Observations - Meade LPI

Meade delivered an Autostar Suite at the end of 2003 comprising an LPI (Lunar Planetary Imager) and an Autostar Suite Software.

The LPI is a webcam-type CCD imager with exposure from ¹/₁₀₀₀ to 15 secs. One component of the software suite drives the LPI and provides quite sophisticated software to ease the production of images:

Other members of the software suite are a planetarium program with over 19 million objects, the ability to control all functions of the Autostar on the PC (including focussing, speed, etc.), synthesized speech, Autostar tour production, Autostar Updater and remote control over LAN or internet.

The package comes complete with USB cable for the LPI, interface cabling for serial port to ETX, LX and LX200 telescopes.

Installation was without problems and all software fired up and ran first time. This package is good value with sophisticated function but very easy to use. Using the LPI and its software you can setup the camera, focus the telescope, capture images and, what's more, see them align and stack before your very eyes in real time. You can sit and watch the image improve until you are happy and then press stop, The final resultant image is then automatically

saved. There are file options from jpeg through to FITS. It is possible to save multiple images and carryout the alignment and stacking separately.

This is the best webcam and planetarium starter package I have seen; all those new to astronomy with a laptop computer should purchase with their first telescope.

I see that many telescope stores are now packaging the latest Philips ToUcam Pro webcam with a 1.25" adaptor for less than £100 but the software LPI software is extremely good.

The networking software allows operation of the telescope (the complete Autostar functions) from a local PC or through a local from a remote LAN or internet connection. I found it very easy to set remote operation across my local LAN and operate the telescope from the warm indoors. This networking function can also be used to share the single serial cable between telescope and its local PC between separate

programs/functions; e.g. the software Autostar controls and the planetarium. The software Autostar is very useful for CCD imaging as you can slew, focus, and carry out all Autostar operations from the PC in addition to driving your CCD imager program. I particularly like the scrolling messages on the PC - I find them impossible to read on the handset but they are presented clearly on the soft Autostar: that really makes training, etc. much easier and more certain. I have not tried the Dome control aspects of the software as my dome is man-driven!

The ease of use is excellent; e.g. putting the FOV of finder and eyepieces onto the planetarium image, see image above, is simple. As you slew the telescope from either the planetarium or the separate soft Autostar, the FOV can be made to follow telescope movements.

	Saturn from LPI on full automatic capture and stacking Meade LX200GPS 10" f/10 Dorridge, UK 2004 ii 19 23:48UT
	Jupiter from LPI Automatic Capture and Stacking Meade LX200GPS 10" f/10 Dorridge, UK 2004 ii 23 00:01UT

LPI H-alpha images of the Sun

The image of the Sun just fits the Meade LPI imager and first images through very hazy cloud cover look reasonable and worthy of some more effort on a clear day. The image has had to be compressed to get to an acceptable size for distribution over the web - be assured that the solar prominences on the original image are very good.

SUN - H-alpha
Dorridge, UK 2004:08:01 12:41UT
Coronado Maxscope40 H-alpha
piggy-backed on Meade LX200GPS 10" which was tracking the Sun
Meade LPI Imager - 23 images Align&Combine

The screenshot, below, shows the Meade LPI program running with the settings I used to capture the image shown above.

SUN - H-alpha
Dorridge, UK 2004:08:02 10:36UT
Coronado Maxscope40 H-alpha
piggy-backed on Meade LX200GPS 10" which was tracking the Sun
Meade LPI Imager - 51 images Align&Combine