Orion 52084 User Manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Orion® StarShoot™ Pro

Deep Space Color Imager

#52084

Providing Exceptional Consumer Optical Products Since 1975

Customer Support (800) 676-1343

E-mail: support@telescope.com

OrionTelescopes.com

Corporate Offices (831) 763-7000

89 Hangar Way, Watsonville, CA 95076

IN 336 Rev. B 02/09

Welcome to the exciting world of astro-imaging. Your new StarShoot™ Pro Deep Space Color Imaging camera is capable of capturing impressive celestial objects like galaxies, star clusters, and nebulae, as well as the planets, Moon, and the Sun (with an optional solar ﬁlter). You can showcase spectacular images on your computer, share them on the internet, or print them. The camera’s large 6 mega-pixel array enables full-sized 8"x10" prints, suitable for publishing.

Please read this instruction manual before attempting to use the camera or install the needed software. For the most detailed information on speciﬁc camera and software functions, consult the Maxim DL Essentials Help menu; the tutorials found there are especially useful for familiarizing yourself with the software and camera.

Table of Contents

1. Getting Started ............................ 4

Parts List ....................................... 4

System Requirements ............................. 4

Software and Driver Installation ..................... 7

Getting Started During Daylight .................... 10

Obtaining First Images ........................... 10

Screen Stretch Window .......................... 13

2. Astronomical Imaging ...................... 14

A Note about the TEC ............................ 14

Focusing ...................................... 15

Imaging Deep Sky Objects ........................ 17

Dark Frames ................................... 18

Flat Fields ..................................... 19

3. Image Processing ......................... 21

Dark Frame Calibration ........................... 21

Flat Field Calibration ............................. 23

Convert Raw to Color ............................ 23

Combining Deep Sky Images ...................... 24

Combine Methods ............................... 26

Filter .......................................... 26

Color Balance .................................. 27

Stretch ........................................ 28

Recommended Processing Sequence ............... 29

Note on File Format.............................. 30

Batch Process .................................. 30

4. Using the StarShoot Pro as an Autoguider ...... 31

Computer to Mount Connection.................... 33

Autoguider Calibration ........................... 35

Multiple Camera Control For Autoguiding ............ 37

5. Other Features of MaxIm DL Essentials ........ 37

Edit Menu...................................... 37

View Menu ..................................... 38

Window Menu .................................. 38

Help Menu ..................................... 39

6. Tips .................................... 39

Polar Alignment ................................. 39

Choosing a Site for Astro-imaging .................. 40

Using Focal Reducers and Barlow Lenses ........... 40

Filters ......................................... 41

USB Extension Cable ............................ 41

Care and Maintenance ........................... 41

7. Speciﬁcations ............................ 42

Appendix A. Troubleshooting................... 43

Appendix B. Field of View Quick Reference Guide .. 46

Appendix C. Summarized Procedure to Imaging

Deep Sky Objects ........................... 51

Figure 1.

An autoguiding system is recommended.

To use the StarShoot Pro, a telescope, mount, and computer are required.

1. Getting Started

Parts List

• StarShoot Pro Deep Space Color Imager

• 10' USB cable

• 12' DC power cable with lighter plug

• CD-ROM

• Hard carrying case

System Requirements (refer to Figure 1)

Telescope

The StarShoot Pro can be used with most telescopes compatible with 2" format eyepieces. The camera is simply inserted into a focuser in the same way as a standard eyepiece (Figure 2a). The camera is also compatible with 1.25" focusers that include camera T-threads.

Caution: Be sure to always ﬁrmly tighten the thumbscrew(s) that secure the StarShoot Pro in the telescope focuser, or it could fall out and onto the ground!

Securing thumbscrew

Telescope T-threads

2a 2b

Figure 2a. The StarShoot Pro ﬁts into a 2" focuser, just like a standard 2" eyepiece.

Firmly tighten the thumbscrew that secures the StarShoot Pro in the focuser.

Figure 2b. If your telescope has T-threads, remove the nosepiece from the

StarShoot Pro and thread the camera directly onto the telescope. This provides the most secure connection.

