I observed a seriuos bug in the DOS version of MetRec 5.0. The timer is not properly working, an issue that I observed and fixed before, but that somehow occured again now. I won't be able to fix this on short notice, so please use the old version until notified.
Best,
Sirko
PS: The Windows version should not be affected, but you should pay special attention to the recognition time, anyway.
more than a year ago, Hans Smit from ESA has started to work on a Windows port of MetRec. Since early 2009, both of us continued to work intensively on the task to create a joint code base for Dos and Windows and make all function of MetRec available under Windows. OS specific functions were moved to separate files, some core routines underwent a significant redesign and simplification, and a number of bugs (mainly memory violations) that went unnoticed under DOS were identified and removed. In parallel, some new function were implemented:
* Grab/GrabSeq/GrabStrm: date & time stamp can be inserted * MetRec: a background image may be saved after a predefined amount of time; DST correction * Ref2Txt & Txt2Kml: create KML files from REF files in a comfortable way * RadFind & StrmFind: implementation of the new radiant and meteor shower search algorithm (observability function, Laplace distribution, recomputed meteor shower assignment, meteor altitude formula); shower identification based on the MDC working list with >300 showers * RefStars: combined measurement of several reference images * MetRec, PostProc & Co: extension of PosDat header IDs 000-ZZZ, the frame grabber device number can be chosen if more than one grabber is installed (not yet fully tested)
Overall, there were about 20 code iterations this year, and all but a few functions (e.g. support of DCF clocks) are available now under Windows as well. Beside our dry runs, the software was continuously tested on Win XP in the field by Detlef Koschny and some Polish observers. Now we believe that it is stable enough to be tested by other observers as well. You can download the beta versions from
Beside the new features, nothing has changed for the DOS version.
For the Windows version you find a file driverxp.zip. To install the Meteor II grabber under XP, unpack this file into some temp directory and start install.bat. More details are given in the readme.txt file of the same directory. The driver is striped down from the original MIL Lite 7.5 redistribution. I removed unnecessary files to reduce the overall size from 300 to 15 MB. If you encounter any problem with the reduced version, please, let me know.
The MetRec 5.0 configuration file metrec.cfg contains three new parameters and one whose range has changed:
* FrameGrabberDeviceNumber
* DSTCorrection
* SaveBackgroundRate
* ClockSyncRate
For details, please refer to the description in the sample configuration file.
The parameter FrameStackCount is not supported anymore.
Remember that the software has still beta status, so do not let it run unattended for many days or weeks, but check the results frequently to ensure everything is running properly. If you observe strange behaviour, missing functions or if you run into bugs, please let Hans and me know. If you gain experiences with Windows (e.g. you should turn off automated software updates so that they do not interfer with MetRec), please, let us know as well so that we can compile a best practice guide.
Best wishes,
Sirko
PS: The readme.txt file and the screenshots have not been updated yet.
Javor has still some space left in the next WGN issue and looks for further nice meteor recordings from July beside the two fireballs of Enrico. Please check, whether you have something you like to share with our readers.
I'm still about to finish the July report and probably won't finish August before the IMC. Still, please upload your data until Friday, Sep 18, if possible.
Many thanks,
Sirko
PS: The major WGN paper with the latest results from our video network will go to print tomorrow. I hope you will enjoy it.
Folks,
Jürgen and me are working eagerly on a thorough analysis of the IMO Meteor
Database to be presented as a paper in the next issue of WGN. This is to ensure
that our data will also be considered when the IAU C22 is creating the first
"official" meteor shower list in August.
June is still the month with least data, and even though the analysis is almost
finished we will try to still incorporate the data set of June 2009. However,
that requires that you ftp your June data until next Friday, July 10, latest!
Best wishes,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
those of you who have not yet sent me their May data, please, do so until next
Sunday, May 21.
Best wishes,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
those of you who have not yet sent me their April data, please, do so until
Sunday this week, Mai 17.
Best wishes,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
next week I will be on vacation. All data you upload until Wednesday (April 8)
evening can be checked during my holiday, which will be of great help.
Best wishes,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
I have a Computar 2.6mm f/1.0 lens available for sale. The costs will be 100
Euro incl. shipment. Please, contact me if you are interested - first come,
first serve. ;-)
Best,
Sirko
PS: Enrico Stomeo is using this wide angle lens with his new camera. So we can
provide you with a test picture of the night sky compared with the 3.8mm lens.
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
from his old equipment, Mirko Nitschke has still a "Cuno" video time inserter
plus the corresponding Conrad DCF clock available. This is the one which is
recognized by MetRec. If anyone is interested, please, contact Mirko @
mirko.nitschke@...
