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[Plate Solving]* StarSense Does Not Plate Solve The Image (Is Anyone Else Experiencing This Issue? If So, Report It Here - Read On!)

Last night using my Evo 8 with auto align, after doing a recalibration and the alignment, began getting error: ‘Star Sense Error: could not plate solve the image’ using Sky Safari after successfully completing only the 1 of 3 alignments (Solved plate!). It finds stars on second of third attempt, but can’t plate solve the image and then ‘resets’ to 0 of 3 alignments and tries all over again resulting in same error. Same thing in Sky Portal albeit with different verbiage in error msg (will retry at new position). Current time and location were set and it was clear night here. Hand control works fine.
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    Keiron Smith Official comment

    DevOps reference: https://starrynight.unfuddle.com/a#/projects/7965/tickets/by_number/3478

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    Carson Hanrahan

    Keith, know you’re not alone. Using SkySafari Pro 7, 7.3.6 (1112) on iOS 17.x from both my iPad and iPhone, I’ve also had these issues with my c8 Evo as well as a c8 GPS using Mark Lord’s HBG3. These issues were new, starting in spring. There are numerous threads on CloudyNights from people having the same issue, some dating back some time. Switching back to Celestron’s SkyPortal, based on SkySafari 6, there’s no issue. All mount, camera, etc. firmware is up to date per CFM. Curious to see Kieron’s response. Love to get some troubleshooting tips/steps too.

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    keith stepp

    Also running sky Safari Pro 7. Having same issue with Sky Portal though. IOS 17.6.1

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    Keiron Smith

    Keith, Carson, 

    Have you brought this to the attention of Celestron Support?

    Simulation Curriculum is not responsible for the develop nor maintenance of the code base that is used for plate-solving.

    This code is developed and maintained by Celestron.

    Please discuss with them and see what they say.

    Our devs will be aware of your report here, but again, you need to bring it to the Celestron devs that can work on that code - but really, if it has been discussed from some time on CloudyNights the Celestron devs must know about it already.

    Please link me to the CN discussions in questions.

    Thanks!

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    bruce lamoreaux

    Celestron boasts that the StarSense was developed by Simulation Curriculum.

    "Celestron developed the StarSense Explorer app in collaboration with our friends at Simulation Curriculum, the makers of the industry-leading planetarium app, Sky Safari. You can trust the StarSense Explorer app to provide the most accurate models of the night sky, with thousands of celestial objects in the database."

    Just sayin

     

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    Keiron Smith

    Let's clarify the issue here.

    StarSense Explorer app is an app we developed for Celestron StarSense Explorer line of telescopes.

     

    Celestron also makes the StarSense AutoAlign hardware like this:

     

    Which one are you having issues with?

    Thanks!

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    keith stepp

    Star sense auto align camera on Evolution 8 HD.

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    Keiron Smith

    Right, so the plate-solving code for the auto-align camera is written, developed and maintained by Celestron developers.  It is a black box for us.  We do not touch it.

    Possibly, our code has in someway affected the Celestron code.  But, unlikely.  Either way, you must bring this to the attention of Celestron developers - as if the fix requires modifying their code (likely) then only they have access to it.

    They will offer a reply as well, which you can copy here for convenience, so we can all know where they stand in the issue at this time.

    Thanks!

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    keith stepp

    Thanks, if skies improve some night I would still like to see if same problem exists with someone’s Android.

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    keith stepp

    Is there a way to completely wipe settings in Sky Safari?

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    bruce lamoreaux

    In settings at the very bottom left is “Revert to Default Settings”.

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    Carson Hanrahan

    Hi Kieron, I appreciate Simulation Curriculum's position that Celestron developed the plate solving code/library. However, will all due respect, I paid SC, not Celestron, for the SkySafari 7 Pro app. This makes it SC's problem, not mine, to work with Celestron. I don't interface with other third party vendors that may supply libraries, etc. SC is using for SkySafari development; I shouldn't be asked to for Celestron. This is not my problem to solve, nor am I in a position to. Please work with Celestron to fix this, as otherwise SkySafari 7 Pro is useless for me. As for CloudyNights threads on the topic, see these examples, among many more:

    https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/785900-starsense-error-could-not-plate-solve-the-image-will-retry-at-new-position/

    https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/939317-star-sense-plate-solving-error/

    https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/826692-skyportal-refuses-to-plate-solve-using-starsense-when-using-wedge/

    https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/839281-starsense-with-skyportal-every-other-plate-solve-fails/

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    keith stepp

    Thank you Carson. My sentiments exactly

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    Carson Hanrahan

    keith stepp Do you get the same failure when initializing alignment from the hand controller? So far for me, it's just when using SkySafari 7 Pro. Celestron's SkyPortal, based on SkySafari 6, always works.

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    keith stepp

    Carson, HC is ok. SkyPortal fails too.

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    keith stepp

    iOS 17.7

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    Carson Hanrahan

    Thanks Kieth - started happening to me with iOS 17.5ish and continues with iOS 18.x.

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    keith stepp

    Will attempt to ask Android user next week (once weather improves) and try 

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    Keiron Smith

    Thank you for the links, Carson.