If your telescope has T-threads for direct camera attachment, a more secure connection can be made. First, unthread the nosepiece from the SS Pro. This exposes the camera’s T-threads. Then, simply thread the camera onto your telescope (Figure 2b).

The camera requires approximately 0.7" (18mm) of inward focus travel relative to where a standard eyepiece focuses with your telescope. If your telescope does not have enough inward focus travel, you will need to use an optional 2" barlow lens to extend the telescope’s focal plane to the camera’s imaging plane. Some telescopes (such as refractors) may require the use of an extension tube (available from Orion) to provide enough outward focus for the StarShoot Pro.

The large 1.8" format imaging chip gives the StarShoot Pro an ample ﬁeld of view through most telescopes. See “Appendix B. Field of View Quick Reference Guide” for a list of the ﬁeld of view provided by several common telescopes. The camera’s pixel size and sensitivity make the StarShoot Pro suitable for most telescopes.

Because the StarShoot Pro uses a larger format CCD chip, a telescope with a 2" focuser is recommended to for full ﬁeld illumination. You can

still use the camera with a 1.25” focuser if it has optional T-threads; however, some vignetting (edge-darkening) may occur in the images.

Power input jack

Cooling fan

USB cable

Figure 3.

The 12VDC power cable and USB cable turn the camera on when plugged in.

Mount

Deep sky imaging with the StarShoot Pro requires an equatorial mount with a right ascension (R.A.) motor drive. The goal for your mount is to seamlessly track the apparent movement of the sky as the Earth rotates. The tracking must be very accurate, or the object you want to image will drift and blur across the camera’s ﬁeld of view while the exposure is taken. Even a small amount of drift will cause a star to look oblong instead of a round point. We recommend using a high-quality equatorial mount which utilizes periodic error correction (PEC) or has the ability to interface with an autoguider.

Computer

The StarShoot Pro requires a PC to operate the camera. For astro-imaging in the ﬁeld at night, a laptop computer is highly recommended. The included software is Maxim DL Essentials which requires Windows XP, or Windows Vista operating systems.

Note: The StarShoot Pro drivers and MaxIm DL Essentials do not support 64-bit operating systems

The following hardware is also required:

• Processor: 700 MHz speed or higher, Pentium™ III equivalent or higher

• Recommended minimum memory size is 512 MB

• Disk Space: 100 MB for program installation, 500 MB or more to store

images is recommended

Figure 4.

menu for software installation.

• Video Display: 1024 X 768 or higher, 16-bit color or higher

• Mouse

• Internet Explorer 4 or higher required to display on-line help

• High-speed USB 2.0 port

Power

The StarShoot Pro requires 12 volts DC (12VDC) with approximately 1 ampere of current. Power to the entire camera, including the thermo-electric cooler (TEC), and fan is supplied by the included power cable when plugged into a 12VDC power source (Figure 3).

Imaging in the ﬁeld usually requires the use of a portable ﬁeld battery to supply power, or you can use a 110VAC to 12VDC power converter if you have access to an AC outlet. Make sure the power supply provides at least 1 ampere of current.

Note: The StarShoot Pro can operate with as low as 8 volts in situations when your battery starts loosing power.

The Launcher provides an easy

Software and Driver Installation

Before the camera can be used, the software and camera drivers must be installed onto your computer. Turn on your computer and allow the Windows operating system to load as normal. Insert the included CD-ROM into your computer’s CD-ROM drive, and the Launcher will appear. This allows you to install the Maxim DL Essentials software. After the software is installed, the drivers will install automatically once the StarShoot Pro is initially connected to the computer. Do not connect the camera to your computer before you have installed the software.

Software Installation

To install Maxim DL Essentials Edition:

1. Insert the CD-ROM into the drive. The Launcher will appear (Figure 4). (For Windows Vista computers, the AutoPlay window will appear ﬁrst. Select Run Launcher.exe, then the Launcher will appear.)

5a 5b

Figure 5a.

the Found New Hardware Wizard will appear and guide you through driver installation.

When initially connecting the StarShoot Pro to a Windows XP computer,

Figure 5b. When initially connecting the StarShoot Pro to a Windows Vista

computer, the Found New Hardware window will appear and guide you through driver installation.

