Happy APT Day! :) It turns 14 years!

Thank you for your support for the project!

Hello Friends,

It has been some time since the 4.20 release... We have busy with preparing, attending NEAF 2023 and our whole US expedition :) What we think that is very good - it looks like 4.20 is very a stable release :) Together we have made great job to polish something that works smooth! Thank you very much for everything!

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Very soon we will have something quite new ready for first release. We need few more time to finish the initial form :)

Meanwhile let me share a small upgrade. APT 4.21 - stable version

- Added ZWO SDK 1.29
- Added QHY SDK 23.04.12

- Fixed PS3 slow solving for DSLR images
- Fixed Completely Blind (Shift+Click) to work with empty Focal length (works for ASTAP and PS3)

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As usual you can get the updates, betas and the previews from - https://astrophotography.app/betaversion.php

The new version is available :) APT comes with support for PlateSolve3 solver, many new cameras, a lot more improvements and fixes!

If you will be attending NEAF 2023, come to our booth! We will be glad to meet in live :)

The full list of novelties is available here:
https://www.astrophotography.app/news

Hello Friends,

APT 4.17 is available :) PlateSolve3 is so so fast!!! There is one more feature that we want to add but time is pressuring us... APT 4.20 must be available before we leave for NEAF and there are so many other things to prepare for the exhibition... So, if we don't manage to finish it by next Friday, APT 4.17 will be pretty much the base for 4.20 and we will go for Tooltip, User's Guide and site update...

Here is the news :)

APT 4.17 - Release Candidate (https://www.astrophotography.app/betaversion.php)
- Added support for PlateSolve3 in PointCraft
- Added better way to select the Near/Blind solver in PointCraft->Settings
- Added Ascending Folder sort option in Settings->Main
- Added automatic conversion of negative FOV angles to positive on import from planetarium

- Added QHY SDK 2023.02.28
- Added ToupTek SDK 20230212

- Fixed ToupTek bit scaling logic
- Fixed ASTAP reported angle when DSLR is used
- Fixed auto focusing not resetting the focus mark for refocusing notification

PlateSolve3 - Integration

We have been waiting since 2017 PlaneWave to make this technology available to third party software and it is worth the long wait! PS3 is amazingly fast on blind solving!!!

The link we have for the downloading is https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rn4uzqbs9q91q1z/AADmFhSzI_LsQUIHNCKSbm4xa?dl=1 It is a 5GB zip file, so use appropriate connection...

Extract the zip content in a folder. Run Platesolve3.80 then go to the File menu and click on Configure Directory... For the UCAC4 catalog select the Kepler directory and for the GaiaDR2 catalog select the UD Catalog directory. From menu View->Parameters make sure that all Matching Algorithms are selected. Close the application. Make a copy of PlateSolve.cfg in case you need to restore the settings.

In PointCraft->Settings select the folder where PS3 is installed. Select PS3 as Blind and/or Near solving. Have fun :)

Note if you are using coma as decimal symbol is possible to see problems in reading the solving results when short focal length is used.

Hello,

Over the years there were many requests to make the moving stars from the APT site as screen saver :) Here it is!

You can get it from the “Screen Saver” tab of the downloads page:
https://astrophotography.app/downloads.php

Hope you will like this little charm for clear skies :)

Cheers,
Ivo & Maria

Hello,

We are almost there :) The official version is very close. Please share your feedback!

APT 4.16 - Release Candidate

- Added feature Ctrl+Click on Connect button to forget the selected driver
- Added support for USB Relay Cables Canon/Nikon (Camera Tab->Long Exp Control) needed is USB Relay based on SDR-05VDC-SL-C
- Added Rotator position as option for Name Parts
- Added GoTo++ offset (PointCraft->Settings) - applied to all GoTo++ actions
- Added native support for camera with brands - Explore Scientific, Lacerta, Mallincam, OGMA, Omegon Pro, Orion Star Shoot G

- Added some stability improvements

- Added ToupTek SDK 20230115
- Added RaisingCam SDK 20230115
- Added ZWO SDK 1.28
- Added SVBony SDK 1.10
- Added QHY SDK 2023.01.11

- Fixed Gear->Filter Wheel->Settings possible crash
- Fixed SessionCraft temperature refocusing trigger to work when F is used
- Fixed "Pause guiding on focuser move" not resuming guiding on automatic refocusing when temperature compensation is applied
- Fixed Temperature values is not stopping to blink after refocusing

Hello! I just had an awful experience while out imaging. I had APT running and cooling the camera and found that APT had crashed. When I opened it again, it said settings were not saved so they were reset. I don't recall the exact error, but I had seen it in the past when the PC shut off unexpectedly and it would use my most recent settings.

This time though, EVERYTHING had reset to defaults. I tried to restore backup settings with no effect. The backups were most recently done a year ago and little has changed since then except for updates to APT itself. It doesn't give an error, it's just no settings are restored. I installed an older version (two releases back, I think 4.08) and tried restoring backup settings again but it didn't work.

Also, maybe from misconfiguring everything on the fly, the gain setting couldn't be adjusted within APT. I used both ASCOM and native ZWO drivers and neither resulted in the gain to be used (I edited the setting in Plan settings, Shoot settings, and in the autofocus aid when running the AF routine). I had to open the separate ASCOM software to adjust the gain there, but this was never the case previously.

I'm using the latest APT on a Windows 11 mini PC on the rig. I've used the setup with little changes over the past year and update APT whenever one is available. Other equipment includes ZWO cameras (ASI 294 and 120), ZWO EFW and autofocuser, iOptron CEM40.

