Getting Started

Entering Observing Requests
Specifying Solar System Objects
Setting Up Dawn Calibration Frames
Setting Up Automatic Flat Fields
Familiarization Using the Simulator
Live Observing With Scheduler
Locating and Viewing Log Files

 Before using the ACP Scheduler, it's really important that you set it up with the timing characteristics of your particular observatory. If you haven't done this, open the Configuration window (Scheduler menu) and look for the ACP Sequencer section. Change the timing values to match your observatory. Click on an item to display details in the area below the list.

Entering Observing Requests

Next, you need to create some requests in the scheduler's database. It is suggested that you first look over the Concepts page. The Schedule Browser (not to be confused with a web browser!) is the graphical tool supplied with Scheduler that lets you browse and enter observing requests.

If you are an astro-imager it is strongly suggested that you use the web browser interface to Scheduler, and submit your requests via the Submit Astro-Imaging Request form!

ACP Planner can export plans as RTML, so if your observing needs are met by Planner you already have a graphical tool for generating RTML input to Scheduler. If you have special needs, the way to generate RTML is with planner scripts. Please see Planner Scripts and look at the scripts in the Planner Scripts folder under Scheduler' installation folder. Assistance with adjusting these scripts for your needs is available from DC-3 Dreams.

Please note that the desktop Schedule Browser is not intended as a mass data entry tool. It is intended that most observing requests will be entered via the Internet/Web Submission Forms or via imported Remote Telescope Markup Language (RTML) which can be produced via a variety of means, including the free ACP Planner.

Start the Schedule Browser now.

1. Multiple Observers are supported, and Projects must belong to an Observer. Create a new Observer for yourself:
   1. Right click on the All Observers tab and select Add New User... You'll see a new user tab appear at the bottom with New User as the name.
   2. Click the New User tab to select it. It will jump to the top and the form will appear.
   3. Right Click on the New User tab, and select Rename Observer. Change the name to yours.
   4. Fill in the form in the right hand pane and click Save.
2. Projects can span multiple nights. Create a Project for yourself:
   1. Right click on your observer tab and select Add New Project...
   2. Click on the New Project item in the tree area and select Rename. Give it a name like Test Project.
   3. Fill in the form in the right hand pane and click Save.
3. Plans must run in a single night. Create a Plan for your new Project:
   1. Right click on the Project node in the tree and select Add New Plan.
   2. Click on the New Plan item in the tree area and select Rename. Give it a name like Test Plan.
   3. Fill in the form in the right hand pane and click Save.
4. An Observation consists of one or more ImageSets to be taken at a given target location. Create an Observation for your new Plan:
   1. Right click on the Plan node in the tree and select Add New Observation.
   2. Click on the New Observation item in the tree area and select Rename. Give it a name like Test Observation.
   3. Fill in the form in the right hand pane. Leave the priority at 0 for now. Select only the Horizon constraint, and specify 45 degrees or something. Be sure that the target coordinates will be for something that is above the Horizon constraint at some point during the night! Click Save.
5. An ImageSet is one or more images to be taken through a given filter with a given exposure interval. Create an ImageSet for your new Observation:
   1. Right click on the Observation node in the tree and select Add New ImageSet.
   2. Click on the New ImageSet item in the tree area and select Rename. Give it a name like Test Image.
   3. Fill in the form in the right hand pane. Make sure to enter a non-zero exposure interval and a legal filter name for your system. Leave the other fields alone for now. click Save.

Specifying Solar System Objects

In order to use the name, number, or designation for a minor planet or comet, the MPCORB and MPCCOMET databases must be initialized with the latest info from the Minor Planet center. See ACP Help on how to do this. These ASCOM-supplied components are installed by ACP, but it is up to you to download the databases for minor planets and comets from the Minor Planet Center then run the database construction tools supplied. You only have to do this every few months.

