Plate solving software

[Terry B]

Dear All
This software called Elbrus has been mentioned on the EQDIR group.It plate solves very well and can then sends the position back to your mount to significantly improve goto accuracy. The hassle is that the server with the database on it is terribly overloaded and is incredibly slow. It has taken me 2 days off and on to download about 1/2 of the database.
See
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/StarLocatorElbrus/?yguid=333414068

Apart from this it seems brilliant

[Terry B]

I used this software last night and it seems very good.
It makes finding targets very easy.
I aligned my EQ6 as normal with a 3 star alignment via EQMOD and then using skymap slewed to a the nova in scorpio.I am often about 10 arcmin of centre and recognising the star field is a hassle. I took a 5 sec exposure binned to reduce time and opened it in Elbrus. The program detected where the scope thought it was pointing and within about 1 sec had found the real centre of the image. It then syncs the scope to the new coordinates. This moved the target about 10 arcmin. I then recentred the image where I wanted it with skymap and the nova was then dead centre on my little CCD.
I think this would be great for anyone using small chips including webcams to find where you are. It will search a field 5 deg wide so you only have to be in the general area for it to find where you are.
The only criteria is that it only likes fit or bmp files.
I also found it great when I did a meridian flip. These often don't hit my little CCD. It found the field quickly rather than me having to slew to a bright star and centre the image via the finder as I cant look through the scope without taking the camera off- something I rather not do.

[h0ughy]

looks good - i might have to look at the eqmod package as well on the existing mounts

[jase]

I've only used this software once, but had good success. I now typically use pinpoint as the plate solving engine. Fast and efficient. Yes, downloading astrometric databases can take some time given their size. Plate solving opens up a world of possibilities, certainly with telescope pointing anyway. Its a real enabler to progressing with mosaics considering you can precisely determine the overlap between frames based on true image center defined in the plate solve process.

[g__day]

It worked nicely on the example, but trying to download any real star database - the server simply gives up trying to even connect.

Shame it can't read any of the star databases I already have :(

I still have to review where this fits in all the software. I presume I issue a go to from the Sky6 -> MaxPoint -> ASCOM -> SS2K-PC. On completion snap a piccy - process it in Elbrus and does Elbrus issue the goto to centre the shot (then you repeat snap, plate solve and issue corrections until you're dead centre?

Is that the way this software works - can it issue corrective goto's?

[Gerald Sargent]

Totallin over 683,855Kb this is a massive download. It would help if the author had divided the database into clearly identified latitude segments, anyone with a cd or dvd of these files prepared to sell me a copy please pm
Regards Gerald.

[bojan]

It seems that the data base can be downloaded from:

http://observatorioremoto.redirectme.net/publico/basedatos/ (http://observatorioremoto.redirectme.net/publico/basedatos/)

Anybody knows which one to download?
It is a pity author did not use some more standard format, CdC for example. So that there is no need to download anything apart from application.
Well, maybe he will, one day :-)

[h0ughy]

well in the process of downloading the lot - may take a week

[Terry B]

The ain files run from the SCP northward in a 20deg dec range per file. I have downloaded up to ani080-099 and the lower number ones ie ani060-079.
This gives me from the SCP up to dec +10.
You also need the entire est.bin file.
I have these files finally downloaded and could put them on a CD and post it if anyone wants.

[h0ughy]

wonder if Mr Salway could put on server to download?:help:

[RobF]

Digging out an old thread here, but thanks Terry for pointing out this great software.
Its been on my "To Do" list for quite a while to get my head around this and try it out. I finally got it talking and cal'ing today, and quite pleased after giving a spin tonight on quite a few fields.

I still seem to have a slight offset, but certainly helps get an object in my DSLR field every time. Mind you, now I've figured out plate solving my 3 star alignment worked better than ever before tonight....:lol:

You really need to read the install instructions and join the Yahoo group to use this. Happy to try and assist if anyone else struggling with it.

R

[mithrandir]

I'm getting 200-300KB/sec. It shouldn't take that long. I can write a few CDs but would need to work out a figure including post & packaging.

