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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Use filter wheel as shutter for dark frames

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Do you guys think it would be possible to block one position on the filter wheel to make it act as a shutter for dark frames?
Haven’t bought one yet and I’m not sure whether you could tell StellarMate to switch to a specific filter wheel position before taking a dark frame.

What do you guys think?
3 years 1 week ago #68788

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I have dark filter, and it works, but not in the way you might expect. The main headache is if you select the dark filter and then run a line of "Light" frames in the capture module, it will try to autofocus, it can't do it, and so the sequence aborts.

What you need to do is select the dark filter by one of two means:-
1. In the Capture module, use the dropdown box to click on your dark filter as if you were about to do a run of "lights" with the dark filter OR
2. Go to INDI --> EFW --> Controls --> (#slot you use for dark filter) --> SET

You will now have your dark filter in place on your filter wheel.

Now go back to capture module, select your time and number of exposures and then Dark from the Light/Bias/Dark/Flat dropdown box, and activate a line in the module. When you press play on the capture module, you'll get the instruction to cover your camera or scope, which you now have, hit continue and it will do its run.

I wish there was a way we could circumvent this and just do a run of "Lights" but with the dark filter, but it seems to not be a thing. Others have requested this feature in the past; I've just done a new post in the Wish List section bringing this request up again.
Last edit: 2 years 11 months ago by Mark Sandford.
2 years 11 months ago #70490

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Actually it works. I use this already for a long time. Only thing that is a bit misleading is that the sequence does not show the selected filter for darks and bias. But it will change to the filter that was selected when the line was addes to the sequence. (maybe I am just making use of a bug, but it works)
Consider this example
 

Line 2 and 4 were added to the sequence with filter "Dark" (which obscures all light) selected. It shows as --

If you run the sequence it will switch to the "Dark" filter before taking the darks or bias captures

Also if you look at the saved sequence file it will show that it needs Dark filter (see type and filter lines)

<Job>
<Exposure>1</Exposure>
<Binning>
<X>1</X>
<Y>1</Y>
</Binning>
<Frame>
<X>0</X>
<Y>0</Y>
<W>1391</W>
<H>1039</H>
</Frame>
<Temperature force='false'>0</Temperature>
<Filter>Dark</Filter>
<Type>Dark</Type>
<Prefix>
<RawPrefix></RawPrefix>
<FilterEnabled>1</FilterEnabled>
<ExpEnabled>1</ExpEnabled>
<TimeStampEnabled>1</TimeStampEnabled>
</Prefix>
<Count>1</Count>
<Delay>0</Delay>
<FITSDirectory>/home/paul/Indi</FITSDirectory>
<UploadMode>0</UploadMode>
<FormatIndex>0</FormatIndex>
<Properties>
</Properties>
<Calibration>
<FlatSource>
<Type>Manual</Type>
</FlatSource>
<FlatDuration>
<Type>ADU</Type>
<Value>29500</Value>
<Tolerance>500</Tolerance>
</FlatDuration>
<PreMountPark>False</PreMountPark>
<PreDomePark>False</PreDomePark>
</Calibration>
</Job>


Regards,

Paul
2 years 11 months ago #70506
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