Perfect Plate solving every time

[Merlin66]

It's not too often I get excited about software...
This one does what it says on the lid - a full plate solve of almost (I haven't found the limit yet!) any image containing star images.

Much better and easier to use than AstroTortilla and after download of Astrometry data (almost an automatic process) doesn't need a network connection.

All Sky Plate Solver just works!! All it needs to know is roughly what size pixel is being used and the focal length of the imaging lens. These don't have to be 100%. The results will tell you what they are! MAJIC

To say I'm impressed would be an understatement.

http://www.astrogb.com/astrogb/All_Sky_Plate_Solver.html

I strongly recommend it to all members.

[netwolf]

Ken does it need you to install Cygwin and astrometry data or is that done as part of the install of all sky?

[Merlin66]

The package is self installing - it does everything. No need to worry about Cygwin etc.
As I said easy to use and it works every time.

[g__day]

Nice find! I found Astrotortilla decent - but temperamental with the Sky6 drivers. The SkyX plate solver - blind or using likely pointing criteria and pixel size (if its known) is phenonomal - fast and effective and completely integrated with everything else the SkyX controls.

Plate solving is really useful, and when its full integrated into your telescope control systems - it's a thing of beauty!

[h0ughy]

might look into this when i get my download quota back this week. but need some clear skies, i have been waiting all summer to get some clear skies here in newcaslte

[Merlin66]

Houghy,
Well worth trying....
One of my members says:
""performs the plate solve also on a postcard with some star in the background!""

[troypiggo]

I've been using it with my PoleMaster. I'm hopeless at recognising Octans visually, so have been using a screen capture from the PoleMaster, plate solving it using ASPS, syncing CDC to get a visual on how far out from SCP I am, and using that to adjust mount so that SCP is in the PoleMaster field of view. Works a treat!

[traveller]

Thanks Ken, this is a great find.
I just downloaded Astro Tortilla and gradually getting it started. Can you comment on how this program compares with AT?
Bo

[Merlin66]

Bo,
I tried AT last year and after struggling to install it I couldn't get a good solve on some of my crappy finder images. Gave up and moved back to AstroArt plate solve...
I found that for AA6 I really needed to give it an almost known position, a pretty precise field of view and orientation - even then it was not 100% successful.

The All Sky Plate Solve was self installing and worked straight out the box even on some out of focus finder images.
As I said, I'm impressed.
If you've never used plate solving, this is the one to start with......

[traveller]

Sold. :thumbsup:

[ZeroID]

Brilliant !!! now to make the clouds go away ...

[AndrewJ]

Hmmm i just tried installing it on a W7Pr 64 and get this

Installer must stop these before proceeding as they are using files it needs to play with
Intel(R) Dynamic Application Loader Host Interface Service
Intel(R) Management and Security Application User Notification Service

Not sure i like that so am googling it,
but did others see this???

Andrew

[Merlin66]

Hmm
Most installers always say close other programs first to avoid conflicts.
I think it's saying you still have those programs running in the background and is asking for confirmation to close them.
Just say yes and continue.

[AndrewJ]

Gday Ken
I had nothing else running, and these appear to be services associated with the Intel chips. ( not sure i like security alerts nobbled )
I just said to not close them and keep going and it did.
Only problem now is some of the indexes are bigger than my monthly download limit :-)
May need to grab a local copy from someone for the close up stuff.

Andrew

[Merlin66]

Andrew,
I just installed a couple which matched my electronic finder - a combo of a 60/230mm fl finder and the DMK51 camera.
Unless you change the set-up, that's all that's needed.

[AndrewJ]

Gday Ken
I figured out how to get some of the smaller indexes by tweaking the input parameters, and where it puts em. Just i have several piccies taken on my 10" LX200GPS using an st7XME and when i plug those in, i get horrendous sized files.
Be nicer if you could just manually select the ones you want when you want em.
Still could be fun as i am also tring to get my DMK41 working as a polar finder using a 2.8-12mm zoom CS security camera lense from Altronics :-)
and that should use the smaller indexes no probs.

Andrew

[Merlin66]

Yeah,
When the FOV gets down below 8min arc the indexes become pretty large.
Such is life.

[traveller]

Andrew, you can download individual indexes.
Just open the program, click the Indexes tab and select Index installation wizard.
A new dialogue box will pop up with all the indices. Then right click on the index of your choice and download.
I had to download a couple of extras due to the setups I have.
Bo

[AndrewJ]

Gday Bo
Yep, figured that out after the last beer.:-)
I was selecting indexes but they didnt go yellow, give me the sizes or enable the download button.
On selecting download individually via the right click menu, i get the yellow selection and size, and can then do em one by one.
Indicating selection at the time of clicking would be nice/ more intuitive but this will do.
Cant argue with the price

Andrew

[ZeroID]

Piece of cake here on two PC's, one is Win 7 64, the other 32.
Installed, requested access for the indexes. I entered the scope FL and the camera pixel size and count and it selected appropriate indexes by itself and requested permission to download. Approved, downloaded 16 files, about 220 meg, and tested brilliantly.
The trick seems to be to wait for the install to complete properly, it takes 5 mins or more with nothing appearing to happen. I assume it is checking for existing indexes (?) or other software. Then the register and index requests appears. I checked function by just selecting a few recent star field pix I had from evening setup processes.

[AndrewJ]

One more question
I have it running on my main PC but wanted to install on a remote 32bit XPPro SP3 PC that isnt on the net.
I can install Platesolver, but it wants to connect to the net to load CygWin and astrometry.net.
Digging around for these shows there are a myriad different configurations of "build your own", and you have to use an older ver of Cygwin, as the latest doesnt support XP.
Is there a simple standalone exe that can be run to load cygwin and Astrometry.net such that platesolver will be happy on an XP box?????

Andrew

PS I know it can be done as i just used a usb wifi dongle to install it, but would prefer a simple exe for recovery later ( if reqd )

[sil]

Ken

Thanks for the find! PS is a bugbear for me hope this solves my issues.


AndrewJ

Now its installed try copying the installation folder to a usb drive, plug it into another machine and see if it runs fine there. Many apps don't really need to be "installed" just give it a try and find out for yourself. If it works you just need to zip up the folder as a backup so you dont have to panic about "recover later".

[Merlin66]

Sorry guys,
You're asking questions I can't answer...
I have ASPS installed on the observatory PC (Win7) and the office PC (win10)
No issues no drama.

[AndrewJ]

Gday Sil

If it were that simple
Cygwin requires an installer, and XP support stopped a few months back, so you need the right one.
Astrometry.net appears to build a unix app based on conditions and then installs it, but there are files spread all over the place, and no idea what dlls etc it loads/registers.
Other than that, it loads and runs well on the XP box.
I had to download the 2GB index before it would work on my closeup of the Jewel box, but it found it in about 90secs.
I see you can give it approx RA/DEC coords to speed it up from the command line calls, but not sure how to do that via the GUI yet.

Andrew

[sil]

Finally got the chance to try it out. Works ok but not perfect (does fail on several images where using nova.astrometry works.) Still a handy app to have but not salvation for me unfortunately.

[Merlin66]

Sil,
Hmmm
I'd be interested to see the "unsolved " image.

[sil]

was an old one done with an old lens. horribly distorted stars ugly image but works fine with my more recent ones.