As far as I can tell the IIS server is in the US (the web server is on a Layered Tech address). It might be possible to get Elbrus mirrored at AARNet on this side of the ditch. It sort of fits into their criteria as an academic archive:

"The charter is to provide local mirrors of archives useful to the AARNet members. This means there is a wide variety of archives that we'd consider. To date, we have concentrated on OpenSource software and specific academic archives as requested by end users."

[RobF]

Yes - I didn't really have much problem downloading the large files using cable broadband. Much more time mucking around getting all the files and directories together then sorting out how to calibrate....

[troypiggo]

I had to chuckle upon reading the info linked in post #1 above (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/StarLocatorElbrus/?yguid=333414068). It opens with:

"Welcome to the inglish language Yahoo Group "StarLocatorElbrus" for users of the telescope positioning program Elbrus.

Elbrus is a freware program."

[mithrandir]

How's your Spanish? Better than babelfish? You can always offer to correct the English translations for the author.

[troypiggo]

My Spanish is terrible. Are you saying they translated to English using Babelfish and it spelled "inglish" incorrectly?

Of course I could offer to correct the English translations for them. In fact I have already sent them a note about the above-noted errors. If I notice any other errors if and when I decide to use this software I'll be sure to do the same.

Sorry if my chuckle above offended you in some way. Seems irony is lost on some people. It was meant to be light-hearted, not offensive.

[gbeal]

So, what's the consensus folks, is it a goer??
I have dabbled very quickly with plate solving in Maxim 4, and it seemed to go OK. I saw last night a thing called GotoFits, and tried it just now with my Maxim but it obviously is on a different wavelength, it says I need to launch Maxim, even though maxim is open and running??
Gary

[Terry B]

This software works very well. I use it to sync my scope all the time. It sits in the background and plate solves every image I save. It writes the coordinate info into the fits header as it goes. If I slew to a new target I will take an image and save it. Then I sync the image. If the image isn't centered on my CCD I can then slew the little amount required.
Has made my goto etc very simple.

[gbeal]

Thanks Terry,
I looked at what I need to download and it indicated it would be quite simple, much to the disagreement with the posters in the early section of this posting. Am I missing something.
I also note most are using an EQ6, whereas I am on a CGE.
Gary

[DavidU]

This is all very interesting stuff !

[troypiggo]

Author just contacted me and it's all been fixed now. :thumbsup:

[Terry B]

Not sure how your mount connects to your computer. Mine connects using an EQDIR. Elbrus has a few ways of connecting but I use ASCOM. If you can connect using ASCOM then they can talk.

[Terry B]

It is much faster now than when this this thread was started. at the time the database was on a little server that only allowed about 100mb/sec and it took hours to download each file.
It has been moved soince that time and isn't a problem now.
The author of the software seems like a nice guy and answers most questions on the elbrus forum (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/StarLocatorElbrus/?yguid=333414068).

[RobF]

I didn't mean to make it sound intimidating Gary. I've just got used to jumping in the deep end with most software, but in this case it is worth reading the instructions on what files you need and where before firing it up. I found it a bit confusing too that I could easily get it solving on the trial database and image supplied but not on my files. That was only because I didn't download everything required properly.

For those serious, I'd strongly recommend joining the Yahoo group, going to the Files section, and looking at the bottom 3 or 4 sections - Help files, tutorials, etc. There is an english installation guide that is very clear and specific (if you looked for it and read it in the first place...;))

I'd 2nd Terry again - very useful if you setup lends itself to computer solving and guiding. I always thought with my scope driven by a laptop through ASCOM (EQMOD) it surely must be possible for it to figure out where it is in the sky from an image - and sure enough someone has done this for free.

[RobF]

I believe Maxim uses a cutdown version of Pinpoint, Gary, which is very effective (according to Jase). I can't comment, not being a Maxim user.

http://pinpoint.dc3.com/

[RobF]

It does definitely put you on guard as to how easy software will be when you strike some nasty language errors Troy. Please to say Elbrus is nicely documented and works well.

Good news on helping the author fix his page so quickly too.