ZWO Seestar 50

[Elp]

This is one of the issues I have with the Seestar, it's only going to be as useful as long as the software continues to work. Yes it's a budget device, but do you like spending a few hundred of pounds on a product only for it to be rendered useless a few years later at no fault to the mechanics of the device?

I had to stop using my asiairs for a while whilst I figured out how to resolve the problems introduced with the latest updates and use older versions of the software.

Edited September 12, 2023 by Elp

[DaveL59]

1 minute ago, Elp said:

And here's me using 50 year old camera lenses that should be obsolete...

hehe all of my Minolta ones are AF and pre 1987 but I've a few M42's that are from the 60's and they work great. So the tech has changed at the back end, but glass is glass and so long as it bends the light just so... 😉 

[Elp]

It's amazing though how sometimes older stuff is so much better made than modern. My old lenses are also all metal rather than modern plastic hybrids.

[DaveL59]

2 minutes ago, Elp said:

This is one of the issues I have with the Seestar, it's only going to be as useful as long as the software continues to work. Yes it's a budget device, but do you like spending a few hundred of pounds on a product only for it to be rendered useless a few years later at no fault to the mechanics of the device?

it may be possible to run the app on a PC under the droid emulator, not sure if anyone's tried/done that as yet. In which case even if the mobile device is replaced it may still be possible to run the older droid OS and app emulated in that way.

[Elp]

Or just use a device specifically for it and never update the app or firmware. If it does what it needs to from new, why update. The only need I have is for updated star catalogues/databases, the air was perfect on app version 1.9 and didn't need updating.

Edited September 12, 2023 by Elp

[LDW1]

31 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

not much positive to add huh? 😞

Just because the maker ain't sending updates, doesn't mean it just ceases to function. Heck my CCTV cameras haven't had an update in 7-10 years and they just work. My old Note-3 phone that I got in 2012 still worked as-was, I just decided to blow a newer droid version onto it since it was no longer my primary phone once I got the note-10. My old Note-1 also still works just fine, the only issue is if an app I may want requires a later droid version for whatever reason.

As for the tele lens add-on, well I wonder how the likes of Minolta and co feel about folks adding these things onto expensive glass they developed? The fact that I can turn my 50mm £200 (original price) lens into a fisheye for little outlay (that cost me around £12 a while back) gives the option of a bit of fun should I feel the desire to. Sure it won't be the ultimate in optical brilliance but seeing what might be possible is worth the adventure IMHO.

For you maybe but checkin with ZWO and their workings.   Good Luck !  PS:  Its more than just something turning on, I sure you know, I will give you a 12 yr. old ipad it still turns on but after that ....... .

[DaveL59]

2 minutes ago, LDW1 said:

For you maybe but checkin with ZWO and their workings.   Good Luck !  PS:  Its more than just something turning on, I sure you know, I will give you a 12 yr. old ipad it still turns on but after that ....... .

well for the tele/fisheye adaptor I see it as much the same as sticking a barlow in the optical train, just on the front of the scope rather than the eyepiece. Whether it'd be useful who knows till someone tries it...

[LDW1]

35 minutes ago, Elp said:

And here's me using 50 year old camera lenses that should be obsolete...

And they are, any one in this ...... wouldn't give you 2 cents for it all, they are 2 far in the past, just keep them for you.  Believe me I have been through it all !

[LDW1]

1 minute ago, DaveL59 said:

well for the tele/fisheye adaptor I see it as much the same as sticking a barlow in the optical train, just on the front of the scope rather than the eyepiece. Whether it'd be useful who knows till someone tries it...

As I said Good Luck !

[LDW1]

31 minutes ago, Elp said:

Or just use a device specifically for it and never update the app or firmware. If it does what it needs to from new, why update. The only need I have is for updated star catalogues/databases, the air was perfect on app version 1.9 and didn't need updating.

Correct but you just miss out on all the new features, new capabilities that go with each and every update for newer gear. If you are happy with that there is nothing wrong with living in the past.

[LDW1]

37 minutes ago, Elp said:

It's amazing though how sometimes older stuff is so much better made than modern. My old lenses are also all metal rather than modern plastic hybrids.

Don't disregard the ' new plastics ' it is a lot more than you might think, its the way of the world, the new world as is the SS50 ! Either join or don't, no one will care !

[Elp]

12 minutes ago, LDW1 said:

And they are, any one in this ...... wouldn't give you 2 cents for it all, they are 2 far in the past, just keep them for you.  Believe me I have been through it all !

Look up fast Asahi Pentax Takumar lenses, still very much in demand. And they work well for AP unlike the vast majority of modern lenses. I know, I've got modern too and only a handful work well.

[LDW1]

5 minutes ago, Elp said:

Look up fast Asahi Pentax Takumar lenses, still very much in demand. And they work well for AP unlike the vast majority of modern lenses. I know, I've got modern too and only a handful work well.

What can I say !

[powerlord]

54 minutes ago, Elp said:

This is one of the issues I have with the Seestar, it's only going to be as useful as long as the software continues to work. Yes it's a budget device, but do you like spending a few hundred of pounds on a product only for it to be rendered useless a few years later at no fault to the mechanics of the device?

I had to stop using my asiairs for a while whilst I figured out how to resolve the problems introduced with the latest updates and use older versions of the software.

yeh, the baine of nearly all new stuff these days - relies on software or cloud stuff for no good technical reason. there's even headphones you can buy that won't work usefully with the app. it's madness.

[powerlord]

7 minutes ago, Elp said:

Look up fast Asahi Pentax Takumar lenses, still very much in demand. And they work well for AP unlike the vast majority of modern lenses. I know, I've got modern too and only a handful work well.

