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Old 18-07-2012, 12:40 PM
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pvelez (Pete)
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CCD Autopilot and alignment - Odd!

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
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Old 18-07-2012, 12:51 PM
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pvelez (Pete)
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One additional point - I am using TSX to plate solve not Pinpoint. I've seen a suggestion that Maxim relies on WCS in the FITS header to plate solve when aligning and CCDAP only add WCS when Pinpoint is the default plate solving function.

Pete
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