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Is my computer up to the job


Thepuckster

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Hi all

I'm using Windows 7 64 bit with i3 processor and 4 GB RAM. I've just been using the planetary imaging section on the sun with my 18 Mp 600d. I've been capturing 2500 frames and the average size each file is approx. 5.2 GB.

 

The first 6 movies were fine but after that nothing else was saved onto the hard drive although 2 files were shown in the processing window in BYEOS, (version 3.03 premium).There is loads of space on the hard drive. BYEOS appeared to have frozen, although I'm sure that was just the effect and not the cause.

 

As a relative novice, have I jammed up my system? I should mention that the only other processes running on the computer were EQMOD controlling the mount and Cartes du Ciel.

 

I get the feeling that I might be asking too much of the laptop but would welcome any hints which would allow me to capture more than half a dozen movies.

 

Thanks

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Video encoding -large- files like that will take a long time, maybe up to 10 minutes each.  And if you closed BYE before they where all done... well it did not complete the AVI encoding process.

 

You have not lost anything though.  Your individual jpgs files are still in "My Pictures\BackyardTEMP\downloads".

 

In v3.1 I have changed the background process and it will be faster and you will be able to close BYE and the process will continue... as long as you don't close the PC :)

 

I may even add an option in planetary to save jpg only (skip the avi encoding) for those rare instances when it's the only logical thing left to do.

 

Guylain

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Overall, I'd wager that your PC specs are about average (or a bit better) than the majority of BYEOS Users.

Most of us favor a Laptop with good Battery Life, and either a decently hardy build or inexpensive enough to accept the damage that long-term outdoor nighttime usage could bring.  We usually turn to a higher-spec machine (as likely a desktop with more of everything) in order to do the Image Processing over the next several days.

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s3igell, thanks for the reassurance. At the moment I have everything connected to the laptop via a powered USB hub and I'm just wondering whether my cables or the routing of them may be slowing things down. I reckon I need to experiment a bit but would be interested to learn how others connect all the various devices to their computers when there 's not quite enough USB sockets.

Steve

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Using a Powered USB Hub is a Good Thing - both to ensure the Devices are getting the power they need, and to ensure that juice is coming from the Laptop's battery which is needed to keep the PC going through a long night Imaging Session.  And the Hub acts as a Signal Extender, meaning you can have up to 10 meters of USB2 cable length.

 

Using a USB Hub can have drawbacks:  1) Most USB Hubs will Fallback to the speed of the slowest Attached Device and some Mounts implement only USB 1.1; 2) Canon DSLRs produce a large burst of data when the Image is being Downloaded which can saturate the USB for a few seconds even at USB 2.0 speed and a much lower but non-zero load while the Exposure Timer is ongoing; and 3) most AutoGuider Cameras can saturate the USB 2.0 all the time.  Since the USB Hub is consolidating all these data sources, you may have problems - unwanted slow speed USB 1.1 mode or saturated transfer rates while simultaneously Downloading and AutoGuiding.

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Thanks s3igell. That's the best explanation about USB hub usage I've seen. I have re routed cabling so that the guide camera and dslr now have their own dedicated sockets leaving anything else to go through the hub. On a trial daylight run (using the dog as the subject!),it appears to work just fine. Thanks again.

Steve

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Video encoding -large- files like that will take a long time, maybe up to 10 minutes each.  And if you closed BYE before they where all done... well it did not complete the AVI encoding process.

 

You have not lost anything though.  Your individual jpgs files are still in "My Pictures\BackyardTEMP\downloads".

 

In v3.1 I have changed the background process and it will be faster and you will be able to close BYE and the process will continue... as long as you don't close the PC :)

 

I may even add an option in planetary to save jpg only (skip the avi encoding) for those rare instances when it's the only logical thing left to do.

 

Guylain

 

This seems to be the answer to the very similar problems I've been having with video downloads.

I can hardly wait for v3.1 and get this all behind me.  Any news on a possible release date?

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Video encoding -large- files like that will take a long time, maybe up to 10 minutes each.  And if you closed BYE before they where all done... well it did not complete the AVI encoding process.

 

You have not lost anything though.  Your individual jpgs files are still in "My Pictures\BackyardTEMP\downloads".

 

In v3.1 I have changed the background process and it will be faster and you will be able to close BYE and the process will continue... as long as you don't close the PC :)

 

I may even add an option in planetary to save jpg only (skip the avi encoding) for those rare instances when it's the only logical thing left to do.

 

Guylain

 

This seems to be the answer to the very similar problems I've been having with video downloads.

I can hardly wait for v3.1 and get this all behind me.  Any news on a possible release date?

 

I'm hoping end of June... but I think it will most likely be July. 

 

I need to release BackyardNIKON into production first (aiming late June for that puppy).

 

 

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