(meteorobs) OT -Question to the UFOCaptureV2 users....

[Francisco Ocaña]

Hi Larry,

UfoCapture is not easy to configure because it has tenths of settings, 
but when they are properly set, you have full control and knowledge 
about your video.

It is impossible to speak about the *best* or the *right* configuration 
for the software. Each camera needs a careful process, mostly trial and 
error. You can find what each setting means at: 
http://sonotaco.com/soft/UFO2/help/english/index.html

For instance, your problem now is the excess of blank captures. The 
solution is raising the detecting threshold level and watch what 
happens. For fireballs I used the value of 15 and I have 1 or 2 
detection per night (plus planes). Now I detect 3rd magnitude meteors 
with a threshold value of 7, but I have a 50% rate of false detections ( 
noise, many satellite flares, birds, bats, bugs, planes ...).

You said " I want to be sure my settings favor UFOCapture before I make 
a judgement call on its value to me. " Its value is 18900Yen. Which now 
means 200$, but 2 years ago was only 150$. Does it worth the 200$? 
Probably, for sure it did the 150$. Handy Avi costs only 40$, but 
UfoCapture is more versatile and meteor-dedicated. If you want just to 
record fireballs maybe Handy Avi is enough, but UfoC enables you to do 
the astrometry of the meteors of each night in less than 5 minutes.

My 2 cents,

Paco



Larry escribió:
> Hi Paul.
>
> I have been testing UFOCapture V2.22 on two different computers and computer 
> settings simultaneously.
>
> Quite frankly I am disappointed in the inconsistant behavior and too many 
> captures of nothing and too short captures of something. Even the 
> examination of hot pixels is different on both computers with Scint. 
> masking, and noise tracking from THE SAME CAMERA SOURCE!
>
> Handyavi (IS) a lot more reliable on both of the computers when activated.
>
> That is why I asked the question..... I want to be sure my settings favor 
> UFOCapture before I make a judgement call on its value to me.
>
> There have been no bright fireballs to be sure yet.........
>
> YCSentinel
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Paul Pugh" <meteorobs at spacescan.co.uk>
> To: "Global Meteor Observing Forum" <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
> Sent: 2009/08/22 09:30
> Subject: Re: (meteorobs) OT -Question to the UFOCaptureV2 users....
>
>
>   
>> Hi, You  may wish to drop the UFO Capture forum a message too :-
>> http://sonotaco.jp/forum/viewforum.php?f=17
>>
>> I'd be interested in the answer - I suffer from a lot of commercial air
>> traffic (mid and high level) - so have been considering investing in UFO 
>> for
>> some time now. I am currently using HandyAVI and experimenting with Motion
>> for Linux.
>>
>> Cheers
>>
>> Paul
>> --------------------------------
>> Spacescan.co.uk  53.1N 1.6W
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Larry" <ycsentinel at att.net>
>> To: <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, August 22, 2009 5:25 AM
>> Subject: (meteorobs) OT -Question to the UFOCaptureV2 users....
>>
>>
>>     
>>> I am in the process of testing UFOCapture Ver 2.22 and need to know what
>>> might be recommended settings for a slow aircraft. My intent is to look
>>> for
>>> (any) skipped frames in the .avi recording with the capture card I use.
>>>
>>> The settings I need to know are:
>>>
>>> 1)  All of the Video Trigger settings.
>>> 2)  Detect size.
>>> 3)  All of the Still Image Capture settings.
>>>
>>> I am using both Scintillation masking & Detect Level Noise Tracking and
>>> have
>>> an operating mask to block local light triggering.
>>>
>>> Thank you. -YCSentinel
>>>
>>>       
>