2. Click Install.

3. The InstallShield Wizard will start. Click Next.

4. Read the Maxim DL License Agreement. If you agree with the terms, then select I accept the terms in this license agreement and click Next.

5. Click Install. The installation will proceed.

6. The installation is now complete. Click the Finish button.

You can start Maxim DL Essentials Edition using the desktop icon, or using the Windows Start menu.

Camera Driver Installation

Now that the software is installed, the camera driver must also be installed. The system will automatically guide you through driver installation when the StarShoot Pro is initially connected to the computer. You must connect power to the camera and connect the USB cable from your camera to the computer before starting Maxim DL Essentials Edition, or the software and computer will not recognize the camera.

To install the camera driver on a Windows XP computer:

1. Insert the CD-ROM into the computer.

2. Connect the Orion StarShoot Pro to a USB port on the computer with the supplied USB cable.

3. Plug the supplied power cable into a 12VDC power source and connect the cable to the StarShoot Pro. The cooling fan will automatically power on. Windows will automatically detect the camera and start the Found New Hardware Wizard (Figure 5a).

Figure 6.

automatically appears when the StarShoot Pro is connected to the computer and the Maxim DL Essentials program is started.

The Camera Control Window

Note: The StarShoot Pro will not work with USB 1.1. Your computer must have a high-speed USB 2.0 port available.

4. Select No, not this time when Windows asks to automatically search for drivers online and click Next.

5. Select Install from a list or speciﬁc location (Advanced) and click Next.

6. Select Search removable media (ﬂoppy, CD-ROM...). Turn off the other options. Click Next.

Windows will start looking for the driver ﬁles on the CD-ROM.

7. Windows will note that the driver has not passed Windows Logo testing. This is normal. Click the Continue Anyway button.

8. Click the Finish button when the wizard has completed. A message will appear in your Windows task bar Device Installed Successfully.

9. Start the Maxim DL Essentials Edition software. The camera will automatically be recognized, and the Camera Control Window (Figure 6) will appear.

To install the camera driver on Windows Vista computer:

1. Insert the CD-ROM into the computer

2. Connect the Orion StarShoot Pro to a USB port on the computer with the supplied USB cable.

4. Select Locate and install driver software (recommended).

5. In the next window that appears, select Don’t search online.

6. The next window that appears will ask you to “Insert the disk that came with your StarShoot Camera”. Click Next.

7. A Windows Security window will appear and mention that “Windows can’t verify the publisher of this driver software”. Choose Install this driver software anyway.

8. When the window appears telling you “The software for this device has been successfully installed”, click Close. This completes the driver installation process.

9. Start MaxIm DL Essentials. The camera should be automatically recognized, and the Camera Control Window (Figure 6) will appear. Once the driver is installed, the computer and software will recognize the StarShoot Pro whenever it is plugged in.

Note: If your computer (Windows XP or Vista) has multiple USB ports, you will need to install the driver again if the StarShoot Pro is connected to a different USB port.

Getting Started During Daylight

We recommend using the StarShoot Pro for the ﬁrst time during the day. This way, you can become familiar with the camera and its functions without having to stumble around in the dark. Setup your telescope and mount so the optical tube is pointing at an object that is at least a couple of hundred feet away. Insert an eyepiece and focus as you normally would.

Since the StarShoot Pro is so sensitive to light, you will need to “stop down” your telescope aperture to do any imaging in daylight. This can be done by creating a simple aperture mask out of a piece of cardboard. The piece of cardboard should be larger than the telescope’s aperture. Cut a circular hole in the cardboard approximately 1⁄2" in diameter, and place the cardboard over the front of the telescope so that it completely covers the aperture except for the 1⁄2" circle. If you are using a refractor telescope, then the hole should be cut so it is centered on the piece of cardboard. If you are using a reﬂector that has a central aperture obstruction, then the hole should be cut off to one side (in order to bypass the central obstruction). Afﬁx your aperture mask to your telescope with tape (Figure 7).

Obtaining First Images

To obtain ﬁrst images (in daylight) with the StarShoot Pro, follow these stepby-step instructions:

1. With an eyepiece inserted in the telescope, center and focus on an object approximately 1⁄4 mile away. If you cannot focus your telescope to an object this close due to lack of back-focus travel, then you will need to utilize an optional extension tube (available from Orion).