Some others too. With optics at least, if its good, its good. I mean lets face it, celestron have been churning out SCTs for 50 years pretty much unchanged.

With tech its trickier for sure - on the one hand you really want to take advantage of that supercomputer in your pocket for that new minkyMonkeySuperGadget3000™ you've built. On the otherhand, if/when its not compatible with the phone anymore - you know ever one you've sold will be nothing more than a very expensive minkyMonkeySuperBRICK3000™.

Techmoan has a good moan about this in some of his videos - automatic chess playing board was the latest I believe.

[Elp]

7 minutes ago, powerlord said:

there's even headphones you can buy that won't work usefully with the app

Surely this is device controlled rather than app? Very odd.

[LDW1]

1 minute ago, powerlord said:

yeh, the baine of nearly all new stuff these days - relies on software or cloud stuff for no good technical reason. there's even headphones you can buy that won't work usefully with the app. it's madness.

You are all wrong but it doesn't matter !  Tell that to or ask that rational of ZWO. You may not like the answer just before they hang up, lol !   PS:  Before you do please explain how you introduce new applications, new applications, new ..... with a software update that the older ..... don't have the capacities, the ....... to utilize.  Wasn't there a cartoon decades ago called Back To The Stone Age, lol ?

[LDW1]

6 minutes ago, powerlord said:

Some others too. With optics at least, if its good, its good. I mean lets face it, celestron have been churning out SCTs for 50 years pretty much unchanged.

With tech its trickier for sure - on the one hand you really want to take advantage of that supercomputer in your pocket for that new minkyMonkeySuperGadget3000™ you've built. On the otherhand, if/when its not compatible with the phone anymore - you know ever one you've sold will be nothing more than a very expensive minkyMonkeySuperBRICK3000™.

Techmoan has a good moan about this in some of his videos - automatic chess playing board was the latest I believe.

If you don't upgrade think of the $'s you save and the fun you miss, you can't have one without the other. It just leads to more whining, more cursing, lol !  Good Luck !    PS:  And maybe restless sleep.

Edited September 12, 2023 by LDW1

[Cosmic Geoff]

6 minutes ago, LDW1 said:

If you don't upgrade think of the $'s you save and the fun you miss, you can't have one without the other. It just leads to more whining, more cursing, lol !  Good Luck !    PS:  And maybe restless sleep.

We see where you are coming from and we get you. But not everybody wants to spend money chasing the latest shiny thing, when the old stuff still works.  I don't. for instance, need a 4K TV when my HD TV still works, and I don't need to spend tens of thousands of pounds on a new electric car, when my old petrol car still runs just fine and gets me around. 

[LDW1]

2 minutes ago, Cosmic Geoff said:

We see where you are coming from and we get you. But not everybody wants to spend money chasing the latest shiny thing, when the old stuff still works.  I don't. for instance, need a 4K TV when my HD TV still works, and I don't need to spend tens of thousands of pounds on a new electric car, when my old petrol car still runs just fine and gets me around. 

I think you are missing, ignoring or whatever when it comes to how modern, the newest updating affects capabilities, performance of our discussion subject !  To use autos, tv's etc as a direct example is a no go and you must know that. Hopefully !  But you are correct ultimately the choice is yours, lol !  Good Luck in the future !     PS:  I am 75 yr. old I accepted it a long time ago, on the other hand if ond doesn't have the spare cash to spend thats okay also, we are all in this for fun not the neccessity.

[bosun21]

14 hours ago, Louis D said:

Would it be possible to EQ mount it and then tell it you're at the north pole (for northern hemisphere users) to fool it into EQ mode?

I would think that sometime in the future they will come out with an update to allow EQ mode. Something like what we have with the SW GTi.

[Elp]

26 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

I would think that sometime in the future they will come out with an update to allow EQ mode. Something like what we have with the SW GTi.

Cuivs latest video he asked the question to zwo and they said there are no plans for it. I wouldn't rule it out though, it just adds a level of complication I think they don't want to put into the mix for users, even though some may want it.

 

[StevieDvd]

ZWO will probably add their own wedge for it before changing the software for EQ mode, and a way that only ZWO wedges will be able to be used!!!!

[Cosmic Geoff]

42 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

I would think that sometime in the future they will come out with an update to allow EQ mode. Something like what we have with the SW GTi.

We shall see. However, the Seestar S50 is designed to stack a series of short images to build up a composite image. (EAA)

I have done the same using both alt-azimuth mounts and an equatorial mount, and the only notable drawback of using an alt-azimuth mount is that a notable effect of field rotation builds up around the edges of the image and has to be cropped off.  The stacked portions of the image are unaffected.  The effect was demonstrated in one of the Seestar S50 Youtube review videos I watched.

[LDW1]

3 hours ago, Elp said:

But that's the thing. The device in question doesn't necessarily need to be rendered obsolete just because the manufacturer doesn't see it as viable to support anymore. Some of my ten year old phones will still work fine if the OS developers didn't feel the need to update and render said devices obsolete. All they need is a battery change and they'd be good to go, but the latest bloat in new OSs as well as lazy app requirements makes them run slow, look how apple have been purposefully slowing older phones down in secret so they can be supported for longer.

My 5 year old phone can still run my asiair software but it's prone to crashing, yet it can run graphic intensive games fine.

You are correct so how do you intend to keep it doing what you want it to do, need it to do above a snails pace, during crashes, etc. ?  Have you ever tried to buy a replacement battery, some years ago I had a Samsung Note4, it worked perfectly, it needed a new battery, I couldn't find one in literally the world, I had to scrap it and bought a Note10, so far it works great. It was that way right back to my Bag Phone. Good Luck I have been through it all, lol !