StevieDvd

That's possible under certain scenarios: The images are heavily cropped, rotation artefacts are in the four corners. The post processing is heavy and the corners artefacts processed out The 2 hours are comprised of several nights imaging with short exposures The final image is sharing data from several peoples sessions It's Facebook so must be true🙄

The max exposure is 30 secs at present. A 2.5 hour exposure, if possible, would be so field rotated it would probably be all field rotation mess. Both the Seestar and Dwarf Labs devices have users setting up them up in an 'eq mode' , by somewhat controversial means to overcome field rotation.

Look here then 😀 though it's not illustrated. synscan_app_manual_en_20230525.pdf

Okay it appears you have grasped the PA process both using the polarscope and the app. And as you can get the mel/maz values can see how far off you are from a good PA, at best these would both be zero. But probably 1 arc-minute would be the best you could expect to get (according to SW) I had the SW GTi briefly before I upgraded to a ZWO AM5 and never used the polarscope. I set the Alt based on my location and pointed North using my iPhone then PA'd via the app or a connected ASIAir, that was for visual I did not image with the SW Gti. So based on your equipment and software: As I still have the Syncan app and can set it to simulate mode I can see the stages you would go through as an iterative process (align, PA, align & check) Check your date/time & location are correct in the app Start PA process until mel/maz value is as low as possible Do a 2 or 3 star alignment End with an Up/Right click Check the mel/maz error Do the PA using the Alt/Az bolts as needed. Redo a 2 or 3 star alignment End with an Up/Right click Check the mel/maz error Repeat as required When you adjust the Azimuth bolts, loosen one side as you tighten the other, but make sure they are not left loose. The end on Up/Right move for aligning is per SW notes to cater for backlash. Home position - if your PA is good a poor home position may make the first go-to look bad. I would loosen the clutches and centre the object - not use the cursor keys or alt/az bolts. I'd then do a go to 'home' and retry the first go to - the mount will set a home position, better than you can, and later each subsequent go to should be accurate as well. NB You can add a custom target in the app for 'home' to be able to do a go to home Hope this helps rather than confuse. I think I have covered the essentials - someone may spot anything I've missed. Steve

No it's all enclosed. The pin is in the upper part and the adjustments bolts are in the part which connects to the tripod. The inverse of the wedges used to put an AZGTi in eq mode (they can't have azimuth pins in the tripod either). Suffice to say the missing azimuth pin was a red herring which has taken the thread off course.

Your mel/maz settings still be the same is worrying. It is the adjustment that the mount expects to correct your PA when doing a goto. The SW PA/Align process for users without a polarscope is documented in the handset manual and involves doing a series of PA and Aligns to reduce the Mel/Maz Even the slightest adjustment of the Alt/Az would change those numbers. But if the app is the same as the handset method the values may only change after last 2 or 3 star alignment

He has a SW GTi mount that has a 3/8 base that has a built in adjustment system. The green bolts push against a built in inverted stop and turns the top of the mount.

Keep using the alt/az bolts. Polaris will be in a certain position at a given time. So if it's due to be at the eleven o'clock position that's where you should see it in the circle when you are aligned. If you imagine the circle is like a circular train track, then at any given time Polaris (the train) should be in a set part of the track. If you are correctly PA'd then turning your mount in RA 360 degrees, Polaris will stay in place and the track spins around it. If it goes off track then your mount pivot point is not correct in relation to Polaris. Remember that you are trying to adjust the central pivot point of your mount to that of the NCP. We can do that by noting the position of Polaris at a set time/date and from that can work out where your mount pivot point should be. Given your statement about age and back issues then I'd suggest doing a basic PA in the polar scope (align in the middle of the cross). Then use software PA (like Synscan, Sharpcap, NINA etc) to get it better. And don't worry about the questions some of us are retired and don't mind the challenge of getting someone new on the right track. Personally I think Polar scopes are evil and designed to sell back ache remedies. I have not used one for years.😀

It took me a while for the penny to drop that there was an option that had a polar scope and a flat 3/8" tripod like the SW Star Adventurer GTi 😀

Then how are you adjusting the mount in azimuth????? I see from your other posts you have mentioned a SW Gti is it this one That has the azimuth pin in the base of the mount so you can't see it and it allows the use of a 3/8 tripod.

