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Hi, disconnect any camera that is connected, hold down shift & click on "Connect" to bring up the camera selection screen. Check the bottom option for CCD camera & from the drop down list select "ZWO". If the 224MC is connected to the system it should be now showing in the list. See this video ( ruclips.net/video/dzHuNEcq61k/видео.htmlsi=lCNvlQxa1JjqUADM&t=224 ) for more details.

You still need to do polar alignment, you can't get away from that. It's needed to ensure the RA is rotating in the correct alignment with Earth's axis. But star alignment is not required, as long as the mount can slew close to the desired target, plate solving will get you spot on. All star alignment does is improve accuracy when you slew, it may help getting you closer too your target but GoTo++ will get you spot on.

@@SCAmateurAstro Many thanks. Polar alignment is quite easy and quick to do.

@@MrYvano If you really wanted to do a star alignment, you can automate that as well if you like. Simply make a plan that slews to different locations, take an image & use the #SolveSync command to get the same result as you would get doing a manual alignment but more accurate. I used to do this but it is really not needed if using GoTo++ or Aim to get on target.

Yes, it stays on Auto until the focusing routine is complete, then is switched back to manual.

APT doesn't really care what it's pointing at, it just needs coordinates. As long as you can provide accurate coordinates you can use PointCraft (GoTo++ or Aim) to get right on target, even with comets/asteroids.

Hi Marco. I think you are confusing Polar Alignment with star alignment. With PA, as long as the mount isn't moved it will remain polar aligned. So disconnecting the laptop to change the battery won't cause any problems.

@@SCAmateurAstro OK thank you. If I'm not mistaken APT doesn't allow polar alignment. So regardless of the computerized equatorial mount, after the star alignment with PS, if I turn it off, once it's turned back on does it remember the last alignment? I'm asking because I can't find a "save alignment" / "load alignment" button in APT. Thank you.

@@marcomalziotti2411 Polar alignment is different to star alignment. Polar alignment aligns the mount to the celestial pole - this doesn't change unless the mount is moved & doesn't need to be stored. This is what you use PAPS in APT for. Star Alignment is different. It is used to let the mount know how far needs to compensate after slewing to a new location. It has no effect on polar alignment or actual tracking, just on the mount pointing. This is what you save/load through the mount driver. If you use GoTo++ to get on target you don't even need to do this! NOTE: As long as you don't turn the power off to the mount while changing the laptop battery everything will be remembered by the mount and continue to work after you reconnect. Just be sure to keep the mount powered up.

I wish there was something even relatively easy to do all that. But with so many different gear setups, targets (each would be different) & local conditions which can vary very quickly it is quite difficult to come up with something that would work most of the time for most people. There are just so many factors to take into account, and how "good" a result is can be quite subjective. I really can't see a good solution coming too soon. Maybe it will be something for AI to handle later? Who knows.

@@SCAmateurAstro is it a lot more challenging than measuring your sky brightness in target area over a range of say 1 - 5 minute shots, looking up your cameras pixel well depth (a constant) and looking up your plate solved targets magnitude - then doing a calculation on these three variables and testing the signal to noise on a range of shots between say 20% - 90% well depth fullness - to come up with a recommended range?

Not THAT much of a change. 😁

Enough for a luddite like me.

Hopefully back into it soon, actually have one almost ready to go but haven't had a chance to get it finished. Adding to that Ivo has indicated that v4.50 will be out in the next week or two & I'll have plenty to come with updates!

@@SCAmateurAstro Thank you A+++

Currently working through different scenarios using session control. Certainly gives a lot of options.

It's based on your screen size. I remote into my mini pc and have a 27" monitor. When I do it from my laptop it is a much smaller & a more "crowded" view.

@@SCAmateurAstro ah ok thanks…… was driving myself mad trying to find how to change it 🙄

On it's own it just analyses the image and can give feedback on changing sky conditions/focus. But it's main use is with Auto-Focus Aid, with it's results being used to determine best focus. Auto-Focus Aid is what will adjust the focuser based on the results from Focus Craft.

@@SCAmateurAstro thanks for the reply …..ah rite ok I see, …..I think….. I have had poor results with autofocus as I’ve clearly set it up wrong, or not at all….. I was under the impression I needed to run the autofocus aid and the focus aid at same time …. I moved the focus aid round an image till on a good sized star then click run on autofocus aid……. Although I have had it set on hfd and never entered any settings so I will follow your instructions and fill in the settings and have another whizz at it

@@deankos3309 If you start AFA manually you can use Focus Aid, but if you want to use auto focus during a session (by time, temp, etc) you need to configure Focus Craft as that is what is used.

It should stop both cameras, I've never noticed the issue, but I don't do it often. I will have to test it out & get back to you. If it is happening I'll let Ivo know & hopefully get it fixed.

Just tested & yes, you are correct. Will post the issue on the forums for Ivo to see so it can be solved.

Thanks for testing it Mark, so far I still can’t find out any settings need to be done to stop the second camera to pause during the flip

@@Skywatcherzzz I tried it with & without the AMF enabled on the second camera and it didn't help, so passed it off to Ivo for a fix. Thanks for bringing it up.

Hope you find it useful to get your sessions lined up!

Many thanks!

