Suggested plate solve programs to use SGP?

New here and am planning on using SGP as my main control program with all of the praises I’ve heard about it.

I’m trying to decide on which plate solve program to use with it, hopefully free as I’m 72 and on a tight budget!

I see that astrometry.net and ANSVR come up frequently, and research says both were originally designed with SGP in mind.

What would this esteemed group suggest as the best (if possible) plate solver for use with SGP? In addition to those noted above, I’ve seen ASTAP, & Platesolve2 mentioned.

Thanks much! JohnGault

John,
Everyone will have their own experiences on this topic.

I have always used Platesolve2 since I have been using SGP and I have never had an issue with it,
and without the need for an internet connection, it works anywhere anytime and it’s fast.

Top marks from me.

Paul

Hi John,
I started out using Platesolve2 but did occasionally have difficulties with it (which with hindsight may have been as much to do with me as it was Platesolve2 :grimacing:). I have personally found ASTAP to be very reliable and easy to set up. The only times I’ve had failures have generally been associated with clouds - not much any program can do to combat that! ASTAP also has the advantage of providing a good metric for use in autofocussing too if you go down that route.
Terry

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My experiences conform to Terry’s, 100 %.

Bernd

Maybe I hall have to have a go at this myself :crazy_face:

I have been using SGP for at least 5 years and Platesolve 2 was my option then. However if my mount accuracy was off (which it was regularly) then it would fail to solve. ASTAP seems to be able to solve when there is a greater margin of error (assuming the correct parameters are set f/l, pixel size etc in SGP).

I had the full version of PinPoint at the beginning, but since moved briefly to PS2 and then went to ASTAP, which seems better still. It even works for all-sky it seems.

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Thanks much to all who have replied thus far! I know there is no “Best” in actuality, but I want to see what the experts are having good results with. Please keep the opinions coming as I value your experience very much! John

I set them both up to work Platesolve 2 andASTAP.
You don’t have use them or test them in SGpro.
Test them on their own as as an standalone app.
Once you get them to solve a image.
Then set SGPro use the app you want.
A lot of folks think you have to go thru SGP
But SGP just calls up the program you set it to use.
I Always test my image in th Platesolve app before I go out at night.
If I’m doing several targets I test them all. During the day.
Save a little time.

Without a doubt ASTAP is the best around. Fast and accurate.

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I recommend you take the time to set up both Platesolve2 and ASTAP. I’ve had occasions where ASTAP failed to solve but PS2 did solve, and vice versa. PS2 has a 10 second countdown after solving which used to annoy me so I switched to ASTAP but now, a couple of years on, I’m less bothered by the countdown and perhaps prefer being able to see PS2’s progress solving. I have 3 rigs I use for imaging, currently 2 of them are set for PS2 and the third for ASTAP.