ISS-TRACKING with Emmanuel Rietsch tracking system 2015
| 2017 | 2016 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | INFOS & SETUPS |
Beautiful ISS pass in BW/ Mount
in AltAz mode
( all sky from WSW to ENE 70° culmination) - Wed April 8, 2015
Weather conditions were perfect but seeing really bad with heavy turbulence, Sun at -15°, sky clear, ISS really bright, timing of pass late enough to finalize centering all the optics and focus on low Venus !
There were 2 missed passes the days
before mainly because of clouds at West,
then after the ISS goes very
fast
and
catching
becomes difficult.
Moreover I was blocked by other mounts around this one ... and also forgot to
align / use the Telrad !!
Telrad is the best to catch the ISS !
Nothing was moved from yesterday so I was ready 30 min in advance !
ISS aiming :
ISS northern pass !
To catch the ISS I was waiting while knowing where it would appear as a small
moving star. Used the paddle. Catch Ok at first trial.
ISS Tracking :
DMK41GigE, Exp 0.01s Gain 0 !!, 15fps N&B / AD
not checked. Foc: 180mm (FS60, 355 x 0.5) with reducer.
tracking was just fine until disappearance behind my roof ... not far from
North, really to early :(
From the garden we (with David) could follow the ISS pass for at least 2 min
more ...
Portable PC Vista 2 Cores x64
ISS acquisition :
ASI 174MM capture on powerfull desktop PC (I7 950 @ 4gHz, Win7x64, 18GB RAM)
with USB3 disk and USB3 active cable (5m)
Before pass base focus on Venus.
The Edge C8 was equipped with a 2x Meade APO barlow (resulting FL = 4m).
FireCapture 100fps, BW mode, 8 bits, Align-box & Cutout 668x484, Gain up to
355, 0.001s exposure, recording videos :
started at horizon 22:07TL in SER for
600s but aborted after ISS no more visible (10 GB final).
No IRCut filter used !
ISS focus adjusted with motorized
focus (2" JMI)
Use of RegiStax5 CG mode (256x256 align area to small for export) and VirtualDub
as usual...
Below, accelerated movie from registration
and
stack
of
50
original frames for 1 final frame in AS!23 (70% good kept) :
Gif convertion with WonderFox Video to GIF Converter
Video
: XVID
Interesting ISS pass in BW/ Mount in AltAz mode ( from WNW to ENE 47.5° culmination) - Sun April 12, 2015
Weather conditions were good, seeing
rather Ok, timing of pass late enough to finalize centering all
the
optics and focus on low Venus !
ISS aiming :
ISS northern pass !
To catch the ISS I was waiting while knowing where it would appear as a small
moving star. Used the paddle. Catch Ok at first trial.
ISS Tracking :
DMK41GigE, Exp 0.01s Gain 0 !!, 15fps N&B / AD not checked.
Foc: 180mm (FS60, 355 x 0.5) with reducer.
tracking was just fine until disappearance behind my roof ...
Portable PC Vista 2 Cores x64
ISS acquisition :
ASI 174MM capture on powerfull desktop PC (I7 950 @ 4gHz, Win7x64, 18GB RAM)
with USB3 disk and USB3 active cable (5m)
Before pass base focus on Venus.
The Edge C8 was equipped with a 2x Meade APO barlow (resulting FL = 4m).
I used an orange R21 filter to enhance the solar panels
...
FireCapture 100fps, BW mode, 8 bits, Align-box & Cutout
756x728, Gain up to 383, 0.0023s exposure, recording videos :
started at horizon 22:07TL in extended AVI for 600s but aborted after ISS
no more visible (10 GB final).
No IRCut filter used !
ISS focus adjusted with
motorized focus (2" JMI)
Use of AS!2 who did a good job and VirtualDub
as usual...
Below, accelerated movie from registration
and stack of 100 original frames for 1 final frame in AS!23 (95% good kept)
:
Gif convertion with WonderFox Video to GIF Converter
Video
: XVID |
Venus captured just before with same configuration but with also IRpass 720 nm filter : | FireCapture v2.4 Settings ------------------------------------ |
|
|
Camera=ZWO ASI174MM FocalLength=4000 mm Filename=ISS_194105.avi Date=120415 Start(UT)=194105.642 Mid(UT)=194246.116 End(UT)=194426.591 Duration=200.949s LT=UT Frames captured=20056 File type=AVI Extended AVI mode=true Compressed AVI=false Bit depth=8bit ROI=756x528 ROI(Offset)=0x0 FPS (avg.)=99 Shutter=1.000ms Gain=383 Brightness=1 Gamma=50 (off) SoftwareGain=10 (off) HighSpeed=off USBTraffic=60 Limit=600 Seconds |
Very bright ISS pass in BW/ Mount in AltAz mode ( from WNW to ESE 82.4° culmination) - Sun April 15, 2015
Heavens-Above :
Calsky :
Weather conditions were good, seeing
poor, timing of pass late enough to finalize centering all the
optics and focus on low Venus !
