Mesu Nount with NINA

[muletopia (Chris)]

Folks,
Some time ago I found that Nebulosty with the new QHYCCD ASCOM driver does not
handle camera gains other than zero. On Stargazers Lounge it was suggested that I use a "modern"a aquisition program. So I downloaded and installed NINA. NINA accepts non zero gains from the camera,good.
Now I can';t see how to connect the ASCOM Mesu mount driven by Sidereal technology to NINA.
Has any one know how to do this?
NINA has many nice options that I would like to use.
Chris

[AstroViking (Steve)]

I'm not a NINA user, but I've heard that NINA uses a lot of plugins to add support for different things. Do you need to install a Mesu plugin??

[AdamJL]

What trouble are you having, Chris? If it's an ASCOM driver, NINA should see it in the drop down list under the "Telescope" tab.

For my EQ6-R, I just click connect and it starts up EQMod and connects fine.
For my AM5, I have to connect via the ASCOM app first, then connect via NINA.

[muletopia (Chris)]

Thanks Adam, just so, I missed the connect after the selection. With that it found the mount in the next invocation of NINA and the geo location information was imported from Sitech.
I am sure I will have further problems as the NINA interface sure is different.
Chris

[AnakChan (Sean)]

You may need to go through NINA's Discord channel for assistance. In my brief search there, I see there are other Mesu owners there as they go NINA working with their mounts but just asking about meridian flip questions.

I guess you're driving it with SiTech controller? There should be ASCOM drivers with SiTech.

[muletopia (Chris)]

I tried to follow the hint to look on NINA's discord.
Yesterday I did manage to set up an Discord account.
When I subsequently attempted to log in I was told :suspicious activity" and clicked on sharks jellyfish etc but to no avail. Today when I attempt to enter Discord and I click on "Accept Invite" an large number of times. I want to pose the question:.
"how to enter the plate solve method to use , plate solve3."


Plate solve3 has served me well with my Mesu mount.



NINA says this is done in plate solving settings but I can't see how to find this option.
Any pointer would be appreciated
Chris

[AnakChan (Sean)]

I think ASTAP is probably the most popular of plate solving for N.I.N.A. users however you can use Platesolve3 if you prefer :-

https://nighttime-imaging.eu/docs/ma...g/#platesolve3

You'd set your PlateSolve3 settings here (circled in red).

P.S. Outta curiosity, does that mean you've solved your N.I.N.A. SiTech ASCOM connectivity now?

[muletopia (Chris)]

Yes Sean , the Mesu mount is controlled by Sitech which is ascom compliant, setting sttech telescope connects seamlessly. NINA receives the Fl automatically.
I will try using your plate solve suggestions later tonight.
I want to use platesolve3 as I use it for plate solving in Sitech, single point tinit and building a mount model, even held in rings an M250 flexes, it is not immune from gravity.
Cheers
Chris

[muletopia (Chris)]

Sean your picture is terrific, easy to set platesolve3.
I did create a discord account but when I try to log in I get invitation failed. In setting up I received many "suspicious activity messages and then duely clicked on octapi and jelly fish. I guess that Discord does not like satellite delays on the net. There are many sites like that.
I know where the platesolve3 catalogs are but not the executable.
I suppose that when the exe is located then NINA will ask where its catalog is.
Chris

[AnakChan (Sean)]

I'm not familiar with PlateSolve3 since I use ASTAP but I'm guessing it's more than likely somewhere in the c:\Program Files\<PlatesSolve3>?

But thereafter I'd expect the PlateSolve3 executable to know where the catalogue is rather than N.I.N.A.

Try finding the Platesolve from the Windows Start menu and right-click the icon for More -> Open File Location...

This will open up file manager/explorer to the PlateSolve shortcut. But from the shortcut, you can right-click on Properties and it'll show you the actual location of the exe.

Naturally my sample shots are for ASTAP but conceptually the same to find where the PlateSolve3 executable is.

[muletopia (Chris)]

Thanks Sean, as far as I can see Sitech does not explicitly call platesolve3, it must do it via a dll.


So I went poking around and tried this thread on Cloudy Nights


N.I.N.A Platesolve 3 Download? - Cloudy Nights

https://www.cloudynights.com › topic › 842082-nina-p...













19 Sept 2022 — I am trying to setup N.I.N.A with Platesolve 3 using the download link for PlateSolve 3, but it fails at the end of the download.


Not a promising start! But I went there to find

I am trying to setup N.I.N.A with Platesolve 3 using the download link for PlateSolve 3, but it fails at the end of the download.
https://nighttime-im...ng/#platesolve3
clicking on the link gives
PlateSolve3#

Author: PlaneWave Instruments (Dave Rowe) URL: PlateSolve 3.80 5GB
Nina has kindly been selected to add the new PlateSolve3 program to its arsenal of platesolvers, courtesy of Dave Rowe. PlateSolve3 is a standalone executable which has been improved to work with longer focal lengths and smaller FOVs with fewer stars. This download has the necessary catalogues already added. Just unpack it into a directory of your choosing and point to it in Nina platesolving options.
You need to start the executable once standalone and select File - Configure directory.
Set the GaiaDr2 location to the 'UD Catalog' directory in the unpacked PlateSolve3.80 directory.
Then set the UCAC4 location to the 'Kepler' directory in the same unpacked directory. You will also need to set your location in View - Parameters


I had more luck ,clicking the last link above did down load the 5.2 gig required.
I followed the installation instruction and all seems to be well.


The data structure it creates is the same as the Sitech data structure,. One day when I am brave I will put the Sitech directory names in the instruction fields and see if it still works.
If so I can clear up a lot of disk space.
Chris

[muletopia (Chris)]

Hello,
As expected from platesolve3 written by Dave Rowe both N.I.N.A. and Sitech

store the same UC4 catalouge.This takes 2.09 gig of storage. So when I am confident of plate solving with N.I.N.A I will try making N.I.N.A. uc4 entry point at the Sitech entry.. It would be nice to have another couple of gig available.
Chris

[AnakChan (Sean)]

How's this progressing Chris? Managed to optimise the catalogue storage?

[muletopia (Chris)]

Sean,
I don't know about Perth but here we have not had a clear night for a week or so and the forecast is for another week of cloudy nights.


Then my head has to get around asking N.I.N.A. to do a plate solve.
So a while yet :-(
Chris

[AnakChan (Sean)]

Chris,

If I'm not mistaken, I believe you are able to load an image into NINA, then platesolve it (but set NINA NOT to "move" the mount if it's not pointing to it). i.e. if that's the case, you don't need to actually "image" to test your plate solving.

Do you have a past FITs that you can use? You'll have to know the specs (camera sensor size/pixel pitch/focal length of the scope, etc) you can load that pix into NINA and get it to platesolve as a test.

I'll test and if it works, I'll step you through the steps.

EDIT: tested and it works

To test Platesolving Parameters
Prerequisites:
a) PlateSolving Parameters already set up in NINA.
b) Camera pixel/size & OTA focal length, etc. are set correctly

Procedure:
1) Equipment -> N.I.N.A. Simulator Camera
2) Settings/Cogwheel -> Load (then select your FITS)
3) Connect camera
4) Imaging Tab on the left
5) Change Exposure time to something short (like 1 sec)
6) Start Exposure
7) Click on Plate Solving sub tab
8) Sync set to Off
9) Reslew to Target set to Off
10) Change Exposure time to 1 sec
11) Click on Play

Pls see screenshots.

If platesolve fails, then it'll mean you may need to tweak your platesolving parameters.


Cheers,
Sean