Confused

[dwc]

Output from ASPS:

 

[Dmack1]

Set your focal length to 2600mm and use my trick and it solves within APT with ASPS

Edited February 24, 2022 by Dmack1

[dwc]

Outstanding! Thanks ever so much, it does indeed work like that for me as well. Was 2600 an educated guess?

 

So one major issue down, I’ll try that live later this evening. 

[Dmack1]

Hehe! I'm quite chuffed with that myself!!

 

No, I took your CR2 and manually solved it in ASTAP. that told me the actual FOV and image scale (0.34 degrees fov and 0.4" pixel scale if I remember right) I then stuck a couple of different Focal lengths into the object calculator until I got a FOV and pixel scale close enough - hit "blind" and bingo! Solved in 20s.

 

Let us know how you get on and if there's anything else we can help with. 

 

 

[dwc]

Just to close out on this, I managed to get everything working.

 

Defined the required Park Position in EQASCOM (I hope)

Used APT to GOTO M44

Platesolved successfully.

Sent to Stellarium and confirmed pointing a way off.

Selected M44 in Stellarium.

APT GOTO++, successfully moved to the real M44 and platesolved.

Then I selected a couple of nearby objects in Stellarium and repeated the process, finally settling at the Eskimo Nebula.

Started up PHD2 and successfully started tracking.

Took a bunch of 120s frames, which won’t amount to much as Eskimo is a small dot in my Canon, but that’s not the point!

All that remains now is to Park to Defined in EQASCOM and I’m all set!

 

I’m going to quit while I’m ahead for tonight, and write up a set of steps to follow so I don’t forget. 😂

 

Thanks to everyone who contributed and especially @Dmack1 for persevering!

[Dmack1]

Thats just brilliant! Congrats and well done!!

 

My thinking on your park would be to set it up as an object in APT, goto that then shift click park that will then set it in EQascom for next time you start up. Saves having to muck about in EQASCOM and also once its there you can set up a script in APT so that once it finishes an imaging plan  it will park to your park position then close everything down.

 

Just a suggestion.

 

Congrats again, I'm delighted you got it all playing nice!