2. Plug the camera into your computer’s USB port.

3. Plug the power cable into the StarShoot Pro, with your 12VDC power source already connected. The cooling fan should automatically power on.

Figure 7.

needed on the telescope for any imaging during daylight. For a refractor, the hole should be centered on the aperture mask. For a reﬂector, the hole should be off to one side of the aperture mask.

Because the StarShoot Pro is sensitive to light, an aperture mask is

4. Open Maxim DL Essentials by clicking on the icon installed on your computer’s desktop. Once open, Essentials should automatically connect to your camera and display the Camera Control Window.

5. Remove the eyepiece from your telescope.

6. Connect the camera to your telescope. Make sure the securing thumbscrew(s) on the focuser drawtube is ﬁrmly tightened. If your telescope has built-in T-threads, then remove the nosepiece from the StarShoot Pro, and thread the camera onto the telescope (see Figures 2a-b).

7. Set the mode to Light Color 1x1 in the Camera Control Window. Set the

Seconds (exposure time) to .01 to begin with. In the box underneath the Mode box, select Focus. Make sure the Dark Subtract box is unchecked.

Check the Delay box so you can easily stop the exposures when the camera is focused.

8. Press the Expose button in the Camera Control Window. The camera will take short exposures and display them on the computer screen. For daytime imaging, open the Screen Stretch Window (in the View menu), and set the stretch mode to Moon.

9. Try to get a Max Pixel of around 40000 to 50000 by increasing or decreasing exposure time (.002 sec is the minimum exposure time). If the (daytime) image is still too bright to produce an acceptable image on your computer

Figure 8.

the Screen Stretch Window greatly determine how an image will appear on your computer screen.

The settings in

screen, you may need to stop-down the aperture of your telescope further. Try making another aperture mask with a diameter of only 1⁄4".

10. Turn the telescope’s focus knob so the focuser drawtube moves slowly inward. The drawtube needs to go approximately 18mm inward from where the eyepiece focuses (for most eyepieces). Look at the computer screen and adjust the focus knob accordingly to determine best image focus.

11. Adjust the image orientation, if needed, by rotating the camera within the focuser drawtube. Simply loosen the thumbscrew on the drawtube and rotate the camera until the desired image orientation is achieved. Retighten the thumbscrew on the focuser drawtube when done. You may need to slightly refocus (using the telescope’s focus knob) if the focuser drawtube has moved a bit inward or outward when the camera was rotated.

12. When the image is focused and the image looks acceptable, press the Stop button in the Camera Control Window.

13. Select Single in the pull-down menu underneath Mode in the Camera Control Window.

14. Click the Expose button in the Camera Control Window. An image will appear in a window.

15. Select Save from the File menu to save the image for processing later, if you wish.

You have captured your ﬁrst image with the StarShoot Pro! This simple method of imaging is exactly how the camera could be used to capture terrestrial subjects during daylight hours. Close-up images of birds and other wildlife or faraway vistas can all be obtained in this way with the StarShoot Pro. Solar images can also be taken during the day with an optional full-aperture solar ﬁlter over the front of the telescope.

Take some time to use the camera and Maxim DL Essentials software during the day to become familiar and comfortable with their basic operation.

Number of pixels at

brightness level

Range of brightness levels

representation of the range and levels of brightness in an image.

Screen Stretch Window

The function of the Screen Stretch Window (Figure 8) is to properly map the image brightness levels captured by the camera into corresponding image brightness levels on the computer screen. A typical camera image has each pixel (light detecting site, over six million pixels form a single StarShoot Pro image) represented as a number (from 1 to 65535) depending on brightness. This has to be mapped into the video monitor’s brightness range (from 1 to

255). It is important to set the screen stretch appropriately, or a great image

may look terrible!

When an image is displayed, you will notice a graph in the Screen Stretch Window. This is called the “histogram” of the currently displayed image (Figure

9). A histogram is a simple bar graph that shows the range of brightness in

an image. Each bar in the graph represents a level of brightness; the bar to the far left in the histogram represents the dimmest pixels, and the bar to the far right is for the brightest pixels. The height of the bar is the total number of pixels at that brightness level in the image. Every image has a different histogram depending on how much of the image is bright or dark. Directly viewing the histogram of your image in the Screen Stretch Window provides an easy interface for making decisions on how the screen stretch should be set.

