standards org Open up the ASCOM DRIVER folder then Double Click on the ASCOMMallincamSetup file to Start the installation process Depending upon the version of Windows the follo...

Page 151: ...Ready to Install Window will appear Click on Install to install the ASCOM Driver Depending upon the version of Windows you may see the Following Pop up Install it That s it The installation process wi...

Page 152: ...ol the camera with other 3rd party software products via the DirectShow driver or the ASCOM driver Imaging in SharpCap Now this is the first generation of DirectShow Sharpcap driver interaction and as...

Page 153: ...sist you SharpCap recognizes that the DS10CTEC does have an extended mode for exposures that are over 5 seconds To turn on the extended mode over 5 seconds then enable the LX Mode in the Options Tab o...

Page 154: ...t allows you to directly enter in the time in ms You can also control the Gain in the window The other Tabs in the Window will also you to adjust other settings in the SkyRaider Camera Once you are co...

Page 155: ...9 SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 153 Imaging in MaximDL MaximDL is an image acquisition and composition software tool Start MaximDL Click on the Camera Control Icon Select Video DS from the Setup...

Page 156: ...SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 154 You will be presented with a live video window from the DS10CTEC just minimize this window Chose Expose and exposure time Binning etc then Click on Start to ta...

Page 157: ...e downloaded from http www astrotoaster com AstroToaster Work Flow Images are sent by MallincamSky to a folder that AstroToaster is monitoring AstroToaster will the align and stack those images produc...

Page 158: ...the files Yellow are the images to be stacked Green is the stacked image There is a check box next to the files All checked files will be combined into the current stacked final image If you Click on...

Page 159: ...r example if you are using Trigger Mode after setting the exposure so that you are seeing the correct amount of detail in the Video Window Use the Options Button in Trigger Mode to choose the same fol...

Page 160: ...amSky sends the images to the Monitoring Folder you will see them appear with Yellow squares besides their name Click on the Stack Tab on AstroToaster and Viewer Tab if not activated to activate the a...

Page 161: ...ist a file named stacked tif with a Green Square besides its name This is the Stacked image that you are seeing in the AstroToaster Viewer Window Adjust the Image in AstroToaster Click on Color Adj Ta...

Page 162: ...S10CTEC AstroLive USB can be obtained at http astrolive io astroliveusb html As of this writing the Version of AstroLive USB is v1 1 This version did not have the SkyRaider series of camera in mind Bu...

Page 163: ...era types A popup window will appear From the Pull Down list select ASCOM Mallincam Driver Click on the Properties Box to pop up the SkyRaider Setup Control Window Make any adjustments you need then C...

Page 164: ...nly give an exposure time and then activate the process Enter a time in the exposure box choose binning and Click on the Set button to lock this in Click on the Green Arrow to start the display from t...

Page 165: ...ents which will allow you to spend more time using and less time fighting with your equipment You have lots of hardware that is sometimes difficult to get it all working together Sequence Generator pr...

Page 166: ...4 Select the required resolution and ensure that you are using Raw as the format Start Running Sequences based on your needs If you are using Sequence Generator Pro then you will need to save flats bi...

Page 167: ...e control software package that can perform many tasks that are related to controlling a telescope One of the capabilities is using a camera to assist in aligning T Point and locking onto objects usin...

Page 168: ...7 2019 SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 166 Choose Windows Video Camera Driver Then choose Settings in the drop down list Select MALLINCAM from the Setup Window Click on Connect and you will see th...

Page 169: ...of the corners of the Green Rectangle and drag it to the matching corner of your Video Window Next grab the opposite corner of the Green Rectangle and drag it to the same location as the first corner...

Page 170: ...the Right Marker Line or a combination of both to the left will brighten up you image in a more controlled manner How do I Broadcast my image onto Night Skies Network NSN As a direct way is not yet a...

Page 171: ...whole Image Again Just Left Click on the Defaults Button in the SideBar s ROI control Note by changing the ROI the Dark Fields will be removed from the SkyRaider How do I Turn Off Dark Field correctio...

Page 172: ...install SkyRaider Software Unplug the SkyRaider Camera from your computer Locate the MallincamSky Icon on your Desktop and Right Click on the Icon to open up a selection window In this window select O...

Page 173: ...Mallincam DirectShow drivers you will see a folder named MALLINCAMDshow in the window If you did not install the DirectShow drivers then jump to Step 3 else follow Step 2 to uninstall the DirectShow d...

