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Any ideas about APT plate solve utility

Astroboffin

By Astroboffin
in Getting Started With Imaging

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Astroboffin

Astroboffin

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Hi All,

Tried this,post in the software section, but with no joy....

I use APT as my software of choice for imaging with my Atik 414ex CCD camera, and it works extremely well.

My issue is the plate solving feature, which has now been upgraded in the latest edition of APT, but I have never used, as basically I don't understand how.

As I use an Meade LX90 as my mount, which is not spot on with the goto's, can I use the plate solve feature to help, by that I mean, for example if I go to a target such as the Dumbell neb, and take a 3 min sub, and the target turns out to be in the top right corner of the field of view, rather than faf about with trying to move into the centre manually, could the plate solve help ?? And if so how ??

Would it be able to automatically move the scope so the target object was in the middle of the field of view of the imaging camera ?

Thanks in advance for any advice given, but please try and make it as simple as possible, as this is new to me. :) :)

AB

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Pompey Monkey

Pompey Monkey

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Hmmm.... not sure if you can get to the finish line with this one, but apparently the LX200 ASCOM drivers work with your scope. Try here for a guide: http://www.astronomyforum.net/meade-telescope-forums/97647-guide-autoguiding-lx90.html

If you can controll your LX90 with ASCOM, then there's a very good chance that you can plate solve using APT/Point Craft.

I'll PM Ivo the link to this thread :)

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Astroboffin

Astroboffin

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Thanks all for your input

I can control the mount using Ascom, I do that all the time with APT, and ot looks like I need to spend a night just on getting use to,using the Plate solve option.

Thanks especially to Yoddha for the superb software and constant updates and a back up support you provide, I and many others really appreciate your time and effort :):)

AB

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Astroboffin

Astroboffin

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Thank you very much, AB!

You can make some tests indoors using old images to be sure that evrything is confugured ;)

So in the instance that I got an object and it is not showing in the FOV, I then solve that image p, how do,I then go to the object I want if it is not in the FOV to click on..?

And If download platesolve 2 (which I don't have), does APT intergrate with that software automatically ?

And do I need both platesolve 2 and all sky platesolve or just one of them, in which case which one is best ?

Regards

AB

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Astroboffin

Astroboffin

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Paul is right!

If the object is not ito the FOV, then load the coordinates in the lower part of PointCraft and use GoTo++ :) It will try to get out the best of your setup to center the desired object :D

I have edited my earlier post wit a couple of questions

Also where do I,get the coordinates to load..

Sorry for all the dumb questions, just trying to,get my head around it....lol

AB

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Yoddha

Yoddha

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BTW both 'PlateSolve2' and 'All Sky Plate Solve' made possible PointCraft to become true. They provide the calculations that I always needed to implement my ideas how framing can get pleasant and to save endless nudging and taking test images :D 

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Pompey Monkey

Pompey Monkey

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BTW both 'PlateSolve2' and 'All Sky Plate Solve' made possible PointCraft to become true. They provide the calculations that I always needed to implement my ideas how framing can get pleasant and to save endless nudging and taking test images :D

ASPS will not do a "Goto ++" unless an "Auto" solve has been done previously, even if the telescope coordinates have been imported from ASCOM. Is this correct?

Also, If this fails, I have to restart APT to get the solving to work again...

Paul

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Yoddha

Yoddha

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Just saw the other questions...

Open PointCraft->Settings there you will find buttons that will lead you to the right sites for downloading.  Also there you have to give the folders where PS2 and ASPS are installed.

Also you will have to tune ASPS with the right index files for your setup (Camera/Scope). Once this is done you are ready to enjoy :)

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Yoddha

Yoddha

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ASPS will not do a "Goto ++" unless an "Auto" solve has been done previously, even if the telescope coordinates have been imported from ASCOM. Is this correct?

Also, If this fails, I have to restart APT to get the solving to work again...

Paul

Paul,

The way that GoTo++ works is to make usual GoTo, take an image, solve and see how far it is from the target. If there is need it makes several rounds... It works perfect with PS2 but so far I didn't have chance to test it myself with ASPS....

Do you mean that there is a problem?

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Pompey Monkey

Pompey Monkey

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Paul,

The way that GoTo++ works is to make usual GoTo, take an image, solve and see how far it is from the target. If there is need it makes several rounds... It works perfect with PS2 but so far I didn't have chance to test it myself with ASPS....

Do you mean that there is a problem?

If I load a fresh APT and define my imaging train in "Object Calculator", Goto++ moves the scope (after supplying the telescope position to PointCraft), and then gives the message something like "PointCraft cant begin solving" I don't if it takes an image first, but I don't think so.

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Astroboffin

Astroboffin

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Just saw the other questions...

Open PointCraft->Settings there you will find buttons that will lead you to the right sites for downloading.  Also there you have to give the folders where PS2 and ASPS are installed.

Also you will have to tune ASPS with the right index files for your setup (Camera/Scope). Once this is done you are ready to enjoy :)

And where are they to be installed, I have downloaded, but not sure where to install, ??
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MarsG76

MarsG76

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How do any one every get subs night after night all in the same place with out plate solving . I love it and so easy to use. but I can not help on this mount Meade LX90 or how it works.

I can tell you any thing on solving . but not this mount Sorry.....

I'll tell you how.... When I work on a project I don't take the camera, filter wheel and OAG off the scope when I pack up... then the next night when I setup the scope the OAG and camera are already in place... I slew to the object, do a few test shots and frame it roughly in the same way and continue to take subs.

After all of my subs are done and I'm happy with the amount per filter, even if it takes 4 or 5 nights, I'll stack and align in Nebulosity with the "Rotate and Stack" feature, it perfectly rotates, aligns and stacks the subs.

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Astroboffin

Astroboffin

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I have installed all the software and the relevant data sets of files, but when I load an image into it, it just times out and does not solve, so not sure if I have done something wrong, have tried within APT and straight in the plate solve software not using APT, and same thing just times out.

I see that I have to download all the files for my chip size and focal lengths, which I have done, then I load my image of M27 it will not solve it.

Has anybody got an image with the info I need to solve please so I can try, just to see if it does work...

Cheers

AB

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Pompey Monkey

Pompey Monkey

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I have installed all the software and the relevant data sets of files, but when I load an image into it, it just times out and does not solve, so not sure if I have done something wrong, have tried within APT and straight in the plate solve software not using APT, and same thing just times out.

I see that I have to download all the files for my chip size and focal lengths, which I have done, then I load my image of M27 it will not solve it.

Has anybody got an image with the info I need to solve please so I can try, just to see if it does work...

Cheers

AB

Have you entered the focal length of your scope and chip size into the solver?

See if you can solve this one:

The parameters you need are FL = 675mm, chip size = 18mm by 13.5 mm. I think that's all the info you need, but just in case the pixel size is 5.4 um.

I enter these details into both APT and ASPS. 

post-33415-0-55003800-1450017875_thumb.j

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Astroboffin

Astroboffin

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Have you entered the focal length of your scope and chip size into the solver?

See if you can solve this one:

The parameters you need are FL = 675mm, chip size = 18mm by 13.5 mm. I think that's all the info you need, but just in case the pixel size is 5.4 um.

I enter these details into both APT and ASPS.

Hi,

Thanks for that

I have used the image and entered details, but still timed out :)

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