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Subject: Re: [M]: Subject: Software for LX200
From: Gary Campbell
Reply To: mapug@shore.net
Date: Wed Nov 12 00:06:01 1997

At 09:04 AM 11/11/97 -0800, Robert W. Rafferty wrote:
> I am in the market for buying a software package for controlling my
>LX200. I would appreciate some personal opinions on which package to
>purchase and why. My goal is to also purchase a CCD also so if you
>information on what I need to get in that regards, I would appreciate

I like TheSky. Been out a very long time. Good tech support. Supports
most of the LX200 commands. Easy to import external databases and
"tonights objects" type lists. Intuitive to operate. Works w/ Win3.1,
Win95 and NT. If a mac version is on the way, great. My Powerbook will
have something to do now :)

Very complementary to CCDSoft, its sister product, which can control SBIG,
and some other cameras. TheSky will draw a CCD field-of-view indicator
showing you what your camera will image, and also lets you build mosaics.
I built my field computer to be optimized with this pair of applications.

Two things I wish were in the product were:
(1)a way to query the installed databases for objects. Like - returning a
list of galaxies, between X & Y hours of RA, larger than 6 minutes, and of
the spiral type. Certainly this can be done with other applications, but
it'd be nice if it was built-in, like MegaStar.
(2)an easier way to add your own pics to display in the program. It's
currently very "do-able" to build a little database file that accomplishes
this. But you have to type in coordinates and such; hopefully a more
point-and-click method will evolve.

Sending, and receiving commands from the LX200 is not an overly complicated
process, so I'd imagine most digital planetariums programs that claim this
capability, probably do a pretty good job of it. I just prefer TheSky.

>the information also. Is using CCD difficult to master?

Not difficult, just tedious. And frustrating at first. Not much info is
published on the subject. Finding someone else, who's been at-it for
awhile would be invaluable. Of course some of us like standing in the
dark, while the clouds start forming, fumbling around w/ miles of cables,
looking at monitors all night - instead of the night sky, while trying to
understand a very high-priced, single-frame, equivalent of a camcorder.

It's very addictive. Once you start, visual observing just isn't the same
anymore. You'll have no regrets.

Happy imaging!