In Maxim DL Essentials, the two parameters entered in the Screen Stretch Window are Minimum and Maximum. A pixel that is at the Minimum value is set to zero (black), and a pixel at the Maximum value is set to 255 (white). An easy way to adjust the Maximum and Minimum values is to move the slider arrows located directly under the histogram of the image in the Screen Stretch Window. The red slider arrow corresponds to the Minimum value and the green arrow corresponds to the Maximum value. Simply left-click and then drag each arrow to adjust it to the desired level. The best results are obtained by adjusting the arrows (numbers) until the most pleasing display appears.

There are also seven automatic settings in the Screen Stretch Window. Typically, Medium will give good results for deep sky objects, so the default screen stretch setting is Medium. Instead of using the Screen Stretch Window, it is faster to use the Quick Stretch facility. This allows you to modify the image appearance instantly with small up/down and left/right movements

Figure 9. A histogram is a visual

of the mouse. To do this, hold down the Shift key, then left-click and drag the mouse on the image. You’ll ﬁnd this feature to be a great convenience when ﬁne adjusting the screen stretch to get an image to look its best.

Instead of using the Screen Stretch Window, it is faster to use the Quick Stretch facility. This allows you to modify the image appearance instantly with small up/down and left/right movements of the mouse. To do this, hold down the Shift key, then left-click and drag the mouse on the image. You’ll ﬁnd this feature to be a great convenience when ﬁne adjusting the screen stretch to get an image to look its best.

The trick with stretching is determining exactly how to stretch the image for best effect. Often there are several different possibilities for the same image. Trial-and-error will be the best way to judge what the best screen stretch setting is. Try several different settings until you ﬁnd one you think looks best. When the image is subsequently saved, the screen stretch setting information will be kept when the image is next opened. Feel free to adjust the Screen Stretch settings all you want; it will not effect the image data you captured and only effects how the image is displayed. You can always switch back to a preset setting, like Medium or Moon.

2. Astronomical Imaging

Now that you’re familiar with basic camera and software operation, it’s time to take the StarShoot Pro out at night under the stars to capture some astronomical images. We recommend starting with the Moon, as it is easy to acquire into the camera’s ﬁeld of view, and typically does not require stacking multiple exposures like planetary and deep sky images do.

A Note about the TEC

One of the most advantageous features of the StarShoot Pro is the thermoelectric cooler (TEC). The TEC is automatically turned on when the camera is plugged into your computer and powered on with the 12VDC power source. The cooler is always on when the camera is powered on, providing the coolest possible CCD temperature.

The TEC is like a refrigerator in the camera. When the camera is running, it produces internal heat which causes “noise” in images. The TEC counteracts this by cooling the CCD chip, which reduces thermal noise. This produces better quality images than cameras without coolers can provide. Also, cameras withsimple air-cooling (i.e. with an onboard fan or heat sink only) cannot reduce the internal camera temperature below ambient (outside) temperature, and therefore produce images that are inherently inferior. The TEC in the StarShoot Pro, with the added help of the cooling fan, will reduce the temperature of the camera’s interior to approximately 54°F (30° C) below the ambient outside temperature.

Figure 10.

small box around the star to focus on with your mouse. The next exposure will download a “subframe”, using only the small area you selected which greatly decreases the download time.

Draw a

Focusing

Focusing the CCD camera is one of the most critical parts of imaging. It can be challenging, but MaxIm DL Essentials has some helpful features which will assist you when focusing your StarShoot Pro. Before focusing, make sure your mount is polar aligned and tracking.

For best results, we recommend focusing on a star at least 30º above the horizon (or higher). Follow these steps to achieve an accurate focus:

1. Find and center a moderately bright star through your ﬁnder scope. Try to ﬁnd a star around magnitude 4 or 5. If you are not using an optical ﬁnder or just using your unaided eye, the star should look relatively faint. This is important because brighter stars will easily over saturate the camera and compromise the focus accuracy.