Using the desktop Schedule Browser or via RTML, it is possible to specify solar system objects by their orbital elements. This allows the system to calculate the ephemeris (the current coordinates) of the body at the time of the exposure, eliminating the need to force such observations to be at a fixed time. There are two ways that you can provide Scheduler with orbital elements:

• Directly provide the MPC 1-line elements as "Ephemeris" in the browser of the Ephemeris field in RTML. NOTE: unnumbered comet 1-line elements begin with 4 spaces, and these must be preserved.
• Specify the name, number, or packed designation of the comet or minor planet as "Planet" in the browser or in the Planet field of RTML. When specifying the number of a numbered asteroid, you must include (usually) 5 "digits" which may include letters per the packed format of numbering used by the MPC. When specifying the name of an unnumbered comet, do not include the discoverer name in parentheses. Examples:
  Numbered asteroid Hygea: "Hygea", "00010"
  Numbered asteroid Miscotte: "Miscotte", "D2820" (packed number)
  Numbered asteroid 5050 T-2: "5050 T-2", "T2S5050" (long packed number)
  Unnumbered asteroid 2012 JZ1: "2012 JZ1", "K12J01Z"
  Numbered comet 244P/Scotti: "0244P", "244P/Scotti"
  Unnumbered comet C/2012 S1 (ISON): "C/2012 S1", "CK12S010"

In addition to the above, you may specify a rough ephemeris with 4 lines of timed coordinates spaced about 2 hours apart. This is accessible via the Ephemeris button in the desktop Schedule Browser. The format for each line is given in the Ephemeris window. It matches the MPC's "NEO Ephemeris" format, but you can make this info up easily with any planetarium which will give J2000 positions vs time. The time must be UTC of course!

Setting Up Dawn Calibration Frames

Before turning on the Dawn Calibration Frames option in the Scheduler, you must be familiar with ACP's observing plan syntax and have the SchedulerCalFrames.txt in place. For more information see Dawn Calibration Frames.

Setting Up Automatic Flat Frames (Sky or Panel)

Before turning on the Dawn Flat and/or Dusk Flat options in the Scheduler, you must be familiar with ACP's automatic flat system and have SchedulerDawnFlats and SchedulerDuskFlats flat plans in place. For more information see Automatic Flat Frames.

Familiarization Using the Simulator

At this point you are ready to run the Scheduler and have your image taken at the appropriate time.

Before making a real run, it is strongly suggested that you become familiar with the Scheduler by running with the Simulator. Check out that page!

Live Observing with ACP Scheduler

1. Start ACP and MaxIm DL, connect the telescope and camera in ACP.
2. In ACP, open Preferences, Dome Control tab, and make sure that the option "Automatically open shutter on first conn" is turned OFF. Scheduler needs to be in charge of the dome or roof.
3. In ACP, open Preferences, Servers tab, and make sure that the option "Release obs at script end" is turned ON
4. Start the Scheduler. Give it about 30 seconds to initialize.
5. Select your current sky condition.
6. If you have a German Equatorial Mount, turn on the Avoid GEM Flip option. Leave the rest of the dispatcher settings alone for now.
7. Select Debug logging level. This will aid problem solving during tests.
8. Make sure the mode selector is set for Normal (ACP Night Only).
9. Click the Dispatcher Running check box to start the dispatcher.
10. You can minimize the Scheduler window, and if you do it will disappear. The gear icon in the system tray represents the Scheduler. Right-click or double-click on it.
11. At any time, you can select View Log in the Scheduler menu to see a journal of the Scheduler's activity.
12. Though the scheduler will sleep all day, you may want to stop it so you can shut down ACP and MaxIm DL or so that it won't automatically start observing on the next night.

Your observations will be taken when constraints are met and when time is available for them.

Locating and Viewing Log Files

The scheduler engine logs its activities separately from the ACP activity accompanying each Observation. The scheduler log can be viewed via the scheduler's Scheduler menu, View Log File. The logs are named with a date/time style and are saved by default in My Documents\ACP Astronomy\Scheduler Engine Logs. You can change this via Scheduler settings, Dispatcher section (1), Log Directory. This is useful for making scheduler logs visible via the web (for example).

Each job that Scheduler sends to ACP results in a "run log", and these are kept separately. By default, these logs can be found in one of two places. If the Scheduler submitted the Observation to ACP on behalf of the local observatory operator (the Plan was entered via the desktop Schedule browser or RTML import), the ACP Logs will be in My Documents\ACP Astronomy\Logs\Scheduler. If the Observation is the result of a request submitted via a web form from a remote user, the logs will be put into that user's web-visible My Documents\Logs\Scheduler.

It is possible to do most anything you want with the ACP logs generated for Observations given to ACP by Scheduler. For more information see Custom Image/Log Folder and File Naming.