Using ASTAP for Plate Solving

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acat
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2021 1:05 pm

Using ASTAP for Plate Solving

#1

Post by acat »

I have been using a Nikon D5100 DSLR with Backyard Nikon to image on my C8 and using ASTAP very successfully for plate solving. I've setup Sharpcap Pro to work with my new ZWO ASI2600MM and filterwheel. I do not see settings in Sharpcap for the number of cycles for ASTAP to try to center a target or the number of pixels/arcmin that constitute "success". Are there such settings?

Secondly, in my first try with the system last night, ASTAP would not solve. It appeared that ASTAP was not getting the coordinates of the target based on its popup window which showed zero degrees. Since the FITS file contains this info I assume ASTAP can't find or is not receiving the image. (I tried manually plate solving the image and it took 0.8 sec!). I am storing photos on an external 4 TB drive. Could it be that ASTAP is looking elsewhere assuming some default location?
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admin
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Re: Using ASTAP for Plate Solving

#2

Post by admin »

Hi,

firstly there are two ways to run plate solving in SharpCap

1) from the menu - 'Plate Solve'. This does a blind solve over the whole sky and does nothing except report the results. This is designed for use if you *do not* have a GOTO ASCOM mount connected. In this case SharpCap starts the plate solving engine with a default location (0,0) and a 180 degree search radius.

2) from the mount controls - 'GPS' button. This uses the current mount location as the starting point and tries to solve within 15 degrees. When using this button, SharpCap will re-synchronize the mount and re goto the target.

It sounds like you may be using the first option, which is then doing what it is supposed to. In SharpCap 4.0, this option has a clearer name and also uses the mount co-ordinates as a starting point if a mount is connected.

SharpCap does not look in FITS headers to find RA/Dec co-ordinates when you load files into (for example) the folder monitor camera.

Hope that explains what is going on,

Robin
acat
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2021 1:05 pm

Re: Using ASTAP for Plate Solving

#3

Post by acat »

Thanks very much for the clarification; that may well be the issue. I did use the image created in SharpCap and imported it into ASTAP; it solved in 0.8 sec, so there's hope. I did not realize one must use the scope controls as they are off the bottom of the page on my laptop; out of sight and out of mind.
zerolatitude
Posts: 156
Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2021 5:24 am

Re: Using ASTAP for Plate Solving

#4

Post by zerolatitude »

I had read this earlier and forgot all about it and was wondering the same thing.

Possible to change the menu command text to "Blind Plate Solve (Solve Only)"? Or something like that?

Will just make it clearer.

Thanks
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admin
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Re: Using ASTAP for Plate Solving

#5

Post by admin »

Hi,

Yes, I renamed that menu option in SharpCap 4.0 for this exact reason :)

cheers,

Robin
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