Problems using Plate Craft (Platesolve) in APT software

[alcol620]

Hi folks

Anyone out there using the Plate Craft function on APT software.

Grateful for a heads up on what I may be doing wrong.

Current position is this:  On a previous occasion  I used Pointcraft to solve a couple of images and stored them in the Object browser. But when I call them into the "Centre FOV at position" window and hit GoTo++ the scope slews to the coordinates, Pointcraft takes an image and tries to solve the image, However, it never manages to solve it, it runs and runs without completing the action.

Plate solve does work if I simply go to a new area of sky, take an image, and in the "Current Image" section click "Scope Position" and in about 20s the image is solved. It is never much faster than 20s, although I see claims that images are solved in a few seconds.

Any help gratefully received. All I want to do is to call up a previous image and take more subs of the exact position from a previous session.

Thanks for looking

[Starlight 1]

If you like to put the image in I have a look for you .

[alcol620]

Hi Starlight 1

Thanks for getting back to me. 

is it possible to set out for me the simple steps in the process so that I can follow them next time we get clear skies.

Plate Craft did work a month or so ago and I think I might not be setting up right

[Starlight 1]

Yes I can work out Plate solve for you , put the image you are trying to do in here , I use two programs that in APT as some time one do not work on some images , Plate solve only take about 5 /15 sec tops  then I can give you the setting , I have to do the image just to make sure the image works .

I give you all the new setting like this image make life easy.

[alcol620]

Hi Starlight

They are the settings I was using.

I do the following:

I go into APT Plate Craft and look up the object I have saved in the Object Browser and click on it to bring it into the "Centre FOV at position" window. I this click  GoTo++. The the scope slews to the coordinates, Pointcraft takes an image and tries to solve the image, However, it never manages to solve it, it runs and runs without completing the action.

Is this the correct procedure?

[Starlight 1]

That sound right on the way you are doing it , but with out me trying your image out to see why , it never manages to solve it must be in your setting.

Are you useing a newtonian scope it so check the box if not it will not work it out .

[alcol620]

I have a Skywatcher 80ED

[Starlight 1]

So do not check that box on that scope. all I can do is try your image out. ps do you know how to up load image on here  its in more reply options next to the post.

[Starlight 1]

something not right I just try your M99 pinwheel image out and it do not work. so I look into why tonight.

[Starlight 1]

OK  this is one of your images of M99 and I got it to Plate solve with the setting I am useing, 

[alcol620]

Hi

I'm impressed

Sorry to be a pain, but could you list down in detail the order of actions you performed to get to the end result.

I am confused by the various RA/DEC values on the graphic!

Thanks for taking time out to help me

Alec

[Starlight 1]

As you see the photo I move the image over so the FOV only have 3 or 4 little Stars to work it out .

[Starlight 1]

like this Solve after you got little Star in FOV. do sync last and take one more pic just to check it in the right place.

[alcol620]

Becoming clearer, but I still have trouble understanding the process.

Presumably:

First you opened the image that you want to align with. In this case M99. Having opened it, you click Solve? and Point CRaft solves the image? and shows the new coordinates 12:18:49 and 14:32:59?

You now click AIM to move the part of the image you want at the centre?

Is this what you did?

What about GoTo++ when does this get used?

Alec

[Starlight 1]

Becoming clearer, but I still have trouble understanding the process.

Presumably:

Plate solve, you click Solve? and Point CRaft solves the image? and shows the new coordinates 12:18:49 and 14:32:59?

You now click AIM to move the part of the image you want at the centre?

Is this what you did?

What about GoTo++ when does this get used?

Alec

open image then move image over to get little Stars in the FOV  this is what its looking for(STARS) , then solve , when you done this move down to AIM  and move ring over to the center ,this give you new RA/DEC , you can use GO-TO that put the scope over the  new ring, center put your new RA/DEC to center of the new image.

[alcol620]

Thanks alot, much appreciated.

I will give this a go, next time we get a clear night. Not likely for a few days unfortunately

Regards

Alec

[Starlight 1]

You can still try it out on the computer with out being at the mount or a camera plug in , But for it to work open were the camera is and put your camera in that box.

[alcol620]

Hi Starlight

Have been playing around with settings, got it to solve raw file but not jpeg. There may be a problem in how APT transfers FOV to PS2 during plate solving. Corresponding with the APT Forum. Ivo is on the case.

Thanks for you inputs, much appreciated

Regards

Alec

[Starlight 1]

Hi Starlight

Have been playing around with settings, got it to solve raw file but not jpeg. There may be a problem in how APT transfers FOV to PS2 during plate solving. Corresponding with the APT Forum. Ivo is on the case.

Thanks for you inputs, much appreciated

Regards

Alec

sound odd as when APT take a pic for plate solve to work it out, it take Jpeg to save time .  may be IVO  may be more help on this one , I still have a look for you to see if I can work this out.

I do no astro in the summer . so I am thinking back to when the testing was done , So I may not have every thing I said put in the right way as to how APT & PLATE-SOLVE works.

I have move over to a mac computer so a lot of my old notes have gone .

[alcol620]

Hi Starlight

Changed a couple of settings as per Ivo's advice and input camera info and it worked splendidly last night. Hopefully it will continue to do so.

See discussion string on APT Forum at http://aptforum.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=24

Thanks for your help.

Regards

Alec

[Starlight 1]

Very interesting just looking at the APT forum I think we agreed at the time i help with some testing it had some limitations to  getting plate- solve  a image very occasionally making some tweaks to the settings.

I think Ivo done everything  prior to release of the 2.90  Wee as helpers reported every bug found at the time to Ivo he worked is little socks off trying to put everything right prior to the release,

But as with all programs it's always going to be something to fix somewhere.

Les

[alcol620]

Hi Les

Didn't realise you were so close to all this. I'm certainly impressed by IVO and all his efforts in producing a great bit of software.

Regards

Alec

[Starlight 1]

He ask for help on here as the weather was not to good for him to get any more work done . So I say way not try to help , as for the weather I had 5 or 6 good nights in and I think at the time it was time well spent trying to help out.