Hi, new here from SW Ohio. You can see the build thread for my observatory on Cloudy Nights here.
I searched through this forum and couldn’t find these specific answers.
I have questions regarding:
Multiple computers running at the same time - one in the observatory and one on my Surface or my indoors PC. Can I do this to monitor operations remotely?
Can I access Voyager on an iPad or a cellular device? It would be nice to use in the observatory to operate things with, not to substitute for the industrial PC running Voyager. For example, open the door, and turn on the interior lights from my phone or iPad.
Can I set up an imaging wishlist, filters, binning, etc. for each target, and Voyager will manage the list from there similar to SGP? I’d like to schedule a monthly list of targets.
“Can I access Voyager on an iPad or a cellular device? It would be nice to use in the observatory to operate things with, not to substitute for the industrial PC running Voyager. For example, open the door, and turn on the interior lights from my phone or iPad.”
You can access Voyager via the Web Dashboard. It’s pretty much a browser GUI to Voyager. You just have to configure it. -make sure the server is running (settings), password protect if needed . . .
“Can I set up an imaging wishlist, filters, binning, etc. for each target, and Voyager will manage the list from there similar to SGP? I’d like to schedule a monthly list of targets.”
The regular version of Voyager does utilize sequences, but it will not pull targets automatically based on your criteria.
If I am understanding your question correctly, you could do this one of two ways, you could use another PC and a remote desktop application to directly monitor the PC running Voyager (I often do this) or with the setup as described in other posts, use a web browser to monitor via the web dashboard. Using Advanced you can also pull JPG previews of each image file after it is saved via remote software running on another PC (Which does not need to have a Voyager license)
Do you mean using an ipad with grid connect or similar remote controlled switches/power outlets (Grid connect being one of the names that stuff is under in Australia) You could monitor how Voyager is going with the web dashboard, or again, with remote desktop software direct to the imaging PC (I have done both ways, even using remote desktop software on my phone to pull up the imaging PC screen to run polar alignment software)
IMO this is where Voyager Advanced really shines. I came to Voyager from SGP a couple of years ago as it simply and unarguably focused the SCT I was using at the time better than SGP and the SGP developers were not inclined to add a fairly simple workaround that would have solved the issue (Which was not a problem as such, it was a characteristic of the SCT)
Voyager under a basic license is going to give you a broadly similar result for a similar amount of effort compared to SGP. IMO though the focus routines are simply better, and if you dig in to dragscripts, it’s error handling and recovery is far better. The workflow is quite different but in essence, you get the same sort of result (You decide what to image and when) just with better error handling, better focusing and general reliability. Added stuff is the virtual field of view in the web dashboard which makes initial framing of targets very easy, including mosaics (Particularly near the poles)
Advanced is a very different kettle of fish and can be used in a number of different ways, but in essence this is your “Wish list”
You set up your targets, set up the constraints under which each one will be shot (Altitude, Hour angle, distance to the moon, priority etc) and leave Voyager to it. Getting your head around how the constraints act takes a little time but once you work out what works for you, you just load up targets and let Voyager decide which ones to shoot at what time. I typically have up to three targets set up for any one night, one I am trying to finish which will be the first to pass the meridian, one I am well into and a “fill in” for later in the night to keep the scope active without trying to chase things down to the horizon. I set up separate targets of the same object for narrowband and LRGB imaging so when moon conditions change, Voyager will change from LRGB to NB, or NB to LRGB to suit the current conditions.