[pvelez (Pete)]

I took the plunge recently and bought CCD Autopilot. What a great program! Last night I plugged in all the electronics (the OTA sat on the pier overnight), started the software and then let it all run while I headed out to the gym. It slewed to the target and plate solved to make sure it was correct, then slewed away to focus, then ran a 2 hour imaging session, checking the focus every 30 minutes and restarting the guider between images.

I'm a happy camper.

I'd be a very happy camper except...

I am having real problems aligning my images.

Previously, I'd take a series of images with Maxim DL and then align them using the astrometric setting. Now, at least for some filters I have only a blur. I haven't had much time to play with other options but the auto star matching and correlation alignment methods haven't been successful either.

So my question for the CCDAP users - is there some odd setting I need to adjust? I am dithering my images. I wonder whether CCDAP adds something to the FITS header so that the astrometric alignment no longer works.

Has anyone else had this problem?

I know CCDWare also sell CCDstacker. If I were a cynic, I'd suspect there was a bug in CCDAP driving you to use the stacking program as well - but as I don't think a software developer would be so evil, I've concluded its pilot error - again.

This pilot would appreciate any suggestions.

Pete