Need to install ASTAP for plate solving

[GOT_SC]

Hello everyone,
I'm using SharpCap with the ZWO 385 / Celestron C8 / 6.3 focal reducer / NexStar SE AZ mount

I'm able to do 3 star alignments successfully.
And then in order to ensure the GOTO accuracy is optimized for a DSO of interest - I do a few SYNCs on stars nearby the DSO.
But then when I GOTO the DSO - I can't tell whether or not it is within the FOV of the camera.

It was suggested I install ASTAP and perform platesolving in SharpCap.
Can anyone point me to the steps involved in adding that to SharpCap?

I've downloaded the ASTAP application and downloaded a "Large Star" database file.
Do I install the ASTAP application where-ever it wants to install itself?
Is the "Large Star" database file going to be enough?
Where do I put the "Large Star" database file?
Do I need to do something in SharCap to get it to recognize the ASTAP application?

Sincere thanks!

[admin]

Hi,

just run the Astap installer and let it do its thing (no need to configure), then run the H18 star database installer, which will do its thing also with no need to configure.

Once you have Astap installed you need to tell SharpCap to use it - see https://docs.sharpcap.co.uk/4.0/#Select ... g%20Engine. You can also use the 'Test Selected Plate Solver' button near the bottom to check everything has been detected OK and is working.

cheers,

Robin

[GOT_SC]

Thank you Robin!

This will be a new hardware configuration for me - because I initially started with a small laptop having Stellarium installed - and having that connected to the NexStar SE AZ mount.

I have SharpCap installed on a newer larger 64bit laptop because SharpCap really needs a larger display in order for the user to easily access all of the options such as historgram.

So I've been using 2 laptops.
A small one connected to the mount - and the large laptop connected to the camera using SharpCap.

After installing the ASTAP 64bit system into the correct folder path - I opened SharpCap\Settings and selected ASTAP as the solver.
I'm doing this currently inside the house in the daytime.
SharpCap recognized the ASTAP application and the data file.

Since I don't have the camera connected at this time - I selected the test camera with the Orion Nebula picture.

I noticed that SharpCap hightlights ASTAP solver - but does ont highlight the solver option with (ReSync)
I suspect that is because I don't have SharpCap setup for controlling the mount
Would that be correct?

With the Orion Nebula picture - I initiated the ASTAP solver - and SharpCap initiated it - and it appeared as a small window in the upper left.
It was scanning up to 180 degrees
I assume this process is a process where ASTAP is trying to match the stars within the Orion Nebula picture - with its star database.
The solve process counted up to 180 degrees - but failed.
So it did not successfully find a match between the Orion Nebula picture and its database file.

Perhaps that is because the picture it is working with is not a real picture?
Anyway - I now am guessing that I need to somehow connect the mount up to SharpCap.
And I have no idea how to go about doing that.

Much appreciate your help Robin!!

[MunichAtNight]

Hello!

So I've been using 2 laptops.
A small one connected to the mount - and the large laptop connected to the camera using SharpCap.

This sounds to me as being some how overdressed!

I worked with a Celestron Nexstar without any pain and had installed on ONE PC Stellarium, ASCOM and Stellarium! It works together like a charm!

because I initially started with a small laptop having Stellarium installed

Does it mean you have a cable from your hand controller to this PC? You selected inside Stellarium direct serial connection to your mount? Correct?

And only being sure, that I understand you correctly, you can select inside Stellarium for example Vega and when you tell in Stellarium slew to Vega your mount slews to Vega?

In this case you have everything ready to combine Stellarium, Sharpcap on the same PC. The only thing which I guess is missing is ASCOM. ASCOM combines all different equipment and allows communication of "any" software with "any" astronomic hardware. You need to install the ASCOM package. When I did it the first time I was shocked of all the windows menu entries it did! But in the end it is quite similar as doing the direct serial connection you might have done now at your "small" PC.

You will have to do the physial connection from your hand controller to the "big" laptop. Find out the correct COM number and so. But you tell it, does all the necessary setup inside ASCOM modules. As fare I remember Sharpcap comes up with ASCOM windows which allows you to do any necessary setup after having installed ASCOM. Give it a try! It is simple!

And you have to tell Stellarium to communicate with your mount by ASCOM, too!

In the end you can work as used to be it now. Difference you use only one PC! You select VEGA in Stellarium, give there the order to slew to VEGA, switch to Sharpcap and have a look. In case VEGA isn't perfect centred you let Sharpcap plate solve and sync and you are done!

Wish you success! Servus MunichAtNight - Ewald

[GOT_SC]

Thank you MunichAtNight!

I'm having a problem with using ASCOM on the Nexstar SE AZ mount.
I have ASCOM working for an Orion Sirius EQ mount.

But can't get ASCOM to work for the Celestron mount because the system will not recognize the "Celestron unified driver"
I've tried installing the driver several times.
But ASCOM does not see it.
Therefore I can't use ASCOM to control the mount.

But since Stellarium is able to recognize the mount directly - I'm wondering why ASCOM would be needed?
Sincere thanks

[admin]

Hi,

to get best results out of plate solving, SharpCap needs to be able to talk to your mount via ASCOM - this enables the 'Plate solve and Resync' functionality and also helps by letting SharpCap restrict the search area for plate solving to with 15 degrees of the current mount pointing position (making things much faster).

Astap may fail to solve the default Orion picture because it is already processed, meaning that the star detection routines in Astap do not work as well as they otherwise would. There is also an issue because Astap likes to know the scale (in degrees of sky) of the image - SharpCap will run Astap twice if necessary, once in 'use the scale of the last image' and once in 'try a range of different scale' modes. When the second mode is combined by a full sky (180 degree radius) search, it can be very slow and less accurate.

You are going to need to get ASCOM working - make sure your ASCOM platform and Celestron driver are up to date, and be sure to test when nothing else (like Stellarium) is already talking to the mount.

cheers,

Robin

[GOT_SC]

Robin,
I found out this morning - that ASTAP needs a pixel scaled image of no less than 1280x960
And I have a suspicion that SharpCap is capturing images below that pixel scale.

Is that possible?

[MunichAtNight]

Hello!

...I'm having a problem with using ASCOM on the Nexstar SE AZ mount. ...

But can't get ASCOM to work for the Celestron mount because the system will not recognize the "Celestron unified driver"
I've tried installing the driver several times. But ASCOM does not see it.

Tonight I am not able to access my setup. I will have a look for you what Celestron driver I use coming nights. Perhabs comparing details with a working system may help you.

... Therefore I can't use ASCOM to control the mount.

But since Stellarium is able to recognize the mount directly - I'm wondering why ASCOM would be needed?

Because Sharpcap communicate thru ASCOM with a mount.

Servus MunichAtNight

[MunichAtNight]

Hi @GOT_SC

But ASCOM does not see it.
Therefore I can't use ASCOM to control the mount.

I am not sure if it helps. Bute here my screenshot I did yesterday for you!

celestron-driver.jpg (150.81 KiB) Viewed 3468 times

Servus - MunichAtNight - Ewald