Hello All
While I am an early adoptor, I almost never upgrade my software early. Just too frustrating. I just upgraded to Maxim 6.05, based on a couple of new tools there that I could use. First the Photometry Tool is completely revised. You can just dump a nights folders into the tool. It works like the stacking tool, but works specifically for PT. You can sort images by Filter, or Object. You can automatically drop out images that do not meet a FWHM, or Intensity criterea. It auto calibrates for you if you wish. Unlike VPHOT, it does not go to VSP to get magnitudes, you have to enter that yourself. It plots nicely. It saves as an AAVSO Extended Format. I ran last nights data thru Maxim 6 and the output thru TA 2.12. All is well. Submitted to Webobs. Going to save a lot of time sorting images with it.
THe other feature, is that you can get a .csv file with all the info. Like centroid, postion, FWHM, etc, etc, etc. Did a plot of my pointing Residuals with the TDM and got 0.3 arc secs one sigma. It was a crappy night. It was easy to do this with almost no manual steps.
You can get a free 30 day trial. Or I upgraded, one time, one year, for under $200. Not too painful. And well worth it. I wish I would have had this PT tool 10 years ago. At the moment, just reducing data with it. I will migrate the observatory computer in the near future. (I just have the observatory running so smooth---if it ain't broke, don't fix it)
WGR
Gary
Hi Gary,
thank you for this information. However there is another tool for photometric reduction of many images.
It is called LesvePhotometry and is written by Pierre de Ponthierre (AAVSO and other organisations member).
http://www.dppobservatory.net/AstroPrograms/LesvePhotometryDownloadPage…
It is freeware and generates Extended AAVSO files as well as CBA and Excel files. Soon it will use Lew Cook's extended Excel file with all information plotted (see Lew's website).
It is based on a database with all information for variable and comp stars and hence this info is only inputed once and can be used at any time. It needs to use Pinpoint full for plate solving of all images. This might be the only drawback, but otherwise highly recommended. I processed all my more than 1.2 Million images with it.
Regards,
Josch (HMB)
Hi Gary,
Thanks for the review of MDL 6. I'm using 5.24 now and have it integrated with ACP/FocusMax. Like you eluded to, the one thing thay MDL should have is the ability to import field photometry from VSP. Us MDL users should collectively put that feature request into Doug George. I use AIP4Win for very long time-series working and Vphot for "snapshots". With AIP, one can use PhotomCap to create "star" files for AIP. Avoids transcription pitfalls. Something similar shuld be built-in to MDL. I believe MPO Canopus handles this as well.
Michael