10
11
7. A
Windows Security
window will appear and mention that “Windows can’t
verify the publisher of this driver software”. Choose
Install this driver
software anyway
.
8. When the window appears telling you “The software for this device has
been successfully installed”, click
Close
. This completes the driver instal-
lation process.
9. Start MaxIm DL Essentials. The camera should be automatically recog-
nized, and the
Camera Control Window
(Figure 6) will appear. Once the
driver is installed, the computer and software will recognize the StarShoot
Pro whenever it is plugged in.
Note: If your computer (Windows XP or Vista) has multiple USB ports, you will
need to install the driver again if the StarShoot Pro is connected to a different
USB port.
Getting Started During Daylight
We recommend using the StarShoot Pro for the first time during the day. This
way, you can become familiar with the camera and its functions without having
to stumble around in the dark. Setup your telescope and mount so the optical
tube is pointing at an object that is at least a couple of hundred feet away.
Insert an eyepiece and focus as you normally would.
Since the StarShoot Pro is so sensitive to light, you will need to “stop down”
your telescope aperture to do any imaging in daylight. This can be done by
creating a simple aperture mask out of a piece of cardboard. The piece of
cardboard should be larger than the telescope’s aperture. Cut a circular hole in
the cardboard approximately 1⁄2" in diameter, and place the cardboard over the
front of the telescope so that it completely covers the aperture except for the
1⁄2" circle. If you are using a refractor telescope, then the hole should be cut so
it is centered on the piece of cardboard. If you are using a reflector that has a
central aperture obstruction, then the hole should be cut off to one side (in order
to bypass the central obstruction). Affix your aperture mask to your telescope
with tape (Figure 7).
Obtaining First Images
To obtain first images (in daylight) with the StarShoot Pro, follow these step-
by-step instructions:
1. With an eyepiece inserted in the telescope, center and focus on an object
approximately 1⁄4 mile away. If you cannot focus your telescope to an
object this close due to lack of back-focus travel, then you will need to
utilize an optional extension tube (available from Orion).
2. Plug the camera into your computer’s USB port.
3. Plug the power cable into the StarShoot Pro, with your 12VDC power source
already connected. The cooling fan should automatically power on.
4. Open Maxim DL Essentials by clicking on the icon installed on your com-
puter’s desktop. Once open, Essentials should automatically connect to
your camera and display the
Camera Control Window
.
5. Remove the eyepiece from your telescope.
6. Connect the camera to your telescope. Make sure the securing thumbscrew(s)
on the focuser drawtube is firmly tightened. If your telescope has built-in
T-threads, then remove the nosepiece from the StarShoot Pro, and thread
the camera onto the telescope (see Figures 2a-b).
7. Set the mode to
Light Color 1x1
in the
Camera Control Window
. Set the
Seconds
(exposure time) to .01 to begin with. In the box underneath the
Mode
box, select
Focus
. Make sure the
Dark Subtract
box is unchecked.
Check the
Delay
box so you can easily stop the exposures when the cam-
era is focused.
8. Press the
Expose
button in the
Camera Control Window
. The camera
will take short exposures and display them on the computer screen. For
daytime imaging, open the
Screen Stretch Window
(in the
View
menu),
and set the stretch mode to
Moon
.
9. Try to get a
Max Pixel
of around 40000 to 50000 by increasing or decreas-
ing exposure time (.002 sec is the minimum exposure time). If the (daytime)
image is still too bright to produce an acceptable image on your computer
Figure 7.
Because the StarShoot Pro is sensitive to light, an aperture mask is
needed on the telescope for any imaging during daylight. For a refractor, the hole
should be centered on the aperture mask. For a reflector, the hole should be off to one
side of the aperture mask.
