Orion 52085 instruction manual Table of Contents

Welcome to the exciting world of astro-imaging. Your new StarShoot™ Pro V2.0 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 The Fan and TEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Focusing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Imaging Deep Sky Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Dark Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Flat Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

3.Image Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Dark Frame Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Flat Field Calibration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Convert Raw to Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Combining Deep Sky Images . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Combine Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Color Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Recommended Processing Sequence . . . . . . . 30 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

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