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Old 16-03-2021, 08:50 AM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Astro Photography Tool issue

Hi, I am using Astro Photography Tool (APT) to try and take a few images of nebular.
I am just starting out with this so please bear with me on the technical terms of things.

So equipment wise, I am using the Skywatcher AZ-EQ6
Running ASCOM, Stallerium, APT and using a Canon DLSR

So in point craft settings on APT, i have everything set up for plate solve 2
Do i really need to set up the All Sky Plate solver or will it work just fine running Plate solve 2?

I have watched a few videos now on tutorials on how to set point craft up and all just seam to only downlow and set up Plate solve 2 and not really worry about the All Sky Plate solve, only one tutorial went and installed this.

Now the only reason i am asking all this is because last night i was out trying things out,
I was using Orion Nebular as the target as it is nice and easy to see.

So I slew to Orion, opened point craft in APT, selected Orion, took a 2 second shot, Orion shows up on the screen.
So far all good things are as they should be.

Now i click on Solve ( in point craft ) It reads solving, but nothing happens, just sits there for a few minutes and times out.

Any thoughts on what i may have done incorrectly?

I am guessing i have installed the Plate Solve 2 software incorrectly and might just take it out and re install it again.

Or do i need to have this All Sky Plate solver installed as well?

Or the other thing is, do i need the full paid version for all this to work, I haven't got the paid version yet as i ant to make sure it all worked fine first.

Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks.
Peter.
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Old 16-03-2021, 09:56 AM
AdamJL
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Hi Peter. I don't use APT (NINA user here) so I don't know the ins and outs of that software, and can't answer everything, but are you able to use ASTAP instead as a Plate Solver in APT?

It's the fastest solver, hands down. 1-2 seconds at times. Make sure you download the star databases, as it works off a local library.
Downside is that it's not that great for blind-solving, but if you're on Orion already you won't need to blind solve.

Last edited by AdamJL; 16-03-2021 at 12:50 PM.
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Old 16-03-2021, 10:19 AM
jahnpahwa (JP)
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Hi Peter,

You should be all good there with just the Platesolve 2. The fact that it says it is solving means it has the catalogue there to use so it looks like it is installed. I have the all sky solver installed, but that is for sessioncraft meridian flippage and general blindsolving, and shouldn't be making a difference in your case.

I have 2 suggestions:
1) Make sure you focal length is correct in the Tool tab.
2) solve near the pole first, then slew a few degrees, solve again, sync (it should sync automatically, but i do it manually everytime to make sure), then go plug in Orion in the "Objects" list, then solve again, then sync, then GOTO orion again. You should be dead centre for anywhere in the sky then.
I find a small change between the first two solves helps refine its map/star alignment pretty quickly, and it is then able to do long slews and hit targets very well. The above has literally never failed to work for me at 1000mm focal length and shorter.

I hope that is helpful and wish you the best of luck
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Old 16-03-2021, 12:18 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Thanks for the replies and advise, appreciated.
When you say solve near the pole first, , Do you mean just pick a star that is close, something like Atria and do a sync on this fist?
Then away you go from there?

I have a longish focal length that i am working with, so a bit more of a challenge, 120mm, but everything else looks to be ok.
I might reinstall the plate solve 2 software just incase i have made a mistake there somewhere.

I decided to give it a go on Orion just because i could get it reasonably centered on the screen before i trued out the point craft program.
I find it surprising that it couldn't solve the image when it is reasonably close.

Will go back through the setting again though just to make sure i haven't entered something else incorrect there.

Appreciate all advice.
Thanks.
Peter.
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Old 16-03-2021, 12:32 PM
jahnpahwa (JP)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesilver View Post
Thanks for the replies and advise, appreciated.
When you say solve near the pole first, , Do you mean just pick a star that is close, something like Atria and do a sync on this fist?
Then away you go from there?

I have a longish focal length that i am working with, so a bit more of a challenge, 120mm, but everything else looks to be ok.
I might reinstall the plate solve 2 software just incase i have made a mistake there somewhere.

