Affiliation
American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO)
Sun, 11/29/2020 - 16:20
I am getting an error message from TG when attempting to run the program. The error reads: "Less than two active stars in VPHOT file." I compared the VPHOT files I created today for both M67 and NGC 7790 against prior files that successfully ran in TG and I see no differences. I verified my old files still run in TG today. Has anyone encountered this and broken the code?
Thanks
Chuck (CCHD)
Encountering the very same problem with newly generated files for NGC 7790 and will also wait for a solution/workaround.
Dan
Chuck and Dan:
I just ran some new NGC1252 images from BSM_Berry2 through the process. Open the BVRI images separately in VPhot V4.0.8. Load the Standard Stars not comp stars. Click View Photometry Report. Click Download to get the IM mag file and save it on my computer. (Note the new Max column.) Repeat for each BVRI filter.
Open TG V6.6 (current version). Select Berry2 telescope. Select NGC 1252 std field. Select VPhot (format). Select the four IM mag files that I had saved, to enter in file window. Clicked Calculate Transform Set. Coeffs appeared. I opened and edited each coeff. Saved transform set. Selected transform sets. Created average. Saved .ini file to my computer.
Everything worked as expected. So what did you do differently than I described above? Can you share your specific images to me in VPhot at MZK?
Ken
Hi Ken,
Using my images of 7790 (9 images in V and 7 in I) in VPhot, under "load sequence", I selected "7790 var comp" - the only option offered other than "user defined sequence." After viewing the photometry report, I did deselect a couple of the comp stars to bring down errors before downloading the text files to my computer. This left me with about 9-10 comparison stars per image. I repeated this process for all 16 images.
The TG sequence you described looks to be the same one I used, of course selecting 7790 rather than 1252. In addition to the error box Chuck describes, I get a second one stating "Reference star IDs not found in VSP" and listing most if not all the reference stars used in VPhot.
As a newbie to this, I suspect user error in VPhot may be the issue here and would be happy to try something different in that program; please let me know. Otherwise I could share my images with you as I would love to know the transforms (and avoid the spreadsheet method if possible).
Appreciate the response.
Dan
Dan:
You should have selected Standard Stars under catalog NOT comps or a saved sequence.
Do you understand the rest of my procedure in my post?
Ken
PS: It would be easier to walk you through the procedure via skype or zoom.
Ken,
I didn't see the Standard Stars option. The rest of the procedure makes sense.
Would be happy to get help via Zoom. Tomorrow morning or evening Eastern time works for me. Please let me know what time is best for you. Thanks much!
Dan
Ken, I found the Standard Stars option under Catalogs. Let me give this another go tomorrow. One question: should I deselect any of the comparison stars (e.g. those in dark red under Target Estimate) before downloading the text file, or leave the number of comp stars as is?
Dan:
Glad you found catalogs>std stars! ;-)
Just accept all the std stars. Do this only because it is easier to remove the outliers in TG.
Ken
PS: Normally, one would remove bad comps.
About that error message. Here's the column headers from a .txt that TG 6.4 accepted:
The next set of column headers is from the .txt file that had the "at least two active stars" error message.
Note the extra "Max" column in the .txt that had the error message. It's that's column that is throwing TG 6.4 off. For anyone else still having this problem, delete that column and TG 6.4 will accept the file.
Tim:
The easiest fix is to update your TG to the current version 6.6. It understands the extra Max field.
Ken