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INDI Library v2.0.6 is Released (02 Feb 2024)

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

HELP resolve: solve-field, works command line not in Ekos

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Hi,

When Ekos loads a fit to slew to the coordinates it fails. Ekos uses the following command:

/usr/bin/solve-field --no-verify --no-plots --resort --no-fits2fits --downsample 2 -O -3 234.433 -4 65.6544 -5 15 -L 17.4512 -H 28.889 -u aw --parity neg -W /tmp/solution.wcs /home/pi/www/images/NGC2403.fit

However, when the following command is run from the command line on the RPI3 the fit solves in seconds:

/usr/bin/solve-field --no-verify --no-plots --resort --no-fits2fits --downsample 2 -O /home/pi/www/images/NGC2403.fit

How can Ekos be updated to remove these options: "-3 234.433 -4 65.6544 -5 15 -L 17.4512 -H 28.889 -u aw --parity neg -W /tmp/solution.wcs"?

I have clicked the edit pencil and these options are continually added.

Thank you
7 years 1 month ago #14641

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Please wait until PPA is built with a new KStars version that changes how astrometry options work.
7 years 1 month ago #14661

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7 years 1 month ago #14663

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Hi Jasem,

I just updated and see the new editor. It is nice.

The same thing happens when I click the "Load & Slew".

Clicking button uses these parameters and does not solve: /usr/bin/solve-field -O --no-plots --no-verify --resort --no-fits2fits --downsample 2 -3 234.433 -4 65.6544 -5 15 -L 17.4512 -H 28.889 -u aw -W /tmp/solution.wcs /home/pi/www/images/NGC2403.fit

Command line does solve in seconds using this: solve-field --no-verify --no-plots --resort --no-fits2fits --downsample 2 -O /home/pi/www/images/NGC2403.fit

Attached are images of the Astrometry screens in case it is something I am doing wrong.

I also noticed the accuracy is 15, when I think it is configured for 30. i.e. Only searching for solutions within 15 degrees of RA,Dec (234.433,65.6544)

In case it matters I am using ubuntu-mate on RPI3, and update with this command: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get -y dist-upgrade

Thank you,
Stephen
7 years 1 month ago #14762
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Can you please post a link to the image you were trying to solve?

EDIT: Ok it was not respecting the "use Position" and "Use Image Scale" options in Load&Slew, so that's fixed. But I'm still curious to know why it's not solving, so please post the image link.
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Last edit: 7 years 1 month ago by Jasem Mutlaq.
7 years 1 month ago #14763

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Hi Jasem,

Please let me know if this link works for you.

www.dropbox.com/s/3ip5eceg1uo7v0o/NGC2403.fit?dl=0

If it does not work, I can put it somewhere else.

Thank you again for the help with this. If I can get plate-solving to work it will be great!!

Regards,
Stephen
7 years 1 month ago #14765

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The reason it wasn't solving properly is that the RA in the file was wrong. It was encoded at 15 while it was 7 so this is why the solver never found a solution around the target coordinates. Now you can turn off "Use Position" and "Use Scale" but still, it seems that when you took the image, the mount was not properly aligned and sycned?
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7 years 1 month ago #14773

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Oh... well, I am definitely new to this, and I am wondering what I have done wrong so the FITs has wrong RA, yet the image is what I wanted.

The process and steps I typically do are below. Is there a specific step to keep things in sync. I do have to step and take down each session.

- balance scope RA/DEC
- polar alignment is with polemaster
- Celestron Auto-two start with 3-4 calibration stars depending on time.
- Slewing with precise-goto for the image
- connect HC to RPI3 USB, and RPI3 to lan
- power up RPI3
- ntpdate is used to sync RPI3 time to a timeserver - Kstar dates show same as time I have
- Launch phd2
- launch Kstars and Ekos
- starting INDI and connect imager, guide, few and mount
- If already on target with precise goto I may start a session just using the camera and not scheduler (perhaps this is the problem). This was being done as the slew/align of the scheduler was not working
- May use Skysafari or Kstars to slew to new target
- Each time - a preview would be done to confirm image seemed okay

Is it perhaps that the scheduler was not used, or the slewing with Skysafari?

With INDI connecting to the mount and Skysafari connecting to the mount, it is not clear how the RA would be wrong.

Thank you,
Stephen
7 years 1 month ago #14777

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A few questions:

1. When you connected Ekos/KStars to INDI did the mount report its current position to the software? You should be able to look at the Celstron hand control and confirm what it has listed to what the INDI Driver or Telescope module are reporting. If they are not the same, you are going to have problems.
2. When you look at KStars, is the mount reticle pointed at the object you expect it to, or is it pointed elsewhere? This is a visual way of confirming #1 from the INDI side of things, I believe.
3. Using Sky Safari is totally fine, although you need to make sure that the mount and INDI are in sync so-to-speak after you connect them. Once you send a slew command to the mount from SkySafari, with INDI and the mount in agreement with one another, you should see the telescope module update after the slew to the correct location. At this point, the Celestron Hand Control, Telescope Module, and Sky Safari should all be reporting the current position identically.

As an aside - if you are polar aligned with PoleMaster, you should only have to sync the Celstron mount on one star. Then you can move on with your night. No need to do 2+3 or 2+4, since those are only used in preparation for ASPA (All Star Polar Align) which you are not using.
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7 years 1 month ago #14778

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Thank you for the check lists; it will be used to confirm things next session. I do not recall kstars, and sky safari being out of sync with what was in preview.

That said, I have had bad nights were things did not work well. This fit must be from one of them. My log book currently is more about steps than imaging results. Seems like it is about time to start noting more. The mount and Camera INDI settings have been played with a bit to attempt getting plate-solving to work. Next sessions, as a double check, the RA/DEC will be noted as reported in Kstars and Skysafari and then compared to what is in the initial fits.

Updating the RA to 7 in the FITs definitely let things solve correctly. As soon as the fix "Use position" and "Use Scale"corrections are in, I will test it again :)

It will be a week or more before i can get out again. Only syncing to one star will be a great time saver and I will definitely test it out next. Thank you.

Love this project.
7 years 1 month ago #14781

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Be sure to note RA/DEC and ALT/Az are correct across all devices you are sending slews from. If one of them is off, problems will happen. Note that sometimes the refresh of Alt/Az on a given device differs so if they arent EXACTLY the same, and are off by a few seconds, that is no big deal. It is when they are completely different that you will have problems, or if RA/DEC are different AT ALL. RA and DEC values should be identical across all of the devices in question - INDI, Celestron Hand Control, and SkySafari.

I have always had problems with the Load and Slew function, so I am looking forward to testing the new code to see if that feature is totally fixed. I hope so, because that is a very useful way of getting data a second/third/etc night on the same target.

The FITS image could have had the wrong RA because the INDI driver was out of sync in the manner I suggested here. Since you forced the capture to happen, it took whatever it thought the current RA was and placed that into the header. Thats my guess anyhow. :)
Last edit: 7 years 1 month ago by Bill.
7 years 1 month ago #14782

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That is clear, and seems like something I would have done - just started the imaging with the sequence tab, and not schedule due to some of the plat solving issues.

I would use the CCD tab to frame the shot with preview, and the once okay, and would start the sequence.

This will be something to check next sessions especially with the Load & Slew corrections.

Cheers!
7 years 1 month ago #14790

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