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Meade

®

LPI Camera Program 

The Basics

Содержание LPI

Страница 1: ...Meade LPI Camera Program The Basics ...

Страница 2: ...al cable Autostar 497 serial cable CD ROM including the Operating Instruction in pdf format Recommended Minimum System PC running Windows 98SE with 64 MB and 100 MB free disk space To get the best view and resolution for the images in this manual zoom in to 200 using the viewing controls in the Acrobat Reader control bar Parts Listing 2 ...

Страница 3: ...his window If you wish to install the catalog check the GSC check box If you do not wish to install the catalog uncheck the GSC check box Then click Next 7 The Start Installation window displays The program is now ready to install the Autostar Suite Click Next to begin installation 8 The Microsoft Text to Speech Engine window displays Click Yes to agree to the terms and to continue with the instal...

Страница 4: ...4 The Hardware Wizard window displays The Install Software selection is checked as the default choice Click Next The Wizard searches for the driver 5 XP versions only Windows Logo Test window displays Clicking Continue Anyway will install a driver that should operate with most PC configurations 6 The driver is installed Click Finish The camera driver is now installed and your PC will now be able t...

Страница 5: ...ogram will display 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 or the Meade General Catalog by selecting them from the Main Menu screen of the CD ROM Click the word Meade in the Main Menu or in the General catalog to go www meade com Start the Suite Software 5 ...

Страница 6: ...able points downward To connect the LPI camera to other telescopes Move the LPI camera around in the eyepiece holder until the image on the LPI display screen 17 is upright To connect the LPI camera when using an autoguider Go to the Object box and choose Autoguide from the list see pages 25 and 26 for more information Enter comm port number and other information Attach the correct serial cable fr...

Страница 7: ...To open the LPI Imaging program go to the Image menu of the Planetarium program and select LPI Imaging The LPI program will display Open the LPI Program 7 ...

Страница 8: ...8 LPI Controls b c d e f g h i j 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 2 ...

Страница 9: ...s 16 Stats Files tabs Key to LPI Controls 9 17 Help Live File Names tabs 18 Histogram display 19 Histogram sliders and controls 20 Log check box 21 ROI check box 22 Magic Eye Focus display 23 Avg Average Reset check boxes 24 Status display 25 Image display 26 Image directory field Browse button 27 Dark Frames directory field Browse button 28 Open button 29 Close button 30 Tracking box 31 Centroid ...

Страница 10: ...ur first image tests 1 Click on the Auto Adj button 3 See Auto Adjust Button page 16 for more infor mation 2 Click on the combo box controls in the Object field 10 to display a list of object types Scroll down the list and select Terrestrial See Object page 17 for more information 3 Type a name for the object in the Object Name box 11 This will be used as the image file name See Object Name page 1...

Страница 11: ... image see Magic Eye Focus page 21 for more information If you are having a lot of problems focusing your image see The Parfocal Ring pages 14 15 7 Click Start 14 The camera begins taking pictures and will continue to do so until you click on Stop Watch the Status box 24 in the bottom left hand corner When Images reaches 50 click the Stop button 14 Go to the next page to find out what the program ...

Страница 12: ...is image is referred to as the composite image in this manual After you press the Start button the composite image is displayed as a new tab above the display screen When you press Stop and select this tab the final version of the composite image is displayed After about 10 images are taken the LPI program applies a sharpening filter to the composite image You can choose which sharpening filter yo...

Страница 13: ... After 50 images the quality of the image increases only in small amounts about 90 of the quality level will have been accumulated with about 50 images When you press Start again the LPI program begins to accumulate a new composite image and renames the image in a new tab For example if you named the first image Building the next images will be named Building 2 then Building 3 and so forth so that...

Страница 14: ...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 The following procedure will show you how to make your LPI camera parfocal with a low power wide field 25mm or 26mm eyepiece do not perform this procedure with a high power eyepiece Use the supplied parfocal ring an...

Страница 15: ...until you can achieve focus of the image 8 When the image is roughly in focus remove the camera from the eyepiece 9 Place the supplied parfocal ring over the bottom chrome tubing of the eyepiece Do not tighten the ring 10 Place the eyepiece and tubing into the eyepiece holder Do not tighten any of the thumbscrews yet See photo at right 11 Do not use the telescope focuser in this step Lift the eyep...

