I am pretty sure this is a bug report on the latest versions of SGP. I am presently using 2.5.0.11
With PS2 doing such a good job I rarely have to fall back to a blind solve - but it is necessary at times. For that I use Astrometry.net. I have a local install which up until recently (can’t say for sure which Beta) worked no problem. Not so now.
Now we have two choices in the settings: “Astrometry.NET (Remote)” or “ANSVR (Local Astrometry.NET)”…[I actually miss Elbrus sometimes - but that is not the point here…I am talking about Blind Solving]!
Tonight I did an experiment on my home computer (not obs computer). In the target settings, I browsed and picked an image on the computer. Called for a blind solve with Local Astrometry Net. It worked fine - about 20 seconds. Could not figure out why the obs computer (with everything similar - other than internet connection) would not do the same local blind solve… Idea! … Disconnected my phone line from the modem - and tried again on the home computer. NO SOLVE. Maybe the choice of solvers were somehow mixed…so tried the Remote solve (phone line still disconnected) - NO SOLVE. So as far as I can see, either choice (Remote or Ansvr) will still call for the remote solve.
To double check…connected the phone line again…called for an Ansvr (local) solve…and it worked as did a subsequent Remote solve. As I said above - pretty sure both selections are calling for REMOTE solve.
Kinch, you can tell for sure if a solve is local or remote by opening Start Menu => Astrometry.net Local Solver => Watch ansvr log. If the solve is local you’ll see lots of stuff scrolling by. If remote, then nothing will happen in the ansvr log.
Andy
The particular solver instance you reported this bug through no longer exists in 2.5.0.12 so, if a bug was there, we can lo longer fix it… If you can produce these results from other areas in SGPro like right click to solve, that will be a different story.
Andy:
Thanks Andy - just did that this morning. Plate solve worked (as last night) using Local Astrometry Net -computer connected to the internet - but NO activity in the ansvr log. (This was done on the right hand side of the Target Settings window).
Ken:
Opened an image and asked for a blind solve via right click. Local astrometry net solved it AND this time the activity was evident in the ansvr log.
So when 2.5.0.12 is released to us I guess I will be changing the way I normally ask for a blind solve - I presume this is all linked to the right side of the Target Setting window now being dropped.
What I will have to check though is where I really need the blind solve: on a blind sync & solve out at the scope. This is where I was having the practical problems e.g. if I worked on the scope/mount during the day then PS2 (really the mount) had no idea where the scope was pointing when I wanted to sync it. I don’t think the fail to blind solve worked correctly (due I would say to what was outlined above - no local ansvr activity)…BUT I’ll have to check that. (On those occasions, I pointed to a bright star and synced the scope in The Sky X…then did another sync via PS2 when the pointing coordinates for the mount were very close to true).
I will test that part further when I get a chance - and when I have 2.5.0.12
Just to close this thread - I had no problem doing a blind solve with local Astometry.net (no internet connection) out at the scope last night. SGP 2.5.0.12