Page 174: ...ng its contents Again there is a program named uninst Double Click on the uninst program name and follow instructions to uninstall the DirectShow drivers Once the DirectShow drivers have been uninstal...

Page 175: ...e Uninstalling Procedure This is a very important step as it clears out the Windows registries Reboot your computer via the restart option Now if you haven t already done so download and install the l...

Page 176: ...Speed Active Extension Repeater Cable When I try to connect I receiver message Catastrophic failure Exception from HRESULT 0x8000FFF E_UNEXPECTED This message indicates that something has blocked or o...

Page 177: ...or some great suggestions on how to optimize your computer Also visit https www mallincam net software downloads html To summarize as per the research done by Doug Murphy Add a much RAM as you can int...

Page 178: ...ut it is encountered by many processes that task the USBDR and video processes of computers This problem is experienced by many video gamers and the solution that resolves this problem is to select on...

Page 179: ...hoose Task Manager from the list This will open up the task Manager Window Locate and Right Click on MallincamSky Process located in the Task Manager This will open up a small Selection Window Click o...

Page 180: ...d Right Click on the mallincamsky exe file and another selection window will appear choose Set affinity from that list This will pop up the Processor affinity window Uncheck all Processors Then Check...

Page 181: ...17 2019 SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 179 Close the Task Manager Window Note you will have to repeat this every time you restart the MallincamSky as windows doesn t remember you selecting 1 pro...

Page 182: ...star alignment difficulties when stacking images You need bright stars to get a successful frame alignment In other words increase gain or increase exposure or re adjust histogram to deliver a bright...

Page 183: ...the light frames in order to remove hot and warm pixels and amplifier glow However other noise will remain and needs to be removed with other manipulations and software Dark Field Correction Dark Fiel...

Page 184: ...night and the effect they have with respect to exposure times Take this into account when selecting your exposure time for your 10 dark images But remember this is NOT a Dark Frame subtraction the exp...

Page 185: ...der DS10CTEC User Manual Page 183 The two screen captures below demonstrate the difference that applying a Dark Field to an image can provide 90 second exposure lens covered 10 Dark Fields Applied 90...

Page 186: ...not to mention all the guys and gals and the Yahoo MallinCam site http tech groups yahoo com group mallincam messages One of the most important decisions you will need to make with broadcasting the i...

Page 187: ...he MallincamSky Software window This allows you to spend some time playing and adjusting the settings prior to connecting to NSN As you become more comfortable you will not worry about that and will a...

Page 188: ...age A helpful hint I slide over the KVYcam window so that some of the text appears in the KVYcam window Can the members on NSN read the words If not adjust Remember this may take a couple of sessions...

Page 189: ...cam Window If you need to you can again use the KVYcam desktop select icon and select or change the location or size of the window for it to grab If you have a dual monitor you can leave the KVYcam wi...

Page 190: ...e LOGIN button to accept You will next be presented with the Channel Line Up screen for Night Skies network Click on the Login selection on the upper right hand side of the screen Another Login Window...

Page 191: ...on NSN may hear an extreme loud buzzing feedback noise Later on we will look at using the microphone but until then I recommend CLICKING on the little microphone symbol on the upper right corner of t...

Page 192: ...ewers Select the Camera Now is the time to activate the camera or in our case have NSN driver point to our KVYcam Splitcam Webcam Max output RIGHT CLICK inside the NSN Video window to bring up a Setti...

Page 193: ...the right Over time you will find the sweet spot for your system Select your Resolution from the Pull Down Menu Select a starting value of 1280 x 720 for the system Again play with these to see what...

Page 194: ...tions that people use It all depends upon what computer equipment you are using Suggestion 1 Get a second cheap monitor This way you can have NSN running in your browser on one monitor and MallincamSk...

Page 195: ...ng before login back in Don t worry the NSN viewers sense what is happening and will keep the conversations going while waiting for you to come back on Don t be afraid to ask for advice by typing in o...

Page 196: ...194 Customizing the Screen You can customize what controls and the defaults for most of the controls you want active by Left Clicking anywhere in the Left Control Panel then choose the Settings choic...

Page 197: ...larger size up to 28 4mm diagonal CCD or CMOS sensor astronomical camera The large format focal reducer has a 2 48mm thread on either end and comes with a T to 2 adapter to allow use with all T mount...

Page 198: ...SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual March 17 2019 SkyRaider DS10CTEC User Manual Page 196 User Notes...

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