ZWO Seestar 50

[DaveL59]

6 hours ago, happy-kat said:

A glow in the dark (they aren't bright) stick on stars would point the direction 

doing a quick check with a red light, the reflective strips look good enough. I'd added some to the tripod legs also so you hopefully get less chance of stumbling into them, low cost safety add-on 😉 

[LDW1]

My SS all loaded and ready to fire !

[DaveL59]

I'd wish you clear skies so you get a chance to give it a test drive, but perhaps that's why we never get them. Maybe we should start wishing each other cloudy skies instead, like actors say "break a leg" 😉

[LDW1]

My first try at the sun between big, puffy clouds and +80° F temps which are pretty rare for this time of year in Northern Ontario. The second is a raw photo.

[LDW1]

Here is a 13 min. raw from last nite, Bortle 5-6, not very good skies, usually they are Bortle 4 and less warm / humid.

Edited October 7, 2023 by LDW1
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[LDW1]

M27 for 2min raw and then I doctored it with my ipad basic editing program. It was a quick edit, I have done better, lol !(

Edited October 8, 2023 by LDW1
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[LDW1]

The PacMan raw and then enhanced with my ipad.

Edited October 8, 2023 by LDW1
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[Stu1smartcookie]

18 hours ago, LDW1 said:

 Much friendlier than my Dwarf II !

Why is it "friendlier" ... the Dwarf has a pretty straightforward interface as does the SeeStars . I ask because i am collecting my SS50 next week and i am interested , as i have the Dwarf as well

 

[LDW1]

2 hours ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Why is it "friendlier" ... the Dwarf has a pretty straightforward interface as does the SeeStars . I ask because i am collecting my SS50 next week and i am interested , as i have the Dwarf as well

 

I won't get into that type of back and forth, a heated discussion maybe (lol), try them both and you decide for your self, its the best way, the only way !  You will love the SS !

[Stu1smartcookie]

29 minutes ago, LDW1 said:

I won't get into that type of back and forth, a heated discussion maybe (lol), try them both and you decide for your self, its the best way, the only way !  You will love the SS !

i will love the SS... i know it , as its right up my street being a lazy  astro photograher  😂

[LDW1]

3 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

i will love the SS... i know it , as its right up my street being a lazy  astro photograher  😂

Don't call it laziness, its just another direction to travel, a change of pace in this great hobby !

[DaveL59]

1 hour ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

i will love the SS... i know it , as its right up my street being a lazy  astro photograher  😂

Well I'll join the lazy camp too then 😉

I certainly wouldn't have gone to the trouble of building my own and then spend hours collecting and integrating data after the frustrations of getting it all working, not to mention the cost (tho I do already have an EQ5 SynScan mount my scopes are F10 ish). EEVA was more what I was considering as my eyes are often too tired at the end of the day, but this little rig lets me have both options/advantages in a simple plug-n-play rig. win win IMHO 🙂 

[Stu1smartcookie]

1 minute ago, DaveL59 said:

Well I'll join the lazy camp too then 😉

I certainly wouldn't have gone to the trouble of building my own and then spend hours collecting and integrating data after the frustrations of getting it all working, not to mention the cost (tho I do already have an EQ5 SynScan mount my scopes are F10 ish). EEVA was more what I was considering as my eyes are often too tired at the end of the day, but this little rig lets me have both options/advantages in a simple plug-n-play rig. win win IMHO 🙂 

Yes , the ss50, dwarf ... and any other "smart"scope are soooo appealing . I still love looking at stuff through the EP , but wtching Nebs and galaxies appear before your eyes on your phone is amazing and very satisfying .

[happy-kat]

I wonder if there are plans to release the app on it's own to work with synscan mounts

[jjohnson3803]

1 hour ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

[...] watching Nebs and galaxies appear before your eyes on your phone is amazing and very satisfying .

Good to hear your experience.  I've been wondering how I'd feel sitting inside watching a screen while a S* grinds away out on my deck.  It would be nice to avoid mosquitoes, the occasional curious neighbor, etc.

[LDW1]

2 hours ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Yes , the ss50, dwarf ... and any other "smart"scope are soooo appealing . I still love looking at stuff through the EP , but wtching Nebs and galaxies appear before your eyes on your phone is amazing and very satisfying .

The nice thing is you will see dso's more like the astronomy books rather than faint objects through a scope. And I have some pretty capable scopes. They are a great, low cost, compliment to our scopes !

[Elp]

2 hours ago, happy-kat said:

I wonder if there are plans to release the app on it's own to work with synscan mounts

That's what the asiair is for.

[happy-kat]

1 hour ago, Elp said:

That's what the asiair is for.

Thought that was PC app rather than mobile app as the SS uses

Edit

Just looked on store, I hadn't realized the app was there too

Edited October 5, 2023 by happy-kat

[Elp]

4 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

Thought that was PC app rather than mobile app as the SS uses 

You interface with it via a mobile app (or use a tablet if you wish). One of the main reasons I bought into them so no lugging computers or computer cables outside. I use them with my azgti and ioptrons. The azgti needs an EQDIR cable to connect to the air, with the ioptrons I connect the air to the hand controllers via their usb cables.

Edited October 5, 2023 by Elp

[LDW1]

IC 1318 last night in my driveway about 10:30 with dim LED streetlights nearby and the neighbors kitchen lite dimly turned on and rain moving in. And lightly touched up with my ipads photo editor.

Edited October 8, 2023 by LDW1
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[powerlord]

9 minutes ago, Elp said:

You interface with it via a mobile app (or use a tablet if you wish). One of the main reasons I bought into them so no lugging computers or computer cables outside. I use them with my azgti and ioptrons. The azgti needs an EQDIR cable to connect to the air, with the ioptrons I connect the air to the hand controllers via their usb cables.

I doubt I'd still be doing astrophotography and wouldn't have built my observatory if it wasn't for asiairs - absolutely the mutts nutts imho.

[M40]

1 hour ago, LDW1 said:

IC 1318 last night in my driveway about 10:30 with dim LED streetlights nearby and the neighbors kitchen lite dimly turned on and rain moving in. And lightly touched up with my ipads photo editor.

You are getting some great pictures, copy them over to the seestar pictures in the eeva section as they will be great for others to see them and give a few targets to try. I  do think the ss50 is going to excel at nebula and solar and maybe once these clouds give us a break i could add a few myself.

[DaveL59]

On 01/10/2023 at 17:42, DaveL59 said:

Maybe but I've reason to secure things as the folks directly next door seem highly dubious to me. In fact since setting up that open SSID with lets say a play on a UK crime agency as its ID looks like someone had a try to connect:

Funny too, having broadcast that ID yesterday eve then turning it off, its back on today and there was a flurry of activity this afternoon and 2 people loading their cars with belongings and quickly departing 😄

 

hmmm so after the quick exodus of 2 from next door, tonight under cover of darkness a lot of stuff being shifted out to I guess a van parked further up the road. An amusing turn of events perhaps :-D 

[powerlord]

You should maybe tell the police in case it's serious ?

[Stu1smartcookie]

15 hours ago, LDW1 said:

IC 1318 last night in my driveway about 10:30 with dim LED streetlights nearby and the neighbors kitchen lite dimly turned on and rain moving in. And lightly touched up with my ipads photo editor.

I like your enthusiasm for the SS50 , and showing the results , which are very encouraging for others . Good to see .