I decided to give it a go on Orion just because i could get it reasonably centered on the screen before i trued out the point craft program.
I find it surprising that it couldn't solve the image when it is reasonably close.

Will go back through the setting again though just to make sure i haven't entered something else incorrect there.

Appreciate all advice.
Thanks.
Peter.
Hi Peter, I dont point at anything, just adjust focus til "about right", platesolve whatever I'm pointing at when I am in the home position after polar aligning, ie, pointed pretty much at the Southern Celestial Pole. I leave it to APT to tell me where I'm pointing.
And yes, I'm also surprised that it couldn't solve Orion, but I'm hoping that letting the system figure its own spot in the first place might help
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Old 16-03-2021, 12:34 PM
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Wilsil (Wilco)
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I am using APT an love it.
When you use Solve, did you select the object for solving?
Click on the Objects button, select Orion in your case.
This way at least it knows what it is expecting. Otherwise it will be a blind solve which could take forever.
Mine solves normally in 14 seconds.
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Old 16-03-2021, 01:06 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Yes, basically i start out on the main screen to select Orion and hit goto on the main screen,
The scope then slews to Orion.
I then open up point craft
Select Orion
Then i click shoot and take a 2 second image.
When the image appears i then select solve in the point craft box.
In the left hand corner it tells me it is solving, but 2 minutes or more latter it just times out.

I might have to connect the camera and scope up tomorrow and see if anything odd has changed in the scope settings.

I had a quick look at the object calculator and the correct focal length of 120 is selected there.

Definitely something i missed somewhere.
Will take another look at it again tomorrow after work.

Sure it will be something fairly simple.
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Old 16-03-2021, 04:29 PM
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Wilsil (Wilco)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesilver View Post
Yes, basically i start out on the main screen to select Orion and hit goto on the main screen,
The scope then slews to Orion.
I then open up point craft
Select Orion
Then i click shoot and take a 2 second image.
When the image appears i then select solve in the point craft box.
In the left hand corner it tells me it is solving, but 2 minutes or more latter it just times out.

I might have to connect the camera and scope up tomorrow and see if anything odd has changed in the scope settings.

I had a quick look at the object calculator and the correct focal length of 120 is selected there.

Definitely something i missed somewhere.
Will take another look at it again tomorrow after work.

Sure it will be something fairly simple.
I do all the above in one go.
Straight to PointCraft, Goto++ Orion.
The scope slews to the rough area, plate solves, moves plate solves until the target is centered within the specs I provided.
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Old 22-03-2021, 02:43 PM
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Karlz (Karl)
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Make sure your focal length in close to what it is, I think within 50mm. It's under tools object calculator, if it is out it won't solve and time out. I've had that issue when I change my set up.

SGP it's all set to whatever profile I've made, I run 3 different F/l from the one scope.
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Old 22-03-2021, 03:09 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Karlz View Post
Make sure your focal length in close to what it is, I think within 50mm. It's under tools object calculator, if it is out it won't solve and time out. I've had that issue when I change my set up.

SGP it's all set to whatever profile I've made, I run 3 different F/l from the one scope.

Thanks for the replies,
I had the correct focal length of 120 ( for the Skywatcher Evostar 150ED )
The only thing i didn't do that i have just noticed is the object size box
Not sure if this is really needed to be filled in as i think it is only a circle showing how big the object will be in the image, but could be wrong there.
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Old 22-03-2021, 04:16 PM
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Karlz (Karl)
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Try the focal length at 1200, I'm pretty sure it deals in mm not cm. My APT is set at 1251 for my RC with reducer. That could be the problem.
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Old 22-03-2021, 04:29 PM
bluesilver (Peter)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Karlz View Post
Try the focal length at 1200, I'm pretty sure it deals in mm not cm. My APT is set at 1251 for my RC with reducer. That could be the problem.
Ah, i think you have nailed the issue right there.
Over looked the cm and mm
Will change that and i am sure it will fix the issue.
Appreciated.
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