As to the choice of software, I can personally recommend the Tycho Tracker software.
I am a great fan of Russ Laher’s APT (Aperture Photometry Tool) and use it for my VS work. There is a good overview at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aperture_Photometry_Tool which includes a link to the official site. The software is free and runs on all common operating systems.