Plate solving gives you the camera angle in the results, sending it to Stellarium just gives a visual representation. Any result that gives the camera angle will require you to plate solve. But perhaps instead you should look at framing masks (if you have purchased a key). This allows you to create a mask using the original image and compare the result to the new image & rotate the camera as needed. And it works with liveview, so you can rotate the camera & see the result in real time - just be sure to select brighter stars for your markers so they will show up in shorter liveview exposures. My guide: ruclips.net/video/sEmpvlDbZno/видео.html Cheers, Mark

@@SCAmateurAstro dearest Mark, last night I was able to try the framing mask function, it is an excellent and fast method for aligning subjects even and above all after days, saving the specific framing, thank you 🙏

Thank you Patrick

Hi Roberto. Yes, you can use a stored image. Here is how to do it... - Open Point Craft first - Load the exposure from the IMG tab. If it's a FITS file with the coordinates stored they will be loaded into the RA/Dec automatically so just solve the image, otherwise you can blind solve it. - Once the image is solved, in the GoTo++ section click on the 'Solved' button to fill the coordinates. - Click on the GoTo++ button - you will get a pop-up asking if you want to sync the scope, select NO. It is important NOT to sync the mount if using a previous image! Goto++ will now move your mount to the solved position. Once done, you can now sync the mount if you wish. And you're done.

@@SCAmateurAstromassive thanks again for your work on APT and support given

@@SCAmateurAstro done it, it works! thanks 🙏😉

Hi Roberto, that is simple to do, you need to set it up like a manual filter wheel. Go into APT Settings -> Filter Wheel and put the filters you are using into the filter list with any details you want to use (offset, gain, ect). Now the 'wheel' needs to be connected so using auto connect is easiest, and also enable the 'Manual Wheel / Filter Draw', 'Pause For Manual Change' & 'Check for connection on plan start' options. By doing that your filter drawer now works like a manual filter wheel & the details will be recorded in the header. The important part is to ensure this phantom filter wheel is 'connected' so APT knows you are using a filter & which filter it is. And if your plan needs a filter change, you will get a pop-up telling you to change the filter & APT will wait while you do it.

@@SCAmateurAstro works! thanks my dear 🙏😉

Leave the scale at 1. That scale is designed for use with programs that don't allow you set the number of pixels to move the guide camera but instead use dither settings like small, medium or large.

Great. Thanks for clarifying.

The brightness setting isn't stored in the flats plan, it's stored in the 'Extra Devices' setting for the panel. When you run a flats plan the illumination level is set based on the filter used. Are you using the Flat's Aid to create a plan or are you trying to do it manually, setting the exposure times yourself?

I let Flats Aid sort out the flash duration for the FCB. The brightness setting for each filter I have sorted out before. e.g. 10-10-10-10-100-100-50% The flats plan is saved allright. But if I want to run it again at a later stage, I have to carefully check that the intensity settings haven"t changed. When I want to run a Flats Aid on a different telescope, these settings will have to be adjusted. My FSQ85 requires different settings than my 10" f3 newton. So when I go back to the previous telescope I have to manually set the brightness values again. I see no option to save these settings for each different telescope. As long as you don't touch them, they are kept. There is no link between the Flats Plan and the brightness settings for each filter. That's my point. APT is the ONLY software that is able to run the Lacerta FBC. Which is a great and smart device.@@SCAmateurAstro

@@ariebakx Now I understand. A simple solution is to create a separate profile for each of the telescopes. That way all settings will be saved for each individually & you won't need to change anything when you switch between them. 😀

@@SCAmateurAstro I did not know that this is an option. Where, or in which of your video’s can I learn how to do this. That would indeed be a solution.

@@ariebakx You will find the details for setting up multiple profiles in this video: ruclips.net/video/tMKIW3RlKgY/видео.html

Thank you. Check the v4.40 tutorial playlist for "Polar Alignment via PS (PAPS)" 😀

⁠@@SCAmateurAstrothanks my friend, I’ll do it 😉

Hi Brian. Are you trying to set up to match a 294MM camera like my setup or another camera? It really sounds like you missed a setting somewhere - what is the pixel size shown in the Object Calculator? If the questions a related to the actual video then here is fine, but you can also post it to the APT forums if you wish, I'm usually on there a number of times a day so will see it. Cheers

@@SCAmateurAstro I am following your example and see 9.3 * 6.9. I didn't see where you indicated binning.

@@brianwatson3435 Directly above where you see the 9.3 * 6.9, what does it say for CCD Pixels? It sounds like either the pixel size or image w x h is off.

@@SCAmateurAstro 4.63

@@brianwatson3435 Ok, from that I'm guessing the image size in the Sky Simulator hasn't been set correctly. See from 02:15 in the video & make sure it is correctly set at 4144*2822. Hope that helps.

Thanks Andy

It's just the images being used by the simulator. Some programs such as ASTAP allow you to annotate images, which mark various objects in the image. That's what you see in these images, just various DSO that have been marked.

@@SCAmateurAstro Thanks mate

Thanks Patrick, glad you're finding them useful. Hope the weather over there is being nicer to you than here in Australia. 😀

The weather in France is appalling ... rain... the sky is overcast . We also have a lot of snow . grey skies . It is very difficult to practise astronomy. Let's hope for better days. But that also has an advantage, at least I have the leisure of being able to watch your videos and discover APT in depth thanks to you. It's the TOP. @@SCAmateurAstro

@@darle94 Summer here but certainly not our normal clear summer skies & I've made things worse by purchasing a new telescope that should be here in the next few days, my first imaging Newtonian! But like you getting time to watch videos, the poor skies are giving more time to make them. 😄

Hi Victor. I've been planning the Session Craft videos (there will be 3, one for each section) but have discovered some problems in the Session Control section that has held them up for just a little while. Have been talking with Ivo to get them fixed for the next version & a temporary workaround for one of the problems. Hopefully over the next week I can get them done. Details on scripts will be coming in a Deep Dive video in the near future where I'll be looking more into complex imaging plans using both Session Control , the Plan Editor & scripts in combination. If you understand creating & using .VBS scripting it should be easy to understand. Cheers, Mark

Hi Ryan, I was using the simulator for this & the circles are just what's on the image database that it uses.

Wish I could have mine always set up too, and getting up higher like a roof would be excellent!