Setting up mount and computer for guiding, software etc.

[Rustang]

My computers stopping me from downloading ASTAP! 🤦‍♂️

[adyj1]

9 minutes ago, Rustang said:

My computers stopping me from downloading ASTAP! 🤦‍♂️

"Open the bay doors, HAL..." 😉

Hopefully a temporary glitch. I just tried it from SourceForge and it worked on the second time of asking...

Edited August 26, 2020 by adyj1
update

[Rustang]

Told the computer to just get on with it!!! Its currently downloading the database, fingers crossed this works so i can move on.

[Rustang]

3 minutes ago, adyj1 said:

"Open the bay doors, HAL..." 😉

Hopefully a temporary glitch.

I like your mug! 😃 Ive got the NASA 'I need more space' one and a black constellation one which shows some constellations when hot, its very cool but pretty tatty now though!

Edited August 26, 2020 by Rustang

[Rustang]

No luck with ASTAP either so I'm missing something somewhere! From your link it says "Select the folder where ASTAP is installed" so the software itself or the directory of stars!? If the software, where will it get its star data base from then!?I keep getting an message saying do you want the assistants thingy to help Solve!

To add: The ASTAP programe is telling me there's no star database in the programe directory but the folder containing the database is in the ASTAP main folder with everything that has been downloaded!!?

Edited August 26, 2020 by Rustang

[han59]

The star database file is an installer. So you if you execute it it will unpack 290 files in your ASTAP program directory. Assuming you have Windows, in c:\program files\astap you should have:

astap.exe

*.290 files

 

Han

[Rustang]

15 minutes ago, han59 said:

The star database file is an installer. So you if you execute it it will unpack 290 files in your ASTAP program directory. Assuming you have Windows, in c:\program files\astap you should have:

astap.exe

*.290 files

 

Han

Thanks, I need a little clarification, the ASTAP went into windows c:\programe files then the database downloaded as a zip folder in the downloads folder. Where do you then un zip that folder so that it goes into the ASTAP programe directory properly? 

[teoria_del_big_bang]

The database should be unpacked and in the same directory (normally "c:\Program Files\astap" but could go anywhere so long as both the database and installed files are in same directory. I think then you need to tell APT where that directory is.

Steve

Edited August 26, 2020 by teoria_del_big_bang

[teoria_del_big_bang]

This is what I have in my directory, but you may not need all the star databases I have for it to work okay.

Steve

[han59]

8 hours ago, Rustang said:

Thanks, I need a little clarification, the ASTAP went into windows c:\programe files then the database downloaded as a zip folder in the downloads folder. Where do you then un zip that folder so that it goes into the ASTAP programe directory properly? 

Rustang,

Steve has nicely show what should be in the program directory. The star database can be downloaded as installer (g17_star_database_mag17.exe) or zipped. The zip file you have to unpack but Windows doesn't allow that directly in the c:\program files\astap  So you have to unpack it somewhere else and then move the 290 files to c:\program files\astap   Windows will protest once again but you can go ahead accepting the risk. Easiest is probably to delete the zipped file and download the star database installer and run that installer which will do al the work for you.

 

Steve,

Each of the database files contains a section of the the sky. You probably could skip the files for below declination -40 degrees but when running a blind solve ASTAP could complain about it and exit with a run time error. I have not limited the search based on latitude of the FITS file. Maybe I should but for a successful solve you will never go beyond -40 degrees declination assuming you live around 50 degrees north.

Han

 

[Rustang]

Thanks guys, that's how I ended up with it yesterday when moving things around so i will leave it at that, ive got the G18 database though. Ive got APT looking straight at that main folder. I read the install guide but It was just a little confusing (for me) because it was different to how you installed the other database's and software. I have managed to solve a sample image off the APT forum but it gave the RA and DEC coordinates and other info which i put in. It would only solve though if i selected 'Use PS2 for near solving' and 'always use near (ASTAP or PS2). Ive had more frustration this week with my main computer going down which is being looked at but on there is all my astrophotography work (I really hope it can be saved 😥) so i cant use another one of my images to try until hopefully i have the computer and my data back.

Below is the single sub i was trying to 'blind' solve but then even with the rough RA and Dec coordinates entered which I took from Stellarium it still doesn't solve that particular sub.

Edited August 27, 2020 by Rustang

[Rustang]

Ok so this is embarrassing, you can tell how drained I'am trying to take all of this on!!. So I was trying to solve the imaging thinking it was a sub of the Heart Neb but I have just realised that its a sub of the Eagle Neb!, the last target that I captured 🤦‍♂️ So I just put it the stellarium coordinates for the Eagle Neb and pressed solve, and..............................It solved!! I'm such an idiot! Sorry guys, your dealing with a numpty! ☺️

If point craft detected a Focal length of 430.18 shall I continue to enter that instead of the actual 420mm which is what the scope FL is!?

Edited August 27, 2020 by Rustang

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Russ,

Stop beating yourself up, we have all been there.

A lot of this software is often easy to use when set up but can be a nightmare actually setting it all up and getting all these separate bits of software to work together. Maybe this is a symptom of much of it being complicated softare but free and mostly written by individuals rather than big companies with lots of software writers and testsers on hand. Even much of the paid and more intense software is only written by small groups of enthusiasts. So generally the headaches are just the setting up of it all and you will find loads of threads on SGL all asking similar questions about what to use and how to install let alone how to use, so do not worry, its normal.

