APT - Meridian Flip, still not working fully - Any Help Appreciated

[teoria_del_big_bang]

In the past with my HEQ5 mount I did seem to get this working fine  but not yet had it working with my CEM60.

I have changing a few things in APT and last night got up to watch the flip. It seemed to do pretty well, when it got to the flip it took a 30 sec image and solved it okay before the flip, flipped and then took another 30 sec image  but never tried to solve it and message in log

"Point-craft Error: Can't start solving" Then carried on with plan. So target was not quite centered. 

I did stop the plan and then took a 30 sec image and solved that and it solved straight away so then re-synced the mount, slewed slightly to correct position and carried on imaging. But no idea why it did not even try to solve the image after the flip, I would have thought if it solves the image before the flip and then does exactly the same after the flip it would solve.

Any ideas ?

Below is a section of the log when it did the flip.

Also is there a way of retrieving the log after closing APT down or do you have to save it somehow before shutting down ???

Steve

Steve

[Dr_Ju_ju]

2 additional thoughts, why is it doing a solve before the flip as it 'should' have been on-target already, and why is it trying to do a 'blind' solve after the flip ??

[bottletopburly]

Is the path to platesove2 correct , does it need a blind solve as I thought it used solve as it roughly knows co-ordinates  and uses go to++ to recenter, maybe @Yoddha will know.

[teoria_del_big_bang]

I assume it is just how APT works. In the past when it worked correctly with my HEQ5 it plate solved just to find the exact position it was on then flips, takes another default exposure (exactly same as image before the flip) then plate-solves again and then adjusts position (so usually mount is  not quite centered so will move again a very small amount.

According to the log the position was bob on, so as you say really doesn't need to plate-solve but I am guessing it is there just in case you were not guiding and so the mount had drifted a bit (although that probably doesn't make sense as maybe better to re-center it on intended target - not sure there). 

I do not think there is a way in APT to change that it is written into the software when doing a flip (I think!).

Regarding the Blind solve that maybe the issue, where ever I have searched for this issue it seems to recommend the blind solve after flip is checked in that box. Whether it does not plate-solve at all if unchecked I cannot find the answer and may have to try it myself. Obviously I would rather give it the scope position and plate-solve using the approximate position.

I have asked on the APT forum as well.

Steve

 

[bottletopburly]

Log is in tools >general >bottom left  export log .

[teoria_del_big_bang]

3 minutes ago, bottletopburly said:

Is the path to platesove2 correct , does it need a blind solve as I thought it used solve as it roughly knows co-ordinates  and uses go to++ to recenter, maybe @Yoddha will know.

Sorry @bottletopburly the above reply was done before I saw your post. I would prefer to not blind solve and use the scope position as an approximate position but cannot see in APT how to do that. I am sure it is me as there must be a way.

Regarding the path, I think it is correct but will check, I assummed it was also doing a blind solve before the flip but maybe not so uses different software.

 

Steve

[teoria_del_big_bang]

42 minutes ago, bottletopburly said:

Is the path to platesove2 correct 

Yes just checked. Reason it is not in Program Files is that I read somewhere (maybe in APT guide) it works better if not in that directory.

Steve

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Just a quick update, I finally got this working perfectly, with some help form Ivo on the APT forum.

Basically I had recently downloaded ASTAP for blind solving but never tried it. But I had not downloaded any database of star formations for it. Before this I was using ASPS which did have databases loaded.

So when I loaded these it worked perfectly.

Also Ivo questioned why I was using blind solve after the flip which I was nt sure why I think only because when I searched for other peoples setup it always had blind solve after flip option checked. So now I have unchecked this option ant it also works perfectly just a little quicker than with the blond solve.

Happy Days 🙂 

Steve