ISS aiming :
ISS northern pass !
To catch the ISS I was waiting while knowing where it would appear as a small
faint moving star. Used the paddle. Catch Ok at first trial.
ISS Tracking :
DMK41GigE, Exp 0.01s Gain 600 !!, 15fps N&B / AD not checked.
Foc: 180mm (FS60, 355 x 0.5) with reducer.
tracking was fine until after culmination. Maybe the mount was not thighten
enough for the end ...
Portable PC Vista 2 Cores x64
ISS acquisition :
ASI 174MM capture on powerfull desktop PC (I7 950 @ 4gHz, Win7x64, 18GB RAM)
with USB3 disk and USB3 active cable (5m)
Before pass base focus on Venus.
The Edge C8 was equipped with a 2x Meade APO barlow (resulting FL = 4m).
I used an orange R21 filter to enhance the solar panels
...
FireCapture Extended AVI, 100fps max, BW mode,
8 bits, Align-box & Cutout
1508x904, Gain up to 380, 0.0015s exposure, recording videos :
started at horizon 22:11TL in extended AVI for 600s aborted late after ISS
no more visible (29.9 GB final).
No IRCut filter used !
ISS focus adjusted with motorized
focus (2" JMI)
Use of R5, R6, AS!2 and VirtualDub as usual...
Below, accelerated movie from registration
and stack of 100 original frames for 1 final frame in RegiStax
:
Gif convertion with WonderFox Video to GIF Converter
Video : XVID
|
 |
FireCapture v2.4 Settings
------------------------------------ Mid(UT)=201345.316 Duration=329.062s LT=UT Frames captured=445 File type=AVI Extended AVI mode=true Compressed AVI=false Bit depth=8bit ROI=1508x904 FPS (avg.)=1 Shutter=1.000ms Gain=400 Gamma=50 (off) USBTraffic=60 |
|
|
SEEING TEST on Venus :
|
Very low ISS pass in BW/ Mount in AltAz mode ( from WNW to ESE 21° culmination) - Sat April 18, 2015
Heavens-Above :
Calsky :
Weather conditions were good, seeing
very poor, timing of pass late enough to finalize centering all the optics
and focus on low Venus !
ISS aiming :
ISS southern pass (does not change anything in Alt-Az mode for Videos Sky)
!
To catch the ISS I was waiting while knowing where it would appear as a small
faint moving star. Used the paddle. Catch Ok at first trial.
ISS Tracking :
DMK41GigE, Exp 0.01s Gain 900 !!, 15fps N&B / AD not checked.
Foc: 180mm (FS60, 355 x 0.5) with reducer.
Tracking was fine. Second half of the pass was obstructed by my LX200.
Portable PC Vista 2 Cores x64
ISS acquisition :
ASI 174MM capture on powerfull desktop PC (I7 950 @ 4gHz, Win7x64, 18GB RAM)
with USB3 disk and USB3 active cable (5m)
Before pass base focus on Venus.
The Edge C8 was equipped with a 2x Meade APO barlow (resulting FL = 4m).
No orange R21 filter used
...
FireCapture Extended AVI, 100fps max, BW mode,
8 bits, Align-box & Cutout 1508x904, Gain up to from start 400 to end
270, 0.003s exposure, recording videos :
started at horizon 22:44TL in extended AVI for 600s aborted late after ISS
no more visible (15.3 GB final).
No IRCut filter used !
ISS focus adjusted with motorized
focus (2" JMI)
Processing
:
VirtualDub : selection
of frames with ISS, saving as segmented AVIs of 100 frames.
AS!2 in little planet mode, (50% kept) batch registration,
RegiStax5 registration (size 256) of the *conv*.PNG
VirtualDub
creation of AVI...
Gif convertion with WonderFox Video to GIF Converter
Below, accelerated movie from registration
and stack of 100 original frames for 1 final frame in RegiStax :
The ISS is ...very far away !!
