ShinyAstro I have made sure the focal length is correct that the scope is focused. I have set it manually and set to 0 for the air to calculate it, with no success.
Before asking ASIAIR to auto plate solve, try doing it manually from the Preview window where you can adjust gain and exposure times. Plus, you can also use the Detect Star tool in the Preview window to check if ASIAIR can actually see a good number of stars.
First, make sure that you have tack sharp focus. This is crucial. Try focusing first with a Bahtinov mask.
Next, adjust gain/exposure time so that the plate solver can detect between 50 and 200 stars. I have seen it solve with as few as two dozen stars. Try to adjust gain/exposure time so that not too many of the stars are saturated, otherwise you have fewer stars in the database to rely on -- as far as I can tell ASIAIR rejects over-saturated stars (stars whose diameter are over some amount) when plate solving. This is also why unfocused stars don't plate solve.
Make sure there are no shadows, such as chimneys and tree branches, or a small patch of clouds in the camera's view. It confuses the heck out of the ASIAIR plate solver.
Finally, don't even waste time plate solving above +60º or below -60º declination angles (i.e., within 30º of the poles). ASIAIR does not have sufficiently good database in those regions. Use the astrometry.net web plate solver for those regions.
Plate solve only involves your OTA and the main camera. Nothing else matters -- the OAG does not come into play (unless the prism casts a shadow), the mount does not come into play, and the guide scope does not come into play unless you are plate solving the guide camera.
Chen
