Satellite Imaging

[dts350z]

I'm wondering if the following feature request makes sense.

 

For Satellite Imaging, say the ISS, It may only be in your FOV for a couple of seconds. That's not enough time to move the zoombox, lock it, go into 5x mode, and hit capture.

 

Would it be possible to do zoombox and 5x mode changes DURING a capture?

 

That would give you at least a fighting chance. 5 clicks, or I guess if you unlocked first 3 clicks.

 

Hmm, maybe we could have a checkbox for 5x zoom on zoombox lock feature? That would activate the 5x zoom as soon as you locked it. Now we're down to 2 clicks.

[admin]

I'm wondering if the following feature request makes sense.

 

For Satellite Imaging, say the ISS, It may only be in your FOV for a couple of seconds. That's not enough time to move the zoombox, lock it, go into 5x mode, and hit capture.

 

Would it be possible to do zoombox and 5x mode changes DURING a capture?

 

That would give you at least a fighting chance. 5 clicks, or I guess if you unlocked first 3 clicks.

 

Hmm, maybe we could have a checkbox for 5x zoom on zoombox lock feature? That would activate the 5x zoom as soon as you locked it. Now we're down to 2 clicks.

 

All images MUST be the same size when encoding into an AVI <_>

 

Regards,

[dts350z]

Well I could forgo the avi in that case I guess.

[timtrice]

Try calsky.com to get exact position where satellite passes. I did this during the eclipse and had two opportunities. First was clouded out. Second was clear. It gave me a map of the moon and exactly where satellite would pass. One minute prior I started a 2000 frame exposure. No idea if I caught it as I haven't reviewed yet but I'm optimistic

[dts350z]

Thanks.

 

I have several options for Satellite positioning and sun and moon transit prediction.

 

Yes Calsky is sending me weekly reports, and I get HQSpotTheStation emails from NASA.

 

Stellarium planetarium software can track/predict Satellites, including ISS. While it can sync your scope to the ISS position, by the time it gets there ISS will have moved. I'm going to test with a keysender app, to send a scope sync command every 500ms and see what that gets me, but yes a solar or lunar transit with the scope fixed seems like the best way to go.

 

Also another tracking option, with which I have not been successful with to date is "satellitetracker" --> Virtual Com Port --> EQMod LX --> EQMod.

 

The problem there is ultra accurate mount location coordinates and polar alignment are critical, as there's no time or way to correct when the ISS is moving @ 1 degree/sec.

 

To date the scope tracks ISS, but not close enough to get in my FOV. With two cameras on the mount, the scope @1000mm and another camera @ 300mm, I was able to capture 16 frames on the 300mm camera, but that is insufficient magnification to see much of anything.