2. Center your telescope on the star using an eyepiece. Make sure the right ascension (R.A.) tracking motor is engaged on your mount.

3. Replace the eyepiece with the StarShoot Pro.

4. Set the Mode to in the Camera Control Window to Light Color 1x1. Set

Seconds (exposure time) to 1 second to begin with. In the box below the Mode box, select Single.

5. Click the Expose button. You should see the out of focus star in the image. If you do not see anything, you need to increase the exposure time.

6. Check that the Subframe section at the bottom of the Camera Control window has both the On and Mouse boxes checked on.

7. Draw a small box around the unfocused star with your mouse (hold-click and drag the mouse cursor around the star to draw the box, Figure 10).

Figure 11.

in the Camera Control Window help determine the best focus.

The FWHM and Max Pixel

8. In the Camera Control Window, in the box below the Mode box, select Focus. Click Expose. The camera will only download the area you previously selected, which makes each image download signiﬁcantly faster than the whole frame.

Note: If the StarShoot Pro is grossly out of focus, no object will appear in the image, not even a blur. Increase the exposure time if needed and patiently move through the focus range of your telescope until you see the centered star come into view.

9. Gradually adjust the telescope’s focuser inward until the star visually comes to a small point on your computer screen. You have achieved a rough focus. Some small adjustments remain to get a perfect focus.

10. Click the Stop button.

11. Set Seconds somewhere between 0.002 and 0.1 seconds (or longer for fainter stars).

12. Click Expose.

13. Carefully watch the FWHM and Max Pixel values in the Camera Control Window (Figure 11). The FWHM (Full-Width Half Maximum) indicates the diameter of the star. The Max Val is the brightness value for the brightest pixel in the star. The smaller the FWHM, and the larger the Max Pixel, the closer you are to focused.

14. Adjust the focus as needed to get the smallest FWHM and largest Max Pixel possible. The Max Pixel should stay well below 65535, as this is the saturation level for the camera. If the Max Pixel approaches 65535, reduce the exposure time or try selecting a fainter star. Paying attention to these values will help you get a very accurate focus, far better than simply looking at the star image on your screen.

15. Click Stop once you reach the best focus and click Reset in the Subframe section at the bottom of the Camera Control window (Figure 12). Before proceeding to take images, set the Mode box back to Single.

Note: Due to atmospheric seeing conditions, you may notice signiﬁcant ﬂuctuation in the FWHM and Max Pixel values while focusing. You typically have to take multiple exposures each time you adjust the focuser to determine the quality of your focus.

Figure 12.

box after you have achieved focus.

Caution: Once you have achieved focus, be sure to click the Reset button at the bottom of the camera control window, otherwise the camera will crop all your images into a small square!

Click Reset in the Subframe

Imaging Deep Sky Objects

Capturing impressive images of deep sky objects, such as galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters, require long exposures. You will take several individual images and stack them together to form one high-quality resultant image, just as you would with planetary imaging. But while planetary images are formed by stacking many exposures of less than 5 seconds, deep space images will generally be comprised of individual images of a minute or longer!

Note that the StarShoot Pro is also capable of capturing planetary images. To increase the image scale of the planets, a barlow lens is recommended. See “Tips – Using Focal Reducers and Barlow Lenses”.

Very accurate polar alignment is essential for deep sky imaging. Stars will streak across the ﬁeld of view without precise polar alignment and tracking. Longer exposures of 60 seconds or more also require autoguiding with a separate camera. The Orion StarShoot AutoGuider can be operated with the StarShoot Pro in MaxIm DL Essentials.

To start:

1. Acquire and center the deep sky object into the ﬁeld of view of your eyepiece. If you are using a mount with an accurate computerized go-to system, you can keep the camera installed in your telescope’s focuser without using the eyepiece.

2. Remove the eyepiece and replace it with the StarShoot Pro.

3. Set the Mode to Light Color 1x1 and precisely focus the camera by using the telescope’s focus knob and the Focus setting in the Camera Control Window. If necessary, move the telescope to a nearby star to determine the best focus. (Refer to “Focusing”)

4. For best results, set the Mode to Light Raw 1x1 after you have reached focus. Use the Medium setting in the Screen Stretch Window

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