ZWO Seestar 50

[DaveL59]

13 minutes ago, Giles_B said:

Busy all weekend and no clear skies here since delivery on Friday in any event, but at last I'm having a play tonight. Just got it setup to work with in home wifi mode with a repeater, so the network signal gets down the garden. Current forecast is for clear skies both Friday and Saturday day and night so I want to be ready (Friday and Saturday! When does that ever happen? Hope it holds.)

Couple of things I've observed tonight:

(1) There doesn't seem to be a setting to forget individual network settings. Once they are set, they are locked in until the reset key is pressed. I've had to reset and start again from scratch to forget my home router and to switch from 5GhZ to 2.4GhZ signal (newly bought repeater turns out to be 2.4GhZ only). 

(2) The battery seems to drain surprisingly fast - down to 92% after an hour of fiddling with the network. Looks like an external battery will be needed once the SeeStar is called on to do any extended observing.

(3) The short tripod might be a problem - spent 30 minutes with the SeeStar set up at the end of the garden making sure I could connect from indoors, and when I brought the SeeStar back inside I found a juicy snail that had made its way to a centimetre from the aperture - a cleaning job I'd prefer to avoid!

Well the upside with 2.4 is more range at least 😉

I bought a puck from FLO to give an EQ5 tripod a 3/8 tripod screw and that works well. Having a spare EQ5 tripod of course helps. For me it means I can pan lower given the fences here and a side benefit is of course further for the slugs to travel. I've put out a couple beer traps so I'm finally seeing a bit less of them as after rain it was almost slip n slide proportions on the fake grass 😞

For the battery, after first charge and some messing about connecting and indoor testing I ran it outside for a couple hours and it got down to 65-70% ish, no dew heating enabled. So an extrnal battery may be a good idea if expecting to run it for long periods.

Oh on the WiFi side, I found that if wanted you can configure your router firewall to block access to www from the S50, which I've since done. Your phone/tablet on the same WiFi can get to the internet to gather any info needed and I can't see any reason for the S50 to need to.

[LDW1]

Just bought a lens cover and dew shield for the SS from AliExpress !

[Giles_B]

4 hours ago, LDW1 said:

Just bought a lens cover and dew shield for the SS from AliExpress !

Was this the "Hercules metal dust cap for the Seestar S50"? Aliexpress UK has it for £7 plus £23 postage! Hope you got a better deal in Canada.

Think I'll pass for now...

[M40]

5 hours ago, LDW1 said:

Just bought a lens cover and dew shield for the SS from AliExpress !

Pictures please 👌 rather looking forward to a rush of optional extras for the ss50, the ingenuity of powerlord is really just a first step. 

I can’t make my mind up about a lens cover, but the dew shield sounds like a great idea.

[DaveL59]

Once Stu's filter adaptor arrives I plan on using a 49-48mm step down ring and a regular photo lens hood that screws onto a 49mm lens. No need to spend lots one that hercules one that pretty much looks the same as a regular hood. Wonder if they just stuck an adaptor ring onto one so it fits the opening?

Any lens cap will need to be very low profile, 1mm isn else it'll catch when the S50 parks. I'd bought another bahtinov mask off the bay-of-e and put the transit sticker onto that so it acts as a lens cap. I'd rather limit dust collection on my optical stuff esp having cats.

[LDW1]

3 hours ago, Giles_B said:

Was this the "Hercules metal dust cap for the Seestar S50"? Aliexpress UK has it for £7 plus £23 postage! Hope you got a better deal in Canada.

Think I'll pass for now...

And don't forget the dew shield, I don't know what you mean by 'better deal' but as always if you want something you pay the price or you do without, there isn't a lot of choice around.  Yet !   PS:  I never worry about the cost, if one does they would never have anything, some call it being cheep, lol !

