Hi

I am new to the Indi ecosystem

I was able to get out under a clear sky last night for the first time but couldn’t get polar alignment to work

I set up; connected all equipment; turned on tracking; too a phot ( Canon DSLR) and plate solved successfully;

However when I then attempted to use the polar alignment routine,- with all settings the same- it failed to plate solve even the first image and eventually aborted

Any suggestions would be gratefully accepted, thanks in advance

Just so I have understood this correctly, are you saying the platesolving for exact same region worked directly but failed in PA tool?
The area around the pole star is quite sparse and I have had challenges getting platesolving to work there. But in my case my FOV is quite small with main scope so I tend to use the guidescope and that works.

Yes, the area around Polaris is a little sparse. The last time out I was also having the Polar Alignment register. Sometimes adjusting the exposure times helps, sometimes switching Polar Alignment to the guide scope helps. If nothing else works I will slew my scope upwards a little to perhaps get a more populated star field; this generally works.

Yes exactly my problem…it plate solves when I ask it to capture and plate solve. Without moving the scope ( except it is tracking) I immediately go to the PAA tab…and it fails to plate solve repeatedly.

I haven’t tried with the guide scope. My main scope F/l is 254

Ps I am in the Southern Hemisphere so no Polaris but have not in the past had trouble with SharpCap or Polemaster

I might try, as you suggest, with a guide scope-125 mm f/l. Still it’s strange that it would solve in exactly the same position in one tab and not in the PAA tab.

Some setting I am forgetting maybe?

Its indeed strange that platesolve works normally but not using PA tool. Pls post the logs and someone maybe able to help.
As you are in Southern hemisphere, I am guessing Polaris is very low on horizon or not visible at all. In which case you may have better success rate with PA by pointing to a higher altitude (near meridian) where there are more stars. The arc described will be larger but the centre of that arc will still be the NCP.