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

Bi-monthly release with minor bug fixes and improvements

testing plate solve

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I am just trying to test the local plate-solver and I need a little hand-holding. I have downloaded the ansvr local server and the appropriate files for my FOV. Everything seemed to load into these directories:
C:\users\Ron\AppData\Local\cygwin_ansvr (bin, dev, etc, home, lib, opt, sbin, tmp, usr, var)
what should my settings be for : solver, wcsinfo, config (for offline use in Ekos)
and for online use in Ekox
what is API key (I probably missed this somewhere in setup); I assume API url is nova.astrometry.net

I tried setting these to the actual directories on my machine (they had initially been set to a directory starting at Cygwin_ansvr) which is correc?

I am in the solver control window, I have solver action as nothing. I hit load and slew and upload a previous fits image, which does not have metadata (although there is plenty of header data) and check blind solve.

the solver starts but then times out. at 180 seconds.

I realize there could be a lot of things wrong (although the image I am using was take with a wide field telescope and an Sbig mono camera, and has plenty of stars.

Any help pointing me in the right direction (no pun intended) is appreciated.

thanks,
Ron
7 years 1 month ago #14692

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Replied by Ronald Scotti on topic testing plate solve

OK, after reading the section on Astrometry setup I opted for the following inputs:
solver: C:\users\Ron\AppData\local\cygwin_ansvr\lib\Astrometry\bin\solve-field
wcsinfo: C:\users\Ron\AppData\local\cygwin_ansvr\lib\Astrometry\bin\wcsinfo
config: C:\users\Ron\AppData\local\cygwin_ansvr\etc\astrometry\backend.cfg

Unfortunately the process crashes, see a log file attached.

The online solver fails on my example image, but at least it runs.
I will search around on the forum to see if someone has an image that does solve to try.

thanks,
Ron
7 years 1 month ago #14693
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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic testing plate solve

As I explained in my Blog post , the ONLY think you need to change is the API URL, then set your solver to Online and you're set.
7 years 1 month ago #14694

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Replied by Ronald Scotti on topic testing plate solve

Thanks, well at least I am finding all the different places I need to look for answers!

OK, my Ekos configuration for Astrometry now looks just like yours in the blog. I opened the PC firewall to allow Kstars to access it and opened port 8080 (originally I received a connection refused response)

I have tried both a fits file and a jpeg file to upload ( I have attached a small jpeg example) along with the log output. The process failed to retrieve job ID?
I am making progress, I think.

the skies are cloudy and I was just trying to exercise parts of the program. I am running Ekos with simulation hardware (telescope and camera) and an Windi server on the same PC. My real hardware is run using a Raspberry pi and remote INDI server, I am working my way thru getting all my equipment to be recognized and run properly. So far I am having good luck with all of that. The Celestron CGEM, the scope, guide scope and guide camera (SX Lodestar) have all been attached and tested. I am getting ready to try my SBIG camera and SX Filter wheel next.

thanks for all your help.
Ron
7 years 1 month ago #14699
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Replied by Phil Shepherd on topic testing plate solve

Hi Ron...

It is possible that you are encountering the same issue as me...

indilib.org/forum/ekos/1955-load-slew-in-solver-control.html

Jasem is looking into a possible increase in the timeout....

Phil
7 years 1 month ago #14705

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Replied by Ronald Scotti on topic testing plate solve

thanks, I am not sure if it is that or just something I have not set or loaded correctly. I tried two other attempts; first I tried that same jpg file which failed (a larger version of the one I posted here) on the Astrometry.net site and it was successful in 5 seconds processing. I have attached all the log data associated with that job as M33jpgplatesolve.txt. The other thing I tried was using one of the example image files that came with the solver ( I tried apod4.jpg), and it failed to solve in LOCAL Kstars after 26 seconds. I have attached the log of that attempt as apodexamplefail.txt

My M33 image was nearly 2 degrees by 2 degrees, I am not sure what the APOD image is but I am thinking perhaps I did not download the correct set of index fits files. So I am also attaching a list of the FITS files in the /DATA directory, that file is FITSfilenames.txt. Perhaps with this info someone might be able to figure out why my Local solve is failing.

thanks,
Ron
7 years 1 month ago #14723
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Replied by Phil Shepherd on topic testing plate solve

Hi Ron

If it is an insufficient timeout issue as I have in the thread mentioned, then Jasem has increased it in the next build...

I am not sure if that means he will be making a new Windows version or it's updated in the main source branch...

If you can upload the JPEG here, I can try it with my modified source on Ubuntu if you like to see if it helps....

Regards,
Phil
Last edit: 7 years 1 month ago by Phil Shepherd.
7 years 1 month ago #14724

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Replied by Ronald Scotti on topic testing plate solve

I don't think it is a time limit, it is timing out way before any limit.

thanks,
Ron
7 years 1 month ago #14725

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Replied by Phil Shepherd on topic testing plate solve

The issue I found, Ron, is that Ekos' connector program tried 15 time, with a 2 second delay.... so it was reaching that "Failed to retrieve job ID" because it had decided that was enough... in the background, my local solver had actually completed successfully.

I cloned the GIT kstars source & increased the delay to 10s, which meant it had 15 attempts at ten seconds now - that allowed my local version of astrometry.net (ansvr) to complete

It wasn't taking any notice of any other timeout values.... for e.g, my ansvr has a 480s timeout!

It might be some other issue you are having - I was merely suggesting I could try it if you like... (or if you have an Ubuntu setup, you can try it)

Phil

EDIT:
doh! I see you have already uploaded the JPEG - I'll take a quick look...

Edit 2:
If you want to upload the full size JPEG, along with what the pixel size x/y is and No. pixels for x & yaxis, I can try with that (import into Maxim & save as a FITS + header)
Last edit: 7 years 1 month ago by Phil Shepherd.
7 years 1 month ago #14726

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Replied by Jasem Mutlaq on topic testing plate solve

I just solved the image with ANSVR on Windows in less than 30 seconds (blind). Please download and install the new KStars release and report if you still have issues.
The following user(s) said Thank You: Ronald Scotti
7 years 1 month ago #14731

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Replied by Ronald Scotti on topic testing plate solve

My M33 jpg image solved fine online in 79 seconds (I forgot to set the online URL to the local host the first time). After setting my solve configuration as you suggest I restarted Kstars-Ekos and tried again with the same image. I timed out again at 180 seconds this time with the "offline" solver. I increased the time in the solver options to 300 seconds and tried again. This time it solved in 60 seconds?!? The Ansvr log said 59 seconds.

So it is working, just a little confusing as too how.

Thanks for your help.
Ron
7 years 1 month ago #14736

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Replied by Bill on topic testing plate solve

Latest version of KStars is working much better for plate solving via the Load and Slew function, which I was having a heck of a time using with consistency prior to this build. Nice work!
7 years 1 month ago #14738

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