Newbie at astrophotography and having plate solving Problems.. help please.

Critter

I am coming back to astronomy and have gotten a new “travel telescope setup”. I got an Evostar 120ED along with an HEQ5 Pro mount. I also got the EAF autofocuser, 120mm mini, and 224mc for main camera. I have this setup on Baader flip mirror diaganol. I have my eyepiece and the main camera spaced out 55mm with spacers. When I setup for polar alignment int will capture 126 stars but it fails at plate solving with polar alignment. When i use the goto function just to do some visual astronomy it doesn’t quite get to spot it seems and I don’t see anything in my eyepiece or the camera. Please help ….the system is awesome I just need more competence. Thank you for your time.

Tony

Tech@ZWO

Critter The fov of your rig is almost out of the plate solve range of ASIAIR, if you have ASIAIR 1gen, it is already out.
In addition, can you check the image in preview mode first? make sure there is no block, and stars are focused.

SFj9LuNr

I maybe may not be the best person to answer your questions but I just went through a month of frustration with my ASIAir Plus 256 and ASI585MC with my C8 SCT. I'm a beginner but I've got it down where I don't have any plate solving issues.

I'm assuming you have set up the telescope pointing toward the NCP. If you have a polar scope in your mount use it. I have one in my AVX and it helps in setting up the the ASIAir polar alignment.
Make sure you focal length for your camera is set correctly, I think yours is 900mm looking at astronomy.tools.
Before I enter Polar Align (PA) I take several images in Preview. I'll set the BIN value to 4. For your set up try BIN 2
Make sure you have focused the stars. The stars around the NCP are a less magnitude but you can still eyeball focus them and that should be sufficient.
Perform a manual plate solve. If successful then move to PA. You can't sync the mount at NCP.
If the plate solve fails, go back to camera and set your focal length to 0. Let ASIAir calculate. I've had mine fail and setting it to 0 will allow plate solve to succeed. Your focal length may be different than just the published focal length due to the back focus.

I hope this helps.

Good luck.

Corsair

What model ASIAIR do you have? Pro/Plus - 32GB or 256GB/Mini/Original?

You can check your FOV by going to https://astronomy.tools/calculators/field_of_view/ and selecting Imaging mode.

With your telescope - Evostar 120ED DS-Pro - and your main camera - ASI224MC - your FOV is 0.31° x 0.23°

This is pretty much on the border of acceptable for the ASIAIR. Ideally your FOV would be larger. You can achieve this by using a Reducer.

With a f/6.3 Reducer the FOV becomes 0.49° x 0.37°. This would absolutely work with the ASIAIR.

So I recommend you purchase a Reducer (at least f/6.3).

SFj9LuNr

My ASI585MC camera FOV at F/10 on my C8 is 0.31° x 0.18°, with my 6.3 focal reducer 0.5° x 0.28°. I'm currently in a Bortle 4 area. I've been able to plate solve at F/10 and F/6.3 in this area. When I was having my issues I was still in a Bortle 4 area, but just outside a town.

I'm moving to a heavy light polluted area soon, Apache Junction, AZ near Phoenix. It will be interesting to test in that area.

I'm retired and I'm a full time RVer, living in a motorhome, that is why I move a lot.

Good luck. Please report your results after your next session.

Tech@ZWO

SFj9LuNr Thank you for your test, can you send us the fit file when the problem appears next time?
BTW, please close the new plate solve in experimetal future.

Critter

I know I am responding late but still have same issue and I am going to try to remedy it. I do have a focal reducer now to the Evostar and I ended up getting an asi 533 MC Pro and have asi 120 for guide camera. Thinking of using an OAG for the guide camera since i haven’t had success with conventional Zwo guide scope with ASI 120 in it. Could not achieve focus with that apparatus and wondering if the OAG using main scope will help me with guidance. Any guidance appreciated.

Tony

Critter

Which OAG to get the regular one or the L with a filter changer?