Plate Solving Problems

MarcK

Corsair
Thank you for your answer.

I have everywhere the latest versions. The iOS app, ASIAIR Firmware, and also the AM5 Firmware are all updated.

In the Autorun I have set Meridian Flipp off.

In the mount settings I have stop tracking 5 min before meridian, AMF 5 min after Meridian, Recalibrate guiding after AMF Off.

Tech@ZWO

MarcK So the problem only appears around after meridian flip?
Can you please back to the preview when the problem appear next time, and take a image, then tap the plate solve button, to see if it works, if it does not please save the image and send us the fit files for analysis.
Thank you .

MarcK

Tech@ZWO
Thank you for your answer.

Yes the problem only occurs 30 minutes before to 30 minutes after meridian flip.
Plate solving then becomes an endless loop.

I have already tested this. I canceled the GoTo plate solving (GoTo Autocenter 10 sec exp) and went to preview, the plate solving there gets into an endless loop again.

I also took test shots in the preview with an exposure time of 10 seconds. The shots look good, as good as before the error starts. But I don’t save this test shots.

The crazy thing is that afterwards, when the object is well after south around 30 min, everything works perfectly again with the same settings.

Tech@ZWO

MarcK Have not seen this problem before, the log and images during that period may be helpful.

jethroxp

Is it possible to turn off Plate Solving? The problem I'm trying to solve is building a capture plan for the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8th, 2024. I need to run in Plan mode so that I can specify exact times to execute specific exposure length captures. But a plan requires that I specify a target, and even if I use "current telescope coordinates" the plan still tries to slew and plate solve, and of course plate solving the Sun fails and loops endlessly so the plan never executes.

MarcK

jethroxp
I have never seen the option to completely deactivate plate solving in the app. Maybe there is one in another program.

I would try to deactivate GoTo Autocenter, then GoTo Sun and cancel the plate solving and let the plan run.

jethroxp

MarcK I do have GoTo autocenter deactivated, but any attempt to cancel the plate solving cancels the plan as well. They appear to be intrinsically linked.

MarcK

jethroxp
Wow, that sounds crazy.
There must be a way to photograph the sun with a plan when we switch to solar tracking.

This red piece of technology is causing a lot of headaches.

If you are working with a DSLR, you could use a separate app to program and create your desired exposures.

jethroxp

What I'm experimenting with right now is using the ASIAIR to power the mount (AM3) and Camera (ASI2600MC Pro) but using the ASI Mount App to position the mount west pointing (counter weight up) so it will track through the meridian without a flip, and then using a MiniPC (MeLE Quieter 3) to run SharpCap to build a sequence to control the camera. Just got it all connected and starting to use SharpCap, I'll let you know how it goes.

jethroxp

Initial testing complete having the ASIAIR Power the AM3 and ASI2600MC Pro, positioning and tracking control of the mount via the ASI Mount app connected via Bluetooth from my iPad. ASI2600MC Pro USB cable plugged into MeLE Quieter3 and running SharpCap. Using the SharpCap Solar System Sequence Planner to set capture parameter, start times, exposure lengths, etc. And the Sequence is written to a plain text file that you can edit in Notepad if you want. I think this is the way to go. So much more flexibility and control vs. the ASIAIR for something that has time critical events like an eclipse. It also captures images significantly faster than the ASIAIR, likely because it's writing to an internal NVMe drive rather than eMMC or SD card, and it's not stretching or rendering the images to the screen during the sequence. With the ASIAIR the fastest I could get it to capture images was about 11 or 12 per minute, even with millisecond exposure lengths. SharpCap is able to do several per second.

I think the ASIAIR does a fine job with it's primary use case of DSOs, but for Planetary and Solar SharpCap is just better in every conceivable way. The ASIAIR is still doing a fine job of powering the mount and camera, and ASI Mount app is perfect for getting the mount positioned and tracking. I think I've found my solution for the Eclipse.

johnpd

I agree with you. SharpCap is head over heels better than the ASIAIR for planetary, lunar, and solar. I have not tried it for an eclipse. In 2017 I used Eclipse Orchestrator. It worked great and if I had properly focused my DSLR, I would have gotten some great images. The Kalamazoo Astronomical Society is hosting a ZOOM meeting Friday evening with a presentation by the developer of Eclipse Orchestrator.

JohnD

MarcK

Tech@ZWO
I will document it the next time

jethroxp

@johnpd Ask him if he can update it for modern cameras ;-) I looked into using it but it doesn't support modern mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Z series. What I'm doing instead is using SETnC (freeware eclipse orchestrator) that also doesn't support modern cameras but it does build an exposure table for you, so I'm taking those values and using them to build a SharpCap sequence.

MarcK

Really no one has any idea where my problem may be?

Tech@ZWO

Sorry i can not confirm the problem without the images and the log.

Steve-Harpo

MarcK

thanks for the quick response . Mine is s simiar issue and I do lose a s5tar but I am able to playe solve,,,,,,,,so far so good,,,touch wood.

Apologoes for the reply Ibe just take a sedative affter 3 night with no slep an tonorrow iis a cleat night.

Very best reqards'Steve
Shooting orm Nothern THailand

MarcK

Steve-Harpo
Where do you do the plate solving when the stars are lost, in preview mode or with GoTo Autocenter?