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Thank you all for responding - I have checked permissions for the app - the only one not given was the camera - so I have allowed that as well - but still no luck - the images are still there in the app (see screenshot) - I have searched my phone even looking in hidden folders for files including the seestar hidden folder but no images - lots of stuff in the seestar/cache folder - but not in an accessible form, so I wonder if the shots are currently held as data in the cache and not saved to the phone - I'll try taking some more shots tomorrow and see what happens. Another possibility is that Im on android 9 so quite old - could be an issue there. I would use my Iphone but I use that for the brilliant PCAlign pro app with my 8" dob and I hope to keep using use the Dob while the seestar does its thing. BTW This is a very long thread, I'm no expert but would it be worth having a separate area in stargazers for seestar and or dwarf, possibly in the EEVA section? It might make it a lot easier for those of us taking up this new area?

Hi all. Picked up my ss from FLO today - For me there is a bit of a learning curve to getting started. Is this an appropriate forum to ask questions - or is there a better place? The android phone I am using is a bit old and does not have 5g wifi so the first hurdle was having to log on with my iphone to change the settings in the SS to 2.4g after that the android phone connected fine. 1. Testing to look at the sun -ss had the elevation right but was looking in completely the wrong place - at least 90 degrees out horizontally (compass setting and tripod level was good). I read this might be a bug or is it something I am doing wrong? 2. Managed to manually get to the sun and took 4 photos. But where are they and how do i access the jpgs? The /myworks folder in the SS is empty. I can't see them on my android phone anywhere like DCIM. But when the app is connected to the ss I can see the images so they must be somewhere? Apols if this is not the right place.

Thank you John and Spile. So I cleaned up the base - reassembled - but still too stiff for me - To quantify the problem I have tried to measure the force needed to move it using the scales I use for luggage. It takes 1.5kg of force to start the 200p turning - of course that ends up with a jerk. My SW Heritage 150 moves at 0.7kg. So some of the issue may just be me having to adjust to a much heavier scope. But I will try the milk carton washers and report back. OK So following John's advice, I made two milk bottle washers and fitted one above and one below the central teflon washer. Now using my luggage scales the 200p begins to move with just 250 to 300g of force. Thats a massive improvement from the 1500g before and twice as good as my heritage 150. So I will might to do the same mod to that scope as well. EDIT - I finally got to use the scope a couple of nights ago and it was super smooth with no judder. So I strongly recommend the milk bottle washers. Thank you

Thank you Spile. It surprised me too - I struggle to think skywatcher would sell something that's so difficult to nudge smoothly. I didn't put it together as it was used but it looks to be in perfect condition. It has the 3 rectangular teflon pads around the edge and the disc one in the middle. So that seems right -perhaps dust or maybe the silicone spray made things worse so I'll clean it all up and try again before going the lazy susan way.

Hello - I'm new to this thread. I picked up a used skywatcher 200p dob this week - tried it tonight and the two things I really do not like are 1. the finder scope & 2 the rotation bearing in the base (or the lack of one) which makes it so hard to nudge smoothly, I have tried adjusting the central bolt and putting some silicone on the sliders but with no real improvement. Certainly inferior to my skywatcher heritage 150 I guess partly because of the greater weight of the 200. The red dot finder on the heritage works much better for me so I will add one of those. But I like this idea of the lazy susan and will order one - I would love to hear what size is likely to work best on this scope - I thought the largest diameter that will fit on the base will be best but Mandy D I can see the logic of putting it as close to the base of the supports as that is where the weight is? I'd love to see a picture / diagram of a way to add friction to the system that would be great

Thank you Artik that looks interesting. I'll take a look at the manual (https://artyom-beilis.github.io/manual.html) and try it out on an android and an iphone.

Thank you, Spotted both last night. Once again a big thumbs up to PS Align pro. Some years back I bought an expensive scope on a motorised mount with Goto. Its was heavy and took ages to set up (polar alignment, electrics, camera, laptop etc). Yes it worked but because it was such hard work I gave up using it and eventually sold it. Because of my reliance on its goto system I did not learn much about the night sky. My 150mm dobsonian with this $2.99 app is so much more fun and easy to use. Of course the complex kit has major advantages and is essential for many aspects of astronomy, however with temperamental UK skies something that's quick to set up and use also has its advantages.

Thank you, Ah good so its not me. What about M101 Pinwheel Mag 7.8? Im guessing im Bortle 6 /7 too.

I could not find astrohopper on playstore but there is a program called Skeye. The desription sounds as if it is trying to do the same thing as ps align pro. But did you say you have just bought a goto? In which case you would not need this app?

Thank you. After your recommendation I bought the pro version for my iphone. And it is brilliant. Yes I like star hopping but my skies are not v dark. So for eg the beehive cluster is not visible to the naked eye when I am out around 11pm. I can find it instantly in binoculars but it can take forever with my 6" dobsonian. With align pro it is a piece of cake - First sync to Pollux then it directs me straight to the cluster. Wonderful. Same for the Hercules globular cluster. I've had no luck finding that directly with my scope. But with Align pro I sync on Vega then once again it takes me straight to the cluster using a 15mm ep. Amazing. So far I've not been able to find the whirlpool galaxy using it. I have only had the scope our 6 or so times so Im new to this. The whirlpool is directly overhead align pro seems to struggle with that (as does my neck using the red dot finder!). Perhaps my scope is not big enough?

First post here for several years! That sounds v interesting - so does the app help you to point the scope? - if so what a clever idea. I have had my skywatcher heritage 150mm dobsonian for just a couple of weeks and it can take time to find very feint objects. eg last night with the moon up and light pollution it was taking me ages to find the beehive cluster. I could see it instantly in my binoculars but I couldn't see it with my naked eye so the red dot finder was no good I could find it eventually but more by luck than judgement. At times like that an app like this could be great - (It could also save me a cricked neck when trying to point at things high up in the sky).