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What is AstroTortilla?

t0ny

By t0ny
in Getting Started With Imaging

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t0ny

t0ny

Posted
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Hi,

Is there a simple explanation of what AstroTortilla is? 

I can see it is described as 'a helper application that brings plate solving to your astrophotography workflow', but that has not helped me understand what it does/is?

Thanks

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red dwalf

red dwalf

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my friend uses it and loves it, it basically plate solves and moves your mount to always centre your chosen target, what plate solving does is the program takes a snap using your imaging camera and looks at the star patterns, very cleverly works out where it is and if your off will move the mount to centre on your chosen target.

basically very accurate alignment tool.    

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lensman57

lensman57

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Hi,

Is there a simple explanation of what AstroTortilla is? 

I can see it is described as 'a helper application that brings plate solving to your astrophotography workflow', but that has not helped me understand what it does/is?

Thanks

It is a plate solving technique that uses short exposures of a given part of the sky to centre the mount to a predefined coordinate. It uses the Ascom drivers for your particular mount, camera through the Ascom platform to move the mount to the correct coordinates. Depending on the set up it may need 3 cycles to get the mount to centre. It can do this to a good degree of accuracy but the faming of the target is usually done manually by rotating the camera and off setting the mount. I do not use it as I do not want extra software on the laptop. I find it just as easy and quicker to centre on a known star in the vicinity of the target and then send the mount manually to the correct coordinates. Some people love using AT or other plate solving programs to centre the mount.

A.G

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redmoo

redmoo

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I am in a similar boat as you t0ny. I only heard about this a few days ago after reading a post on the forum. Going to install it onto the astro laptop and see how it works! I have just bought a set of NB filters, but no wheel yet, so I was hoping that using this tool, I can do the same target on a few different nights and have the same framing each time.

I love how there is so much to learn about this hobby, and it's nice when something free comes along!

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Thalestris24

Thalestris24

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Hi

Yep, as described above, it's a plate solving application - a local version of astrometry.net. I totally rely on it! It saves having to faff around doing star alignments (something I've never had to do). It also has a mini-drift (polar) alignment tool which works quite well. In combination with Stellarium and APT, say,  it makes it very easy to centre a chosen target. It can also solve previously saved images which can be done using simulator mode, or live to take you back to the same target. All in all a time and labour saver :)

Louise

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t0ny

t0ny

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Only been out with it twice, got two kids, be a baby!

Garden faces North, but for something so obvious I seem to struggle like mad to pick Polaris out. I must have, both times, been looking a bit out.

Will make sure my finder is aligned properly and try again soon.

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t0ny

t0ny

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No, not the polar scope, the finderscope. I figure as I see several stars of similar brightness in the polar scope I must be looking in the wrong spot. Still typing ut out it sounds stupid. I have tried to polar align without my scope attached.

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lensman57

lensman57

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No, not the polar scope, the finderscope. I figure as I see several stars of similar brightness in the polar scope I must be looking in the wrong spot. Still typing ut out it sounds stupid. I have tried to polar align without my scope attached.

Use an ordinary compass to locate N and then make sure that the RA axis of the mount is pointing towards N. You should be able to find Polaris in the FOV of the 9X50 finder. You must have the latitude of the mount set up correctly before hand .

A.G

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Astrosurf

Astrosurf

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Make sure your polarscope reticule is in line with your mount. See here:

http://www.astro-baby.com/HEQ5/HEQ5-1.htm

Don't bother with the setting circles instructions she gives.

I use Jason Dale's Polar Finder sw on my laptop:

http://myastroimages.com/Polar_FinderScope_by_Jason_Dale/

And also PolarAlign app on my iPhone by George Varros. I don't know what's available for other phones. Just enter your co-ords. The iPhone one uses decimals. I think Jason Dale's one is set already at the inverted view you'd see through your polarscope, but check the settings. So's the iPhone one.

  • I make sure that my Alt scale is at my location (52 degrees) after adjustments last session - NOTE: it's in 2-degree increments, not one!
  • Ensure my scope is parked as neatly as possible in RA.
  • Use a compass (not too close to the mount) to get as close to north as possible. (I actually use a clever stick with a compass my friend made me which is great. Ask me if you're interested and I'll ask him if he'll make you one!)
  • I level the mount with a spirit level to make sure I'm not tilted forward or back.
  • Rotate Dec so that you can see through the polarscope and ensure your counterweight bar is extended.
  • If I can't see Polaris, I tape a laser pointer on an old tripod to point to Polaris. That helps!
  • Then I use the software to see where Polaris should go in the large circle, using the alt / az bolts. I ignore the small circle. I set up without scope and weights as it's kinder to the bolts. If I'm on grass, I check Polaris's position again after I've added the kit. On hardstanding I don't. It's always OK.
  • Rotate the mount in RA to ensure Polaris doesn't drift off the circle. If it does, you've got something wrong.
  • Set dec back to park and you're ready to star align!

I hope this helps. I'm not very good at explaining, especially when my mount's not in front of me to check my details are exact!

Alexxx

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  • 2 weeks later...
rob0971

rob0971

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Plonk your mount down roughly pointing to north, roughly at polaris if you can see it. Run the polar align app in astro tortilla. Slew to target & plate solve to get on target. Take pics.

You don't need to be able to see polaris to use the polar align tool. Saves loads of time & is accurate.

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Nathan_Pembs

Nathan_Pembs

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For plate solving I prefer the version in astroart v5, doesn't seem as temperamental as Astrotortilla.

As for polar alignment, I just use the routine in the synscan handset and it works everytime.

I have no North view at all and my PHD graphs are as flat as Norfolk lol

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Nathan_Pembs

Nathan_Pembs

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PA routine with synscan handset is pretty simple really :)

You do a 2 star alignment and after that you're shown the Alt and Az error for your mount (in arc seconds). You're then asked to choose another star, align, then the mount slews a tiny bit off that star.

Handset then tells you to align back onto that star using only your Az and Alt bolts, and that's it really. Some people do more than one iteration of this but doing it once is successful for me.

I have to pack up my gear after each session, I've made a mental note of exact position on my decking so I can plonk the mount exactly in the same spot. PA will stay pretty accurate too for a few sessions, I just redo it now and again.

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