Contents - Index

Plate Solving






Plate Solve Settings
  • Exposure: Enter the exposure time in seconds for plate solve exposures.
  • Binning: Select the binning desired for plate solve exposures
  • Filter: Select the filter desired for the plate solve exposure.  Usually this is the most transmissive filter such as luminance or clear
  • Sub-frame: If you have a wide field system, selecting a sub-frame may result in faster plate solving.
  • Min Stars: This sets the minimum number of stars required for a plate solution to be accepted.  Setting this number too low may lead to a false solution. 15 represents a safe minimum.
  • Reduction: Reduction options are available that mirror those in TheSkyX and CCDSoft: None, AutoDark and Full Calibration. The last one is handy for cameras without a shutter. The setting here will also apply to @Focus2 and @Focus3
  • Known Image Scale: This applies to plate solving via TheSkyX only. When checked, the unbinned image scale entered on the Setup page, Imager box will be used. It will be adjusted as required for binning. If unchecked, TheSkyX will have a little more latitude in plate solving but may or may not be as successful. This setting is best determined experimentally but checking this feature is recommended. Prior to v 5.06.1, operation was similar to this box being unchecked.
  • Use Current Filter For Plate Solving: For most users, it is sufficient to leave this unchecked. If you have a non-repeatable position filter wheel, are imaging with one filter per session and have a sufficiently long Exposure, check this option.
  • Delete Solved Files: Checked by default, if you want to retain successful plate solve files (Sync_Images), uncheck this box and both successful and unsuccessful plate solves will be saved.



    PinPoint Settings
  • Catalog: Select the desired stellar catalog to be used for plate solving.  For most users, GSC-ACT will serve very well but other catalogs are also supported.
  • Catalog Path: Press the to navigate to the root folder of your chosen stellar catalog.  This catalog must agree with the catalog selected above.
  • Expansion: Sets how much beyond the imager FOV PinPoint will search for a solution.  If your pointing is not precise, increasing this value can make plate solutions more probable albeit with increased solve times.
  • All Sky Solving: When checked, the Internet-based Astrometry.Net all-sky plate solving engine will be used. This is considerably slower locally based plate solving and requires Internet Access. Can take up to 10 minutes to fail to solve. To abort All Sky plate solve before the timeout, close the Blind Solver window that opens when All Sky starts.
  • All Sky Retry: When checked, if local plate solving fails, the Internet-based Astrometry.Net all-sky plate solving engine will be used. This is considerably slower locally based plate solving and requires Internet Access. Under normal circumstances, this should not be checked when All Sky Solving is checked as it will simply repeat trying to solve a plate that All Sky already failed to solve. With any decent exposure, the liklihood of All Sky Solving failing is remote.