    Celestron and Simulation Curriculum developers are on it.  

    Keith's message to Celestron was very helpful - a call to action for Celestron!

    And we were all discussing the path towards a solution last night.

    So, let us keep the ball moving forward!

    Thank you, both!

     

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    Carson Hanrahan

    Thanks Kieron, truly appreciate it. If you need anything to help troubleshoot or get more data, please let me know. Happy to help.

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    Keiron Smith

    From this thread, while there is a lot of finger pointing, the conclusion by everyone discussing the problem is that this is not an issue with SkySafari or SkyPortal.

    https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/839281-starsense-with-skyportal-every-other-plate-solve-fails/page-4

    User-Viking says it was a hardware mount problem fixed in repair by Celestron:

    Well, the mount, hand control and StarSense Camera were returned to me. Celestron said they repaired it and it passed all tests. They didn't say exactly what they repaired. Maybe they found something they missed the first time. But Rod from their support team stayed in touch with me and told me he did the tests and everything worked fine.

    So tonight I took it out, set it up, and using SkyPortal on my iPad went through multiple iterations of alignment and calibration. And it worked. Every. Single. Time.

    User-Sputnik says GPS was not working as expected:

    After the alignment failed, I reset the telescope and prepared to do an alignment using the hand controller. However, I noted the time was wrong, despite the GPS being connected and the LED on it being on. The hand controller also was not recognizing the GPS. I used the hand controller to scan for accessories and recognize the GPS, then use the GPS for time and location data. The time and location were shown correctly.
    After that, I tried using SkySafari to do a StarSense manual alignment, which was successful.

    User-Fly Me To The Moon posits theory of too many accessories:

    But.. as discussed earlier, some mounts don't like some combinations of accessories plugged in together.  This isn't a firmware or protocol thing, but rather an electrical issue with the design of the AUX bus in various mounts.  The SE mounts in particular, with their very high impedance AUX design, don't seem to tolerate multiple accessories in many situations.  The Evo mount is much better in this regard.

    The last post being in July of 2024 - no comments since.

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    Keiron Smith

    From this thread, the last post is in June of 2022.

    https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/826692-skyportal-refuses-to-plate-solve-using-starsense-when-using-wedge/

    This cannot be relevant to your current issues since you are saying it was working fine until the latest iOS 17.x update, correct?

    This thread is about ASAP (and using a wedge) and whether that alignment model option is available via SkySafari or SkyPortal (it is not).

    Are either of you using All Star Polar Alignment or a wedge?

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    keith stepp

    No , I am not.

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    Keiron Smith

    From this thread:

    https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/939317-star-sense-plate-solving-error/

    Two possible origins for the issue(s) we presented:

    One thing I noticed last night was even though I set the time and date they were wrong. No idea why.

    And...

    If the scope is pointing in the wrong direction then it is likely that it a user error.

    Also, the procedural guide was shared with CELESTRON.COM/AUTOALIGN

    Please ensure you are following the expected standard practice.

     

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    Keiron Smith

    From this thread:

    https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/785900-starsense-error-could-not-plate-solve-the-image-will-retry-at-new-position/

    This discussion (from 2021/2022) is also not relevant to your issue(s) since you both say the current issues are new to 2024, that your mounts, SSAA and SkySafari/SkyPortal apps were working previously, correct?

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    keith stepp

    Prior to alignment, the OTA only has to be horizontal. It does NOT have to be pointed in particular direction (I.e. north).

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    Keiron Smith

    Now, if we are going to pursue your issue(s) we need substantial troubleshooting reports from both of you.

    These reports need to include the following:

    1. Apps and versions
    2. OS version
    3. Device makes and models
    4. Screenshots of all SS7 and SkyPortal telescope settings, including the presets.
    5. Systematic, step-by-step outline regarding how exactly you are aligning your mounts - from the moment you power on the mount, including when you touch the hand controller and when you touch the app, every option selected, every button pushed, with an explanation of why and for what purpose.

     

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    Keiron Smith

    Carson says:

    Celestron's SkyPortal, based on SkySafari 6, always works.

     

    Keith, says:

    SkyPortal fails too.

    So, we have contradicting reports which suggests the apparent issue(s) with regards to SkyPortal app are (quite possibly) not with the app itself, but the settings selected or the alignment or something else, correct?

    So, for a starter, how about each of you present a substantial troubleshooting report (as explained above) that outlines how you are using SkyPortal app with your setup.

    1. SkyPortal version.  See Help > scroll to the bottom.
    2. OS version
    3. Device makes and models
    4. Screenshots of SkyPortal telescope settings.
    5. Systematic, step-by-step outline regarding how exactly you are aligning your mounts - from the moment you power on the mount, including when you touch the hand controller and when you touch the app, every option selected, every button pushed, with an explanation of why and for what purpose.

    And this way, we can compare your notes, and see if we can figure out why SkyPortal app works only for Carson.

    Does this sound like a plan?

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    keith stepp

    ‘When you touch hand controller’. Don’t use the hand controller.

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    keith stepp

    Device. Scope or phone?

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