Video : XVID
|
FireCapture v2.4 Settings
------------------------------------ Scope=Fluo102/900 Camera=ZWO ASI174MM Filter=L Profile=ISS Duration=170s KEPT : 28s ! LT=UT Frames captured=12098 File type=AVI Extended AVI mode=true Bit depth=8bit ROI(Cutout)=1508x904 FPS (avg.)=70 Shutter=1.534ms Gain=102 Brightness=1 HighSpeed=off USBTraffic=60 Limit=600 Seconds |
Middle height
ISS pass in BW/ Mount
in AltAz mode ( from WNW to SSE 34.5° culmination) - Sunday April 19,
2015
The SpaceX Dragon6 is docked !
Heavens-Above :
Calsky :
Weather conditions were good, seeing
correct, timing of pass late enough to finalize centering all
the optics and focus on Sirius !
ISS aiming :
ISS southern pass (does not change anything in Alt-Az mode for Videos Sky)
!
To catch the ISS I was waiting while knowing where it would appear as a small
faint moving star (low at West). Used the paddle. Catch Ok at first trial.
ISS Tracking :
DMK41GigE, Exp 0.01s Gain 800 !!, 15fps N&B / AD not checked.
Foc: 180mm (FS60, 355 x 0.5) with reducer.
Tracking was Ok except at end.
Portable PC Vista 2 Cores x64
ISS acquisition :
ASI 174MM capture on powerfull desktop PC (I7 950 @ 4gHz, Win7x64, 18GB RAM)
with USB3 disk and USB3 active cable (5m)
Before pass base focus on Venus.
The Edge C8 was equipped with a 2x Meade APO barlow (resulting FL = 4m).
Orange R21 filter was used.
FireCapture Extended AVI, 100fps max, BW mode,
8 bits, Align-box & Cutout 800x580, Gain 400, 0.002s exposure, recording
videos :
started at horizon 21:49:02TL in extended AVI for 600s aborted late after
ISS no more visible (14.4 GB final).
No IRCut filter used !
ISS focus not adjusted during
pass (as low)
Processing
:
VirtualDub :
selection of frames with ISS, save as LAGS.
RegiStax5 registration (size 256) mode
CG. Save as AVI alignement area only.
VirtualDub saving as segmented
AVIs of 100 frames.
AS!2 in little planet mode, (85% kept) batch registration,
VirtualDub creation of final AVI
Gif convertion with WonderFox Video
to GIF Converter
Below, accelerated movie from registration
and stack of 100 original frames for 1 final frame in RegiStax :
The SpaceX Dragon6 is docked !
 |
 |
ISS 3D view with multivision |
|
 |
|
  |
  |
  |
  |
  |
  |
FireCapture v2.4 Settings |
|
Very high ISS pass in BW/ Mount in AltAz mode ( from WNW to ESE 87.9° culmination) - Sunday June 07, 2015
Heavens-Above :
Calsky :
Weather conditions were very nice,
seeing correct, timing of pass late enough to finalize centering all the
optics
and focus on Jupiter !
ISS aiming :
ISS southern pass (AD inverted /Alt-Az mode for Videos
Sky) !
To catch the ISS I was waiting while knowing where it would appear as a small
faint moving star (low at West). Used the paddle. Catch Ok at first trial.
ISS Tracking :
DMK41GigE, Exp 0.01s Gain 600, 15fps N&B / AD checked.
Foc: 180mm (FS60, 355 x 0.5) with reducer.
Tracking was Ok except at end.
Portable PC Vista 2 Cores x64
ISS acquisition :
ASI 174MM capture on powerfull desktop PC (I7 950 @ 4gHz, Win7x64, 18GB RAM)
with USB3 disk and USB3 active cable (5m)
Before pass base focus on Jupiter.
The Edge C8 was equipped with a 2x Meade APO barlow (resulting FL = 4m).
Orange R21 filter + IRCut Baader were used.
FireCapture SER, 54 fps Average, BW mode,
8 bits, Auto Align, Gain 400, 0.005s decreasing exposure, recording
videos 1936x1216 on RAID0 disk :
started low for 600s, aborted late after
ISS no more visible (46GB on final).
ISS focus adjusted during
pass with motofocus ...
Processing
:
Frame range selection
in R5, aligning 3 times with 256 square, saving as LAGS AVI
VirtualDub : selection of parts.
RegiStax6 final registration.
VirtualDub creation of final complete AVI (right click on image to download)
Gif convertion with WonderFox Video
to GIF Converter
At right, accelerated movie from
registration (click on it for all frame AVI)
and stack of 5 original frames for 1 final frame :
 |
 |
