Plate Solve and ASPS

[Real14]

Hi,

I am having a strange problem. I have enough stars in my image and SharpCap tells it has found only 2 sources.

¿? Rainer

SharpCap_PlateSolve_Problem.JPG (247.67 KiB) Viewed 872 times

SharpCap_PlateSolve_Problem2.JPG (315.34 KiB) Viewed 872 times

[Real14]

Here, totally confused ...

SharpCap_PlateSolve_Problem3.JPG (405.22 KiB) Viewed 870 times

[admin]

Hi,

your stars are only visible in SharpCap because you have a really strong display stretch set up - I suspect that if you set that back to default your image would be basically black with a handful of stars.

ASPS works on the unstretched image, so is having trouble spotting the stars.

It looks like you are running the camera at minimum gain, so you should just be able to turn that up to 200 or 300 to bring the stars into view without needing the display stretch or increasing exposure. By that point plate solving should be happy too.

cheers,

Robin

[Real14]

Hi Robin,

Thanks for the tips.

Interesting wise after writing my comments here suddenly without any change it started to work again ¿? I always had worked like that before the last 3-4 updates. OK, looks like the problem is solved.

Next time when I have trouble I will follow your advice and crank up the gain.

regards Rainer

[Real14]

Hi,

Yesterday I did use all the tips you gave me.

It did not improve. Same nightmare as before.

I really do not know what is going on.

Well, if I have clear sky tonight I will test it again. Lost yesterday about an hour trying to get it going. The advantage was that my mount even without Plate Solve found the objects more or less ...

regards Rainer

PS ¿ Am I really the only one having trouble with ASPS + SharpCap in getting a Plate Solve ?

[admin]

Hi,

I think the next step is for you to capture one or two frames that are failing to solve (snapshot button in SharpCap) and share them here so that we can test them and work out what is going on.... I can't think of any more generic suggestions to try without inspecting some images.

cheers,

Robin

[Menno555]

Hi Rainer

I also use ASPS as solver and almost never problems with it.
I have 2 different things in the settings: I do not use the focal length setting. I have different camera's and I forgot to enter the right focal length each time. And I have a value of 50 for the Star Detection Noise Threshold.
With my main camera (Zwo ASI071MC Pro) and IR/UC Cut filter, I use a standard setting of 2 second exposure at 100% gain for plate solving. With more dense starfields, I lower the gain to around 60%.
When using narrowband, I use captures for solving of 4 seconds.
But always without any stretching like Robin also mentioned.

And what maybe also can help is remove everything ASPS, including the indexes. When removed, run SharpCap for a "dry run". Do a Test Selected Plate Solver (button on bottom of plate solver settings). It will find nothing but that's okay. Close SharpCap.
Download and install ASPS again, download and install the indexes. And add it again in SharpCap.
I did this once when somehow the connection between SharpCap and ASPS was screwed. Tried everything and this was the only thing that got it working again.

Menno