Setting up PlateSolving in Astrophotography Tool (APT)

[AstroArgy]

Amazing tutorial!!! helped to make a complicated subject easy and accessible to many!!

Thanks

[sagramore]

I just want to say that this thread is one of the most useful things I've ever come across in my time doing astrophotography. Thank you so much!

I set this up today and tonight I had the easiest time finding targets I've ever had BY A MILE. I used to think that my expensive mount was "bad" or "broken" or something because it would take me so long to find what I was looking for, but this has made me realise that actually it was getting pretty close every time and I was just struggling to get that last movement spot on. 

Now though - wow! Thanks again

[MarvinZ]

I want to do a test on this software to platesolve an image I took a wile back but cant seam to find a way to import it to APT can anyone advise. This is to test it out.

 

Thanks

[david_taurus83]

On 19/08/2020 at 22:46, MarvinZ said:

I want to do a test on this software to platesolve an image I took a wile back but cant seam to find a way to import it to APT can anyone advise. This is to test it out.

 

Thanks

You can't find a way to import the image into APT?

[MarvinZ]

Hi David

That is correct, it was probably something simple I was missing. I have given up on APT, at least for now.

I have now found NINA and have invested my time into working with NINA and find so far I am getting on with this software, so for now that is the way I am proceeding. Just waiting on clear sky, and the delivery of my new equipment. 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

1. Click on Img tab in top RH corner.

2. Then click on the current path.

3. Select the directory where the image is.

4. Double click on the image you want to platesolve.

5. Select Image Preview: On (Flt)

 

6. Stretch the image on main screen.

 

7. You should then be able to platesolve it (I think anyway). Either tyoe in approxomate Ra and Dec positions of object and solve or blindsolve it, which may take sometime.

Steve

 

[MarvinZ]

Thanks Steve

[wormix]

Great guide - spent this afternoon tinkering with tech ready for when these clouds finally clear. 

[wormix]

Got this setup and running tonight -  It’s amazing!

It kept failing to sync and I was tearing my hair out trying to get to the bottom of it. Quick tip - check you actually input your coordinates correctly first before trying the more technical fixes!  

[PaulB]

This is a brilliant and very intuitive tutorial. I have followed your instructions and I have now setup APT and Point Craft for solving.

I use Plate Solving now. But I wasn't sure whether It was set up correctly. Thank you for this tutorial.

Have you considered offering this up for publication in Astronomy Now?

[david_taurus83]

4 hours ago, PaulB said:

This is a brilliant and very intuitive tutorial. I have followed your instructions and I have now setup APT and Point Craft for solving.

I use Plate Solving now. But I wasn't sure whether It was set up correctly. Thank you for this tutorial.

Have you considered offering this up for publication in Astronomy Now?

Thanks! I'm glad its still helping people! I should update it now though as APT has added ASTAP support. I find this very quick to solve, when it works, but I only have a 70/200mm lens now so its hit and miss at shorter focal lengths. PS2 for near solve and ASPS for blind solve still work well even at only 100mm focal length.

No, its never crossed my mind to reach out to any magazine though they would be more than welcome to publish. Its free for everyone to see on here anyway 🙂

[david_taurus83]

On 05/09/2020 at 22:30, wormix said:

Got this setup and running tonight -  It’s amazing!

It kept failing to sync and I was tearing my hair out trying to get to the bottom of it. Quick tip - check you actually input your coordinates correctly first before trying the more technical fixes!  

Hope you got to the bottom of it! If your scope is actually pointing close to your target already, you can auto populate the coords box by hitting the Scope Position button. It may be close enough to get it to solve.

[bottletopburly]

I find 6 second subs and iso 1600 work well for Astap solving in 4 seconds ,.

[david_taurus83]

17 hours ago, bottletopburly said:

I find 6 second subs and iso 1600 work well for Astap solving in 4 seconds ,.

I find if my lens is slightly out of focus ASTAP will solve with bigger star profiles but with good focus and tiny stars at short focal length it struggles.

No issues with PS2 or ASPS, just slower.

[han59]

14 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

I find if my lens is slightly out of focus ASTAP will solve with bigger star profiles but with good focus and tiny stars at short focal length it struggles.

No issues with PS2 or ASPS, just slower.

Note in ASTAP there is a minimum star size setting which  default is set at 1.5 arc second to ignore hot pixels. Secondly it will ignore stars of one pixel (HFD<0.8) since they are most likely hot pixels.

For ASTAP it could help if you force the binning to 1 instead of auto=0 keeping the stars in the image larger.  The ASTAP CCD inspector will tell you the average HFD and star size in arc seconds.

Han

author of ASTAP

[david_taurus83]

57 minutes ago, han59 said:

Note in ASTAP there is a minimum star size setting which  default is set at 1.5 arc second to ignore hot pixels. Secondly it will ignore stars of one pixel (HFD<0.8) since they are most likely hot pixels.

For ASTAP it could help if you force the binning to 1 instead of auto=0 keeping the stars in the image larger.  The ASTAP CCD inspector will tell you the average HFD and star size in arc seconds.

Han

author of ASTAP

Thanks Han, I will give this a try!

[harrythewho]

David, thank you very much, this is such a valuable thread. Would you be able to share the M81 image used in your original post? I'm still putting things together and don't have a picture yet. (The mount is here but the guide camera is malfunctioning, and the ADM vixen-to-Arca-Swiss adapter is yet to arrive.)

[gaz81]

WOW

One of the best threads I have ever read, I would never have worked this out on my own

Thanks for pointing me to this thread David!

I got it all set up, and tested with some images.... just.... wow

Now I just need a clear night! 

[ABPhotosUK]

A really helpful and in-depth guide David, will certainly help me locate DSOs with my Star Adventurer

[SStanford]

Fantastic tutorial, Thanks very much!

Just need some clear skies now to test out.

[SStanford]

Having followed this tutorial, I have a question regarging new profiles when using scopes of a different focal length/cameras with different sensors.

Is it as simple as dowloading the new files on the ASPS wizard using the new specs and create the new profile on APT or is more required?

Is there any further action for PS2 or are the files dowloaded as described sufficient?

I also notice that in ASPS settings (via the toolbar) there are details it considers "critical", are these also being updated accoridng to the profile used?

S.

[david_taurus83]

On 29/12/2020 at 17:05, SStanford said:

Having followed this tutorial, I have a question regarging new profiles when using scopes of a different focal length/cameras with different sensors.

Is it as simple as dowloading the new files on the ASPS wizard using the new specs and create the new profile on APT or is more required?

Is there any further action for PS2 or are the files dowloaded as described sufficient?

I also notice that in ASPS settings (via the toolbar) there are details it considers "critical", are these also being updated accoridng to the profile used?

S.

As long as you have the indexes installed for the focal lengths your working at, then it should be fine if you have the correct focal length selected in APT.

I've not noticed any issues with PS2 either whilst changing the focal lengths.

[Astro_mark_c]

How would i plate solve with say a fuji camera attached to a telescope? would i use my guide cam mini? or is there another way to do it?

[david_taurus83]

20 hours ago, Sidecontrol said:

How would i plate solve with say a fuji camera attached to a telescope? would i use my guide cam mini? or is there another way to do it?

Is the Fuji camera supported with APT?

[Astro_mark_c]

2 hours ago, david_taurus83 said:

Is the Fuji camera supported with APT?

just looked it up and it doesn't, sad times, but i did get EQMOD and Sterallium set up so i'll be using that for now.