Okay just to clarify a few of your issues: The spike Malc refers to is the azimuth pin as shown here and which the azimuth bolts push against to adjust your PA. I read the manual of Syncan App and it is correct in allowing a further PA after a star alignment. This is only possible as it records the mel/maz settings which is stored for 'adjustments' needed to correct your goto.

Okay I think I see your problem. You are still doing PA and star alignments in the wrong order. Get the best PA you can first and then let the mounts note your inaccuracies and it will then adjust for them automatically. If you redo the PA and don't redo the star alignment the mount will be doing the wrong adjustments. So even if your second PA dos a better job you should let the mount redo the star alignment process to note that the adjustments needed are different.

You should not touch polar alignment (PA) after a star align. So basically always end on a star align process. This is because the star alignment lets the mount compensate for any PA error, this is ruined if you then adjust the PA again.

https://stargazerslounge.com/forum/40-imaging-image-processing-help-and-techniques/ or https://stargazerslounge.com/forum/34-imaging-tips-tricks-and-techniques/

I presume you mean Sirilic for Siril - not so user friendly and needs scripts for processing otheer than stacking as I understand. For Pixinsight there may be a tool (I've not seen one) but that would need a PI license and defeats having a no cost option for beginners.

I have Graxpert installed in PixInsight and Siril has a cut-down version it uses. The whole point of the above is for a tool for someone to do a quick process - and possibly then to go on to better direct processing using Siril, Pixinsight etc. My processing is normally stacking in Siril and final processing in PixInsight.

There was a site called Astrocooker that many S50 & Dwarf users used to process their pre-stacked images. That site has been taken down due to the misuse of commercial Astro software, leaving a gap for the novice imagers. I use Siril and PixInsight, and have the plugins from RC Astro, so as a coding exercise I decided to see if a replacement using PySiril would do something similar to Astrocooker using just Siril. If any coders here would like to have a look and improve/correct my attempt I'm attaching the python code and the text config file. I'm a self taught coder and code for fun and won't be trying to sell any of my code, happy for it to be used as freeware. It's not for anyone just expecting to run the code straight off as it involves installing PySiril from Github - see https://siril.org/tutorials/pysiril/ and a few other imports not in a Python setup. It will let you open a linear fits/tiff file and to select the processes to run. You can select all or clear all - or just the ones you want. As it's a work in progress I have not put all the settings in the config file yet, will do that once I'm happy the commands/settings used are good enough. Menu options let you view the opened fits header and open the result.png image once processed. Probably a few bugs to iron out and the params for each Siril command to clarify. astrosimple.iniAstroSimple.py

I think you mean the Seestar S50 in your title.😑

Do you mean baloney?

If you are using Windows and are happy to activate developer mode then Siril will not make a copy of your files for processing but will use 'symbolic links' to the original files. These are just pointers to the files just like a shortcut in Windows. They are used a lot in Unix & Linux systems. See https://siril.org/tutorials/tuto-scripts/ for details

Important factor in my calling myself an amateur is that I have to pay for my equipment.

Your next mission, should you choose to accept it is: Add a motor and an AI computer to roll it out for you on clear nights and message you when it's cooled and ready to use.🙂

An paleontologist looks at a small bone and says, this is what the Dinosaur looked like 65 million years ago. An astronomer looks at a the sky and says, this is what this looked like 65 million years ago, but what it looks like now I can't say.

I'm an amateur Astro photographer and occasional stargazer. Or possibly a light historian.🤔

The standard scripts are stored in a protected directory which needs admin privileges, but you can add a folder for your own scripts in the settings. Scripts added/changed are only available when Siril is started so you can't modify one without a restart. There are some you can download which only run using the combination of files you have. From lights only to all. Each is a separate command in the script. See this for all scripts info Links for scripts to add at bottom of this web page too If you intend to edit them and need assistance just ask in SGL there are several Siril users here.