[Paul Haese]

Originally Posted by gregbradley

When you try to plate solve what error message is showing?

Thanks Greg. Error messages in CCDsoft are north angle failed or image link failed check co-ordinates and image scale. I just checked on two images of stars one worked and the other did not.

Originally Posted by gregbradley

When you zoom in on a starfield in Sky 6 do you see all those USNO stars showing up?

Zooming in I cannot determine which stars are in the USNO catelogue. How do you do that?

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Do you have the check box ticked in the display explorer for the USNO database?

If you are referring to having it ticked in stellar options under astromety, then yes. In the data/file locations it is not in bold like the other catelogues but when I use verify it comes up with a tick (is it supposed to be bold like the other catelogues?).

Originally Posted by gregbradley

I take it your CCDsoft has the server settings set properly and you have both a CCDsoft box saying listening to port as well as one in the Sky 6? You need both going.

Both CCDsoft and the sky have ports listening and I think I have all the settings correct. Both have checked allow remote connections, both have remote clients use orchestrate or RASCOM, then the other settings needed for each.

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Did you set the file location of this database in the Sky so the Sky can find the USNO database?

Not sure, I verified under file locations but like I said it is not in bold now like the other catelogues but it does verify with a tick.

Originally Posted by gregbradley

What operating system are you using and do you have enough RAM?

I am using Vista with 4 gig of RAM

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Something is off. Odd it works half the time. What exposure setting are you using? Are you binning? I take it you entered the correct arc/second/pixel for your camera/scope unbinned?

I am exposing for 7 seconds at 3x3 bin. I used Rod Wodaskis CCD calculator and got 1.39" with the TSA/flattener and KAF8300. The TSA native has 816mm but with flattener it is 800mm that combined with KAF8300 should have 1.39" per pixel.

Originally Posted by gregbradley

What scope are you using? If a TSA102 you may need to do 30 second exposures and use subframes.
Greg.

TSA with flattener. I seem to be getting plenty of star but I will try say 20 seconds to see if that works.

Just out of interest, once I do get a plate solve in CCDsoft, do I then go directly to the sky and sync and then map it. Even if it is not in the center of the field (the star I am aiming at)? This seems to be my reading of the instructions. Does it matter if the star is not dead center of the cross hairs in CCDsoft?

Just testing I found that if the image does not plate solve in CCDsoft. I have to then completely close down both the sky and CCDsoft to get it to plate solve on a known star. Odd really. Could be a Vista problem.

Thanks guys for your help, much appreciated.