But on the upside looks like in the last week or so you have made loads of progress.

Also it is often better for yourself and often more productive to take a step back and even a rest from it for a day or two. I know the thoughts are always to rush to get it all going and working so you are ready for that next clear night but sometimes you sort of get blindsided looking at the same thing and a break sometimes promotes a different approach next time that often works.

Carry on the good work, you will be ready for the darker nights to come I am sure 🙂 

Steve

Edited August 27, 2020 by teoria_del_big_bang

[han59]

11 hours ago, Rustang said:

If point craft detected a Focal length of 430.18 shall I continue to enter that instead of the actual 420mm which is what the scope FL is!?

Since it is less then 5% off, an update is strictly not required, but why not?

[Rustang]

I'm only bloody guiding!! 😁 So tonight I've set everything up for its first run, APT found my targets beautifully, plate solved spot on too. Guide graphs a bit rubbish but it's guiding! I'm so happy all that stress has been worth it. I dedicate this first guide to you guys!! 👍 😁So going forward there appears to be an issue thats flagged up in regards to backlash!? Edit- this only appeared to flag up once so may not actually be an issue! My graph generally stated under 1 for 'TOT', errors which I believe is good!?

Edited September 6, 2020 by Rustang

[Rustang]

The proof is in the stars, my first 5 min sub with lovely round stars!

Edited September 6, 2020 by Rustang

[teoria_del_big_bang]

Hi Russ, See I told you it would all be worth it 🙂 

I bet that was a good feeling after all that. Well done it will pay dividends with your imaging and you will wonder how you ever managed without plate solving.

Steve

[Rustang]

15 minutes ago, teoria_del_big_bang said:

Hi Russ, See I told you it would all be worth it 🙂 

I bet that was a good feeling after all that. Well done it will pay dividends with your imaging and you will wonder how you ever managed without plate solving.

Steve

Yeah really happy mate, I owe alot of the success to everyones help. Looking forward to some decent sessions now 👍

Edited September 6, 2020 by Rustang

[dark knight]

I just ordered a new laptop so I can run N.I.N.A, of course that also means I will have to put all the other software on there too!! Ascom drivers, eqmod, Bluetooth for wireless mount control, guiding software, plate solving, planetarium etc etc never a smooth ride but well worth the struggle, well done Russ

[Rustang]

55 minutes ago, dark knight said:

I just ordered a new laptop so I can run N.I.N.A, of course that also means I will have to put all the other software on there too!! Ascom drivers, eqmod, Bluetooth for wireless mount control, guiding software, plate solving, planetarium etc etc never a smooth ride but well worth the struggle, well done Russ

Yeah it's a big old headache to get sorted but when it works like it did last night then it really is worth it! 👍

[Budgie1]

I've been going through the same learning curve as you Rustang.

It is good when you get all the software & hardware going together and can see the results. Glad you stuck at it and I hope you see some great images, once the moon is less of an issue than it is just now.

My only issue at the moment is the guide camera, I'm using an old Phillips SPC900 webcam connected to Celestron 9x50 finger scope. It works but the image from the camera isn't good and it keeps loosing the guide star, no matter what settings I try to use in PHD2. I have managed 5 subs and one 10 minute sub with it, but not constantly.

Hopefully this will be sorted tomorrow with the delivery of a ZWO 60mm Finder/Guider scope and ZWO ASI120MM Mini camera from FLO.  

Here's my single 10 minute sub of the Witches Broom Nebula using my current guider setup. There is some star trailing on the edges but it was only a test to get used to all the software and to see what it would do, so I was quite pleased with it.

Edited September 6, 2020 by Budgie1

[Rustang]

47 minutes ago, Budgie1 said:

I've been going through the same learning curve as you Rustang.

It is good when you get all the software & hardware going together and can see the results. Glad you stuck at it and I hope you see some great images, once the moon is less of an issue than it is just now.

My only issue at the moment is the guide camera, I'm using an old Phillips SPC900 webcam connected to Celestron 9x50 finger scope. It works but the image from the camera isn't good and it keeps loosing the guide star, no matter what settings I try to use in PHD2. I have managed 5 subs and one 10 minute sub with it, but not constantly.

Hopefully this will be sorted tomorrow with the delivery of a ZWO 60mm Finder/Guider scope and ZWO ASI120MM Mini camera from FLO.  

Here's my single 10 minute sub of the Witches Broom Nebula using my current guider setup. There is some star trailing on the edges but it was only a test to get used to all the software and to see what it would do, so I was quite pleased with it.

Looking good mate, it really does make a difference 👍

[Rustang]

So yeah guiding does make a difference!, there's still lots of things to sort out (the dreaded canon banding for one) but I'm so chuffed with this image. 3hrs of 5min subs 🙂 Onwards and upwards!

 

 

Edited September 10, 2020 by Rustang

[dark knight]

Looking good, guiding makes a huge difference, worth all the headaches once sorted

[Rustang]

4 hours ago, dark knight said:

Looking good, guiding makes a huge difference, worth all the headaches once sorted

Cheers and definitely! 😊👍