Hello everyone. I just wanted to post that I to have been having plate solving ploblems as of late. Prior to ver 2.6.0.23 I didn’t have any issues. My problems seems similar to what I have read in some other posts. Sometimes it solves, sometimes its way off. Sometimes the object is in the FOV but it fails, yet I can see it in the exposure. I will admit I have not had much time to devote to trying to solve (no pun intended!) this. I’ve read a number of posts on this similar issue but nothing has worked. I have cleared sync data and align data in eqmod and tried again, numerous times. No luck. I’m posting the log file from the last night I had nothing but problems with plate solving. I wasn’t able to PS on Vega, but I could on M57. I could PS on IC1396 but then couldn’t PS on M27. A previous night it failed PS (3 tries) on M57 yet it was in the FOV, just off center to the lower right of frame. Any suggestions I could try further to resolve, would be appreciated. I am planning an imaging session tonight so will see how it goes. I have cleared eqmod sync/align data and will sync on one star, then try PS.
Update - so I’m set up now and did a single sync/align on Vega. Showed as “1” point count in eqmod. I then did a PS for M57 and it centered it in two tries. I noticed that even though the first PS which failed because m57 was not centered yet but in the FOV, was recorded by eqmod as a pioint count as if I had synced it. The third point count was recorded when PS was successful. Should a point count be recorded by eqmod when the object is not actually centered?
I tried PS to vega again then, but it was way off.
I PS to m57 again and it centered.
I then did a PS to ic1396 which was successful in 3 tries.
I am currently imaging R-G-B for ic1396 so can’t provide any more details until I change targets later. I suspect though PS will fail again at this point like it has many times previous.
So I tried PS from ic1396 to Alberio and it failed, 3 attempts. I tried M27 and it failed as well, way off the mark. Yet PS worked on ic1396 just prior. Are there any suggestions I might explore to resolve this problem?
Good thought however the pixel scale is correct. I have verified this using third party software and it has not changed since PS worked fine and what has been happening now.
Updating this. I didn’t change any settings. I didn’t feel I had to since PS was working fine a couple or so SGP versions back.
I did use Astrometry instead of PS2 this time. I did three test. Each time Astrometry for PS worked perfectly. Centered object.
It centered Vega which PS2 wouldn’t do anymore for me. It centered M57. And it centered M27 which (like vega) PS2 was way off. For M57 PS2 had it in the FOV but failed even after three attempts.
Exposure time doesn’t make sense since PS2 solved IC1396 but failed on all others, even if the object was in the FOV.
According to CDC the pointing position was very close to its actual position. PS2 simply went off somewhere else for some reason that wasn’t near the target object. Except of IC1396 which as I said centered fine.
Not sure why Astrometry was able to solve and center perfectly but PS2 isn’t anymore. I’ve used PS2 for nearly a year now without problems until the last couple months or so.
I’ve had the same problems but with astrometry.net. Changed to PS2 still wouldn’t work. Now the only way I can get it to work is with PS2 but I have to clear all alignment data from eqmod then do a blind sync and solve every time I use SGpro. Never had to do this before. All settings have been tremble if not quadruple checked
In my attempts to understand and resolve the ongoing PS problems that did not exist before, I had tried clearing the alignment data but that, for me, did not help.
Its supposed to be clear here in the next 48-36 hours so I will be able to do more testing on this issue. See if Astrometry works again perfectly or not.
I continue to have plate solve problems, inconsistent or off target. I’ve verified the image scale used for both camera and mount. I’m not sure how to know if the mount driver (EQ6) “modifies the reported system based on its own modeling”. I am using 2x2 binning and 3 sec exp with the red filter, which I would hope is more than adequate for enough stars to plate solve with. I have also previously tried 1x1 binning with 2 sec exp but had same problems with plate solving.
