Struggling with Pinpoint

[bkm2304 (Richard Brown)]

Hi all,

I have MaximDL and am trying to use Pinpoint Astrometry with maxim. I have downloaded the GSC and followed (I assume) the instructions for installation and pathway structure. I get the following message when I attempt to plate solve an image.

Does anyone know what I am doing wrong here?

Thanks

Richard.

[Octane (Humayun)]

I'd say it has something to do with the fact that your FITS scale is not set.

In the File > Settings area, under Site and Optics, have you filled in the details for your scope?

H

[bkm2304 (Richard Brown)]

Originally Posted by Octane

I'd say it has something to do with the fact that your FITS scale is not set.

In the File > Settings area, under Site and Optics, have you filled in the details for your scope?

H

I checked and this is all filled in appropriately. It's as if it can't get to the actual folder, which is exactly where I tell it it is and which has the identical content to the website file.

It's very frustrating.

Richard.

[Atmos (Colin)]

One other little observation, usually when it is going through the process it will say how many stars have been used from your image for comparison. It doesn't seem to have done that.
Although maybe it only does that after it has made a connection with the catalog, not sure.

[rally]

Whats your focal length ?
Was the image you are using created by MaxIm and saved originally to native FITS with all the correct FITS metadata ?
Is the Observatory Control window in MaxIm linked to your telescope ?

Maybe put up the image somewhere and we can look at the FITS header and see if everything that should be there is there
PinPoint is relying on the RA and Dec of the centre of the image and the image scale or image details to compute image scale in order to get a start on where its searching

Too long or too short a focal length can cause problems, eg too many stars will cause a timeout (cut the image size down in MaxIm) if too long then the GSC catalog wont have enough stars in it to solve and you will want to use USNA or others
. . . but the error message seems to imply that it cant find the GSC data
Are you sure its there, and its complete or not corrupt ?

Rally

[Atmos (Colin)]

I believe that there is a catalog checker that can be downloaded for free, it checks to see whether a star catalog is in good working order. May be an idea.

[Octane (Humayun)]

Rally just mentioned something that rang alarm bells -- is MaxIm DL connected to your telescope in the Setup tab of the Observatory window? If that is not enabled, then, I don't believe the FITS header is updated with the RA/Dec details.

H

[Atmos (Colin)]

Originally Posted by Octane

Rally just mentioned something that rang alarm bells -- is MaxIm DL connected to your telescope in the Setup tab of the Observatory window? If that is not enabled, then, I don't believe the FITS header is updated with the RA/Dec details.

H

It doesn't need to be as he has already out the RA and DEC values in. If they're in the fits header it's done automatically. If they're not then you just put in the approx manually. I think he has done the latter.