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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

Solver Problems

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Solver Problems was created by Tim

I’ve just moved from an all-ASCOM setup running windows on my Mac to Kstars, EKOS, and a StellarMate. I have my entire setup dialed in with the exception of the solver. The solver will take the picture with the exposure duration I set. I even see it pop up on screen. But then it gets stuck. If I run the solver online, it just times out. I’ve set the timeout time to as high as 6 minutes. I gets stuck on waiting for results from astrometry.net. The offline solver just says it fails pretty much as soon as the exposure is complete. And the solver on the StellarMate causes the INDI driver to disable. I’d like to be able to put up the verbose logs, but the option doesn’t seem to exist anymore - there’s no box to click to enable it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Tim
4 years 11 months ago #37977

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Replied by Andrew on topic Solver Problems

Logging can be enabled from the first window in EKOS, near the top. But there are also options found in the Options window, but may be legacy now, see attached screenshot.
Can you upload a frame you attempted to solve and some details about the capture?
Also make sure you have all the recommended astrometric libraries installed.
4 years 11 months ago #37978

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Replied by Tim on topic Solver Problems

Found the logging options. I'll post if I'm still having problems after I reattempt this weekend. I can't post the exposure because it's too big. However, I have separately uploaded it to astrometry.net where it solved with no issues. All recommended and mandatory index files are installed. Thanks.
4 years 11 months ago #37979

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Replied by Andrew on topic Solver Problems

I find I get good performance solving a well aligned guide scope view to center on target, you might want to try that.
4 years 11 months ago #37980

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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic Solver Problems

No need to do verbose, if you select "Align" checkbox in the Ekos log, then it's verbose by default. Please attach the logs (INDI + CCD + Align checked) and hopefully we can diagnose the issue. Also update to the latest KStars+INDI on SM (an update was released yesterday).
4 years 11 months ago #37983

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Replied by AstroNerd on topic Solver Problems

Hi,
You haven’t said how you are connecting to Stellarmate, if it’s hotspot then the online solver won’t work, as you are not connected to your WiFi connection, so will have no internet.

Also as has been said already, check in ekos that you have the correct index files installed for you current FOV set up.
I find that when trying to use the solver on my rpi it fails pretty much straight away too....

One more thing to try, if you are binning the exposures you are trying to solve, then set that to 1x1 and try as sometimes that will cause issues, well I have found that to be the case anyway...
:)
Last edit: 4 years 11 months ago by AstroNerd.
4 years 11 months ago #37989

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Replied by Tim on topic Solver Problems

I managed to get some time in tonight troubleshooting between breaks in the clouds. Attached is the log. To address other thoughts:

1. I've updated Kstars on both the StellarMate and my Mac.
2. The StellarMate is connected to my home network and is not a hotspot.
3. The FOV dimensions set in Ekos match what astrometry.net pumped out for the one image I uploaded to be solved

File Attachment:

File Name: log_22-18-53.txt
File Size:219 KB
. So I'm 100% sure Ekos is set to what my FOV is. I've downloaded all the recommended and mandatory index files.
4. Binning is set at 4x4 and is unchangeable - it's greyed out in the align module of Ekos. I could see how this would affect the FOV, but I have to imagine that Ekos does the math.

My issues with all three solving options were repeatable tonight. The solver goes failed and shows disconnected in the INDI control panel when I select remote. The internal solver just doesn't seem to work. The online solver always times out. I can see a little more of what is going on now that the logs are set to verbose, but I really can't decipher what's actually going.

Thanks for all who have chimed in to help out. Hopefully the logs shed some light on my issues.
4 years 11 months ago #38035
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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic Solver Problems


The FOV here is passed as arcsec per pixel.. the default one uses arcmins, so this was changed? Any rate, it should work, but the math is like this:

FOV_W = (3.22144*5568) / 60 ~= 300 arcmins / 60 ~= 5 degrees? you have a 5 degrees FOV??

Edit solver options and set scale back to aw then press on the button next to that to recalculate.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Spartacus, Tim
4 years 11 months ago #38047

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Replied by AstroNerd on topic Solver Problems

Mine fails most of the time on 4x4 bin, but don’t know why you can’t change....!
That is most likely your issue
Last edit: 4 years 11 months ago by AstroNerd.
4 years 11 months ago #38053

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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic Solver Problems

It's fluke, DSLR images do not bin anyway.
4 years 11 months ago #38058

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Replied by Alex Varakin on topic Solver Problems

I would suggest a few things to debug the issues:
1. Save some test images during your session so you can debug later during the day or cloudy nights. You can use "solve-field" command outside of Kstars:

solve-field --overwrite --downsample 4 --use-sextractor M27_H_1200s_1x1_10.fits

2. Install sextractor and pass --use-sextractor to solve-field. In my experience, it works much better than the built in star detection algorithm
3. Disable "Use Scale" and "Use Position" in solver settings.
4 years 11 months ago #38102

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Replied by Clive Stachon on topic Solver Problems

Another help - try changing the down sample to a higher figure say 8 and see how many stars are extracted - I aim for 350 which ,on a RPI, works as the poor thing doesn't do maths very fast (better than me !). You may have to play with this figure as different nights/position/seeing all effect the number of stars extracted and therefore Platesolving IMO.

This all assumes you have the correct Index's and FOV set correctly plus dont download all indexes as this will slow things down as well.

Indi does really need a simple mod (LOL) to allow for every index file but rename the ones actually needed for the FOV as many will use different scopes and camera's on the same rigs. Someone will now say it does this already - LOL
RPI3 Ubuntu 16.04 / AMD desktop Kstars under Ubuntu 16.04 Mounts :azeq6 ,SWAZGoTo

RPI3 Fedora testing out on AMD desktop Fedpra 28 - running kstars 2.9.4 , Indilib 1.7.4 ?????
4 years 11 months ago #38121

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