I was loaned this camera from a friend. I am having great difficulties figuring out where the drivers are located to download and also a program to run this camera. Is the a free program out there besides maximdl? I would really like to learn how to use this camera to photograph AND guide at the same time. It would be nice if I only needed one camera to do it all. I also have the color wheel loaded with astrodon filters...so any help would be GREATLY appreciated!! Thanks ahead of time!!
The free program, available on our web site, is called CCDOPS. The drivers and software for obsolete models are available here: http://diffractionlimited.com/products/obsolete/
I looked...and I cannot locate anything that works for the st2000 xm. When there IS a link...its a "404 not found" error. I managed to get it running on a Windows 7 older desktop with APT program...but that does not allow me to use the autoguide feature this camera has...or at least I have not figured it out if even you can on APT. EVERY time I download ccdtools 5...I cannot get the proper firmware. It seems as though drivers are there. CCDTOOLS just will not locate camera. My win 10 laptop will not locate the drivers...even with Windows locator. Frustrating...as this older camera is a great way for me to cut my teeth into higher end equipment. I plan on using the lrgb Astrodon filters in the filter wheel via ascom tonight if it's clear. It would be nice to have direct links for what I need. Not ccdtools... But the proper drivers/firmware for camera. I looked for hours..no luck
It's all there on the site. Here are the direct links. Driver software: ftp://ftp.sbig.com/pub/SetupDriverChecker64.exe CCDOPS software: ftp://ftp.sbig.com/pub/InstOps.exe
I'll give it a shot. I thought I had all of it downloaded right. Ccdops was running...but the camera was not working. It would not locate the proper drivers. This will work on Windows 10?
Yes it will work on Windows 10. In fact one of our developers happens to have one on his desk right now, running some software tests, and he is using Win10.
Its been awhile...but I managed to get it up and running. The link for planets is the one that got it up and running for some reason. Everything else would not work. Either drivers or firmware would not be found. I managed to get the color wheel running and everything, so I should finally be ready to go. Now if the skies would clear up! I think it best if I learn the basics with no color first I will be best off. I am just curious as to what will give better detail....this camera or a Nikon d5500? I am betting the st 2000xm is better in the long run by far. I'm not well versed in the sensors on cameras.
The ST will be more sensitive, and its temperature stability will allow you to accurately subtract dark frames. It is better suited to deeper images of smaller, fainter targets. The Nikon of course has more pixels, but will not be as sensitive. It is better suited to wide-angle pictures.
Thanks so much for your input. I greatly appreciate it! As of now I use an ED80 and a Televue Genesis on a cgem, (Together). I guide with either one. Here's a quick question... I just got a 2.5x luminos barlow. With generally the 80mm will this help give me more detail when barlowed...or should I just use it for visual. Again...I am fairly new to photography.
The barlow may be useful depending on what your target is. For example, if you are aiming to shoot planetary nebulae, maximum resolution is obviously desirable. If you're shooting the Andromeda Galaxy, then you'll want a wider field of view. The optimum focal length depends on your seeing conditions. If you're at the top of Mauna Kea your seeing might be sub-arcsecond. If you live where I do, it's a rare night that's better than 2.5 arc-seconds FWHM, and 3 - 3.5 is typical (and occasionally 12 but that's another story!). For optimum resolution you typically want about 3 pixels across the FWHM of the star images. So with average seeing 1 arc-second per pixel is a good starting point. So what focal length do we need? Your camera's pixels are 7.4 microns across. The image scale will be: Resolution (arc-seconds per pixel) = 206 * pixel size microns / focal length mm. So suppose you have a 1500 mm focal length. That works out to: Resolution = 206 * 7.4 / 1500 = 1.0 arc-seconds. Definitely in the right ballpark for optimum resolution! Of course maximum resolution means minimum field of view. So it depends on your target whether you want to use the barlow or not. Also be aware that "2.5X" is not an accurate figure. It depends on the spacing from the barlow's lens to the camera (or eyepiece field stop). If your camera's chip ends up further away than a typical eyepiece would be, then the amplification will be greater. You will have to measure this empirically - take a picture and see how much sky you get.
With ccdops....do I need ccdsoft? Or is this a totally different automation program. Using this camera I can see will have its limits without maximdl. I saw how easy it was to stretch an image. Ccdops is very basic and as far as I can tell...does not have this option to stretch an image. If I was to keep this camera...how does a guy get these programs that were supposed to come with the camera...and the original owner no longer has the discs. He has since upgraded his camera...and pretty much tossed it in my lap. His camera now sits on an 18" reflector.. all homemade components, and his fully remote observatory sits unused for over 2 years. He has discovered 6 unknown asteroids with his current rig. His work has not allowed him to help me in any way figure this camera out. Do I need to purchase this software all new if I want to use it? Are there any free trial periods?
CCDOPS is freely available on our web site, but it is very basic. It does have a stretch capability. I can't help you with CCDSoft. It was produced by another company, and they had an agreement with SBIG at the time to distribute a limited version with the cameras. It's now obsolete and they do not support it. We do not have permission to distribute it. We do have MaxIm DL Pro, which will provide excellent support for your camera. A free 30 day demo is available on our web site. Go to http://diffractionlimited.com/product/maxim-dl/ and click the Demo tab.
