Advanced Auto-Focusing Routines
Making sure your camera is properly focused is one of the most
important aspects of astrophotography. CCDAutoPilot was designed from
the ground up to provide the most powerful focusing tools for demanding
imagers.
Multiple Focusing Methods
With built-in integration with
FocusMax, CCDAP2 harnesses the power of fast, flexible focusing methods.
The following focus methods are supported in CCDAP2.
|
Focus Method |
Procedure |
|
Focus at X, Y |
In certain
situations, a suitable guide star can be found within the
FOV being imaged. CCDAP2 supports a focus star at a
user-defined absolute position. Because the star position is
know, focusing takes in a matter of seconds.
|
|
Brightest star in FOV |
Using a
wide-field imaging setup, often there are many suitable
guide stars in the FOV. The brightest star in the field is
automatically selected and used for focusing.
|
|
SkyStar - NEW |
In many
situations, there is no appropriate guide star in the FOV.
SkyStar takes advantage of the full power of TheSky6 and
CCDSoft5
to locate a suitable star, slew your telescope to focus on
this star, and return back to your original position within
a few arc seconds.
|
|
Aquire Star |
Utilizes
Full Version of PinPoint ($149) to achieve the same features
of SkyStar focusing. |
Periodic Focusing
Not all telescopes have a
linear change in focus with temperature so even temperature-compensated
focusers may not be a solution. Regardless, a better solution is to Use
CCDAP2 to focus periodically to keep your telescope perfectly focused at
all times. In addition, focus sessions will take place after every
filter change.
Filter Offsets
Not all filters focus at the same
point. CCDAP2 provides user definable focus offsets for each filter
in your filter wheel.