Edited October 3, 2023 by LDW1

[LDW1]

1 hour ago, DaveL59 said:

Once Stu's filter adaptor arrives I plan on using a 49-48mm step down ring and a regular photo lens hood that screws onto a 49mm lens. No need to spend lots one that hercules one that pretty much looks the same as a regular hood. Wonder if they just stuck an adaptor ring onto one so it fits the opening?

Any lens cap will need to be very low profile, 1mm isn else it'll catch when the S50 parks. I'd bought another bahtinov mask off the bay-of-e and put the transit sticker onto that so it acts as a lens cap. I'd rather limit dust collection on my optical stuff esp having cats.

On another SS site one guy has one and he says it fits perfectly over the lens.

[LDW1]

1 hour ago, M40 said:

Pictures please 👌 rather looking forward to a rush of optional extras for the ss50, the ingenuity of powerlord is really just a first step. 

I can’t make my mind up about a lens cover, but the dew shield sounds like a great idea.

You can even by short extensions for the tripod legs, they come in a 3 pack, the lens cover, the dew shield and the leg extensions for the one price + shipping.

[DaveL59]

36 minutes ago, LDW1 said:

You can even by short extensions for the tripod legs, they come in a 3 pack, the lens cover, the dew shield and the leg extensions for the one price + shipping.

pics and a link would be useful for others 🙂 

[LDW1]

3 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

pics and a link would be useful for others 🙂 

I haven't received them yet, I just ordered them but feel free to check them out on Ali, for yourself !  I don't do links.

[powerlord]

8 minutes ago, LDW1 said:

I haven't received them yet, I just ordered them but feel free to check them out on Ali, for yourself !  I don't do links.

sigh.

https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-seestar-s50.html?spm=a2g0o.home.search.0

imho a waste of money but each to their own..

[LDW1]

1 hour ago, powerlord said:

sigh.

https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-seestar-s50.html?spm=a2g0o.home.search.0

imho a waste of money but each to their own..

You got that right, lol !  If I can't afford to spend that kind of cash on something like that, even if they are no good, I am getting out of this hobby, lol !  But I have faith in Ali !

Edited October 3, 2023 by LDW1

[M40]

25 minutes ago, LDW1 said:

You got that right, lol !  If I can't afford to spend that kind of cash on something like that, even if they are no good, I am getting out of this hobby, lol !  But I have faith in Ali !

Doesn’t appear to be that high a cost, but I am wondering if once powerlords adapter arrives, would an extension tube fulfill the same function? 

I couldn't quite see from the picture but it looks like the ali dew shield has a thread on it, do you need an adapter for it?

[Giles_B]

1 hour ago, powerlord said:

sigh.

https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesale-seestar-s50.html?spm=a2g0o.home.search.0

imho a waste of money but each to their own..

Shipping is way more reasonable from that seller than the one I checked. For a tenner shipped, I think that's reasonable for a lens cover.

On the dew shield, would it make much difference given you already have dew control? Serious question, I'd consider buying if it would.

 

Finally got the Seestar under the  skies. Tried the moon this morning but Seestar couldn't find it and neither could i manually in the short time available. Found the sun no problem just now. Took some video but its all a bit windy. 

[powerlord]

1 minute ago, M40 said:

Doesn’t appear to be that high a cost, but I am wondering if once powerlords adapter arrives, would an extension tube fulfill the same function? 

I couldn't quite see from the picture but it looks like the ali dew shield has a thread on it, do you need an adapter for it?

doubt it, it's probably just an off the shelf thing - 50mm threaded extension tube or summit.

you could certainly screw a 48mm ext onto my adapter, but tbh  - its got a dew heater, and its a wee lens - I don't really reckon it needs a dew shield - yer then having to make sure you don't turn it of without taking it off, etc too.

I'd have thought keeping the bahtinov on when stored would probably be just about as good as a cap too ?

[DaveL59]

2 minutes ago, Giles_B said:

Shipping is way more reasonable from that seller than the one I checked. For a tenner shipped, I think that's reasonable for a lens cover.