I can update with this report that changing to Astrometry did not in the end fix the problems as I first thought. On July 5th I plate solved using Astrometry for M27 and it was dead center in two attempts. Tonight (July 8th), it plate solves on M27 placing it in the lower left corner of the frame, not centered, and says successful… Which is it clearly not. I was able to plate solve and center for M57 though, tonight. No settings have changed between imaging sessions. Also odd, on July 5th I plate solved to CED214 and it made 4 attempts, invoked blind solve even, and failed. Yet CED 214 was in the FOV! Strange stuff with no apparent logic to what or why this is happening.
Hi Shawn
I can really understand your frustration - hang in there it will get solved.
I would say from my experience your exposure time is inadequate. With my Tak FSQ106 at F5 I use 5 secs at bin 2; with my bigger WO 132FLT at F7 I use 7 secs bin 2. I use my Lum filter in all instances. If plate solving works there will only be a few iterations to land you on target plus maybe a couple after a meridian flip, so the extra few seconds will not add any meaningful time to your imaging.
It is some years since I used an NEQ6 but the key thing is that you do not save the few plate solves as align points and allow them to be re-loaded when you next start up the mount. If you did this the number of points in the saved model would build and ‘fight’ or interfere with the plate solve results and cause you syncing and pointing problems. There are options in eqmod’s eqascom that enable you to disable saving synchs points to a file, and to disable loading the file at start up. I think SGP’s eqmod section details this.
It is also important to ensure the basics are also in place as I am sure you know. E.g. Good focus, balance, no cable drag, no flexure, minimal Dec backlash. These will help you with pointing accuracy and increase the chance of plate solving success by ensuring your mount lands within the tolerance of the solvers (obviously this is not critical for blind solving).
Re-reading your posts, have you tried re-installing PS2’s APM files and verified that they are set up correctly?
Can you confirm that PS2 will solve a sub that you have taken with SGP or a solved Astrobin file, i.e. Show that it is working independent of centre here or centre now or slew and centre?
I have things set to not save the plate solves as align points. Didn’t help. All is good, focus, balance, no cable drag, no flex, min dec backlash, otherwise my data would not be as good as it is. See Dropbox - Error
I increased exposure to 5 secs, 2x2 and still no go.
I’ve spent many many frustrating nights since last posting with this ongoing problem. It doesn’t make any sense. A recent example was it couldn’t plate solve for Vega but was able to put M57 right smack in the middle.
NGC 7023 was another example where plate solve failed. Close but no cigar. Dropbox - Error
I’m at a loss to understand why this is happening. With PS2 and Astrometry. Doesn’t matter, I’ve also tried remote and local. Some objects get plate solved and some right next door don’t.
I can plate solve a sub taken with SGP. Solving isn’t a problem, its where it points the telescope that is. Odd stuff.
As I indicated previous, I didn’t have these problems with older versions of SGP. Only in latter ones. I think there’s a need to look into this more since I’m not the only one experiencing the plate solve problems. I’ve been told others don’t have a problem, but Its irrelevant to me if it works for others,I’m not them and nor are the other folks having plate solve issues. There must be more to this. Some commonality perhaps.
Just re-reading this thread. Sorry if I get this wrong but you say it fails after 3 attempts . Have you tried simply increasing the number of attempts ?? At one point mine was set to 20 attempts before it would report a failure. Sometimes it would take a dozen tries before it would get it right.
I thought I had updated this but maybe it was in another thread I commented. Anyhow, I have solved my plate solve problems. What worked… I am now taking a 5sec 2x2 exp when at my home position (looking at Polaris). I blind solve this and don’t apply it. Its just so SGP knows where it is pointing. Then when I initiate a “center on” for any object now, even those I previously had problems with, they get centered in the FOV in 2 attempts sometimes 3 max. This has been working good for several clear nights now. As well as tonight.
GREAT !! If you want to be brave you can try just " slewing to target" and start the centering process without looking at Polaris first . Some guys just “Center on Target” right from the get go but I have better luck slewing then centering . SGP will do all the rest of the work for you. It may take a few more attempts depending on the target. Assuming your exposure time and 2x2 is enough.