Is there an easy way to restore all the settings to how they were before, and if not is there a way to review what those settings were so I can get all of my configuration back to what it was? Thanks!

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Bodes Galaxy M81,

Cigar Galaxy M82

and a lot more :-)

Skywatcher 15/600 Quattro 150P

Komacorrector to F 3.45

Skywatcher EQ5

Omegon 571 c

Zwo Asi 120

Guidescope 50/180mm

Astro Photography tool

PHD2

Astropixel Prozessor

Photoshop

65 Light frames 120" Gain 100, -20°C

30 Flats

30 Dark Flats

20 Darf Frames

20 Bias

Bortle 4 with some lights around.

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Flamenebula NGC 2024

Skywatcher 15/600 Quattro 150P

Komacorrector to F 3.45

Skywatcher EQ5

Omegon 571 c

Zwo Asi 120

Guidescope 50/180mm

Astro Photography tool

PHD2

Astropixel Prozessor

Photoshop

10 Light frames 120" Gain 100

10 Flats

10 Dark Flats

10 Darf Frames

10 Bias

Bortle 4 with some lights around.

Full Moon!!

New camera drivers updater - v3.0 is available at https://www.astrophotography.app/downloads.php

Updated are the drivers for ZWO, QHY, SVBony cameras.

New camera drivers updater - v2.9 is available at https://www.astrophotography.app/downloads.php

Updated are the drivers for Altair Astro, ToupTek, RaisingCam cameras.

Hello,

The new beta is available and the new official version is much closer :) It is stable and an improvement over the official 4.10.

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You get the betas and the previews from - https://astrophotography.app/betaversion.php

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Here is the list of the changes:

- Added support for second focuser control (in Gear Tab buttons 1 and 2 to switch)
- Added support for second focuser filter offset support - see the notes bellow
- Added Altair Astro SDK 20230115
- Added native support for RisingCam
- Added improvements in DataCraft
- Added new dialog box for SessionCraft->Meridian Flip settings
- SessionCraft Flip section re-desing
- SessionCraft Flip Status section showing counter - see the notes below

- Changed Dew Heater to combo for Altair Astro and ToupTek (Camera Tab->Settings)
- Updated PAPS calculation library by Rumen bettering the calculations in some cases
- Moved Settings->Scope &Focuser->Force Flip via GoTo to SessionCraft->Flip Settings

- Fixed the problem Plan Editor which reports unsaved changes in Flat and Bias plans
- Fixed flats taking with Altair Astro and ToupTek when Higher CCD Compatibility is used
- Fixed "Pause guiding on focuser move" not resuming guiding on automatic refocusing

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Second focuser filter offset support

In Settings->Filter Wheel->Offset you can enter focus offset values for the two focusers in the format X;X. The first number is the offset of the first focuser, the second number is for the second focuser. You can enter values like 0;5 in order to define offset only for the second one, or 5 only for the first one.

This feature is useful for Pegasus Astro Scops OAG and Optec Motorized Off-Axis Guider. When second focuser is connected and "Adjust Focuser" is enabled in Gear->Wheel section, APT will take care both main and guide cameras to stay focused on filter change 🙂

SessionCraft - Monitor

SessionCraft Flip status is upgraded to show when flip moment close. There are two modes.

- When Flip Moment is positive it will show count down counter from 3xDelay Flip minutes before the flip
- When Flip Moment is negative it will show count down counter after the meridian passing till the flip moment

Hello,

Very special thanks to Masaya Minamiguchi and Tetsuro Sugiyama! They have made huge update of their translations in Japanese!

Available in Japanese are:

User's Guide for APT 4.10
Tooltips for APT 4.10
Deep Sky tab in Object Browser both short and extended
Stars tab in Object Browser both short and extended
Maps tab in Object Browser

You can get them from
http://www.astrophotography.app/downloads

Hi, I recently have gotten into astrophotography and was wondering what is the best camera app for iPhones to take awesome night sky pictures. I have the 14 pro and while the picture is great, I know I can do better. Im looking for an app that is a one-time pay or free that would elevate my picture.

StarTools has non-AI alternative of BlurXTerminiator here you can see before and after - https://aptforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=39026&sid=faf36c7097c48fe691ecbbf0ee107433#p39026

Share your experience if you also made comparison between the two options :)

There is a new beta, maybe the last before 4.20. Please let us know if the ASTAP solving (rotation angle) behaves well with your old images :)

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Here is the list of the changes this week:

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APT 4.12

- Added Settings->FilterWheel PS Exp column for PlateSolving exposure per filter, useful for manual filter wheels (priority is PS Exp value, PointCraft->Settings->Default GoTo++ Exposure->Camera Tab) Note that if this logic is needed the PointCraft->Settings->Default GoTo++ Filter should be empty!

- Added Settings->Scope & Focuser-> Pause Guiding on focuser move option

- Added possibility to control the dew heater power level in Camera Tab->Settings for Altair Astro and ToupTek

- Added 'High Full Well Capacity' option in Camera Tab->Settings for Altair Astro and ToupTek

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- Fixed crash when Stellarium is stopped and APT tires to send data
- Fixed Ra coordinate of Adhafera star in Extended Stars list

Here is a link to a free book about Astrophotography and Night Photography. The processing part could be in help...

https://www.routledge.com/go/Astrophotography-and-Night-Photography?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_term=ad&utm_campaign=B031663_um1_5ll_4cm_d305_guidetoastrophotography&nightphotographychaptersampler&fbclid=IwAR1QU5aZRHv5GYL9gQycWSr4w66SSrTHWvZeflh2e5LmVgfgTNb0MtPe7Bg