On the dew shield, would it make much difference given you already have dew control? Serious question, I'd consider buying if it would.

 

Finally got the Seestar under the  skies. Tried the moon this morning but Seestar couldn't find it and neither could i manually in the short time available. Found the sun no problem just now. Took some video but its all a bit windy. 

For me the thought to use a photo lens hood was more about stray light hitting the lens - RH neighbour with eaves mounted camera that beams white light across my garden, LH neighbour leaving upstairs lighting on with no curtains again flooding the garden as bad as a full moon. No idea how well the S50 baffles but I figure it can't hurt to add a hood esp as I already have 49mm ones for the camera gear.

For the moon, yeah so far it hasn't found it and needed steering. I wonder if its internal algo isn't handling the DST shift so confusing the target location.

[LDW1]

7 minutes ago, M40 said:

Doesn’t appear to be that high a cost, but I am wondering if once powerlords adapter arrives, would an extension tube fulfill the same function? 

I couldn't quite see from the picture but it looks like the ali dew shield has a thread on it, do you need an adapter for it?

I am glad you said ' if ', I am betting my money on Ali, from past experience. As to an adaptor why don't you contact them and ask, its very simple.

[powerlord]

4 minutes ago, Giles_B said:

Shipping is way more reasonable from that seller than the one I checked. For a tenner shipped, I think that's reasonable for a lens cover.

On the dew shield, would it make much difference given you already have dew control? Serious question, I'd consider buying if it would.

 

Finally got the Seestar under the  skies. Tried the moon this morning but Seestar couldn't find it and neither could i manually in the short time available. Found the sun no problem just now. Took some video but its all a bit windy. 

I do like the way it finds the moon and sun - by brightness and edge brightness is really inventive. asiair really struggles to find those as it only does plate solving - so it falls over completely trying to find big massively bright blobs.

I hope they merge that back into asiair as it's a great feature - maybe would work for planets, etc too - all of that is manual only at the mo because it has no alternative to plate solving.

[LDW1]

5 minutes ago, powerlord said:

doubt it, it's probably just an off the shelf thing - 50mm threaded extension tube or summit.

you could certainly screw a 48mm ext onto my adapter, but tbh  - its got a dew heater, and its a wee lens - I don't really reckon it needs a dew shield - yer then having to make sure you don't turn it of without taking it off, etc too.

I'd have thought keeping the bahtinov on when stored would probably be just about as good as a cap too ?

Your comments, again, are distant speculation from what I can tell as well as ......... !

[LDW1]

14 minutes ago, Giles_B said:

Shipping is way more reasonable from that seller than the one I checked. For a tenner shipped, I think that's reasonable for a lens cover.

On the dew shield, would it make much difference given you already have dew control? Serious question, I'd consider buying if it would.

 

Finally got the Seestar under the  skies. Tried the moon this morning but Seestar couldn't find it and neither could i manually in the short time available. Found the sun no problem just now. Took some video but its all a bit windy. 

There is only one way to find out the virtues of that dew shield and its not speculation from afar, lol !

[powerlord]

1 minute ago, LDW1 said:

There is only one way to find out the virtues of that dew shield and its not speculation from afar, lol !

uhu. or stick a bog roll on the end. save yerself 15 quid.

[powerlord]

Perfect fit

And as a bonus, is exuding Dalek vibes...EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE!!!

Edited October 3, 2023 by powerlord

[DaveL59]

3 minutes ago, powerlord said:

Perfect fit

Just need to flock it now to make it nice and dark inside 😉 

[LDW1]

20 minutes ago, powerlord said:

Perfect fit

And as a bonus, is exuding Dalek vibes...EXTERMINATE EXTERMINATE!!!

I am glad you said ' to each his own a while back ', try not to get your hands too sticky, lol !  Me I'm stickin' to Ali !

Edited October 3, 2023 by LDW1

[Stu1smartcookie]

I reckon i will stick to the "BOG " standard SS