Best,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
those of you who have not sent me their February data yet - please do so until
next Monday, March 16.
Best wishes,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
at the 1998 IMC, I presented a first version of the meteor detection software
MetRec. In the following months, the software was further developed and new
functions were added. In early 1999 it had reached a maturity to try something
new: Instead of storing video meteor data from selected campaigns on video
tapes,
which were processed months later, I connected the intensified camera AVIS
installed at the balcony of my flat in Aachen directly to the computer and
processed the video signal online. The night of March 11/12, 1999, was clear,
and in the next morning I found out that MetRec had detected 17 meteors. This
observation, which happened to be exactly 10 years ago, marked the beginning of
the AKM video meteor network. I continued to run the setup in consecutive clear
nights. In July 1999, Jürgen Rendtel joined the effort, and also Ulrich Sperberg
and Mirko Nitschke provided occasional observations in 1999. By the end of the
year, more than 6000 meteors were collected in 1000 hours of observing time.
That's not much to modern standards were we typically collect more meteors and
observing time each month, but it was the start of the first video meteor
network, which was renamed five years later to IMO Video Meteor Network.
Best,
Sirko Molau
PS: Unfortunately, I cannot provide a picture of the first network meteor,
because I experienced a hard disc crash in Summer 1999. So only the PosDat data
survived from the first half year.
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
I created a new KML file from all cameras of the IMO Network. So if you like to
know what area (at 100 km altitude) your camera is covering, and how that
overlaps with the fov's of other cameras, just download the file from
http://www.imonet.org/imonet.kml and load it into Google Earth. Then you can
click individual cameras on and off.
Best,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Dear friends,
thanks to all of you, 2008 was the most successful year of the IMO Network. A
BIG thanks you for this to all of you!
Please, ftp me your remaining 2008 data until next Sunday, Jan 11, if possible,
that I can compile the annual summary next week.
I keep my fingers crossed for all of us that 2009 will be a similarly successful
year.
Best wishes,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
I have two stable water-proof housings from security cameras available that I
can offer for the pure shipment costs. They are large enough to easily house a
Mintron or a comparable camera. The front window is heated (I believe).
Just let me know if you are interested.
Best,
Sirko
PS: Please, send me your November observations until next Sunday, Dec 14, if
possible.
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Dear frieds,
I received the sad news that 88 years old Milos Weber, the by far oldest member
of our video network, died on November 12 after a heart attack a few days
earlier.
Best,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
I'm almost back to normal schedule. If you have not done so, please, ftp me your
September data until Sunday, October 12, if possible.
Best,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
for those of you who have not send me their July data yet: Please, do so until
Friday latest!
Best,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
I got another second hand 6mm f/0.8 Computar lens at EBAY, which I could offer
at 100€ incl shipment. Please, let me know if anybody at this list is
interested - if not I will forward this offer to the MetRec list.
Best,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Hello,
I'm searching for a convenient and fast possibility to travel to the IMC 2008.
How
do the other participants travel, especially those from western Germany,
Belgium and the Netherlands?
Up to now I found the following (starting point Bochum in the Ruhr Area):
By car about 1250 km and estimated 14 h plus sleeping overnight.
By train about 20 h (start on Wednesday 19:36, via Mannheim and Vienna and
arrival in Banska Bystrica at 15:48) and retour starts at 17:51 in Banska
Bystrica and back in Bochum on Monday at 12:09 or 13:09.
There are no direct connections from Dusseldorf to Bratislava. The best I found
from Dusseldorf is via Budapest: LH 3472 departure at 11:50 and back with LH
3475, departure at 20:10 in Budapest.
The link to the timetable of the slovak railways didn't work. So I don't know it
it is
possible to reach Budapest airport at 18:00. So I would probably prefer to rent
a
car at Budapest airport.
I'm looking forward for your considerations.
Clear skies
Bernd
Bernd Brinkmann
Sternwarte Herne, MPC code A18
Herne, Germany
e-mail: info@...http://www.sternwarte-herne.de
Folks,
I hope that I can catch up with the original time schedule this month. So,
please, ftp me your data until Friday, June 13, latest.
Many thanks,
Sirko
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************
Folks,
I just received the sad news that one of our long-lasting video meteor
observers, IMO member and participant of the IMO Network, Steve Evans, died
yesterday from a massive heart attack.
Best,
Sirko Molau
--
************************************************************
* Sirko Molau * *
* Abenstalstr. 13b * __ *
* D-84072 Seysdorf * " 2B v 2B " *
* Germany * *
* phone: +49-8752-869437 * Shakespeare *
* email: sirko@... * *
* www : www.molau.de * *
************************************************************