Страница 16: ...trast and brightness you need to take pictures for the type of object you have selected You can further adjust the picture by adjusting the Exposure 2 setting Histogram sliders 19 Filters 9 and focusing the telescope see Magic Eye Focus page 21 for more information Exposure setting 2 Use the spin buttons to change the camera exposure either up or down by increments of 0 5 f stop Mono check box 4 C...

Страница 17: ... the Min Quality spin box to change the minimum quality level Evaluation Count allows you change number of images accumulated and evaluated to determine a quality baseline when the Start button is pressed Normally 10 images are evaluated this is the default number Click in the spin box to change the number of images used Track check box Check this box if you wish to have the ROI track the centroid...

Страница 18: ...mage check box 13 Normally images are added together make up a composite image or if they have too low of a quality level they may be discarded However you may choose to save every composite image the camera creates by checking the Save Every Image check box along with checking the Combine check box see page 17 for more information These images are not displayed as separate images only the last sa...

Страница 19: ...rectory name in the field If you type in a new directory the directory will be created when the first image is saved Dark Frames Directory field and Browse button 27 You may select the directory in which to save your Dark Sub images Click on the Browse button to locate a directory or type in a directory path in the field Or you may just type in the directory name in the field If you type in a new ...

Страница 20: ...ove the Image Display window See diagram below Notice that there are scroll arrows see diagram above at the end of the tab row Click on these arrows to dis play more composite image file tabs Close 29 Allows you to close a composite image file tab First click on the tab you wish to close then click on the Close button to close the file File Settings Tab 20 Scroll Arrows ...

Страница 21: ...nge 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 Reset button Resets the red maximum indicators Magic Eye Focus 21 ...

Страница 22: ...22 LPI Camera Program Advanced Concepts ...

Страница 23: ...first tests of this feature try to choose an object that is bright and has a dark area surrounding it You can experiment with this as you get familiar with the function Check the Track box the box now moves to keep the object centered If you re tracking a crater on the moon draw the box about the center or a bright spot in a crater Normally you will check the Track box However if you re imaging th...

Страница 24: ...righter or darker and even notice mid tones becoming more visible You will have to adjust these sliders differently for each object and can adjust the sliders on the fly as you are creating a composite image Note The effect of the sliders is saved in all file types except fits and fits3P LOG check box Makes the Histogram response logarithmic ROI Creates a histogram for just the part of an image th...

Страница 25: ...formation and the supplied serial cable that is appropriate for your model telescope You will also need to know the focal length of your telescope 1 Attach the off axis guider and your 35mm camera to your telescope as described in that product s instruction manual Insert and tighten the LPI imager into the eyepiece holder 2 Go to the Object box and choose Autoguide from the list 3 Attach one end o...

Страница 26: ... 10 When you click on the Start button the program begins to calibrate It then begins to autoguide your telescope and displays X and Y error coordinates in the Status Display box 24 11 Click the Abort button the Start button renamed when you are finished If you don t move your telescope or rotate the guider assembly you do not need to recalibrate However if you wish to recalibrate click on the Res...

Страница 27: ...e Dark Frame Exposure controls display 2 Select a range of exposure time For example if the length of your exposures will be between 2 and 5 seconds set the First Exp Exposure box for 2 seconds and the Last Exp box for 5 seconds The LPI program will then take a series of dark frames image files between 2 seconds and 5 seconds in length at approximately 0 5 f stop intervals about 1 4 seconds apart ...

Страница 28: ...the Status Display 24 Notice the Histogram display it will reflect the Dark Frames that are being imaged 6 Select an exposure in the Exposure Controls 2 The Dark Frames feature is used with Longer exposures so your exposure time should typically be longer than 1 second 7 Check the Dark Sub check box 6 The Dark Frames feature is automated so Dark Frames will automatically be applied to any pictures...

Страница 29: ...e states countries do not allow limitations on duration of an implied warranty so the above limitation may not apply to you 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 e...

Страница 30: ...O D U C T S D I V I S I O N Meade Instruments Corporation World s Leading Manufacturer of Astronomical Telescopes for the Serious Amateur 6001 Oak Canyon Irvine California 92618 949 451 1450 FAX 949 451 1460 www meade com 2003 ...

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