You can find the image at dl.free.fr/kecEX5fgR

That looks all good except that it is reaching the mag 17 limit of the database. It can just solve your image. You better install the G18 up to magnitude 18 database. For detecting the smallest star pattern, the database should go equal or go deeper then your image. Your image contains stars at least up to magnitude 17.8.

The G18 you can download from Sourceforge at:
sourceforge.net/projects/astap-program/files/star_databases/

There is only a ZIP file. You should extract it and move the .290 files to /opt/astap The database is selectable in ASTAP, but it's probably easier to just delete the G17 files. It will find the G18 automatically.

Cheers, Han

G17 extended rapport:
01:24:25 Creating monochromatic x 2 binning image for solving/star alignment.
01:24:26 Start finding stars
01:24:26 46 stars found of the requested 500. Background value is 610. Detection level used 569 above background. Star level is 569 above background. Noise level is 52
01:24:27 73 stars found of the requested 500. Background value is 610. Detection level used 260 above background. Star level is 569 above background. Noise level is 52
01:24:27 Finding stars done in 1281 ms
01:24:27 73 stars selected and 52 tetrahedrons selected in the image. 69 database stars required for the square search field of 0,4°. Search window at 139% based on the number of tetrahedrons. Step size at 100% of image height
01:24:27 Using star database G17
01:24:27 Search 0, [0,0], position: 12: 19 02.5 +47° 18 36 Up to magn 17,0 79 database tetrahedrons to compare.
01:24:27 5 of 5 tetrahedrons selected matching within 0.005 tolerance. Solution x:=-0.253334*x+ -0.309740*y+ 1134.209108, y:=-0.309854*x+ 0.253350*y+ 275.115721
01:24:27 Solution found: 12: 19 02.5 +47° 18 36 Solved in 1,6 sec. Offset was 0,000 deg. Used stars up to magnitude: 17,0
01:24:27 See viewer image for image stars used (red) and database star used (yellow)

G18 extended report. Note the more matches:
01:24:33 Creating monochromatic x 2 binning image for solving/star alignment.
01:24:33 Start finding stars
01:24:34 46 stars found of the requested 500. Background value is 610. Detection level used 569 above background. Star level is 569 above background. Noise level is 52
01:24:35 73 stars found of the requested 500. Background value is 610. Detection level used 260 above background. Star level is 569 above background. Noise level is 52
01:24:35 Finding stars done in 1266 ms
01:24:35 73 stars selected and 52 tetrahedrons selected in the image. 69 database stars required for the square search field of 0,4°. Search window at 139% based on the number of tetrahedrons. Step size at 100% of image height
01:24:35 Using star database G18
01:24:35 Search 0, [0,0], position: 12: 19 02.5 +47° 18 36 Up to magn 17,8 99 database tetrahedrons to compare.
01:24:35 17 of 19 tetrahedrons selected matching within 0.005 tolerance. Solution x:=-0.253171*x+ -0.309728*y+ 1133.913288, y:=-0.309753*x+ 0.253263*y+ 275.056286
01:24:35 Solution found: 12: 19 02.5 +47° 18 36 Solved in 1,6 sec. Offset was 0,000 deg. Used stars up to magnitude: 17,8
01:24:35 See viewer image for image stars used (red) and database star used (yellow)

p.s could you report back about the performance of ASTAP? I have no experience with images created with long focal length like yours. I'm only working with a short focal length telescope.

Han

I work at 1320mm focal length with an old sony h9 based camera, so quite narrow fov. And I most say that ASTAP works very well! Only if the scope is way off, I find that astrometry.net (online) is more stable. But in 95% of my usage, ASTAP works fine and is much much faster than astrometry.net. So thanks for this and well done

Hi Han

I downloaded the G18 package and copied the 280 g18 files in the database /opt/astap.
I deleted the older v17 files.
The ASTAP.app works well on both sets v17 and g18
However this didn't improve the situation with the KStars/ASTAP solver : "2020-04-20T09:59:10 Solver failed. Try again."

I don't think that upgrading from v17 to g18 is the explanation of the failure in KStars because ASTAP.app works with v17.

Let's further investigate. For the image which fails, could provide me with two files from the the following path

\tmp

The image with a name similar like: fitsZ13964.fits
The astap report file: solution.ini

Han

Han,
Sorry I could find a file solution.ini

But I uploaded a folder "Test Files.zip" containing 2 files M101.fits and M106.fits : dl.free.fr/tt9pzyXJ6

Both files are solved by ASTAP.app. Very very fast using the V7 set or the G8 set.

Using KStars / ASTAP with the V7 or G8 sets: M101.fits = failed, and M106.fits = solved

I remarked that KStars / ASTAP took a longer time than ASTAP.app to solve M106.fits

I hope this helps

Okay the images are good and solving directly in ASTAP is no problem. It must be your settings in Ekos. Normally I could see the command-line in the test file solution.ini at \tmp

Most likely it's the down-sampling. You should keep the image size fed to ASTAP above 1080 x960 pixels. Check these settings:

Downsampling to 2. I have removed the auto check mark. No idea what's doing but keep it at 2:


ASTAP settings. Downsampling at 0 which is automatic or simple at 1:

I followed your indications except for "-r 30 -z 0 -speed auto" because this setting returned to "-r 30 -speed auto"

The file M101.fits failed, the file M106.fits solved as earlier.

The image size was 4656 x 3520 for both frames

Yes that's fine. The problem is that some users have the habit to bin the images down to something like 600x400 pixels for quick download and Astrometry.net will solve it. ASTAP is a different program and it can't compute those images. ASTAP requires some resolution and also the intensity of the stars. With the intensity it can separate the bright from the faint stars. An other problem for solving is severe stretching but that doesn't happen in Ekos. ASTAP works well with raw images and resolutions above 1080 x 960 pixels.

Han

Okay your running on the Mac. Can you provide me with the image mention in this command line:



So the file in /private/var/folders/2b/...........................

There you will also find the solution.ini Attach that one also. (Should contain the same command as in your screenshot)


Han