Solve and Sync Failing - Rescale Solver Images

Sequence Generator Feature Requests
1

Description

Slewed scope to location of Venus
Started SGP
Applied profile to sequence
Connected equipment
Solve and Sync
ASTAP solve failed
Blind solve failed

Aprox time of issue: 19:50

Link to Logs

Useful Info

OS: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
Ver: 3.1.0.451
.NET: 4.8

2

Hi Richard,

it is unusual that nova.astrometry.net could not solve your image.

Please do the following:

  1. Start SGP and create a new sequence.
  2. Connect all equipment.
  3. Point the scope somewhere on the sky.
  4. Make sure that the system is close to focus, either by running autofocus or doing it manually (perfection is not required) .
  5. Go to the Frame and focus module, set it to ISO 1600, Exposure 5s and “Take One”.
  6. Right-Click on the image and save it to disk (remember where you put it, we will need that).
  7. Go to nova.astrometry.net, upload the image you just took and wait till the system solved that.
  8. In case of a successful solve, go to the result page and right down the pixel scale from there; In case nova could not solve, repeat from point 5 with exposure set to 30s.

Now we have the correct settings for pixel scale and exposure time. Enter those in your default profile and try a “Solve and Sync” again.

@Ken and/or @Jared:
It would be very useful to have the option to software bin the plate solving image also for DLSR cameras as they tend to produce large files. For the Canon 70D a 4x4 binning would significantly improve the solving speed.

Kind regards,
Horia

3

Would the prescence of Venus in the image give the plate solvers problems? They aren’t expecting a very bright object at that location and it could obscure so much of the image that the stars can’t be seen.

1 Like
4

Thanks for the tip …

Early this morning (still very dark), I pointed at Vega. Followed your steps and took a 30 sec “Take One” image. Saved it to disk and then uploaded. Astrometry.Net came back with the following calibration data.
image

Entered that into the equip profile (it was already correct):
image

Launched the “Solve and Sync” … it failed to solve and rolled over to “Blind”. It solved, ran through the auto focus and had issues.
image

I never did get Vega properly centered.

I then switched over to the APT app and tried the same process. Here are my comparative settings:
image

I ran a similar scope centering process and it finished successfully in about 5 minutes.

Any other suggestions?

And thank you for the request on the DSLR binning. My solves really do take a very long time.

5

Images sent to the Astrometry solvers are already rescaled to reduce upload time (even “local” upload). If I recall, we rescale to a major dimension of 1200 pixels. Are you wanting to rescale for all solvers?

Jared

6

I do not use a DSLR anymore but for the 8300 CCD I mainly use, I have set the binning to 4x4 for all solves. My primary solver is PinPoint and it answers in a snap.

So yes, I think it would be useful to have the option also for DSLRs.

Kind regards,
Horia