Pinpoint Settings and Plate Solve

I am having some frustrating problems with Pinpoint.

1.) Where does SGP get the detailed settings for solving with pinpoint?
2.) Does it use the settings in the visual Pinpoint application?
3.)What is the preferred catalogue? I am using both GSC and UCAC4. Does one have an advantage over the other? I think GSC is good with wider fields and general use and UCAC4 is good with narrower fields of view and dimmer stars? If one does not work, I switch to the other. I use the astronomy.net as a fail alternative, but I sure want the faster solve without having to go to either local or internet astronomy.net The plate solves keep failing and it is frustrating.
4.) Maybe it is my exposure settings. I am using 5 seconds. Should I change it to something else?
5.) Is there a more stable and reliable solution out there than Pinpoint?

I have nailed it down to the solve routine. It seems it does not even go to the local solve routing and goes straight to the internet fail over. I have gotten it to work, but it is not reliable and it is driving me crazy.

I used to use Pinpoint. I’d recommend giving Platesolve2 a try and see if you even need Pinpoint. The UCAC4 catalog shouldn’t be required unless you are using very narrow fields of view.

I set everything via Visual Pinpoint. Make sure you have an image scale in your sequence on the right side otherwise it won’t solve (SGP doesn’t support the blind solving in the newer Pinpoint).

Hope that helps!

I resolved all my Pinpoint issues. I don’t quite know how, but I solved in Pinpoint as well as SGP solving with Pinpoint and everything seems to work now. Once in a while it defaults to astronomy.net or ansvr (I have to verify, I have it running locally), but last night I imaged six separate targets from 9pm to 5am and everything worked beautifully. This is the first time I have ever been able to be so productive. The weather cooperated also. SGP is really a great program.

I am still curious as to where the solving feature that uses Pinpoint in SGP is getting the settings to use for the solve. Does it adopt the settings in Pinpoint used in the last successful solve? The version of pinpoint I have has the local ansvr functionality. If you set this in SGP does it reset it in Pinpoint? If you set Pinpoint to just go right to the ansrv does it do so in SGP?

Maybe SGP just uses the basic functions of Pinpoint and you don’t have to set anything more than what is in SGP.

Depends on what you are trying to solve and to what Pinpoint setting you are referring. The only “settings” SGPro cares about is the catalog location and the magnitude of stars allowed in the search.

The rest of the hint data for the solve comes from FITS headers, the control panel and information provided by the telescope driver. We get zero information from Pinpoint. Visual Pinpoint is its own application. We don’t care if you ever open it or set it up (beyond registration).

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Thanks,

Just purchased all your software after 15 day trial. I think it is great.