Plate solving specifications

[Mstraka606]

Hi, I’m using SharpCap successfully for imaging with my Meade 6000 115 w/0.8 field flatener + ASI295M pro. My EQ-6R mount is also connected and I’m able to move it via the software. I’d now like to plate solve. At the time of downloading the software I bypassed the plate solving files because I didn’t know which to select. Can anyone point me to the best resource for selecting the proper dataset for my hardware?

Thanks!
Mike

[admin]

Hi Mike,

if you go to a website like this one – https://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/ - you can enter your equipment (or at least equivalents equipment to it - the brand doesn't matter, just focal length, size of camera sensor and so on) and then work out how big the field of view is that you're getting through your camera/telescope combination. Once you have that information you are ready to start thinking about what index files to install. I think the recommendation is to have index files going down to 20% of the width of your field of view – so if your FOV is 1.25° by 1° (as an example), you would want the index files going down to .25° (15 arc minutes).

Cheers, Robin

[Mstraka606]

Awesome. Thank you Robin!

[Mstraka606]

Robin I wanted to let you know that SharpCap plate solving has been working perfectly since downloading the proper Astro Torilla data files. Thank you.

Now I have a different but related question. I recently got a new computer and I’ve downloaded identical files/programs. I’m using EQ6R with ASCOM/EQMOD, Stellarium, SharpCap, PHD2. The problem statement is the old computer works perfectly. Goto is The new computer isn’t positioning the same as old. Two images below show the different EQMOD position report for the mount in the exact same location.

I am virtually certain the 59 minute RA difference is NOT due to a clock being off by a time zone or DST as a friend and I went through every possible screen to confirm similarity.

Someone has asked if the old and new computers have a position calibration. Yes! The old computer has used plate solving for alignment correction but the new one has not.

Is that calibration file transferable to the new computer? Does it even matter? Is this a reasonable expalianation for the difference ? Any other ideas?

[admin]

Hi,

I think what you are referring to is the EQMOD pointing model, which records information about where the telescope is really pointing compared to the coordinates that it thinks it's pointing at. There's a document all about this here: http://eq-mod.sourceforge.net/docs/eqmo ... models.pdf

Near the end, it looks like there are options to save and load this information, but it's not clear whether this can be used to transfer the information from one computer to another. It would certainly be worth a try playing with that, and perhaps asking in an EQMOD specific forum where they might have a bit more about this.

Cheers, Robin

[Mstraka606]

As always, thank you Robin!