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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Solver is not working

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Interesting. Or puzzling.
My only suspicion could be that indeed the pointing model (either of EKOS, or of the mount, if it has one) are somehow messed up. Like what I said about syncing close to the poles, if the coordinates that the mount slews to are badly off, the hinting ("Position") of course will not work if you are more than 30 degrees off. So that might explain why it falls back to blind solving.

The mount tab of EKOS has some button to discard mount models. I don't know if that also affects settings of the Gemini. Have you tried that? Else check the manual of the mount if there is a way (via HC?) to discard any stored models, and see if that helps.

Other than that, my pool of ideas is depleted... :(
1 year 3 months ago #88886

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Replied by Paul on topic Solver is not working

Peter,

Okay, the real problem seems to be that it is not solving and then goes into a blind solve. The first blind solve seems to solve but if you then do another immediately after it never solves. I cannot find any parameters that would be an issue and I am assuming the software is broken.

The mount is pointing fine and the Gemini model is built each time as I do a cold start.

Paul
Last edit: 1 year 3 months ago by Paul.
1 year 3 months ago #88888

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Replied by Paul on topic Solver is not working

I am trying to test the alignment issues with the simulator but it always captures a dark image.
Is it possible to do a capture and solve with simulators?
I tried a load and slew and it solves one of my images almost immediately but does not slew to the solved position.
Is it supposed to do this?
Also, it shows the solution in the message box at the bottom of the screen but does not update it in the Solution Results box.
Is it supposed to do this?

2022-12-10T16:17:30 Slewing to target coordinates: RA (18h 09m 39s) DEC (-43° 43' 14").
2022-12-10T16:17:30 Solution coordinates: RA (18h 09m 39s) DEC (-43° 43' 14") Telescope Coordinates: RA (02h 13m 44s) DEC ( 00° 00' 00") Target Coordinates: RA (18h 09m 40s) DEC (-43° 43' 10")
2022-12-10T16:17:30 Solver RA (272.00987) DEC (-43.72309) Orientation (90.68484) Pixel Scale (1.58909) Parity (neg)
2022-12-10T16:17:30 Solver completed after 1.93 seconds.

After retesting this a few hours later I have realised it was slewing to the target after solving but the map was staying still so it was not centred on the object.
After slewing it captures another image which then fails to solve, which is expected because the it is an empty image which was my initial problem trying to duplicate the solving with simulators.

Paul
Last edit: 1 year 3 months ago by Paul. Reason: added to message.
1 year 3 months ago #88923

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Replied by Paul on topic Solver is not working

There are now two index file columns for plate solving. 2Mass Catalogue and Tycho2/Gaia Catalogue.

I have only downloaded the Tycho2/Gaia Catalogue.

Do I need to download both, could this be causing the plate solving to do a blind solve?

What is the purpose of having two.

Paul
1 year 2 months ago #89310

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Replied by alacant on topic Solver is not working

Hi
Have you tried ASTAP? No fuss, it uses just a single catalogue file, works with the default settings (or any other settings for that matter), is fast and solves every time.
Cheers and clear skies,
Steve
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1 year 2 months ago #89311

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Replied by Paul on topic Solver is not working

Steve,

I have downloaded all the index files and will test again once dark enough.

If it continues to fail I will try using ASTAP.

It used to be an option to select but now all I get is stellarsolver.

Paul
1 year 2 months ago #89312

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Replied by Paul on topic Solver is not working

Okay, I now have both the 2Mass and Tycho2/Gaia index Catalogues and it continues to fail.

The symptom is that it solves the first time, almost instantly, but never again until I restart kstars.

I installed ASTAP, as suggested, and it does the same thing,as seen below.

I loaded a FITS file and it solved it quickly, but a second attempt always fails.

2023-01-01T13:56:06 Solver Failed.
2023-01-01T13:56:00 Solving with blind image position...
2023-01-01T13:55:47 Solver aborted after 0.65 seconds.
2023-01-01T13:55:47 Capturing image...
2023-01-01T13:55:46 Solving with blind image scale...
2023-01-01T13:55:46 Image received.
2023-01-01T13:55:41 Capturing image...
2023-01-01T13:55:40 Image received.
2023-01-01T13:55:35 Capturing image...
2023-01-01T13:55:21 Slewing to target coordinates: RA (18h 09m 39s) DEC (-43° 43' 14").
2023-01-01T13:55:21 Solution coordinates: RA (18h 09m 39s) DEC (-43° 43' 14") Telescope Coordinates: RA (01h 17m 55s) DEC (-90° 00' 00") Target Coordinates: RA (23h 56m 00s) DEC ( 180° 00' 00")
2023-01-01T13:55:21 WCS information updated. Images captured from this point forward shall have valid WCS.
2023-01-01T13:55:21 Solver RA (272.00722) DEC (-43.72376) Orientation (269.32476) Pixel Scale (1.58864) Parity (neg)
2023-01-01T13:55:21 Solver completed after 2.15 seconds.
2023-01-01T13:54:39 World Coordinate System (WCS) is enabled.

It is entirely possible that something is not set up correctly, but it was working until I did a new build about two months ago.

I have noticed that the telescope details have been moved from the profile to the alignment page, under Train: Optical Trains - kstars and this may have something to do with it. After more investigation I found that the wrong telescope configuration has been selected and even though there is a Field of View difference it is not major.

Two things seem to be common, it frequently wants to do a blind solve and it always works the first time.

I am going to try this again when I next get a clear night.

Paul
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1 year 2 months ago #89337

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Replied by Gene N on topic Solver is not working

Hi Paul,

I was playing with this using scope and ccd simulator and 10sec 'exposures'
I found that if the number of stars found was too few it would not solve, would go into blind solve
Now 'number of stars' was controlled by changing the FOV with ccd pixel resolution X/Y values.

For astrometry stellar-solver I only had index-4206 loaded even though in the config it says 'required' for 4207/4208/4209 also.

Gene
1 year 2 months ago #89361

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Replied by Paul on topic Solver is not working

Gene,

There are two things to consider here

1) The first time it always solves correctly
2) I use the same settings on a year old version and it works flawlessly

Paul
1 year 2 months ago #89364

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Replied by Gene N on topic Solver is not working

Hi Paul,

Which two versions?

Could you share a FIT's that exhibits this?

Gene
1 year 2 months ago #89367

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Replied by Paul on topic Solver is not working

Gene,

I don't have a FITS file and the logs don't seem to show up anything, but I don't have them all enabled.

I also didn't have any issues until a build in November, but I cannot recall the date, but it has been happening with all builds since.

It is under Raspberry Pi OS 64 bit 2022-12-31.

The working version is a build on Raspbery Pi OS 32 bit 2022-02-04.

I may be wrong, but It appears to be a programming issue since there were no configuration changes when it first failed, although I have tried lots of changes since.

The problem is that it doesn;t get to astronomical darkness until about 10:30pm and so there is little time to test it as I want to actually collect data, before I swap over to the working version.

Paul
1 year 2 months ago #89369

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Replied by Gene N on topic Solver is not working

HI Paul,

For the version, Kstars main screen->Help->About Kstars
The Version is at top and BuildDate is below "Desktop Planetarium"

Is INDI the same on both or also build versions different?
indiserver -V

You have the same astrometry files on both the good and bad versions?
/usr/share/astrometry

Yes, I have seen where it works first time and fails on subsequent, always with the 'blind solve' messages.

Gene
1 year 2 months ago #89373

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